The Man-Machine | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 April 1978 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1977–1978 | |||
Studio | Kling Klang (Düsseldorf) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:10 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Kraftwerk chronology | ||||
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2009 Edition | ||||
Singles from The Man-Machine | ||||
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The Man-Machine (German:Die Mensch-Maschine) is the seventh studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. It was released on 28 April 1978 by Kling Klang in Germany and by Capitol Records elsewhere. A further refinement of their mechanical style,the album saw the group incorporate more danceable rhythms. The album has a satirical bent to it. It is thought to address a wide-range of themes from the Cold War,Germany's fascination with manufacturing,and humankind's increasingly symbiotic relationship with machines. [4] It includes the singles "The Model" and "The Robots".
Although the album was initially unsuccessful on the UK Albums Chart,it reached a new peak position of number nine in February 1982, [5] becoming the band's second highest-peaking album in the United Kingdom after Autobahn (1974). [6]
The artwork for the cover was produced by Karl Klefisch, [7] based on the work of the Russian suprematist El Lissitzky –the words "Inspired by El Lissitzky" are noted on the cover. [8] The back cover image is an adaptation of a graphic from Lissitzky's book for children About Two Squares:A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions. [9]
The Man-Machine was released in April 1978. [10] The Man-Machine was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 15 February 1982 [11] In October 2009,a remastered edition of the album was released on CD,Vinyl and digital formats by Mute Records,and Astralwerks. [12] [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B+ [15] |
The Guardian | [16] |
The Irish Times | [13] |
Mojo | [17] |
Q | [18] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [19] |
Select | 5/5 [20] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [21] |
Uncut | [22] |
Reviewing the album in 1978,Andy Gill of NME stated that "The Man-Machine stands as one of the pinnacles of 70's rock music",adding that "the sparsity of the lyrics leaves the emphasis squarely on those robot rhythms,chilling tones and exquisite melodies". [23] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau also reviewed the album that year,saying:"Only a curmudgeon could reject a group that synthesizes the innovations of Environments and David Seville &the Chipmunks,not to mention that it's better make-out music." [24] Mitchell Schneider from Rolling Stone found that the "chilling restraint and relentless sameness" of the lyrics and music are tempered by Kraftwerk's sense of humour and "sheer audacity",which makes for a listening experience that is "strangely pleasant in an otherworldly way". [25]
Tony Clayton wrote in The Irish Times which "they constitute the resilient framework of electro-pop and electronica we hear today. And if there are more simple,warm and beautiful pieces of electronic music out there than 'Ohm Sweet Ohm','Neon Lights','Europe Endless' and the title track of Autobahn ,then this geezer has yet to hear them." [13] Uncut critic David Cavanagh called "The Model" a "wry pop satire" and wrote that "the sparse lyrics lend themselves to considerable interpretation". [22]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic,Steve Huey wrote that the album is "less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms" than the group's previous works,and noted its "tremendous impact" on subsequent synth-pop artists. He also described it as "closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop",and noted its "feel of a divided concept album",with some songs (such as the title track and "The Robots") exploring "the science fiction-esque links between humans and technology",and others (such as "Neon Lights" and "Metropolis") celebrating "the glamour of urbanization". [14] NME ranked The Man-Machine as the 57th greatest album of all time in 2013,citing it as Kraftwerk's "definitive" album and the catalyst for the synth-pop "revolution" that followed its release. [26] Paste ranked it the 11th best album of 1978. [27]
All lyrics are written by Ralf Hütter except "The Model", lyrics by Hütter and Emil Schult
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Robots" ("Die Roboter") |
| 6:10 |
2. | "Spacelab" |
| 5:50 |
3. | "Metropolis" |
| 6:01 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
4. | "The Model" ("Das Model") |
| 3:38 |
5. | "Neon Lights" ("Neonlicht") |
| 9:03 |
6. | "The Man-Machine" ("Die Mensch-Maschine") |
| 5:28 |
Total length: | 36:10 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2009 remastered edition of The Man-Machine. [28]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany | — | 150,000 [38] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Kraftwerk are a German electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as part of West Germany's experimental krautrock scene in the early 1970s before fully embracing electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders. Wolfgang Flür joined the band in 1973 and Karl Bartos in 1975, expanding the band to a quartet.
Kling Klang is the private music studio of the band Kraftwerk. The name is taken from the first song on the Kraftwerk 2 album. The studio was originally located at Mintropstraße 16 in Düsseldorf, Germany, adjacent to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof, but in mid-2009 moved to Meerbusch-Osterath, around 10 kilometers west of Düsseldorf. The band also operate a record label named Kling Klang, which they use to release their music.
Autobahn is the fourth studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk, released in November 1974 by Philips Records. The album marked several personnel changes in the band, which was initially a duo consisting of Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter; later, the group added Klaus Röder on guitar and flute, and Wolfgang Flür on percussion. The album also completed the group's transition from the experimental krautrock style of their earlier work to an electronic pop sound consisting mostly of synthesizers and drum machines. Recording started at the group's own Kling Klang facility, but was predominantly made at Conny Plank's studio. Autobahn also includes lyrics and a new look for the group that was suggested by Emil Schult, an associate of Schneider and Hütter.
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Ralf und Florian is the third studio album by the German electronic band Kraftwerk. It was released in October 1973 on Philips. It saw the group moving toward their signature electronic sound. It reached #160 on the US Top 200 Albums Chart in 1975.
Kraftwerk is the debut studio album by German electronic band Kraftwerk. It was released in Germany in 1970, and produced by Konrad "Conny" Plank.
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Karl Bartos is a German musician and composer known for his contributions to the electronic band Kraftwerk.
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As evidenced by the mesmeric groove of 'Spacelab,' their influence on the more electronic end of disco was feeding back into their own art ...
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