This gig was the Koln show, with the correct date of 12-6-71, with Rother and Dinger joining Schneider. This is supposedly the same material as on the Ruckzuck! LP which has been in circulation for quite a while, but with a few differences. Rückstoss Gondolero from Beat Club 22-5-71 does not appear, but the entire Koln show does, and in perfect soundboard quality (9+ - 10) The original LP was several generations removed, and with pressings of such substandard quality as to make it entirely unlistenable.

What a beauty to have this unearthed. It isn't quite a pure soundboard, but must have been professionally recorded. All instruments full and clear, with some great audience ambience.

Notes from the trader I got this from:
Incidentally, my copy of the Kraftwerk show has been carefully remastered due to gaps present in the originally posted format. Someone set gaps to burn between tracks or otherwise managed to squeeze bits of silence before and after some tracks. I've carefully removed those, and segued the pieces for a seamless transition, then cut to sector boundries.

Previously, fine material of this vintage and quality was only available as track 3 through a Beat Club performance in May of 1971. Throughout you hear the hum of his droning guitar, accompanied by an 'Apache beat' style of Dinger's drum bashing. They make Ruckzuck an improvisational killer of rocker with serious attitude. I hear the Beat Club similarities coming through on #4, so I'd say yes again, and another massive driller. As for #5, it seems too early that this concept was developed, or that this trio would associate the Autobahn concept with their free-style playing. BTW the "K4" idea for the name of this ROIO was apparantly a Black Sabbath 4 association, probably brought on by the heavy-metal tendencies of Rother's forward-style playing. The opener to Von Himmel Hoch sounds like an ode to Iron Man, in fact.

Track Details:

1. Kraftwerk - Heavy Metal Kids (07:54)
2. Kraftwerk - K1 (15:39)
3. Kraftwerk - K2 (Ruckzuck) (19:20)
4. Kraftwerk - K3 (15:19)
5. Kraftwerk - K4 (11:30)

Here is an alternate description of the song set I read on a discussion group somewhere:

1. Von Himmel Hoch
2. Stratovarius
3. Ruckzuck
4. Ruckstross Gondoliere
5. A possible Proto-Autobahn jam session

I'd say this is correct on #1-#3 for the guitar-dominant versions of Kraftwerk's early numbers. And what Rother does for them is sensational!