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Jun 24, 2022 By Frank Valish

First published in German in 2009, Blixa Bargeld’s Europe Crosswise, now translated into English, provides a “semi-fictional account” of Bargeld’s 2008 tour across Europe with Einstürzende Neubauten. Subtitled “A Litany,” the book is loosely organized around recurring setlists, which provide the repetitive framework, the litany as it were, of Bargeld’s concept. The slim volume is, however, much more than mindless repetition. Life on the road is documented in diary-esque fashion, covering cuisine eaten, books read, and friends visited. Bargeld recounts mundanities, medications, and menu items. Exhaustion creeps in at times but mostly Europe Crosswise, is as Bargeld describes it, a love letter to Europe, something he reiterates in the culmination of this engaging read.

(www.contramundumpress.com)

Author rating: 7/10