What's the German for "Krautrock"?

[John Rennie]

>Here's an article worth linking to, for a perspective from someone who was
>'there.'  I didn't re-read it entirely just now, but I do remember that
he's
>quite critical of those who 'worship' (and create legends from) what to
them
>was just amateurish stuff by people who never thought of any great movement
>going on.  (I tend to disagree.)  :)
>
>http://www.furious.com/perfect/krautrock.html

The article seems a bit cynical. It has that "written on a bad day" feel.
Having said that, "amateurish stuff by people who never thought of any great
movement" seems a fair description of the early Hawkwind. Reading Ian
Abrahams' book shattered a few of my illusions about the early albums.

JR

-----Original Message-----
From: BOC/Hawkwind Discussion List
[mailto:BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET]On Behalf Of Henderson Keith
Sent: 13 November 2004 13:10
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET
Subject: Re: What's the German for "Krautrock"?


Eric asked...

>First, the article says, "In Germany, the term 'Krautrock' is not
>used."  Is this true?  The German Wikipedia has an article called
>"Krautrock" (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock).

It's used in Austria at least...I was just in Wien (Vienna) last week, and
visited a record/CD shop that had a special section devoted to 'krautrock.'

>Later, the article says that T. Dream and Faust called what they
>were doing "komische musik", and someone on the discussion page
>suggests that that's "a translation of 'krautrock'", but that a
>particular German speaker disagreed.  A few questions here:
>
>Should that be "kosmische"?

Yes, of course.

>"Cosmic" seems rather more appropriate than "comic", for the
>music in question :-)

Well, I might agree, but some people think my taste in music is sehr
komisch*!  And they've even told me as much.  :)

*komisch could translate (literally) to 'comic' but it is very commonly used
as just 'odd' or 'strange.'

>Does that term (whichever is the correct spelling) now refer
>to Krautrock in general, or was it limited to those two
>bands' usage of it "back in the day"?

Hard for me to say really...as I only have a 'revisionist' view of things,
not having been aware of it until the early 80s.  But I doubt that it was
ever focussed on just two (or a few) bands.  But, yes, of course, Faust
famously included a track called "Krautrock" on the IV album (a recommended
album, BTW, though I like the rest of it better than the "Krautrock" track).
Julian Cope seemed to suggest (though I don't know if I believe his story)
that a track by Amon Duul (ADI essentially) made first reference to 'kraut'
and thus the name was born.  I tend to think it was just called such by
English fans who just naturally put the two words together, whether intended
to be derogatory or not.  I suppose Jerryrock would have been yet worse?
(Though this term is not known in America, so I don't know how it's used.)

Oh, wait, you meant 'kosmische.'  Well, I don't think that was also limited
so narrowly...in fact, Rolf Ulrich Kaiser had a whole label dedicated to the
Cosmic Couriers.  And I think Agitation Free, Ash Ra, and that whole Berlin
scene must have been together in the 'kosmische' category, as well as AD2
and a bunch of other lesser knowns around the country.  But I would suggest
'krautrock' was yet broader than 'kosmische' 'cause there are some hard Deep
Purple-ish German 70s bands that are often dubbed krautrock without being
particularly 'kosmische.'  Lucifer's Friend, Birth Control, that sort of
thing.

Here's an article worth linking to, for a perspective from someone who was
'there.'  I didn't re-read it entirely just now, but I do remember that he's
quite critical of those who 'worship' (and create legends from) what to them
was just amateurish stuff by people who never thought of any great movement
going on.  (I tend to disagree.)  :)

http://www.furious.com/perfect/krautrock.html

>Shouldn't "Musik" be capitalized?  (That's about the only
>rule of German grammar that I think I know, so again I'm
>skating on pretty thin ice...)

Yes.