The Man-Machine


The Man-Machine is the seventh studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. It was released on 19 May 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 and less minimalistic arrangements. 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, becoming the band's second highest-peaking album in the United Kingdom after Autobahn.

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". AllMusic described the album 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 exploring “the science fiction-esque links between humans and technology", and others celebrating “the glamour of urbanization." Uncut called "The Model" a "wry pop satire", and wrote that "the sparse lyrics lend themselves to considerable interpretation."
The first German pressing was on red vinyl. The Man-Machine was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry on 15 February 1982, denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. In October 2009, a remastered edition of the album was released on CD and digitally by Mute Records in Europe and by Astralwerks in the United States, with heavyweight vinyl editions released in November 2009.
The artwork for the cover was produced by Karl Klefisch, based on the work of the Russian suprematist El Lissitzky - the words “Inspired by El Lissitzky” are noted on the cover. 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.

Critical reception

Reviewing the album in 1978, NME stated: "The Man-Machine stands as one of the pinnacles of rock music", adding that "the sparsity of the lyrics leaves the emphasis squarely on those robot rhythms, chilling tones and exquisite melodies." 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." AllMusic 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.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2009 remastered edition of The Man-Machine.
Kraftwerk
Additional personnel
Studios

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position

Chart Peak
position

Year-end charts

Certifications