The Man Machine

Brilliant

- scene - papa is in the corner in his easy chair with a large glass of scotch and the trauma and guilt of the war not long behind him heavy on his shoulders and unbearable to live with young klaus is wearing a red suit and tie beeping and booping on his synthesizer papa cries klaus (expressionlessly) - "BEEP BEEP BOOP BEEP" papa remembers the screams from the little children and their faces. he takes the pill from secret drawer. it will all be over now. his head crashes onto the desk. klaus (doing the robot) - "BOOP BOOP BOOP BEEP" the camera pans out

Very cool, super well produced and clean sounding, also quite repetitive and a little boring, this is maybe not the album for an airport and moreso a club...

Excellent beeps n boops. ze Germans win again

very good electronic album. I loved it.

Obviously this is an absolute gem, a thing of wonder. All the tracks are good but I'm going to be uncool and choose The Model as best song, because it's magnificent.

First five star

Cool production, weird lyrics

I have loved this album for decades. I'll probably listen on English and German today! The Robots is bouncy, jittery fun, Spacelab all graceful beauty, Metropolis all glacial beauty, like it's cinematic inspiration, the full on pop of The Model, Neon Lights is one of the most beautiful songs ever made and Man Machine is wonky march funk. It is, in short, perfect.

Tunes. Vond het vroeger al top maar bij het terugluisteren hoor ik hoeveel invloed ze hebben gehad

this feels like an alien ship is beaming information straight into my brain. 3 stars

Beep boop beep boop

Maybe the best balance of kraftwerk's groundbreaking experimentation and pop forward sensibilities (read: most listenable). I love this album. Man machine hits hard. Neon lights is downright pretty. Anyone who accuses kraftwerk of being a one-note output didn't spend enough time on them.

Just like a bunch a sounds

beepboopbeepboopbeepboop

Solid. I like their silly computer stuff better but they're titans of the genre regardless.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: I did, some great work of synth in this Favourite song: some good tracks but wouldn’t listen to any casually so none

Looooooong Hiatus: Jackson: Oh thankgod, sub 40 mins. Also note I am now on the Panasonic headphones. A noticeable step down from the wh-1000 xm3's. Very tinny treble, lacking base. Average noise cancellation. The robots is kinda annoying. Skipped a certain way in, very wounding. Space lab is better, nothing special. Metropolis better again, liking the model. Neon lights is alright. Title Track! This is the most fresh sounding. Peak: The model Metropolis The man machine Pit: The robots. Overall: Yeah not my style, but not too annoying, some good moments. Definitely unique but I have heard lots similar due to its age it doesn't sound as revolutionary. But I'm sure it was. It's a low 3.

Great album. German electronic music from the 70s, who’d a thunk how great that would be, this is why I’m on this journey. Solid 4. TBz 1. The Model 2. Spacelab 3. The Man Machine 4. Metropolis

I liked Neón lights and the model and idk it was funky I kinda liked it I guess

After first song I was thinking to myself: “I don’t know if i can finish this” Lmaoo just felt kinda dated. BUT THEN, spacelab came in and OOO shit we’ve got a jam going. I felt like I was a cybernetic drug dealer in tron cruising on my hoverbike hahahha. YOOO those layered synths in Metropolis!!!!!! Hahahha this is so shnasty

Hard to go above a 3, but I feel like I get it now. Just the sound of the synths alone must have been incredible back then, but as well as that they already had an understanding of how to put this sort of music together as a whole

AWESOME, the model was my favorite song

I knew it'd be a good day when this album popped up this morning. Kraftwerk slaps, you just have to admit it. I had to listen to the German version, though. I feel like it's the only right way to do it. One of the easiest 5/5 ratings I've given.

Well you certainly know what you get, with Kraftwerk. Pleasant enough to listen to, extremely repetitive but it seems like that's their thing.

boring AF

Awesome chill album

Computers. Synths. Keyboards. Drum machines. Who could ever have imagined that music would have come to this. Or that it would be listenable? Kraftwerk always managed to do something amazing. But listening to this album makes me feel as though I am in an elevator in a science fiction movie. It’s how I imagine the elevator music would sound. It also predates the 80s sound by several years, making it ground breaking and influential in the same breath. I don’t know how anyone could listen to this over and over again though. It’s very interesting listening to it for this project, but honestly I could t do it on a daily basis. It would send me insane. Maybe that is just what it was intended for…

One of many groundbreaking albums by this band. Still sad that 2020 ruined the festival circuit for them.

Short and sweet, good.

The main takeaway from this record is that I wouldn't be able to survive in the year 3000 or whatever, because the music would be absolutely horrendous.

Once again this project helps remind me how innovative bands like Kraftwerk were. Electronic music has been around for several decades now, so our ears are quite accustomed to it, but it's fun to imagine how unusual this album, which came out in 1978 and is the band's seventh album, must have sounded to 1970s listeners. Even with electronic music's ubiquity for so long, this record was enjoyable for me to hear. I'm going to read up on how they recorded and produced this album. I know that these days creators can put together similar tracks on a laptop or home computer for very little cost, so I'm curious about what it took in the 70s to make this album.

By today's standards, this sounds slightly outdated, and simplistic. I can only imagine at the time, this was pretty ground breaking and innovative. Despite the almost 45 year period since it's release, I can hear the ripples of this album in modern cultural works (most prominent in my mind is the Mass Effect OST, or how the dark arpeggios and harmonies in "Metropolis" have become ubiquitous in cyperpunk style music). In this way, this album was truly ahead of its time. I'm also impressed that 45 years ago, this group produced synthetic sounds that still feel relevant today. A lot of synthesizer work from the time feels overwhelmingly outdated, and instantly out of place. This album, despite being a little cheesy ("We are the robots"), still feels clean and a standard for high quality audio production in electronic music. If someone had played it for me blind a day ago, I would have guessed it was a retro-inspired work from the last decade. This says a lot. Kraftwerk were surprisingly ahead of their time.

Interesting to listen to this album, memories of my days in P6 primary school hearing this emergent experimental synth group, what was this new sound and do I like it, even with the strong German accent singing. They weren't really my thing, and the synth on this album sounds very dated now, but you have to credit these guys for the progression of music, because you can hear the roots or basic formula for later DJ created club tracks and a ehole new genre of music. If it hadn't been for experimental synth groups like this, we would still be rocking all over the world to the Quo and that would be sad.

Quite enjoyed this one

Interesting enough album, some of it sounded like am 80's video game. Can't see me choosing to play it again but I did quite enjoy it while it was on.

A family cannot live on kraftwerk alone

I understand that this is a progenitor to modern techno, trap, house music, but to me it is just dated. Not bad at all, technically great, and I have to appreciate the work put in but to me, it's just an old techno album.

An interesting electronic album. Overall I thought it was okay. It’s pretty cool that these guys made this album in the late 70s. Seems like most electronic music is done with computers so this has to be one of the first of its kind. The beats were pretty decent. Somewhat simple but that’s not really unexpected given their era. Overall I wouldn’t revisit it but it gets some approval for being ahead of its time. 4.3/10

Really great. Neon Lights is best. Album wise I think I prefer Computer World and Autobahn. but this is gooood.

Neon Lights wins the award here.

I liked it and you can definitely hear how they influenced other bands.

The Robots is the best song on this album. Also, I’m relieved it’s only 6 songs, 36 minutes long…. Beep bop booooooop!

Dystopisen kuuloista vanhaa analogista elektronista musiikkia

"The Man-Machine" is the seventh studio album by Kraftwerk. It was noted for a refinement of their electronic musical style and incorporating more dance rhythms. It is a very focused album. The album was initially unsuccessful but four years after its release reached #9 in the UK. It had very positive reviews and was thought to be very influential to the 1980's synth-pop scene. Warning sounds begin "The Robots" which has a danceable rhythm and a nice synth melody. The lyrics sent through a vocoder repeat "We are the robots." Making a statement about the dehumanizarion for workers using technology. "Metropolis" builds synth notes and a moog-disco beat. Slow and long-held synth notes. Very sleek sounding. Repeating the word Metropolis. Their second single "The Model" has a seductive synth melody. Very simple. Very stoic. A statement about being obsessed with beauty, shallow and superficial. A melancholy feeling pervades " Neon Lights." There's shooting star sounds. The synths get more complex and layered. The album ends with "The Man-Maschine." A suspenseful melody. Machine noises. Nintendo and Mario were listening. This a great album, very minimal and economical. There's only six songs but each conveying a different emotion yet important in the overall album flow. Great melodies and rhythms. This might be my favorite Kraftwek album.

Jingle jangle pingle bango. Atmospheric and cool to listen to in stereo but not for me

Just too much for a Monday lol. I do understand this was a pioneering sound at the time, but it's too rudimentary on modern ears... hard to get around.

a feverdream

Solid electronic album, kraftwerk so ahead of their time. Deserves its place on the list.

Always surprises me that I enjoy this.

This album is soooo much better than Trans-Europe Express. This one has melody and purpose and some songs that are even a bit catchy. They're still pretty simple songs, not a complicated in anyway but with a tinge of creativity, which goes a long way.

NEEE-ON LIGHTS WEOOOW GLITT-ERING NEEE-ON LIGHTS etc. Great, listened to it 3 times. Brilliant cycle ride to work. It's just a very nice album. Smooth whizzy synth tunes that evoke the Autobahn, long brown trench coats and a declining GDR for me, despite the historical dissonance. Lovely noises, pleasantly arranged what more could you want in an album

Nice voor in de auto nachtrittrn

Lots of noises, kinda odd but good

why does this music exist. be fr

We r the robots

Trash

Nah

Not my jam not my party

Kraftwerk's best album imo. Every song bleeps all the right bloops for me

funkyyy and fun. definitely sounds like daft punk proto-type and more emphasis on creating a "robot" sound

This was lost on me. It sounded like a cheesy, all synth soundtrack to a TV movie.

Interesting proto-electronic music

This album is such a pleasant spin! And I can see how revolutionary Kraftwerk must've been back when they released albums. The futuristic sound, the cold machinelike vocals, the huge array of different electronic instruments, the lyrical themes, all very cool! There's an eerie vibe to the songs, but also a very upbeat one, some of the beats make you want to dance. Instrumentally this is very cool, the vocals don't stand out particularly, but then again, who knows if robots would be good singers? This is definitely an album I need more time with to unwrap all the musical details and layers! Key tracks: The Robots, Spacelab, The Model, Neon Lights 8,5 out of 10

Six Tracks Krafted in 1978 with German precision, humor and (what was at the time) modern synthesizers. Programmed Sonic Experiments in Popular Music — Robot Propulsion Laboratory Sequences Engineered for Aural Inspection whether it be in the Spacelab or Metropolis of your choice.

I appreciate it for what it is but not my style at all, I see it for what it’s worth however . All modern music stems from breakthroughs like this one but i wouldn’t listen to it again

Amazing, so ahead of its time.

4 stars because Kraftwerk were so groundbreaking and influential, and it is a fun record, but I’d be lying if I said right now in 2023 I was blown away. The Robots is a fun intro, and the repetitive lyrics don’t bug me as much as they do on Spacelab. I think that one could use more of a switchup, which metropolis thankfully delivers. The Model is fun, but the vocals and lyrics don’t really do a ton for me. And I really like the last two songs, which add a bunch of different layers and variations,. Neon Lights is definitely my favorite track here. It’s the longest, but I think delivers the most over its runtime.

Das est goode

Hier alles gut

Fabulous. I really liked this. Not exactly listenable, but funny and weird and innovative.

Half man, half machine, what does it mean? I'd heard this album a couple of times, thought it was alright, but I must have been in a contemplative mood yesterday and I thought it was great. I'm giving it an optimistic 5, knowing full well that if I was in a less contemplative mood, it'd be more like a 3.

Loved

Classic album that pioneers electronic music movements

Masterpiece! The foundation of all that is electronic and dance music today! A stone cold classic!

I know they are an important band and everything, but I just can't listen to more than 5-10 minutes. 2

Beep boop beep bobeep

It’s not poorly done whatsoever just not my fave

The founders

These weird robot people simultaneously invented electronic music, techno music, and also what the kids are no calling "Vapor Wave". Jeeze guys take a day off and go to the beach or something. Real fans prefer the German version B-)

listened to again truly revolutionary and while from the 70's somehow always sounds futuristic to me

This was another step forward for Kraftwerk

I was completely charmed by Autobahn when the album generator offered it to me last year. Loved it to bits. I find The Man Machine less delightful. Indeed my first listen I was disappointed. Feeling like they had earned another listen I did find quite a bit to like the second time through. The singing reminds me of that Icelandic group that should have won Eurovision the pandemic year. Goofy and also weirdly vulnerable. Anyway, not quite five stars this time but still a solid 4.

"The Robots" is one of the most magnificent pieces ever created. What else did you want the future to be? "Spacelab," "Metropolis," "Neon Lights," and "The Man-Machine" continue to conjure up this sleek, shiny, slivery world. "The Model" gives us the ice queen character in this new world, with my absolute favorite line, "She's posing for consumer products now and then." This was electronic music as electronic music.

This one struck my fancy today.

Of Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express, I said, "Their music doesn't make me FEEL anything." Well, I guess today is a new day because I felt great listening to The Man Machine. I loved the lasers and the dance beats and just generally had a good time.

Ahead of its time and perfect for our robot future! Loved this. Not sure if it is the day or the subject or what, but I enjoyed this significantly more than Trans Europe Express.

The layering of sound achieved here is still modern and fresh. Lots of artists still chasing and building on these ideas. I would LOVE to see this live; the light show/storyline would be insane. Super enjoyable, will listen many more times!

Synth-tastic. However, it is missing an artistic flair. It would blend in with any synthwave album released today. Technically impressive for the time though.

Meh

See I do enjoy Kraftwerk, but the repetition on this one is jarring to the point of irritation rarely heard before the invention of Cocomelon.

More my kind of thing but only one track worth a 2nd listen.

veryyyyyyy good

it's so much fun! and sounds like it came out yesterday. truly iconic

Incredible album! Music today simply wouldn't be the same without Kraftwerk, and this is probably their most accessible album, of the ones I've listened to anyway. I still prefer TEE I think, but this is still fantastic.

i like the idea more than the experience but it’s still pretty great

Would be 2 stars if released now, but seeing it's 45 years old shows this album made the list for innovation. Likely will not listen again but happy this influence is all over modern music. 3/5

I was so excited to get this album this morning as I’ve never actually sat down and listened to it in full. You can hear the immense influence it has had on modern electronic, dance, and even pop music.

~ ~ ~

Track 2 gave me sims vibes. Not an album for me

Perfect for building a bathroom

We Are the Robots and The Model are amazing songs, the rest is quite good too!

I consider this to be the peak of 70s krautrock. In just 36 minutes, Kraftwerk throws six electronic compositions that paint future landscapes of night cities and space travel full of automation and scientific advancement. Usually 70s krautrock can be harsh and sound primitive, but the synths here come together and sound smooth. You could hear the influences on later music genres all over: "Spacelab" in post-rock, "Metropolis" in house, and "The Model" in synthpop, all of which affect music to this day with the likes of Dua Lipa or Flume. All the tracks are amazing, each one complete, memorable, atmospheric, and evoking feelings of comfort and happiness.

Sounds like if blue man group played while you wait in line for test track. Pretty awesome mix to it though. Amazing on a good set of headphones. Still struggling with long mostly-instrumental albums

If someone put this on, I would have thought "who let their teenage son near the synthesizers?" But since I knew it was Kraftwerk, I had to open my mind a bit and remember that they laid the groundwork for a lot of the electronic music we know NOW. Even keeping that in mind, it's not like I think myself "man, how did they DO that? That sounds incredible!" Still, it's very atmospheric. It's something I would definitely have in the background, but not something I would be actively listening to all the time. Moving on.

These guys definitely have their amazing, love-those-beats moments (The Robots, The Model, The Man-Machine which is my favorite) and then they have some so-so, been-there-done-that (Metropolis) or irritating (clicking in Spacelab) moments. I couldn't do Kratfwerk all day, but some of the quasi-electronic or mixes they inspired (I'm thinking 80's new wave) is really cool. This album is better more often than it's not.

I have a love for synth and electronic music that I developed at an early age through music that came from early Commodore 64 games and Kraftwerk’s 7th album, The Man-Machine doesn’t disappoint. I usually listen to albums at least twice before I write a review, so I chose to listen to the German and English version (not that there’s much difference except in the words). Reviews for this album will probably be all over the place. If you aren’t into this sort of thing it might get under your skin quite quickly. Personally, I love every track on here with “Neon Lights” being my favorite (and probably my favorite Kraftwerk track overall). The Robots definitely influenced an LCD Soundsystem track, but I can’t think of which one it sounds like. “The Model” might be their most famous track. I think I even remember hearing it either in a movie or TV show. This is a 5 star album for me but I’m sure I’m in the minority.

Interesting album, but the main question I had while listening was WHY ON EARTH ARE THERE 3 KRAFTWERK ALBUMS IN THE 1001 ALBUMS?? I get that they were groundbreaking, but we could hear the groundbreaking-ness from one album and that's enough. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed listening to this, but there are an awful lot of albums I enjoy that didn't make the 1001 albums. Anyway, I liked this one more than the previous Trans-Europe Express. The tracks that most caught my ear were Spacelab and Metropolis (shades of Daft Punk and the Stranger Things soundtrack on the latter - both clearly owe a debt to Kraftwerk), but all the tracks were good. Moving on...

Kraftwerk jaksaa ilahduttaa (varsinkin livenä - söpöt vanhat sedät läppäriensä takana plim plom), mutta onhan tämä vähän höpsö levy.

Pienoneerityötä tämäkin, ja sisältää tiukkoja raitoja kuten Das Model. En sitten tiedä onko tää musiikillisesti niin erikoista musaa muulta osin kuin siltä että tää on tehty aikana jona tää oli täysin uutta. Olishan tää hyllyssä kiva. Alkuperäiskielellä jotenkin vielä hieman väkevämpi minusta. 3/5

A-puolen dystooppinen tunnelma on ihan timangia (5 tähteä), mutta kevyempi B-puoli on vähän, noh kevyempi (3 tähteä). Eli sanotaan 4/5. Upea bändi joka tapauksessa ja tuntuu kuulostavan vuosi vuodelta freesimmältä.

Legendaarinen bändi ja kyllä tämä myöhempikin tuotanto toimii. Suorastaan odottava tunnelma, sopii hyvin tähän aatonaattoon. 4/5.

It's funny how robots used to be thought of as these physical creations with dead-giveaway mechanical voices, when in reality robots are "bots", unseen software that often fools people into thinking they are fellow humans. The robots are smarter than we gave them credit for, their takeover more insidious and complete. Robots have evolved beyond our anthropomorphic conceit. That's okay, though, because we still think of space as this super-interesting place where cosmic winds of music push our ships along, where our spacemen can float.

Música electrónica con sintetizadores muy repetitiva. Un tostón. Un 2.

As electronica goes, I found this quite a chill album and a good listen. First and last track were my favourites. Give this a 7.5/10.

Interesting 70’s electronica. Impressive composition for the time, but probably wouldn’t listen again as it’s not my preferred music

Not it

Though I have never heard this album before, I heard so many bits of it from samples in modern music. Has stood the test of time.

I respect this record’s innovation more than I enjoy it. ‘The Model’ is the only song that goes anywhere melodically.

Probably ahead of its time, wasn’t sure why it was on here until “the model” played. 3.75, but would be a 1 if it came out today

The future

This sounds like someone playing around with an electronic drum machine, but considering when it came out I can see how they were influential on techno and other electronica.

Solid - enjoyable to listen to

Solid arena rock. Obv. One of the best the genre has to offer. No Appetite for Destruction though

Если учесть, что это 78 год, то это очень даже прикольно, но не более того

я твой слуга. я твой работник. крутой альбом, рад что я его услышал, но от предпоследней песни начал плавится мозг, ну в целом звучит как жесткий дафт панк на минималках.

I mean, for 1978 this had to be pretty advanced stuff.

Eclectic but a little repetitive on the electronica for me. Definitely ahead of their time

How many Kraftwerk albums are they going to force us to listen to!?!

This is much better than I anticipated. Some really good songs.

I liked this album…

really good sound i'm impressed still sounds modern and unusual for my ears

Boop beep boop

Felt like a robot walking to the factory as I went to the library today with the rest of the masses.

Surgiendo cómo una sátira hacia la propaganda soviética y como una crítica hacia el comportamiento humano de seguir las masas cual máquinas, el séptimo álbum de Kraftwerk abarca de lleno el synth pop y gran cantidad de electrónica. La banda logró que cuarenta y cinco años después, siga sonando vanguardista y moderno. El concepto es claro y también ha envejecido bien, la idea de que los hombres actúen como máquinas con actitudes hacia la sociedad, o cómo robots trabajando mecánicamente y sin discernir. A cuarenta años de su lanzamiento, la utopía a la que se hace referencia en el álbum se hace realidad cuando el tema "The Robots" es tocada por cuatro robots simulando a los integrantes de la banda y cumpliendo algo imposible para el año 1978. Haciendo énfasis en su sonido, tiene una producción muy cuidada por parte de la banda alemana. Poniendo cada sonido en su lugar y siendo bastante adictiva su escucha, hace que vayas introduciéndote un poco más cada vez que reproduzcas este increíble álbum.

I love Kraftwerk. This is a great album.

Rather a silly album I thought.

Cooool

This was on constant replay at a point in the early 80s for me. I was SUCH a synth nerd. Still am, I guess...

just not my thing

Really like what they do, this album is a great example.

I like this album a lot more than “Trans-Europe Express.” The songs have more energy and while they’re definitely still repetitive, they’re paced well. The music develops in satisfying ways and kept my interest. The production is fantastic - very crisp, clean and polished. They must have been meticulous in the studio. Sometimes that kind of production can drain the soul out of the music. Not here. There’s a lot of emotion in the music! I love the rubber band synths on the first two minutes of “Neon Lights.” The album has some nice, playful touches like that. Wow — “Neon Lights” really builds into a stunning song! That melody (is it a processed voice? a synth?) is beautiful. The beat on “The Man Machine” slaps!

Though short, I thought it was great! I know Kraftwerk are like THE original influential synth music maker people and I've heard some of their tracks but not this album. It was enjoyable! More listenable than I thought. I figured it would be experimental and minimal but it actually had some great moments- like the fantastic pop song "The Model". high 3/5 for me. Not quite 4 but if I'm sure people who love electronic music LOVE them.

Pysty kuuntelemaan jopa kahdesti läpi ilman kummosta tuskaa. Orkesterin tavaramerkki tuntuu olevan helvetin pitkät biisit ja saman kaavan toisto biisien sisällä. Ei kolahda ja ei mitään asiaa jatkossa omille soittolistoille.

Tämän jo sieti eikä kehtaa ykköstä antaa, heikko kakkonen

Wir sind die Roboter 🤖

No more kraftwerk pls

I am not a machine apparently

Not autobahn

This really felt like at 80s album with the electronic sounds. It must have had an influence. I have no desire to listen to it again.

p397. 1978. 4 stars Would be 5 stars just for its influence on most of the early 1980s synth bands and 90s electro/trance. Even without that it still sounds great. One point docked for most of the tracks outstaying their welcome.

Je l'ai préféré l'autre album de Kraftwerk que j'ai écouté il y a quelques semaines. Il me semblait plus mélodique. Force est quand même d'admettre que leur genre particulier ne me rejoint pas (je suis capable d'aimer de la musique électronique d'autres artistes).

Appreciate their werk it’s just not my kind of music

You know when you put an album on and immediately know it’s going to make your cats pissed off

Not for me really

🕺🤖

Can hear the influence on 80s an this eras music

Still sounds new 40something years later

Last song a Jay Z beat

Not as iconic or joyful as Trans Europa Express but still a lovely time. Always bears repeating that it is ridiculously impressive how far ahead of their time Kraftwerk were

As soon as you hear it you know the artist, nothing like it even after all this time, 30 mins of madness and I loved it

Not bad, reminded me of the song Ross from Friends made on his keyboard, but generally interesting.

C’est pas tout extraordinaire, c’est un peu cliché par bout (The Robots), mais j’ai vraiment adoré la pièce The Man Machine.

J’aime comment ils ont embrassé la technologie pour aller ailleurs. Plusieurs choses ont découlé de ce son.

This is at its best when it stays experimental and atmospheric; the more poppy cuts fall a bit flat. Still, the sheer fact that this came out in 1978 is insane!

In a past life, I would be a Kraftwerk diehard, I think.

Nope. I appreciate that these guys are pioneers in electronic whatever this is. So respect for that - it was a pretty radical break from the guitar-heavy anthems of the 70s. But since I already used the "Ross' soundscapes" metaphor, I have to up my game - this is basically the finale of "Revenge of the Nerds" when they play the concert and all of a sudden everyone loves them (as a side note, it's amazing that nerds were seen as outsiders IN COLLEGE; it's also gratifying to see that, 30 years later - the nerds won, bitches!; but I digress...). My breakdown - one star for not causing physical and mental distress (looking at you, Napalm Death), one star for singing about robots, and one star for the innovation. But this won't be entering my regular rotation.

It’s kind of pleasant, but in the words of my fifth grade daughter, this music is fine for a sci-fi movie or video game but I wouldn’t want to sit and listen to it. Actually, I might kind of sit and listen to it though I’m not sure.

Cold, calculated, erotic.

Better than the Beep boop of the last album (Trans Europe Express) but still not getting the hype. At least they figured out lyrics need to be longer than two words. Spacelab reminded me of the music on the space level of the NES DuckTales game.

At first this felt like a novelty act, but as I got deeper into the album I started to like it. I found the music really interesting. 3 stars.

Hier gibt's bestimmt der Vorgänger von heutiger Synthwave. Sehr ähnliche Stimmung, obwohl die Texte und Sounds in 2022 etwa veraltet sind. Ganz nicht so schlimm, und mit 36min auch frisch zum Ende geblieben. 4/5.

It might be easy to dismiss this as plinky plonky scifi-ish synth, but it's actually really bloody great. The music has structure and texture. It creates an image, it sets a mood. Sure, it's not Kraftwerk's first stuff, and it expands upon, rather than creates electronica as a genre - but it is cohesive, skilful and really appealing to listen to. Try listening to The Robots on headphones while walking. It's almost impossible not to fall into step with the beat. Great stuff.

Awful, gave me headaches

For the entirety of the first track I wondered why something felt off. Took a break, realized it was the english version, changed to german and immediately felt at home.

not my style of music but it was alright

wish i liked it more

my kinda stuff

Even without the context as electronic music trailblazers, this is a great album. Mechanical computer blips and bloops come together to create a very melodic, atmospheric and strangely beautiful and emotive record. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: The Model Date listened: 21/10/22

Electro Style Allemand. Efficace, un peu redondant, mais amusant si dans le mood.

Favorite Kraftwerk album for sure. Robots and Model are so good.

Superb. Excellent representation of Kraftwerk's music, every track is a classic.

No thank you

At times the lyrics made me laugh but overall this was enjoyable and a good return to album listening., very good to clean the house to 7/10

5/10. I admire the robots' ability to roll their r's, but not much else about this album. Some of the songs sounded kinda cool, though

Their call and response song structure gets pretty tired when every song is like 6 minutes long. Still cool they were able to make these sounds in the 70s. 5/10

30 seconds into The Robots and I started dancing involuntarily... moving my head around etc. please god let me hear this at the club before i die this absolutely bangs. can't wait to listen to kraftwerk's entire discography.

decent

Fantastic. Simple, effective, really enjoyable.

Apparently very good for the 70s, needs a relisten

[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]

Early German techno. Standout is "The Model".

weird space

I’m quite unfamiliar with Kraftwerk. My only knowledge really is that every now and then Rachael will just shout “Rah rah rah at the autobahn” at me. That song isn’t on this album, but I’m interested to hear it nonetheless. Songs I already knew: none Favourites after listening: The Robots, Neon Lights I had completely wrong expectations of what Kraftwerk were. For some reason, I always thought they were retro goth rock and I couldn’t have been more wrong - they feel more like they could have been the musical parents of Daft Punk. Each song on this had me tapping my foot away. This might sound a little oxymoronic, but it sounds futuristic in a retro kind of way. Like a soundscape to getting abducted by aliens in a film where they used puppets. I’d definitely recommend to people who enjoy pop and EDM. Maybe less so for goths, but then again it is a pretty great album all round so who knows?

Pretty great

I can't believe I have never listened to this. Fantastic!

I like the songs musically but the lyrics are almost comical how simple and uninspired they tend to be (this may be because this style has been parodied a lot since Kraftwerk pioneered it). I don't see myself coming back to this album. I know it was groundbreaking at the time for the genre but it just doesn't do much for me when we have so much better electronic music available. Standout Track: Neon Lights

It sure was a Kraftwerk album! Not terrible, I was into it. 3.5 stars

Not my synth jam

Sounds really modern for being made in the late 70s. It's clear to see why Kraftwerk were so influential and this must have been a trip in the 70s.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this one. But it hit the right spots between harder techno and industrial I find very unpleasant and electronic ambient I usually find unimpressive and irrelevant. I can hear the influences on some of the better synth-pop acts that might have taken this album as a starting point and traded in some of the high-quality instrumentals for catchy pop hooks.

Música electrónica alemana fácil de escuchar, con toques de sintetizadores y sin apenas vocales. Pasa un poco desapercibido

bleep bloop, a new era of electronic music arrived, in which Kraftwerk played a huge role. While discovering the possibilities of electronic technology, they still manage to keep a certain elegance in the songs.

This is a lovely, gentle piece of work which must have been groundbreaking at the time. I'd listen to this again. 36 minutes long - albums used to be short enough to enjoy them.

Different, yet good.

It's a tough call, but if I were forced to decide, I think this is the pinnacle of Kraftwerk's discography. Despite the digital precision of their instruments, the sounds across these tracks flow smoothly, like a masterfully hewn marble sculpture. And with that work done, the groundwork was laid for numerous groups and genres to come. Groups like Daft Punk and The Orb and genres like ambient, house, and synthwave built upon that ground bringing EDM on the whole solidly into the mainstream. Now the use of computers are ubiquitous in all aspects of making music, so much so that working without them is the exception as opposed to the norm. In that sense, groups like Kraftwerk were pioneering multiple levels and their influence can hardly be overstated.

Don’t know where this album sits in the history of electronic music but it wasn’t the worst way to start my day. Definitely reminded me of some sweet NES tracks. 'The Robots' was a bop with its funky beats though the 'we are the robots' line had me laughing. Liked the haunting melodies of 'Spacelab' and 'Metropolis' evoked Ryan Gosling coolly driving around LA at night. The standout for me though was the long, laid-back jam of 'Neon Lights'.

lol first impressions I was like yesss only 6 songs / 40 minutes I realllly did not like how it opened or closed. Just not my style. Reminds me a bit of video game background music and in the wrong mood (an irritable one) it would make me lose my mind. ESP The Robots and The Man Machine. after a second listen some of them grew on me. The Model was the standout but I liked Metropolis once words came into play.

Getting serious LCD Soundsystem vibes from this, they must have been an influence. I don't love the drum machine sound(s) they use here, but you can't argue that it doesn't fit. I've actually heard the Love Tractor version of Neon Lights and I really like that song, so it was pretty fun to have that "wait a second" moment while learning that this is actually the original. Weirdly, I like the cover better. I'm not sure I have any standouts, since the album is just 6 long songs, but overall I liked it.

It's a bit of a classic. But not really my bag.

Kraftwerk doing its Kraftwerk thing. What’s to say? Super modern in its time, the intentional monotony wears thin after a while.

surprisingly modern, except the drums

This album is almost as old as I am but it really doesn't sound it. The influence that Kraftwerk had can't be understated. And this is not just a historical relic but still very listenable. I'd heard the robots and the model before but the rest were new to me. A good listen.

Weird as fuck

I was a little stoned when I listened to this, so maybe it’s a 2, but sounded alright! Just the one song that I knew

👾👾👾

Always been a Kraftwerk fan. This is right up my alley.

1978, eh? They really did invent a lot of the 80s with this one, it feels like! Fave track - "The Robots", but I like the album as one big thing...

It's just incredible how this still sounds like it could have been releasef just couple years ago. This shows how influential it has been and it must have been mental to hear in the 70's. Great sound.

The Man Machine is an amazingly contradictory album, serious and silly in turns while maintaining an air of sophistication. The synthesizers create an atmosphere that can be either oppressive or fun. A wonderful listen. Standout songs are The Model and Metropolis.

If it was over 36 minutes, I don’t think I could have made it.

Enjoyed: yes Listens: 4, 3 English edition and 1 German Something quite hypnotic about this one. It feels so simple and yet album just feels like a 36 minute trip. This would be a very high 4 star. I'm sure after a few more listens it could have breached 5

Couldn’t do it. Too robot-y. Not crazy about it but I didn’t really give it a chance. Not for me personally.

When someone says that they like kraftwerk, this is probably what theyre talking about. Its OK, heavy synth stuff and decent early electronica. 2/5

Better than Aotobahn, but that's.a pretty low bar,

I love Kraftwerk but this one is much more boring than like, Computer World (or even Techno Pop!!)

Super fun. Never listened before, but would definitely listen again. I had heard a cover version of The Model by Big Black that I've been listening to for years.

I feel like it worked for playing StarCraft to

I find it interesting when a group/album had a massive influence on what followed but the effort itself doesn't hold up or sounds dated because of what evolved as a result of its influence. That's not the case with The Man Machine—it remains super listenable and enjoyable. It was fun to revisit. I don't know a lot about the members of Kraftwerk, but I never got the sense from the music they were pretentious—just nerds who made cool electronic tracks. And if they were assholes I don't really want to know about it.

I'd listen to this while gaming... If I was a gamer.

ughhhh

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Spacelab (2) 2 - Metropolis (3) 3 - Neon Lights (5)

The album starts with the robots, initially a well formed piece of bleep bloops into a song that I think I recognise but I don’t like it too daft punk for me. Spacelab is a slightly interesting mostly instrumental track, I personally would’ve opened with this as an intro track. Metropolis again isn’t my kinda thing but it’s still solid I guess. I like the model it’s a good dance song with a great groove and feels the least robotic of all the tracks! Neon lights is long, very long but if it wasn’t so long the album would be 5 songs lasting 20 minutes so i’am happy it’s there. The closer the man machine goes back to the super daft punk esque roboticness its good but not a song I would reach out for. 3/5 good music not really my genre.

cool tunes, if a bit frantic.

Lays the ground work for new wave and all the synth stuff in later years. Not really into this genre but they were at least trying to do something new.

Definitely not my cup of tea, but interesting

Electrónica.

Huge favorite. Used to listen to this one in its entirety with my family. Makes me feel nostalgic, and it’s also incredibly influential.

Eh

Sorry wasn’t feeling this. Kraft week is a band I feel like I should be in and just have not cracked.

Interesting, but not in my wheelhouse.

The future has never sounded so interesting, fun, melodic and hypnotic. And ironically, you have to dig way into the past to find a version of it that can fuel your imagination like no other electronic record out there. Maybe because this very album is one of the first to fully go to that direction and never turn back. Beginnings have rarely sounded any better, frankly. Besides, everyone said it, but I'm gonna repeat it now: the influence Kraftwerk had on modern music wasn't circumscribed on this particular electronic genre. The band also gave ideas had to a vast array of other styles, from post-punk to hip hop. But even if you don't give a damn about all that, this particular album stands on its own. Because this here is Kraftwerk's true masterpiece. Earworms after earworms, *The Man Machine* takes you into Metropolis' world, both dystopian and utopian, so cold and robotic, and yet so frail and so human, in a way. Beyond the mechanical rhythms, there's a lot of subtle emotions to be found in those tracks. It's a lesson that the best electronic acts learned from this album. And it's one they should never forget. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 821 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 97 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 45 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 39

Not my taste, too techno with not enough lyrics. It’s good though

I don't like this kind of music, but it was interesting

This one is a masterpiece - early minimalistic, electronic music with great hooks and rhythm. The Model is perhaps Kraftwerk's most famous song. The Robots has great rhythm and makes for a fantastic opener. And Neon Lights is just beautiful. There is not a weak track to be found. I somewhat prefer the album's German version, but the is a must-hear in any language; certainly one of Kraftwerk's best. 4.5/5

I get the importance of this album, but not my style.

revolutionary

Better than TransEurope Express, but the spotify radio shuffle after was much better

Excellent.

Pretty incredible album. Sweet grooves and a nice flow to it. Can’t believe this was made almost 50 years ago and can definitely hear the influence it caused with synth pop and new wave later on. 7/10

I mean..: what even is this? Glad some people seem to enjoy this but i couldn’t get through 3 songs

Calm down chaps, this is almost melodic.

This is one of those albums that sounds okay on it's own, but whose real merit lies in its influence. You can here the synthpop sound clearly for the first time in this album. Artists like Gary Numan and the Human League were clearly listening to this. So much changed in electronic music after this album that it's hard to understate its important. It sounds good too 4/5

I was not enjoying this until The Model started. I looked at it differently then, kind of enjoyable. Only saved The Model though, so maybe it’s just that.

Pioneering high fidelity electronic.

Oxygène by Jean-Michel Jarre was released 2 years earlier and sounds more impressive in my opinion. Däften Pünken over here are very keen on stretching a 2 minute song to 8 minutes for no particular reason. "Neon Lights" is some CIA torture shit. I felt like I'd just ran a marathon after it finally ended. The robot voices are incredibly cheesy as well. Somehow a snoozefest and a headache at the same time. "The Model" saves this from a 1/5 - I don't know why, but I enjoyed that one.

Charming to the last! In concept it seems like this would come off as a more scathing critique of modern life, but the melodies are so alluring, bright and catchy. It's like the robots have realized the true meaning of happiness.

I can't give Kraftwerk anything less than 5 stars for their pioneering contributions to the evolution of electronic music (and music in general). This album seems to have the least amount of overarching concept of the albums in their prime, and is more of a collection of songs - but it definitely has some of their most memorable and catchiest singles. This is where they went from being showroom dummies to full fledged robots, with more danceable rhythms. I like this album because Ralf and Florian finally let Karl Bartos in on the songwriting and rather than too many cooks making it too busy, it actually made them tighten things up and refine their formula. A well oiled machine.

To be honest, this is the last Kraftwerk album that I can get on with as a whole. I think it's a bit weaker than everything they have made before this. I guess Computer World (the album after this) may be the last "good Kraftwerk" but I haven't listened to it in forever. It overall feels like it's not saying much as an album, there's not really a new statement going on here.

One of the best electronic albums of all time

Decent, but not great.

Liked this more than Trans-Europe Express. I found it really interesting though I'm unsure if I'll ever return to Kraftwerk. As a piece of art ahead of its time it was definitely an experience, hence the high rating.

Kraftwerk kick ass, but my problem is that I never know how to talk about them. This is good, but that’s all I’ve got. B

Meh

Brilliant. Innovative. This one set the stage for the 80s synthpop scene. One of chillest albums ever made. Masterpiece. 9-10/10

So... you don´t have to say anything about Kraftwerk. But I suggest listen to the german version. Don´t mind the lyrics. They are not important. But I think in the original version they even sound better

The Model is a mediocre song that drags this otherwise excellent album down a little bit. The krautrock era in Germany in the 70s was one of the high points for music in the 20th century, and Kraftwerk were one of the bands at the forefront. While I don't rank this album nearly as high as Autobahn, it's still absolutely fantastic.

Electronic synth-pop at its trippiest and most danceable. Is it man or is it machine? It's somewhere in the middle I guess.

While more accessible than other Kraftwerk, I still found it a bit backgroundy.

unusual again, I want to listen again, but I don’t want to put a very high mark лол

An enjoyable background listen

notable for their place in history, not their music

Entiendo que puede ser una genialidad lograr esta música en 1978 pero no creo que sea para mi. Metropolis me gustó y Neon Lights excepto por lo larga. Las demás estuvieron soportables. Lo que debo reconocer es que bandas como Daft Punk, Capital Cities y un centenar más pueden encontrar raíces en este disco. Me gustó un 2.5, su importancia me parece que es de 4 o de 5. Merece un 4 a mi parecer aunque no sea de mi total agrado.

Pues sí, naturalmente una piedra angular de este género, pero nada que me vuelva loco. Par de cosas notables (The Model, por el cover de Rammstein) y el punto de ser corto y conciso.

Hard to believe how old this album is considering how many synthwave albums there are now. Great sound.

This is probably my favorite Kraftwerk album, even though it is their most accessible. I just love the simplicity of every song, but somehow it's some of the most enjoyable synthpop I know.

Mm- Human music! June 11/ 2022

Awesome

Pretty cool...

Kraftwerk c’esti vraiment trop bon. Tous les albums sur cette liste sans exception. 4.75

'70s daft punk!

5/19/2022 - ALBUM #112 Today's Album: "The Man-Machine" by Kraftwerk - Holy fuck this album is really great and so ahead of its time! Coming out near the tail end of the 70s, this album feels ahead of the game not only for it's new wave and synth-wave aesthetics that the 80s would be full of, but it honestly still holds up incredibly well for today's standards. It essentially plays sort of like a Daft Punk album, with a lot of looping synth lines with occasional vocals with a European accent. However this album really feels so much more organic than those pieces, with a lot of building synth chords that sound great together and almost feel like they're being played over and over instead of being looped. There are points on the record where the synths build really beautiful soundscapes that are almost psychedelic and there are others where it's very dance focused and beat-driven. The track The Model is the most popular on the track list, and although I think it's a really great pop tune, it feels pretty standard and uninteresting when compared to tracks like Spacelab and Neon Lights, the latter of which is mostly a really groovy instrumental synth passage after the main verses are out of the way. I really like the lyricism whenever it pops up and I really like how the vocals don't overstay their welcome (which is really nice considering the accent makes the vocals just seem a little bit off). The theme of man and machine becoming closer and closer together is really well laid out despite how few words are said and the aesthetic of the album lends itself well to this concept. The production feels top notch and it really lets the synths shine when they're layered over each other or playing off of each other in an interesting way. Overall, this album is absolutely stellar and it just amazes me to no end how ahead of it's time and advanced it was given it came out in 1978. Give this one a listen if you really like 80s synths, groovy beats, synth psychedelia like Pink Floyd and Alan Parson's Project, or simply just want to be amazed for 36 minutes. Highlights: The Robots, Spacelab, Metropolis, The Model, Neon Lights, The Man Machine Score: 8/10 Synth-wave perfected before it even began

Another album I don't know how to rate. Kraftwerk is a band I appreciate what they did because they we're quite a ahead time but at times there music seems so dated and down right cheesy. I assume this album was picked for the song Model, which is maybe the first techno pop song ever. Therefore do I rate this album for what it inspired or how it sounds in 2022. Going to split the difference at 3 stars.

Couldn’t wait for it to be over. Which felt like a very long time. But keeping in mind it was 1978, and what came after, I’ll bump it a star.

Weird early German techno. Oddly fascinating. I listened to Trans-Europe Express and Computer Love after this. It was good rabbit hole to fall into.

An album I wanted to like more than I did. It was fine, but it was so of it's time that it's a little hard to listen to now. My kids thought it was funny, but I don't think it's supposed to be a comedy album.

Some crazy sounds happening here. I really dig the different sounds between songs. Could definitely see myself listening again.

wow this was just awful.

Nothing more to be said other than five stars. My favourite Kraftwerk album.

Prima plaat, moet vaker Kraftwerk aanzetten

So influential, masters of the '70s

I enjoyed this. Really threw me back to junior high, when the band was just starting out. Inventive & fun. Added.

This is one that really grows on you. 4

Það er bjartara og léttara yfir þessari en Trans-Europa Express, og talsvert retró appeal. Helst síðasta (og titillagið) sem mér finnst bara la la.

- surprisingly emotional - not surprisingly catchy songs - i am probably voting for them more as an band (as influencers), not just for this one album, whch is btw very pleasant electro for me

Listening to this, you can hear how much music borrowed from them. Not just electronic artists, but there was a huge influence on New Wave and all that followed.

I am really torn on this... so influential, and for short periods, amazing, but phew, listening to it straight through was kinda tough... so going middle of the road on the score with a 3.

Gateway drug for Kraftwerk was Africa Bambata, then "Breaking" (the scene where Shrimp dances with a broom, scored to "Tour de France". Nice thing about coming late to the party is that there is so much waiting to be discovered...

Interesting early electronic sound. Definitely contains the DNA of a ton of music that comes afterwards but I don't know if I'd sit down and listen to this willingly

So very Euro beats. Love the German robot voice just saying the song title occasionally in a few. Definitely impressive for the time it came out, and has since been really expanded on.