The Man-Machine

The Man-Machine
Studio album by Kraftwerk
Released May 19, 1978
Recorded 1977–78
Studio Kling Klang Studio
(Düsseldorf, Germany)
Genre
Length 36:10
Label
Producer
Kraftwerk chronology
Trans-Europe Express
(1977)		 The Man-Machine
(1978)		 Computer World
(1981)
Singles from The Man-Machine
  1. "Die Roboter"
    Released: May 1978 (Germany)
  2. "Das Model"
    Released: September 1978 (Germany)
  3. "Neon Lights"
    Released: December 1978
  4. "The Robots"
    Released: 1978 (UK)
  5. "The Model"
    Released: November 1981 (UK)

The Man-Machine (German: Die Mensch-Maschine) is the seventh studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk, released in May 1978. It includes the singles "The Model" and "The Robots".

Upon its release, the NME stated: "The Man-Machine stands as one of the pinnacles of 70's rock music."[1] Although the album was initially unsuccessful on the UK Albums Chart, it reached a new peak position of number nine in February 1982,[2] becoming the band's second highest-peaking album in the United Kingdom after Autobahn (1974).[3] The Man-Machine was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 15 February 1982, denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies.[4]

Background and release

The Man-Machine is the first Kraftwerk album to have Karl Bartos co-credited as a composer along with Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Emil Schult co-wrote the lyrics for "The Model".

In October 2009, a remastered edition of the album was released on CD and digital download by Mute Records in Europe and by Astralwerks in the United States,[5][6] with heavyweight vinyl editions released in November 2009.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Drowned in Sound10/10[9]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
Mojo[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]
Sputnikmusic4/5[13]
Uncut[14]
The Village VoiceB+[15]

The NME wrote a glowing review and said: "Kraftwerk manage to convey the entire 'melange of elements' by musical means alone: the sparsity of the lyrics leaves the emphasis squarely on those robot rhythms; chilling tones and exquisite melodies." Critic Andy Gill also praised the "complexity of construction", saying "there's a lot more than electronic percussion in there".[1]

Track listing

Side A
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "The Robots" ("Die Roboter")Ralf HütterHütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos 6:11
2. "Spacelab"  HütterHütter, Bartos 5:51
3. "Metropolis"  HütterHütter, Schneider, Bartos 5:59
Side B
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
4. "The Model" ("Das Model")Hütter, Emil SchultHütter, Bartos 3:38
5. "Neon Lights" ("Neonlicht")HütterHütter, Schneider, Bartos 9:03
6. "The Man-Machine" ("Die Mensch-Maschine")HütterHütter, Bartos 5:28

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Man-Machine.[16]

Kraftwerk
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 56
Austrian Albums Chart[18] 15
Dutch Albums Chart[19] 29
German Albums Chart[20] 12
Swedish Albums Chart[21] 24
US Top LPs & Tape[22] 130
Chart (1982) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[2] 9

References

  1. 1 2 Gill, Andy (29 April 1978). "Mind Machine Music". NME.
  2. 1 2 "1982 Top 40 Official Albums Chart UK Archive". Official Charts Company. 20 February 1982. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Kraftwerk" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. 15 February 1982. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Man Machine [Original recording remastered]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Man Machine (Remastered) by Kraftwerk". iTunes Store UK. Apple. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "The Man Machine [VINYL] [Limited Edition, Original recording remastered]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Huey, Steve. "The Man-Machine – Kraftwerk". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Power, Chris (13 October 2009). "Album Review: Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine: Remastered". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
  11. ↑ Snow, Mat (November 2009). "Gut Vibrations". Mojo (London) (192): 110. ISSN 1351-0193.
  12. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 468–69. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
  13. ↑ Med57 (3 June 2005). "Kraftwerk – Computer World". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  14. ↑ Cavanagh, David (16 October 2009). "Uncut Reviews: Kraftwerk – Reissues". Uncut (London). Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (September 4, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  16. ↑ The Man-Machine (remastered CD liner notes). Kraftwerk. Mute Records. 2009. CDSTUMM 306.
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 170. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ↑ "Kraftwerk – Die Mensch-Maschine" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Kraftwerk – The Man·Machine" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  20. ↑ "Kraftwerk, Die Mensch-Maschine" (in German). charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  21. ↑ "Kraftwerk – The Man·Machine". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "The Man-Machine – Kraftwerk | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 March 2014.

External links

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