Krautrock transnational. Die Neuerfindung der Popmusik in der BRD, 1968–1978 by Alexander Simmeth, and: Krautrock: German Music in the Seventies by Ulrich Adelt (review)

Scholars interested in krautrock have accustomed themselves to a paucity of research on this subject. Although a small number of books on the krautrock movement or krautrock artists have found their way to the market in the last few years, these works almost invariably aim for a general audience. The appearance of two scholarly monographs focusing on krautrock within months of each other and the high quality of these works therefore prove most welcome. True to its title, Alexander Simmeth's Krautrock transnational investigates how the cultures of three countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, and West Germany—and their musics influence one another. The first chapter provides essential background about the growth of the postwar consumer culture and the spread of rock music from the US into Europe. Simmeth sees the British Invasion of the 1960s as a key moment, demonstrating that the United States could be influenced by external pop musics instead of acting solely as an influence on other cultures. The author also addresses the role of authenticity in popular music, a topic that reappears frequently throughout the work. This reviewer shares the view that authenticity—and particularly the processes of judging authenticity—plays a vital role in popular music. However, Simmeth's overall analysis of these processes lacks clarity, though he delivers some very good insights into this admittedly difficult topic.

Simmeth deals with the beginnings of krautrock in the late 1960s and introduces many of the bands that emerged at this time. In a particularly persuasive section, Simmeth reveals international elements within the membership of krautrock groups, noting that several krautrock groups included members from outside Germany, while several of the German musicians in these bands boasted extensive time living or working abroad. Simmeth also turns his eye to the musical influences on krautrock, as well as events and locations where this new music was allowed to flourish. Finally, the author looks at West German media and trends within its reception of popular music from the mid-1960s through the 1970s.

The next chapter focuses on the years 1970–1974, arguably the peak of krautrock. Simmeth provides short histories for a wide variety of bands, from the well-known Can and Tangerine Dream to the less famous Embryo and Agitation Free. Simmeth here discusses illicit drugs and their characterization in society, and though the synaesthetic aspects of LSD and the concomitant changes in perception are clearly important elements for the author, this ranks as one of the weaker sections of the book. Much stronger is his discussion of the West German music industry, the rules and customs of which played a significant role—both positive and negative—in the development of krautrock. Stronger still is his examination of the British media's reception of krautrock. Not only does Simmeth review the history of the major (and some minor) British music publications and their responses to the influx of German music in the early 1970s, but he also delves briefly into radio, which likewise played a pivotal role in the success of krautrock in the UK.

The final chapter deals with krautrock after 1974, beginning with its popular reception in West Germany and abroad. Simmeth also provides background on postwar electronic music and looks at the advances in synthesizers and studio technology in the 1960s and 1970s. Next he reviews the media reception of krautrock in the United States, particularly the major American music periodicals such as Billboard and Rolling Stone, which played an important role in establishing an audience for krautrock stateside. The end of this chapter does a fine job tying up the book's many threads.

While Simmeth's study concerns itself with transnational flows, Ulrich Adelt's Krautrock focuses more specifically...