Kraftwerk – Expo2000

I think this EP/single really highlights the band's age; the original song really seems to just walk the same path they'd forged decades ago. It's a fine song, but its substance has really nothing to offer that their original albums haven't done, and done better, in my opinion.
I think the worst aspect are the lyrics. They used to make great use of minimal lyricism, but this is just really boring: 'Expo...two thousand' and 'twenty-first century' are two such lines used over and over instead of any interesting narrative. I think their point is that the year 2000 happened, which isn't exactly riveting.

I have the edition with 9 additional remixes, and I can't for the life of me listen to more than a couple at a time. Stretching so little song over so many tracks is probably the reason maxi-singles didn't last for too many years after. They're just tiring.

i was 14 years old when i bought this single in late 1999
it was a real surprise when one day on VIVA (german tv station) one day KRAFTWERKs new song was shown

however the sound is comparable to that of the ELECTRIC CAFE era

Well, regarding the "outstanding" differences between the holographic and stage versions, I don't see much of a difference in the mix, except for track "Expo 2000 (Kling Klang Mix 2002)", where the cymbal drum is missing from the mix on the holographic version. Holographic is also a bit more compressed and louder. That is why I prefer the stage cover version of this release. For what Kraftwerk has done in the past, this is a very mediocre release.

My hat is off to anyone who could listen to the different pressings carefully enough to discern differences without completely losing interest. In 25 years [at the time] I had never before heard such tedious Kraftwerkmusik.

Yes, there are slight differences in the music between the holographic and the silver-cover versions. You only notice it when auditioning because there's no mentioning about it anywhere. AND: The soundquality of the holographic issue is terrible bad and the silver-cover issue with (almost) the same material is acceptable but far worse than they earlier recordings. Later records are worse than a cassette (TDF 2003, the whole remaster series...).

For the collectors: I've tested all possibile Kraftwerk CD releases soundqualitywise (different issues of the same release). The CD-pre mastering, printing, glassmastering couts a lot to the final result, not mentioning the capturing the original analog tapes. Belive it or not, there are massive differences. Later I will post the judgement below each tested release. Ask me, if you are an enthusiast!

I am owner of the two versions of this recording and I have to undercover some well kept secret. The differences between the two versions are not only on the covers ("holographic logo" vs. "Kraftwerk on stage" plain picture) and the added video content in the enhanced version... Dear Kraftwerk fans, the mix on this two versions are slight different, being the more noticeably the added reverb and delay in the "non holographic" later version. The addition of these effects ends with a remarkable slappy sound on the drum beats! Even if it is possible these days to add effects in the mastering stage, in my oppinion this is not the case. The effects are clearly added to the drum parts and this way can be achieved only in the mix. Ask "Kling Klang" for details... (In addition, the panned pad in the intro distorts: very bad at this pro-level!)