The Man Machine

Music made by men pretending to be robots for people who are pretending not to be robots. Overall my favourite Kraftwerk album

The way they take bleeps and bloops and infuse them with warmth and emotion is something else. Neon Lights is one of the most beautiful pieces of music.

Welcome human! You request has been approved! Album review: "The Man Machine" by Kraftwerk PROCESSING... 10%... 60%... 100% REVIEW GENERATED! Algorithmic creativity, smoothly blending electronic beats with synthesised melodies to create a harmonious sonic experience. BEEP!

beep boop

Is it cool that this came out in the 70s - yes Did I enjoy listing to this - no

Great album. Still sounds surprisingly fresh and modern, highlighting how far ahead of their time kraftwerk were at the time of release.

When this first appeared it must have sounded like the most mental thing ever. The meticulous technical effort seems normal now, but still feels exciting.

Another album where I appreciate the historical value. A lot of the songs I appreciate, but the repetitive nature of it does get on my nerves after a little while. Little no variation in the lyrics (mostly the title of the song on repeat.) Perhaps it speaks more of my modern failing attention span, an ailment of the 21st century. It really struggles to hold my interest. Not something I would listen to on my own I don't think. It's nice to have given it a proper listen so I understand the historical context of electronic music a bit better.

It must have been wild to discover this album in 1978 - a bunch of German weirdos singing in robot voices about space lasers. Still listenable today. Best track: The Model

A classic which basically started electronic music. It sounds so futuristic and so hard to believe it’s from 1978

It hurts my head to imagine how alien this must have sounded in 1978. Like Arnie turning up naked and nicking a motorcycle, it must have been like the future had arrived.

Thanks, I hate it.

OH YESSSS it's a wall to wall banger situation :) I love this album. It is so interesting, unusual, influential, beautiful, relaxing yet exciting, experimental, German, sexy, somehow still futuristic even though it's already very old! The model is a TUNE and it's one I often whip out on an open mic night with guitar cajon and vocals haha! I recently used The Robots in a school assembly (I'm a teacher) and can confirm the kids of today LOVE it, not a soul was sitting still. I love that it's not loads of songs! I just wonder what the price was when they released it in 1978 when people couldn't stream online, did they account for the short length by making it cheaper? I'm actually in love with Neon Lights. It's put me in a great mood despite a stressful day at work, that's a marker for 5 star perfection in my book.

I, for one, welcome our robotic overlords. Best Tracks: The Robots; Metropolis; The Model

Um uhh stop beeping at me

I can hear where Daft punk and a lot of other electronic artists were influenced by these dudes.

Amazing. I can hear all of New Wave and Techno in their trailblazing synthesisers.

Love. This one is genuinely life changing for music.

Jaa, Kraftwerk. Die wahren Elektropioniere. Natürlich habe ich mir das bahnbrechende Album im deutschen Original angehört. Und daher gibt es auch einen deutschen Komentar. Großartig.

Very unique. It blows my mind that such a refined and crisp electronic, synthy sound was possible in 1978.

An excellent album, which still sounds like the future, despite being released over 40 years ago. Standout track is Neon Lights - it’s almost-waltz like time signature somehow only serves to make it sound even more futuristic. Everyone should own this album.

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.

Kraftwerk = les Daft punk du pauvre mais vous savez comme moi qu'il serait idiot de m'étaler sur cet album sans évoquer les événements récents. Comme vous le savez, la rivalité entre mon compagnon d'écoute elchavez et moi dépasse très largement le cadre de la musique. Celle-ci a connu un point de non-retour il y a quelques semaines. Vous savez probablement que je prends depuis plusieurs années un malin plaisir à sortir avec les conquêtes dudit elchavez. Le but poursuivi est le suivant : le mettre hors d'état de nuire. Alors que je rentrais justement d'un bar du centre-ville en compagnie de l'une de ses anciennes fréquentations, nous nous assîmes soudain sur les marches de la Poste Meriadeck. Cette dernière déclara d'une voix blafarde : "Robcremière, je dois t'avouer quelque chose : j'adore les Crusaders ainsi que Hugh Masekela." Pas besoin d'en rajouter, nos langues s'entremêlaient bientôt dans un tourbillon inarrêtable. Après une vingtaine de minutes, celle-ci m'annonça soudain : "Robcremière, tu embrasses beaucoup mieux qu'elchavez. De plus, ta connaissance de la musique lui est nettement supérieure." J'acquiesçai brièvement et nous nous galochâmes ensuite avec encore plus de vigueur. Dans le même temps, on pouvait entendre les encouragements de certains passants : "Bien fait pour elchavez !", "Il l'a bien mérité !", "À mort elchavez, l'homme qui ne donne jamais plus de 4 !", etc... Le lendemain, j'envoyai une lettre recommandée à ce dernier dans laquelle je lui exposais les faits dans leur intégralité. Une bataille de plus remportée par Robcremière.

Beep boop this music is made by computers. I am a human, therefore I do not understand it.

Ugh

Ja! Das ist die Autobahn!

Some good bleeps and solid boops

Every song seems to be like "We can make synthesizers sound like robotic voices. Isn't that cool!" And it kinda is, for the first 30 seconds of a much longer song. Then the wait for something else to happen, which never does.

Was waiting for it to finish from the first track

Not it

Insane this is 1978

Flawless electronic music. Atmospheric and eons ahead of its time.

These Kraftwerk records feel liked they’re tapped from a private little universe that’s utterly personal, romantic, and difficult to imagine in any other form, a music expressed in gestures with the simplicity and honesty of a vivid dream. Swooningly perfect.

Love this. I have awarded the prestigious "best Kraftwerk album" award elsewhere, but this is damn close. Beautiful, precise tunes that sound so warm despite their robotic intent. "Spacelab" in particular reminds me of an old world where technological advances were sought for the improvement of humanity, not attained for the sole purpose of enabling malign, pale, weak-chinned autists to enrich themselves at humanity's expense. But I digress (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9dmoT9AfoI).. Bonus points if you listen to the German version, which is slightly different and not just in the vocals. "Die Roboter" is especially banging!

Superb sounds and melodies. I listened to the German version.

Another future classic from the 70s. Silky smooth electronica for the autopeople.

Still sounds like music from another world. My art teacher used to play this over & over at school. I was rubbish at art but it was great to hear this. The Model hasn’t aged, stunning. Neon Lights is something else, warm & emotional. Absolutely ridiculous this is over 40 years old. I’m reading Carl Cox’s autobiography and he dedicates a whole chapter to Kraftwerk. It’s wondrous, magical music. It makes you feel different to any other music, unique in that way.

Can't believe it took me this long to listen to Kraftwerk. Absolutely timeless. Their influence can be heard everywhere. Will probably add a few songs from this album to my running playlist.

Never realized how much of a foundation Kraftwerk laid for electronic music and robot pop.

a la Tron Legacy electro-techno

After 3 Kraftwerk records I can confidently say this is a very important band that I don't enjoy listening to

i like daft punk and i like this but god is it just so boring, three is the highest i can rate this without feeling bad about myself, i wish the whole thing was as funky as i know it has the power to be and was at times

Super weird Euro music

"She's a model and she's looking good. I'd like to take her home it's understood". SMSLGIL2THHIU. That's the new password for this group. Memorize it.

Kind of boring.

One of my favourite albums of all time to listen to. Maybe a perfect record. No skips. Every track is a treat. Extremely tuneful, knows what it is doing.. just a joy to experience. It isn't krautrock anymore (was it ever?) but it is evolved, it is the future, it is..

Slightly flabbergasted I never heard this before. How the hell did I miss this gem?!? I knew The Model, but admittedly via Snakefinger. The rest is somehow new to me and it's amazing. It's just as good as you could hope the album between Trans Europe Express and Computer World would be. Also, instantly recognized the title track because it was sampled by The Fearless Four back in the day: https://youtu.be/XOHvOhADAic?si=ETUV8YlVhCBtPUwj

Wonderful bleeps and bloops and, whilst biased because I can see what music it led to, felt fresh and exciting

Metropolis immediately bring Daft Punk and Tron Legacy to mind. It had to be an inspiration. It's nice to hear the original, it's even better than the Daft Punk version.

One of the essential electronic albums in my eyes and a lot of others as well. Solid 5 Stars.

Can’t believe this came in 1978. It still feels fresh and futuristic while also being accessible. 5/5

I wanna be these guys

This was a wonderful album. Don't take it seriously, though. It's all a joke. It's fun, and it's supposed to be.

What is there left to say about this stunningly influential album?

This is a great album, perfect from front to back. I love all of Kraftwerk’s albums, but this one is to my mind a perfectly executed album, probably the best introduction to the band for a new listener. The songs flow beautifully into each other and tonally they all work well together. It’s such a smooth listen. Half these songs clock in over 6 minutes and you don't even feel it really. There isn’t a bad song here as far as I’m concerned. I also feel like over time this album has really aged well. Back then, it was highly futuristic. Now it’s simply a classic, a necessary touchpoint for anyone with an interest in electronic music. The compositions are tight, crisp, melodic and spare. The vocals are limited, either sung directly by Ralf Hütter, or vocalizations processed through machines. I know not everyone is a fan of the songs with vocals, but I happen to like them a lot and I think they’re central to the whole “Man Machine” concept in Kraftwerk’s music. When you hear a song like “The Model” or “Neon Lights,” it’s Hütter’s vocals that provide that surprising warmth and pathos. Without it, all you have is the machine. It’s an idea both in music and in life that’s still pretty timely when you think about it. Fave Songs: Neon Lights (it’s so very good, possibly their best song ever), The Robots, The Model. I mean really, all of them.

Connor: I loved this album! It's catchy, danceable, and yet certain songs - especially The Model - seem to have a dark, cold undercurrent that make me feel lonely

"Die Mensch-Maschine": a perfect distillation of the record. So much of the future is in these songs, especially the future of electronic music. Yet there's physicality, even humanity, in every beat. It's the soundtrack of a cyberpunk world we never got. That might be good, of course: The music is more challenging than the titular phrase, and that lost future has problems we moderns don't have to face. Practically, moving to these rhythms works, but feels less than freeing. For other electronic music, that might be a flaw. Here, though, it feels like The Point.

Nice tech atmosphere.

das beep boop

beep boop blip feel like I’m on a spaceship

Never heard of this at all. I thought it might be some hard rock but upon further inspection, it's probably some KMFDM predecessor industrial German electronic band sort of thing, which is good because I really like the song Megalomaniac. Maybe I'll like this, too! Short and sweet, too, which I like. The Robots: "We are the robots" from a bunch of roboGerman guys is fun. It's a little narrative and interesting for that reason. Very simple, I guess, and I like that, too! I find it pretty productive to do work to since it's so simple and repetitive. Very vibey. A little dystopian but this is seeming to be the point. Spacelab: I think I get the gist of this album. Is it gonna be 40 minutes of repeating one word and one beat per song? I dunno. Thats not even necessarily a bad thing; I think that it's nice to do work to and it's also just nice to listen to. certainly not as hardcore industrial as I thought they'd be thus far. Metropolis: Yes, I'm getting the sense that I was right just now. It's fine. I don't think this one is super exciting. The Model: I guess I spoke too soon! this has real lyrics. Nice. It's enjoyable. Neon Lights: Of course, the vocalist is not beautiful to listen to, really, but I think this song is pretty endearing talking about how the city's made of lights. The Man Machine: Title track! Lowkey I think of Germans as man machines, not in an ubermensch aryan way but in a very timely buttoned up way, which is literally racist but it's okay. Looking at these lyrics, I'm feeling justified again in my earlier claim. Well, that was interesting. Maybe not a 5 and even a 4 might be stretching it, but I honestly did like it and as someone who needs to lock in right now, I found its ability to slip into the background very useful. Interesting fun music. Good job, Germans!

These tracks are pretty chill for what I was expecting, however it's pretty good! And I mean, the predecessor of a lot of cool stuff.

Damn talk about influential. Literally every motif that shows up in here reminds me of another electronic song or video game music or some kid uploading songs on SoundCloud. I just wish it was a little more vibrant? Exciting? Different? I dunno it’s lacking something.

Great nerd disco EDM. Made me feel like Sheldon Cooper. Would've loved to have been in them European discotech in the late 70s dancing to this high on acid or coke or whatever it is they were doing then

Daft Punk из 70х со звуками из советских фильмов, который звучит стильно и по сей день. Альбом The Man Machine выходил в том же 1978 году и на родном для группы немецком языке (Die Mensch-Maschine), но я все же выбрал для прослушивания издание на английском языке. Он состоит из 6 достаточно продолжительных песен в стиле электропоп, что делает альбом длинным (36 минут), несмотря на количество песен. Каждая из шести песен хорошо запоминается , на это влияет как репетативность мелодии и роботического/человеческого голоса в стиле более известной французской хаус группы 90х Daft Punk, так и качество и уникальность инструментала и атмосферы каждого трека. Заглавная песня The Robots своими строчками «We are the robots» напоминает «We are animals» из песни группы Nazareth - Animals. Своим мотивом она погружает в атмосферу и сеттинг альбома с первых звуков синтезатора, к тому же в песнях достаточно редко (тем более в припевах) встречается русская речь, здесь она играет достаточно важную роль для всего альбома. Песня The Model стала хитом группы, ее резвый ритм отличается от остального альбома, и слушатель в этот момент будто погружается в другую, одновременно отстраненную от остальных треков историю, но все же схожую по концепту. Великолепная Neon Lights показалась мне самой красивой среди всех песен, словно вчерашние роботы обрели живые чувства и выдали прекрасный шедевр, который как раз подходит под прогулку по ночному городу. В заключении хочется похвалить альбом за то, что такой хороший уровень музыки на нем я изначально не ожидал, этот альбом действительно надо послушать хоть раз в своей жизни, но рука не тянется поставить пять звезд. Уж больно много аналогов Kraftwerk за это время накопилось в мире, и тех же Daft Punk можно считать улучшенной версией немецкой группы, ведь они и по сей день слушаются круто. тВоЙ сЛуГа И рАбОтНиК ставит 4/5

🤖

[mention devo] [mention rock it by herbie hancock] [express surprise that this was released in 1978] [wonder if the robot inspired the dance] [state that this is good background music for concentrating] [admit only consciously knowing about band through poster for computer world] [declare intention to listen to more from the band and probably play it in the background while working]

not my style but completely respect it

For electronic music this is a surprisingly pleasant listen. But like everything in this genre, I find myself asking, "What's this the soundtrack for?"

It’s ok, a little outdated but I can tell that it was groundbreaking at the time Fav song: the man-machine

Exceptionally weird. Exceptionally cool.

Bso

Never was a fan of this type of electronica.

Les sonorités de cet album me sont apparues fort désagréables. Où sont passés la rigueur et le pragmatisme allemand au moment de concevoir ce navet de musique electronique? Je me souviens d'un temps où les studios allemands étaient un exemple d'organisation, les micros étant bien alignés, les tables de mix en ordre de marche, on ne décelait aucun bruit parasite, seule la voix de l'ingénieur son rythmant ce balais de production sonore. Ce temps semble désormais bien loin, il serait bon de redonner à l'Allemagne sa gloire d'antan.

Nah

just not my thing

pretty gooood contextualised a lot of the electronic pop i already liked very cool

epico

vorsprung durch techno

5 stars already So mechanic and so new, perfect for focus and studying Amusing that this sound originates from 1978

Amazing. Perfect late night driving record. The back three tracks are an amazing run

Amazing recommendation. Really different and unique sounds.

What can I even say about this album? There are no words. This isn’t just music — it’s something colder, more precise, almost mechanical. Kraftwerk aren’t musicians , they are music workers… or robots. True pioneers of electronic music, the Andy Warhol of the music industry. With The Man-Machine, they created something perfect in its concept and execution. While listening you don’t just hear the album — you feel every second of every song. The cold beauty, the repetition, the hypnotic grooves. “The Model” makes you visualize girls walking on a runway. “Metropolis” and “Neon Lights” transport you into a neon-lit, Blade Runner-style big city at night. “Die Roboter” and “Die Mensch-Maschine” make you smell the factory, hear the machines breathing. Everything about this record is simply perfect. The sound, the atmosphere, the vision. It’s clinical yet strangely beautiful. Cold but addictive. One of the greatest electronic albums ever made. A true masterpiece.

really amazing! such early but effective use of synths

It is still wild how modern the music here sounds for an almost 50 year old album, the vocals date it a little, but still super impressive how ahead of their time they feel. "Spacelab" "Metropolis" and "The Model" are faves on here

Loved this. So ahead of its time and influential.

Ooh I love this. This is way better than the Autobahn album, which was my first exposure to Kraftwerk. This has cool sounds, awesome synths, interesting structures and arrangements, but most importantly it has great songs. It starts off a little more experimental, lures you in, then wallops you with a pop masterpiece like “The Model.” Really fun, I listened to it twice in a row. Must-listen #349.

Them bleeps bloop hard.

Marvellous.

Gesamtkunstwerk

I love this album. Here is an essay about how it’s the most influential album of the last 50 years

Pre mňa najlepší album od Kraftwerk. Baví ma aj v nemčine aj v angličtine.

Stilistiskt fulländad! Och "Das model" är en av de två bästa poplåtarna i historen, den andra är förstås "Be my baby"

Allt faller på plats. Oslagbara popmelodier. Minimalistisk synthdisco. Briljant ljudteknik. En ren hitskiva där The Model, Neonlights, The robots och Spacelab är allra starkast.

4 and a half stars😛 wie konnte die band mit EINEM album das nur SECHS songs enthält solche berühmten banger kochen

So warm and hopeful, welcoming the future and creating these beautiful, evocative soundscapes.

Wow, this was a surprise listen for me. I LOVED this! It felt like I was stepping into a movie with Tron/Blade Runner/Stranger Things-vibes and I thought some lyrics (especially the song about the model lol) were so absurdly silly that I literally laughed out loud. But I absolutely loved this and would totally listen to it again as background music when I need to feel like I’m going into another planet or something!

It’s astonishing that an album from almost 50 years ago still sounds as if it’s been dropped through a time warp from a sci-fi future where man and machine have merged, and icy robots dance in the neon lights of a cyber metropolis. This album was massively influential on many genres of music, from 80’s synth pop and hip-hop, to electro, house and EDM in the 90s and beyond. There are even elements of trip-hop and ambient, which explains why this album sounds both contemporary and timeless. This version is the remastered one from 2009, but to be honest the original sounded pretty good on the cassette that I listened to on my Walkman way back when. It’s difficult to pick out highlights from this as it’s all excellent, but if pushed I would go for the stunning electronic Motorik beat on Spacelab which is still eminently danceable. Robot-tastic!

KRAFTWERK

Re-discovering Kraftwerk yielded some actually beautiful tracks. All-time gold