Kraftwerk's catalog received a richly-deserved upgrade in 2009 with the long-delayed release of The Catalogue, which offered overdue (and brilliantly executed) remastering, lavish packaging, and some new artwork. Whether or not the new cover art is an improvement is generally a matter of taste. [I considered it a shame to bid farewell to the quintessentially German original cover of Trans-Europe Express. Only in the case of the much-overlooked Radioactivity does the new art convey a different message, shifting the focus from radio broadcasts to nuclear power, a much less pervasive theme in the music itself.] It is clear, though, that the internet has shifted towards the new covers in terms of what's readily available online. Unless noted otherwise, what's posted below are the original covers.
Ralf und Florian
Phillips, 1973
(Out of Print)
Autobahn
Vertigo, 1974
(Adapted from Hardformat)
Radio-Activity
Capitol/EMI, 1975
Trans-Europe Express
Capitol/EMI, 1977
The Man-Machine
Capitol/EMI, 1978
Computer World
Warner Bros./EMI, 1981
Techno Pop
Warner Bros./EMI, 1986
(Cover identical to original 1986 version, released as Electric Café, but with original intended title restored, as seen in The Catalogue.)
The Mix
Elektra/EMI, 1991
(Courtesy of Garance Drosehn)
Tour de France Soundtracks
Astralwerks/EMI, 2003
