Krautrocksampler: One Head's Guide to the Great Kosmische Musik - 1968 Onwards, written by former The Teardrop Explodes singer, Julian Cope, is a book describing the underground music scene in Germany from 1968 through the 1970s. The book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1995 by Head Heritage, and was later translated into German and French. It is now out of print with original copies exchanging hands for surprisingly large amounts.

Krautrocksampler gives a subjective and very animated account of the phenomenon of krautrock from the perspective of the author:

"I wrote this short history because of the way I feel about the music, that its supreme Magic & Power has lain Unrecognised for too long."[1]


The book comprises a narrative of the rock and roll culture in post-WWII West Germany, along with chapters focusing on individual major artists, including Faust, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Amon D��l I and II, Ash Ra Tempel, Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser and the Cosmic Jokers and advocate of psychedelic drugs Timothy Leary. It also has an annotated appendix of "50 Kosmische Classics." Some chapters appeared previously in the UK music magazine The Wire and in the German music magazine Spex.


I have only added this excellent book as it has been out of print for so long. On the last page I have added a link to Julian Cope's website www.headheritagefor further information on the author/artist.