Neu!

NEU! was/is/will be a big deal in the history of 20th century music. They laid the foundation for scores of musicians who followed them. But why were Neu! so great? Part of their appeal lies in the fact that their music was so simple, so natural and so easy to listen to and absorb. Each of their pieces draws you in with its own unique mood. The music is emotive in so many different ways: the icy melancholy of Weissensee and Leb'wohl, the tranquil yet sinister brooding of Im Glück, the rage and spleen of Negativland, Hero and After Eight, and of course the irrepressible driving energy of Für Immer, Isi and Hallogallo. If you take the music apart and examine the components, its simple beauty becomes especially apparent, not just because of the harmonic modality in some cases but also due to the basic nature of the arrangement and instrumentation. This group and the music they made are worthy of acknowledgement and celebration!