Kraftwerk - Missing Robots

Kraftwerk are releasing a lovely boxset called 12345678 - The Catalogue. It’s filled with remastered and revisioned versions of the eight minimalist electronic classic albums. They've also released the albums individually with brand new artwork. Why Autobahn needs new artwork I don’t know but apparently it does.

Thing is there are absolutely no extras on any of them, and, unlike The Beatles, Kraftwerk have been very careful to make sure that all their previous works have been digitally remastered to true Kling Klang standards. So, what rarities are there out in the real world that they could have used to create “9”, the boxset's bonus album? Here’s a few selections for you to consider.

First up, how about the original seven inch single version of Autobahn? Totally unavailable on any officially released album this has only been available to collectors via bootleg cd’s providing scratchy versions taken from the old vinyl, or reconstrucions made up from official releases.



Or how about the original version of Kometenmelodie2?



Going onto album number two how about the French extended remix version of Radioactivity?



Actually, there are quite a few French rarities, here’s Mini Calculateur. It’s longer than some versions you may be more familiar with.



Maybe you’d prefer the German Version



Back to the French - original version of Mannequins, anyone?



Kraftwerk did loads of twelve inch versions. I didn’t know about this particular version of Computerwelt.



Having done many French and English version of their songs, they also did German versions of things they originally did in other languages. The most pointless? A German Tour de France - well a German only release of Tour de France. Any jokes about the last time the German’s toured France involved a World War are not appreciated and belong on a lesser site.



The flawed album is Techno Pop. It’s release was delayed by over three years and was given a new name (Electric Café). Now re-released under the original name the album continues to be revised. The full album version of Telephone Call has been replaced with the single version and a twelve inch version. But not this version



But how would you end “9”? Well, I guess you could either go with something pre Autobahn that at the same time showed the world where Kraftwerk were heading, a track like Kristallo, for example



But personally, I would go with this as a hidden cd-rom extra. Kraftwerk, the sit-com



Apparently both Karl and Wolfgang know about this viral and find it funny. I hope Ralf and Florian do, or we’ll be forced to use this…



…and we don’t want that know, do we?