Krautrock! New music of the future (Part 2)

Most writers, journalists, musicians and fans agree that the post war youth of the 1960’s was politically aware and well educated. Plus, you can hardly ignore the proliferation of hallucinogenic and psychedelic drugs. There was also the influence of pioneering British & American bands and the boom in youth pop culture. For the first time in decades the German people had become a society that was independent and wealthy. All these factors and obviously many more were what lead to a music culture as unheard before.  
 
Although some bands just created their created their own twists on popular rock forms, others cross-pollinated music’s, or went out of their way to destroy all conventions. Amon Duul were notably inspired by the British band Hapshash and the Colored Coat and the related Amon Duul II took such music even further.  
 
Tangerine Dream were overtly indebted to early Pink Floyd, as were Ash Ra Tempel. Many attempted to emulate the eccentric Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention or out do the improvisations of The Grateful Dead. But then there was the pop guitarist Achim Reichel who recorded a series of bizarre albums. There was also Can, whose creations were an unprecedented hybrid of rock and avant-garde forms.  
 
Faust was a band who went on to deliberately destroy every musical convention they could! Such was the musical climate in Germany during the late 60’s and early 70’s. In many cases, the bastions of Krautrock went on to be even more innovative then any of the bands that inspired them.  
 
This new style of music didn’t have any clearly identifiable form. It wasn’t any organized media fashion. What become popularized as Krautrock was broad ranging. It was a form of progressive or psychedelic rock in which experimentation was a key factor. It crossed jazz with folk or ethnic sounds from other parts of the world. Hybrid combinations that resulted were unheard of at that time. Germany exploded!  
 
From 1969-1972, there were countless bands that formed. Many became popular in Germany, some were even successful in Europe and a limited few saw world wide success. Here are a listing of some of these legendary acts:  
 
Amon Duul II  
Grobschnitt  
Guru Guru  
Wallenstein  
Tangerine Dream  
Embryo  
Kin Ping Meh  
Kluster/Cluster  
Ash Ra Tempel  
Agitation Free  
Faust  
Birth Control  
Eloy  
Faithful Breath  
Lucifer’s Friend  
Hairy Chapter  
Triumvirant  
Wind  
Nightsun  
Gift  
Message  
Emergency  
Tritonus  
Jane  
Ihre Kinder  
Karthago  
Novalis  
Pell Mell  
Frame  
Nosferatu  
   
Finally, the two largest acts that truly made names for themselves outside of Germany were Kraftwerk and The Scorpions.  
 
Kraftwerk redefined the electronic scene in Germany. The band incorporated early avant-garde leanings but also began incorporating beats and rhythms that made their music much more accessible. In 1975 the band had a worldwide hit with the song “Autobahn” from the same album. Kraftwerk were a leading force in progressive, electronic music. The band is recognized for innovating disco, house, industrial and techno. As the 1980’s took off so did technology. Countless DJ’s and bands began citing Kraftwerk as an influence. Everyone had a synthesizer, some synchronized beats and a sound that was not truly their own. Instead of fighting for world domination, Kraftwerk slowly began to retract their steps back into the shadows. A truly unique and innovative act.  
 
The Scorpions began as a beat band back in 1965! They played top 40 hits and had a UK sound and style. By 1971 they were signed to Brain Records and released their first album called The Lonesome Crow. This record was a psychedelic, jazzy trip. Lead guitarist Michael Schenker and brother Rudolph created a twin guitar sound that had some bluesy riffs similar to Black Sabbath or Status Quo. This version of the band was light years away from their massive success in America & the UK during the late 1970’s into the 1980’s. Throughout the 1970’s The Scorpions began shedding their hippish roots for a more modern Euro Metal sound that the world wasn’t ready for. Albums like 1976’s “In Trance”, 1977’s “Virgin Killer” and 1978’s “Taken By Force”, solidified this act as being a dominant force in Heavy Metal. 1979’s “Lovedrive” the band was signed to Mercury Records and the rest is history. The band was headlining with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ozzy, KISS and many other top of the line acts. I think everyone knows their hits “No One Like You” in 1982 and their biggest “Rock You Like A Hurricane” in 1984.    
 
This about wraps it up for this look into the German music scene of the 1960’s into the 1970’s. Thanks for reading.