Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
2562
54
30 Seconds to Mars
62
50 Cent
71
AC/DC
70
The Album Leaf
52
Kris Allen
68
Tori Amos
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective
77
Annie
57
Apse
63
Asobi Seksu
59
Bad Lieutenant
83
Julianna Barwick
82
Beach House
72
Beak>
72
Bibio
65
Justin Bieber
76
Biffy Clyro
74
Blakroc
75
Mary J. Blige
78
Blockhead
52
Bon Jovi
54
Susan Boyle
57
The Bravery
39
Chris Brown
64
V.V. Brown
70
Basia Bulat
79
Chew Lips
74
Citay
65
Clipse
66
Cold War Kids
75
The Cribs
58
Dashboard Confessional
81
Dave Rawlings Machine
70
Delphic
78
The Doors
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
73
Edan
59
Editors
69
Eels
80
Felt
74
First Aid Kit
69
Flyleaf
83
Four Tet
82
Ben Frost
82
Fucked Up
83
Charlotte Gainsbourg
63
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68
Githead
65
Joe Goddard
58
Good Shoes
72
Gucci Mane
75
Holopaw
82
Jesca Hoop
79
Hot Chip
72
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard
54
Hurricane Chris
66
Allison Iraheta
59
Jay Sean
82
Freedy Johnston
57
Nick Jonas And The Administration
73
Norah Jones
49
Juvenile
58
Ke$ha
62
R. Kelly
66
Alicia Keys
68
Kid Sister
81
King Midas Sound
63
Lady Antebellum
76
Lady GaGa
71
Adam Lambert
78
Lawrence Arabia
61
Leona Lewis
74
Lightspeed Champion
36
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle
77
Lissie
78
Los Campesinos!
70
Lostprophets
73
Magnetic Fields
72
Massive Attack
64
John Mayer
71
Paul McCartney
58
Katherine McPhee
86
Memory Tapes
72
Midlake
88
Motion City Soundtrack
63
Mr. Hudson
53
Mudvayne
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
72
Ola Podrida
61
OneRepublic
80
Owen Pallett
80
Pantha du Prince
90
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
80
Phantogram
60
Pit Er Pat
63
Priestess
70
Radian
79
Corinne Bailey Rae
54
Rakim
79
Real Estate
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
76
Rihanna
64
Rjd2
65
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
77
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
72
Shakira
82
Shining
61
Snoop Dogg
62
Snow Patrol
71
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
64
Ringo Starr
59
Stereophonics
76
Angie Stone
79
Surfer Blood
74
Switchfoot
75
Them Crooked Vultures
74
Robin Thicke
50
Timbaland
79
tUnE-YaRDs
80
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Tom Waits
78
Wale
65
The Watson Twins
66
Kanye West
76
The Whitefield Brothers
64
Robbie Williams
80
Yeasayer
62
Young Money
75
Neil Young
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Tour de France Soundtracks
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Astralwerks
Release Date: 19 August 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Electronic
Summary
No, it's not actually a soundtrack, but it is--shockingly enough--the legendary German electronic band's first new studio recording since 1986's 'Electric Cafe.' While the title track "Tour De France" was released as a single in 1983 (and is found here in four new versions), the remaining 8 tracks are brand new compositions.
Also By This Artist: Minimum-Maximum [Live]
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Wire
Displays more intellectual rigour, subtle discipline and attention to detail than many of their younger contemporaries can ever dream of attaining. [#235, p.56]
Stylus Magazine
In essence, the group has adopted the smartest possible approach on Tour de France Soundtracks by simply making quintessential Kraftwerk music of a kind stylistically consistent with the music of its past but with subtle enhancements that suggest a connection to the present.
Read Full Review >Splendid
Fans will appreciate Tour De France's high standard of unadorned synthesis, thematic melody and Autobahn minimalism, with epiphanic pleasure and not a little nostalgia.
Read Full Review >Mojo
No huge amounts of new ground broken... but even a mediocre Kraftwerk album is still a work of near-genius. [Sep 2003, p.101]
All Music Guide
Tour de France Soundtracks is a successful record on anyone's terms; it's one that fans won't need to cringe from, and one that newcomers will be able to enjoy for what it is.
Read Full Review >Filter
They remain simple and cerebral. [#7, p.91]
ShakingThrough.net
The old masters have aged gracefully with the times: no longer following or leading the techno/electronic movement, but rather operating within their own realm of digitally manufactured bliss.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
No, it's probably not going to remap the musical landscape this time, and, arguably, it doesn't sound as ahead of its time as, say, 'Computerworld' did. BUT! 'Tour de France Soundtracks' also sounds joyously, shamelessly like no-one else at all.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
There's more to Tour De France Soundtracks than a simple remake of the past.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
Not quite what we might have hoped for from such historically important innovators. But not quite as bad as it appears, either.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
The concept itself is an interesting one. When it works, it is easy to conjure TV images of Hinault and LeMonde battling through the Pyrenees, the patterned rhythms of Indurain and Armstrong heaving through village street time-trials.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Their latest LP may not pack the same fortune-telling punch of their classic records, but it is nevertheless a distinctly engaging, sophisticated experience.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
If you're the sort who would feel fuddy-duddy driving a perfect, new VW Beetle, avoid Tour de France. If you're one who would proudly point out the offbeat grace and unlikely persistence of a vivid personality in a machine, Kraftwerk endure.
Read Full Review >Uncut
A slight disappointment. [Oct 2003, p.124]
Almost Cool
All in all, the release probably would have worked better as an extended EP instead of nearly an hourlength rumination on one track and ideas that spawned from it.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
Mostly stuck in a low gear. [Dec 2003, p.156]
Q Magazine
There are moments where the glory years are emulated.... Even so, after 17 long years, both band and audience deserve better than a wandful of magic and some rehashes. [Oct 2003, p.102]
Blender
None of it is groundbreaking. [Oct 2003, p.120]
Under The Radar
Sounds like a flashback to the early eighties that at times is an adjustment to modern-shaped ears. [#5, p.101]
Spin
The deadpan humor that animated the band's early werk is missing. [Nov 2003, p.117]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Leonardo F gave it a10:
an instant classic
Michael A gave it a 10:
I must start by telling you that I have every Kraftwerk album including their very rare pre-Autobahn work (no gimmicky spelling, folks). Being a musician myself I've spent time aplenty studying the itty-bitty details of each and this is the conclusion I've been led to: Tour de France Sountracks is right up there with KW's very best. TDFS is like a trip on the autobahn of KW's evolution and there are plenty of pit-stops; you can hear the experimentation of their earliest albums, the hard proto-electro sounds of Trans-Europe Express and Man Machine and the thematic complexity of Radioactivity (which may be the best comparison of all; listen closely). Of course, all of this is wrapped up in the shiny pop-bliss of Computer World's best moments. Technologically, they're still the most up-to-date robots on the market but they haven't lost their taste or subtlety or charm. Critics may have been underwhelmed upon Kraftwerk's newest release but I beleive time will prove this to be one of their greatest moments. Let's hope they don't take so bloody long next time! Danke, Ralf und Florian, danke!!!
Guy S gave it a 9:
Finally Kraftwerk comes with a brand new album. And it sounds great! It's very daring to come back with a new album after 13 years, when the music you make was the most important inspirational source of almost every musician making elctronic dance related music. With this album, Kraftwerk proves once again that there is still no other pop-group that sounds like them! The tracks are very minimalisitc again, some with a truly grate flow like Aero Dynamik and Electro Kardiogramm. Also Tour de France Etappe 1-3 are very great. Gladly it's not really a remake of the original, since it sounds totally different. It's therefore best to be considered as a brand new track. The famous vocoder voices are plenty at presence, like it should be because Kraftwerk wouldn't be Kraftwerk without those great robotic voices. Of course there are also some new melodical sounds used, but the music sounds as mysterious and high-tech as ever! A truly great album which I like more and more! Let's hope we don't have to wait for another 13 years for their next album! Guy Sweens
Hamish's mate None gave it a 1:
hamish is wrong dont bye it it isnt good
Hamish McMillan gave it a 10:
this CD is really choice i recommends you all bye it
