'Krautrock' a term first used by the British music press, was never a coherent movement, rather a loose definition to describe the music coming out of West Germany in the late 1960s and 70s. This book charts Krautrock s genesis in the music of the hugely influential Karlheinz Stockhausen, communal living, German politics, the student protest movement, psychedelic rock, free jazz, and The Velvet Underground. Through essays by music critics, profiles of musicians and key record labels, discographies, insightful testimonials, and an extended timeline locating the music in the cultural climate of the era, both in Germany and abroad, Krautrock offers a thorough and engaging analysis. The book charts Krautrock s legacy and impact. Can, Neu!, Faust, and Kraftwerk, to name a few of the key bands involved, all laid the foundations for generations of musicians after them. Krautrock s influence was substantial and continues through to contemporary music. It has been credited with being a huge influence on a diverse range of artists from David Bowie, Radiohead, Joy Division, Mark E Smith (The Fall) and John Lydon (Sex Pistols) to Sonic Youth and Stereolab. Lavishly illustrated with previously unpublished photos, posters and other memorabilia, Krautrock is the essential compendium to one of the most enduring and influential music of the last decades.
