This was ahead of its time when it came out: Tron was just around the corner, home computers were beginning to become a reality, and the future looked (and sounded) very exciting indeed.
This is a certified retro classic and one of the highlights of Kraftwerk's career, managing to deliver perfect electronic pop within an overriding theme of "the rise of computers in society". "Pocket Calculator" is one of my all-time favourite tracks - so simple, yet only Kraftwerk could have come up with it.
This album always reminds me of my early years in pre-school, when the world seemed a much simpler place. The electronic bleeps are simultaneously futuristic - yet forever stuck in 1981 - which is what makes it so great. I'm obviously not the only one who thinks so: English band Coldplay asked for written permission to use the melody from "Compuer Love" for their single "Talk" off their 2005 album X&Y, exposing a whole new generation of music fans to the influence of Kraftwerk - albeit subconsciously.
Definitely one to listen to on a warm sunny day: it takes the edge off the cold, detached concept of a world taken over by machines.
The future starts here!
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