Angel Station

Not to be confused with Angel tube station, a station on the London Underground.
For the novel by Walter Jon Williams, see Angel Station (novel).
Angel Station
Studio album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Released 9 March 1979
Recorded Workhouse Studios, Old Kent Road, London
Noel's House, Clonakilty, County Cork
August 1978 – January 1979
Genre Progressive rock, art rock
Length 38:47
Label Bronze (UK)
Warner Bros. (U.S.)
Producer Anthony Moore
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann's Earth Band chronology
Watch
(1978)
Angel Station
(1979)
Chance
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Angel Station is an album released in 1979 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Angel Station features a six-note descending theme in most of the songs on the album, woven into the context of each song in a different way. "Hollywood Town" and "You Are, I Am" share a common tune and basic arrangement. They occupied almost identical positions on either side of the LP. The album has the air of an emotional and musical crossword puzzle, or has affinities with the work of M. C. Escher, whose art is alluded to on the cover illustration.

Of interest is the involvement of Fingerprintz's Jimmy O'Neill whose influence can be heard in the edgy, angular instrumental "Platform's End" (a song whose title was probably influenced by the fact that it originally closed the 1978 vinyl's A side), and ex-Slapp Happy and Henry Cow member Anthony Moore who produced the album and influenced its modern, sparse sound.

"This is Chris Thompson's last album with the Earth Band as he is forming his own band in the near future. I wish to thank him for a valuable creative and personal relationship, and wish him every success in the future." - Manfred Mann 1979[2] In spite of this announcement, Thompson's own outfit Night turned out as unsuccessful, releasing two mostly overlooked albums in 1978 and 1979 respectively, so the singer stayed with the Earth Band instead, returning on the group's next album Chance (1980) already.[3]

Kanye West sampled the bridge from "You Are, I Am" for the track "So Appalled" from West's 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Don't Kill It Carol" (Mike Heron) – 6:18
  2. "You Angel You" (Bob Dylan) – 4:02
  3. "Hollywood Town" (Harriet Schock) – 5:09
  4. ""Belle" of the Earth" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46
  5. "Platform End" (Mann, Geoff Britton, Pat King, Steve Waller, Chris Thompson, Jimmy O'Neill) – 1:32
Side two
  1. "Angels at My Gate" (Mann, Hirth Martinez, O'Neill) – 4:50
  2. "You Are - I Am" (Mann) – 5:11
  3. "Waiting for the Rain" (Billy Falcon) – 6:17
  4. "Resurrection" (Mann) – 2:42
1999 re-issue Bonus Tracks
  1. "Don't Kill It Carol" (single version) (Heron) – 3:58
  2. "You Angel You" (single version) (Dylan) – 3:46

Personnel

with

Notes

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Manfred Mann, Angel Station album, Sleeve notes (1979)
  3. "Manfred Mann's Earth Band". http://www.newburycomics.com. Retrieved 27 February 2013. External link in |work= (help)

External links

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