Tour de France Soundtracks
by Kraftwerk
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. AllMusic
    80
    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.
  2. Almost Cool
    65
    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.
  3. Dot Music
    70
    Not quite what we might have hoped for from such historically important innovators. But not quite as bad as it appears, either.
  5. Dusted Magazine
    80
    Has all the hallmarks of classic Kraftwerk.
  6. Filter
    79
    They remain simple and cerebral. [#7, p.91]
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  7. Mojo
    80
    No huge amounts of new ground broken... but even a mediocre Kraftwerk album is still a work of near-genius. [Sep 2003, p.101]
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  8. Pitchfork
    70
    Their latest LP may not pack the same fortune-telling punch of their classic records, but it is nevertheless a distinctly engaging, sophisticated experience.
  9. Playlouder
    70
    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.
  10. PopMatters
    70
    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.
  11. Rolling Stone
    70
    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.
  12. ShakingThrough.net
    72
    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.
  13. Splendid
    80
    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.
  14. Stylus Magazine
    80
    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.
  15. The A.V. Club
    70
    There's more to Tour De France Soundtracks than a simple remake of the past.
  16. The Wire
    90
    Displays more intellectual rigour, subtle discipline and attention to detail than many of their younger contemporaries can ever dream of attaining. [#235, p.56]
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  17. Uncut
    70
    A slight disappointment. [Oct 2003, p.124]
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. jens76
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    Jetzt spielt er schon wieder an sich herum, leider kein Ralf und Florian mehr, dies will gehört sein.
  2. LeonardoF
    Aug 3, 2005
    10
    an instant classic
  3. MichaelA
    Jul 10, 2004
    10
    I must start by telling you that I have every Kraftwerk album including their very rare pre-Autobahn work (no gimmicky spelling, folks). 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!!!… Full Review »
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