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Rating: 
Summary: He's a Mensch Too
Review: As a big fan of Kraftwerk since the mid-'70s I was always curious about what these folks were like in real life. Now that I've read Wolfgang Flur's book I feel that I have much more insight into their personalities; in some ways the book pokes holes in Kraftwerk's corporate persona, but it also portrays the members of the band as real human beings who had a hilarious time creating innovative music and paving the way for our present-day techno and electronic dance music. I especially like Flur's surreal chapters about 'Mother Kraftwerk' (a sort of embodiment of the band's spirit) that apparently appeared to him while he was under anaesthesia, and his reportage about what it was like to be on tour (his description of Kraftwerk's India tour is especially poignant). There are some sour points (apparently a drum-machine patent was stolen from him, and Kraftwerk took legal action to prevent this book from being published), but overall Flur's attitude is high-spirited and humorous. He sounds like someone I would like to meet in person...
Rating: 
Summary: NOT AS GOOD AS YOU MIGHT THINK...
Review: I have already placed a review of this book at brit site www.amazon.co.uk but in brief: maybe just one third of the book is interesting, the rest consists of page after page of advertising for Time pie album, Herr Flür's barroque writting style and quite ill feelings against Kraftwerk's founding members because he never felt like "one of the pack" in his own non-objective view. If you are interested, check the english site for the reviews, there are not too many, but they are poignant.
Rating:
Summary: the text contributes little to the Kraftwerk story
Review: I've been a fan of Kraftwerk for decades now, and part of the allure of the band was always the mystery that surrounded them. Their consistency with putting forth a mannequin-like appearance and robotic rhythms told such a great story on its own. Wolfgang Flur was a member of the quartet during their most exciting and creative period, so his I looked forward to hearing his story. What I got was a child-like biography, poorly written and revealing in all the wrong ways. He talked little of the equipment and the song-writing procedure, however he was extremely open with information on his love-history and even (I swear this is true) bodily fluids. His narration comes off like a crybaby who in hindsight, thought he deserved more. To be truthful, Flur rarely wrote songs, handed the creative mantle to other members and contributed little aside from filling the 4th Kraftwerk suit and making sure the drum machines fired on time. This book is less about Kraftwerk and more about Wolfgang Flur. His story *should* be exciting, but it falls flat. Although this book contains some personal photos of Kraftwerk's most interesting period, the text contributes little to the Kraftwerk story.
Rating:
Summary: Wolfgang Fluer proves he's more
Review: In case one is not aware, Kraftwerk have been one of the most influential bands in the past 30 years. Every form of music created since the end of the Vietnam War that is decidedly different from "traditional rock and roll" was affected by if not created by this most Fab Vier from the "land of poets and thinkers." I dare say they were more revolutionary than the more notorius Sex Pistols. Contrary to the opinions of some, Kraftwerk didn't actually kill rock and roll as the genre was perceived to be dying as early as 1972, if not earlier; rather they created a blueprint for a new kind of sound which would prevail should the demise of rock and roll actually occur.
Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider are commonly viewed as the creative nucleus of Kraftwerk as John Lennon and Paul McCartney were to the Beatles or Lou Reed and John Cale were to the (early) Velvet Underground
No slight intended to Huetter and Schneider, but it is Wolgang Fluer, along with another former bandmate, Karl Bartos, who contributed much of the "soul" if you will, to Kraftwerk's sound and added an anchor of accessibility to what could have been an insufferably dry, sterile, sonic environment. Reading Fluer's book, while comparing the Classic Kraftwerk era (Autobahn to Electric Cafe) to the post Fluer/Bartos Mix and Expo, as well as to the early, hard to obtain, "traffic cone" albums, one is left with an appreciation for the contributions for these so-called "lesser" members of Kraftwerk.
Rating: 
Summary: Once a Robot But Always Human
Review: In this second edition of I Was A Robot, and the first English translation from the German language first edition, Wolfgang Flür reflects on his life as an artist, a citizen of the world, and most important, as a human. His experiences as a member of the world's most significant and influential electronic band provide the first illumination from within the secretive and often inhuman Kraftwerk machine. From the early years as a child in the Rhine region of Germany, across the globe as designer and musician for Kraftwerk's concert tours during their most celebrated period, to post-Kraftwerk artistic endeavors, Flür engages the reader on a colorful journey rife with anecdotes, observations and experiences. Flür's warm and personal style brings encounters of life, passion, musicianship, and betrayal vividly to life. Flür reveals his deepest and most personal thoughts in the printed page in a way that entices and never offends, and with imagery bordering on the cinematic. It is a remarkable accomplishment for this first time author, and even more impressive considering the translation from Flür's native German manuscript. Flür's accounts of his life with Kraftwerk add new dimension to the legacy of the band. The book does not shatter the mythology surrounding them, but celebrates it in ways only an insider could ever observe. When Flür's initial accounts of his life with Kraftwerk were published, current band members swiftly served Flür with various injunctions to cease publication. Accounts of the legal actions against him fill a newly added second section of this book, along with letters from readers of the first edition and fans of Flür's new musical project Yamo. Given Flür's innocuous and reverent recollections of his Kraftwerk years, these seemingly unjustified legal actions speak volumes more about the current Kraftwerk members than anyone need ever print. Fans of Kraftwerk or Yamo and electronic or pop music in general should find this to be a must read. But artists of all types and citizens of the world should learn a lesson from Flür and always remember that public image can never be valued over human existence. For this lesson, and the joy brought to this reader, I would recommend this as the highest form of Self Improvement book.
Rating:
Summary: For skimming, not reading.
Review: Unfortunately this book is not what I had expected, which was an honest account of the highs and lows of being a member of the ground-breaking quartet called Kraftwerk. It is more like the diary of a teenager who is miffed at his parents. While there are some interesting passages about the members and the mechanics of Kraftwerk, those are awash in a sea of irrelevant passages about everything from global politics to Flur's speculations on the sex lives of conjoined twins. Two entire chapters chronicle a dream Flur once had. Flur also seems to see his lack of success after Kraftwerk as a vast conspiracy of some kind. While there was indeed plenty of legal wrangling going on, to take it to the level Flur suggests veers disturbingly close to paranoia. I was interested in a book about Kraftwerk and its members. What I received was a litany of grievances, tales of sexual conduct (and misconduct - one of Flur's conquests was apparently thirteen years old) and oddball musings. "I Was A Robot" is more like a blog than a book. At least with a blog you can say you got what you paid for.
Rating:
Summary: For skimming, not reading.
Review: Unfortunately this book is not what I had expected, which was an honest account of the highs and lows of being a member of the ground-breaking quartet called Kraftwerk. It is more like the diary of a teenager who is miffed at his parents. While there are some interesting passages about the members and the mechanics of Kraftwerk, those are awash in a sea of irrelevant passages about everything from global politics to Flur's speculations on the sex lives of conjoined twins. Two entire chapters chronicle a dream Flur once had. Flur also seems to see his lack of success after Kraftwerk as a vast conspiracy of some kind. While there was indeed plenty of legal wrangling going on, to take it to the level Flur suggests veers disturbingly close to paranoia. I was interested in a book about Kraftwerk and its members. What I received was a litany of grievances, tales of sexual conduct (and misconduct - one of Flur's conquests was apparently thirteen years old) and oddball musings. "I Was A Robot" is more like a blog than a book. At least with a blog you can say you got what you paid for.
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