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Charted: May 13, 1978


Rating: 4.357 (average of 7 ratings)


Genre: electronica


Quotable: --


Album Tracks:

  1. Die Roboter (The Robots)
  2. Spacelab
  3. Metropolis
  4. Das Modell (The Model)
  5. Neonlicht (Neon Lights)
  6. Die Mensch-Maschine (The Man Machine)


Sales:

sales in U.S. only --
sales in U.K. only - estimated --
sales in all of Europe as determined by IFPI – click here to go to their site. --
sales worldwide - estimated --


Peak:

peak on U.S. Billboard album chart 130
peak on U.K. album chart 9


Singles/Hit Songs:

  • Neon Lights (10/28/78) #53 UK
  • The Robots (6/1/91) #20 UK


Notes: Parenthetical references indicate the American titles of the original German songs.


Awards:

Rated one of the top 1000 albums of all time by Dave’s Music Database. Click to learn more.


Die Mensch Maschine (The Man Machine)
Kraftwerk
Review:
The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop – less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals (The Robots, Spacelab, and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject (Neon Lights and Metropolis). Plus, there’s The Model, a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character’s glamorous lifestyle. More pop-oriented than any of their previous work, the sound of The Man-Machine – in particular among Kraftwerk’s oeuvre – had a tremendous impact on the cold, robotic synth pop of artists like Gary Numan, as well as Britain's later new romantic movement” (Huey).


Review Source(s):


Last updated April 13, 2008.