The Man-Machine

---

---

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2007-09-30 rating:
Mechanical Soul
Robots Spacelab Metropolis Model Neon Lights Man Machine br / br /Some albums open up entire vistas, suggesting not only new approaches but new musical visions. While Trans-Europe Express outlined the general approach, The Man Machine is perhaps the ultimate expression of the synthesis of man and machine that underlay Kraftwerk's approach. The voice, which was so open and optimistic in "Europe Endless" in TEE is now processed and digitised from the off, in the opener "Robots". It's a remarkable song which feels that it had to be made by someone eventually. It's both cold and mechanistic, and oddly funky and touching - I love it when they say "We are programmed just to do / Anything you want us to". br / br /Whereas previous Kraftwerk album had featured a smidgeon of authentic instrumentation, every sound on this album is digitised. There is a sterile, cold, dispassionate splendour to the sound. On "Spacelab" this works well in evoking the cold vacuum of space, while "Neon Lights" has a wonderful (undigitised) lyric celebrating the lights of the city, and has a coda pulsing with rhythms suggesting the richness of life in the urban environment. Kraftwerk's best known song "The Model" may seem out of character with the rest of the album, being a straightforward pop song (still in the digital style) with a wry lyric on fame and celebrity, but the apparent indifference and underlying humanity fits in in with the rest of the album. br / br /The influence of this album on modern music cannot possibly be overestimated. Electronica, synth-pop, dance music, all took their genesis from Kraftwerk. But like The Beatles, not only were Kraftwerk the first to do what they did, they were the best at it. They are the Year 0 of electronic music and this album is their finest, most completely realised vision.

---

review by: date: 2007-04-14 rating:
A couple of highlights
Robots and Metropolis are great, electronic tracks but overall found this a little tame compared with Trans Europe Express, and the more conventional pop 'songs' aren't really to my taste. For me, Kraftwerk's strengths are words and music rather than melodic songs.

---

review by: date: 2006-07-23 rating:
A Lasting Influence
Two years after presenting the review below and I'm playing this disc again. I cannot believe how much this band has influenced modern pop and "electro funk" music. Also, the fact that Kraftwerk's material from this era still wipes the floor with modern releases so obviously descended from this era..... br / br /Kraftwerk's previous album - Trans Europe Express - was the turning point for this band I feel and the link between the dreamy (and bland?) early works and this, the first of three albums which shaped how modern "pop" music was to be in the future. br / br /The absolute precision in the rhythms, the short tracks and the generally "clipped" delivery was, by now, poles apart from the other german "synth" artists such as Tangerine Dream, Ashra and Klaus Schulze. Yet there is real "humanity" here, suggesting much thought and care in the composition and production of the tracks. This is music to "dance" to. Indeed, once this and the follow-up, Computer World is in your collecttion I very much doubt you'll be able to sit still impassively while playing them. br / br /Recommended without hesitation!

---

review by: asb3003 date: 2006-02-14 rating:
The Miracle Symphony
The Best Kraftwerk's Album ever seen in their Music career,I think their style came from the Space not from Planet Earth.


review by: mhsob date: 2005-10-05 rating:
Innovative and influential!
The sparse sounds of techno-pop created on this cd are a work of art few have matched. Neon Lights is about as good as pop music gets and tracks like Metropolis and Space Lab were copied and ripped off throughout the late seventies and early 80s shamefully by the more astute new romantic bands. Still today, Robots and The Model are as recognisable as any pop tune. But it is remarkable that in 1978, Kraftwerk were effectively providing a template for the next generation of music that still steals its ideas today. And the Man Machine is a perfect way to end this beautiful cd - understated yet making you want to go back to the start and listen again. I honestly never tire of this cd which I have owned since 1980.

---

Similar products

Trans-Europe Express [IMPORT]
Computer World
Autobahn
Radio-Activity
Tour de France Soundtracks

---

Similar categories

Music . Styles . Pop . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Pop . Dance Pop . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Pop . Dance Pop . New Romantics
Music . Styles . Pop . General AAS
Music . Styles . Rock . General AAS
Music . Styles . Indie . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Dance Electronic . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Dance Electronic . General AAS
Music . Styles . Adult Contemporary . Bestsellers
Music . Substores . Regular Stores . Artist Pages Filter Nodes . Main Albums
Music . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . CD . CD Album

---