Neu! 75

Neu!: Michael Rother (vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer); Klaus Dinger (vocals, guitar, organ, keyboards, percussion).
Recorded between December 1974 and January 1975.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
The anticlimactic nature of Neu!'s second album was inevitable, following such an innovative, landmark debut. By the time of the Krautrock duo's third record, though, they were ready for another great leap forward. NEU! '75 is an altogether different animal from the first album--where NEU! 1 was consistent in its insistent mid-tempo pace, '75 is divided between more melodic, reflective tracks and harsh, aggressive songs that sound more like late-'70s punk than anyone might expect from a mid-'70s Krautrock band. The slashing guitar and rough-hewn vocals on "Hero" strongly prefigure both the Sex Pistols and NYC No Wave cult heroes DNA, while the more low-key moments obviously set a precedent for the likes of OMD and the early Human League. While '75 couldn't have had the pure shock value that the debut must have possessed, the wide range of moods mark it as a distinct progression for the band.