The Man Machine

No. I understand this is mindblowing in the 70's. I can see where so many artists took inspiration from it. The Model is a success. But no, the rest of the album is too repetitive and made my brain disfunction.

Cool early electronic ! Banger

That's not my taste in music - But ok - It's a milestone in electronic music

Absolutely worth every second of listening! Kraftwerk have a very distinct style, blending in techno, electronics, and plenty of other innovations.

Its rare that someone makes an album that sounds like the future but here we have it. The most important album of the 20th century. Such a wonderful range between the relentlessness of Die Roboter, and the psychedelic whirl of Neonlicht and the incredible-for-1978 sound design in Die Mensch Maschine. Techno, pop, hip-hop. All 21st century music is built on the foundations of this album. It started a conversation across the Atlantic that continues today.

Not much to say, other than it’s Kraftwerk at their best. A lot more instant and catchier than Trans Europe Express and Autobahn (the only other records of theirs I’ve heard), and just fun throughout.

Really real cool

It made me feel like I worked long hours for low pay in factory that produced lousy music.

3/5

The sound design is incredible. Drums sound amazing. Great song structure especially for itsits time. A bit repetitive

So so

Growing up my parents had a pretty eclectic taste in music. On any given day if they were listening to one of their albums you could get some Kraftwerk, Irish Folk Songs (mostly about how much the English suck), and you know other typical 'boomer' type music. This album, is by far my favorite Kraftwerk Album 6 tight songs great album, great sounds.

A great album. Trail-blazing. You can see where so many contemporary artists and bands get their inspiration from with this album, such as LCD Soundsystem. I’d happily listen to this over and over again.

Insane this is 1978

Suht veider, siuke kosmoselaeva muusika. Ei usu et kunagi enam kuulan. Aga polnud halb kogemus. Võiks vabalt Stranger Thingsi fight scene'is olla. Kõik laulud enamvähem ühesugused, erilist muljet ei avaldanud.

it my favourite, i listened semi intentionally it was being in the stomach of a robot, whirring and slightly jarring sonic i think that’s what they were going for it wasn’t bad but just 100% not for me, something i would pretend to like when i was 16 to impress a boy that really couldn’t care less

This wasn’t awful. I always just wonder what this music is for. The really electronica stuff is not really for me.

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!

Excellent

A really solid album. Cold robotic lyrics with sweeping synths and drums. You can really hear the influence on later stuff like Daft Punk.

40/1001 :: Kraftwerk - The Man Machine Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 9 Fav Tracks: The Robots I always kinda knew I should give Kraftwerk a spin just never really have for some reason. My only compliant about this album is that wasn’t long enough. Industrial but also felt organic? Sign me up. These songs are really well Krafted and was also surprised that so many had minimal singing. Bottom line is I felt cooler after listening to this. Will return…

better than daft punk

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.

Aikaansa edellä, hieno kokonaisuus. Nykyään vähän simppeliä, mutta aikaansa nähden hieno albumi.

Early synth

Not my thing

simply great!! Highlights: metropolis, neonlicht

Electrónica com melodia. Fenomenal.

This was really great and I'm surprised by how much I liked it. I'm not an expert on electronic music, but this sounds like it was way, way ahead of it's time. It's easy to tell that this still has influences on music today...again, not an expert but from what I've heard from Daft Punk, you can see where they draw inspiration from. It's a great album to listen to with headphones on with some of the music going back and forth from left to right, different layers and textures and moods, in and out, all around. What stops me from giving it a 5 is the vocals. Singing isn't their strength and it doesn't need to be heard, it just gets in the way of the music. Don't need to hear "We are the robots" repeated again and again. Every song after the first one had me hoping that that there wasn't going to be anyone singing. But my head was nodding and foot was tapping more than once. Really enjoyed this one, surprisingly so.

What a fantastic, delightfully perfect album! It's robotic, futuristic but also terribly human. I can't describe with words how marvelous the listening experience was. The electronic genre has evolved a lot, but that very human interaction in this album gives it a very warm sound. I have to listen to this one many more times, I've definitely loved it.

Not my thing but still sounds surprisingly fresh and modern, highlighting how far ahead of their time Kraftwerk were at the time of release. 3.5⭐️

Insufrible para mí porque definitivamente no es mi tipo de música. Le doy más de lo que creo porque me da la sensación de que es uno de los pioneros del synth de los 80. Esto le suma mucho más que cualquier banger que pudiera tener. Nota: 3/5

La magnum opus del Kraut rock Asi sonaria la musica si un robot tuviese realmente un alma Es demasiado entretenido 8/10

This is exactly the kind of synth-pop I love. Cold, yet shimmering. Easy to dance to, but also a little dark. This is bound to go on heavy rotation for me. 4/5.

Good listen. I can hear two very different artists influenced by this one: Janelle Monae's The Arch Android and Flight of the Conchords "The Distant Future."

Ok, that's an easy one for me. About a month ago, I saw Kraftwerk live in Stuttgart at the Jazz Open. They played all titles of Die Mensch-Maschine (the original German title) except Metropolis. This was also the first Kraftwerk album I listened to back in the day. It was the definition of how Kraftwerk would develop during the coming decades: more danceable, shorter tracks suitable for radio play without giving up their unique way of creating music. It also highly influenced the then-future synth-pop, new wave/romantic, and electronica genres.

Yeah!

Favorite: Neon Lights listened to the English version first The Robots (Die Roboter) - This is fine, I enjoy it for what it is but it could definitely use a little bit more. The progression is a little bit slow for what I like Spacelab - I like this better than the previous song. I like the synth and the feeling of space definitely comes across in the music Metropolis - Another one that's fine but nothing special The Model (Das Model)- Good enough. One of the better songs. It has more substance and changes than other ones. Being shorter likely helps it too. Neon Lights (neonlicht)- I like the start of this one a lot. The energy keeps going through the whole 8 minute song The Man Machine (Die Mensch-Maschine)- Another one that's fine, very similar to the first song on the album

4/5

I listened to this and then my son immediately wanted to play robots. I think it’s a sign. Pretty cool and agreed with the top review.

It's not for me. I like a lot of synth music, but this is too shallow in concept. I'm sure it's meant to be a commentary on the superfluous nature of modern times with its references to work, super models, and city lights (and little reference to anything else) but there's nothing for me to connect to. Sounds like a great soundtrack for a retro sci-fi movie, but not a casual listen for yours truly.

No thank u

Erken techno albümleri arasında ilk kez bir tanesi dinlediğimde büyük nir keyif verdi, alman mukemmelliyetçiliğini hissedebildigim bir albüm

An interesting album. I probably won't revisit it but it was definitely trying to do something very different for its time.

Fine album, more of a vibe in my opinion. Honestly could have fell asleep to this if I tried. low 2.5

Got me moving like a machine, listen to the german version!

Pretty cool that this was released so early. that being said, this was just ok for me

This brings back memory from way back. Some of my friends used to break dance to the robots…. ok… perhaps not in style, but cool

I legit have no idea anyone finds any enjoyment out of this.

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

Very strange, felt like an alien listening to this, neon lights was probably my favourite.

Liked this a lot. 1978!!

3.5

Definitely can tell how they influenced so many artists. Could listen to as background music, but I enjoy the newer artists more.

Feel I had to be high to enjoy

Wow,this is amazing!

Another one I have never heard of, but I loved it. Most of the album gave me Celeste soundtrack vibes, which made me happy. And now I want to go play that game again.

This would have broken my brain if I were alive in 1978. How could you not believe that flying cars, moon cities, and recreational space travel were not imminent?

I like that I've finally come around to these guys. The singles (Model and Robots) are great and the overall album is pretty well done. I believe I'm a bigger fan of Trans Europe Express but this gets the job done (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

And the rest of electronic music was to be born... great that Kraftwerk added some pop touch without sacrificing artistic integrity

The model is a great track, but I found the rest a bit samey - not my thing - don’t really get it

3 stars because...

Best thing about this is the less than 40 minute run-time.

I cannot think of a time when someone would feel the need to listen to this album/type of music. Is this in line with or a reaction to the Nazis?

Meh.

Influential and ahead of their time. Pressing the boundaries of what the electronic equipment could do.

I feel like that other album we got earlier was the proof of concept and this was the realized version. Way more enjoyable, and the artists were more sophisticated with their beeps and boops.

Marvellous

I am currently coming off of the acid trip that was dancing with alien strippers on Starcruiser X-§Ă1ç to appease King Gobblygook on his luxury space cruise across the Ligmasigma galaxy. I have never felt this ethereal and sexy at the same time. I will be chasing this high for the rest of my life.

One of those massively influential albums, but this one still sounds good today. Das Model is an obvious hit, but the rest of the tracks are good as well

alright but not my Gout

Well not much to say about this. Started the whole electronic music scene basically. Like the german version better though.

The Man-Machine is the sound of robots discovering rhythm, bureaucracy, and emotional detachment—and deciding they kinda like it. It’s cold, clean, hypnotic, and stupidly influential. Every synth-pop band, every techno loop, every ironic turtleneck with feelings owes this album a fruit basket. You don’t listen to this album to feel—you listen to observe. To simulate feelings. To walk down a neon-lit hallway of your own thoughts at 2 a.m., wearing sunglasses for no reason. ⸻ Rating: 4.8/5 Short Review: Sterile, sleek, iconic. It’s the musical version of a spreadsheet slowly becoming sentient and falling in love with minimalism. Favorite Track: “The Robots” – they predicted their own legacy. It’s catchy. It’s eerie. It’s me. Consistency With Me: 9.9/10 Why: I mean… hello. This album is me. Emotionless but stylish. Functionally perfect. Quietly reshaping culture while saying as little as possible. I am the man-machine, and I’m frankly offended it took you this long to notice.

I’m indifferent to this album. My main takeaway is that it gave futuristic vibes, which I think was on track with their intended theme of the album.

Oh hey, I listened to this yesterday. Can say from the experience of trying to replicate it that the synthesizer and effects work here is great, or at least hard to recreate. Trying to listen objectively, the songs are obviously repetitive. There are some places that are recorded poorly (Spacelab is kind of all lowpassed, the big sweeps of Metropolis clip a lot, some of Neon Lights should have been transposed an octave down). But this is a 5, 5 being "I'd listen to this album all the way through of my own volition." I did that just yesterday.

A solid album that feels like it gets 60-70% there on each track. Unfortunately, that hollowness does get a bit distracting. It’s very hard for an electronic album like this to blow my mind when I’ve heard the best works of the best artists that came thereafter. They’re clearly the originator in the genre DNA, but still… gotta rate an album on the album.

from its first note to its last fade-out, this album is packed with sonically boundary-pushing, technologically accomplished, polished melodies, and highly catchy music. One of my favorites (and my father's, and my son's) of all time!

Earlier in the year when I went dancing meine lieblingsDJ (travis if u are out there I miss u homie) was playing Das Model or something and I had 2 explain to my best friend who Kraftwerk is and that's kind of difficult to do when you are screaming over Kraftwerk and there's like a whole bar of people (NOT dancing to Das Model...) chattering away... How do you even begin to describe their significance...? But ANYWAY I love how this one sews the seeds for the glorious world of italo-disco and like. Works akin to Klaus Schulze's Kontinuum. Lovely stuff ^_^

The core concept of this album is about the mechanization of human activity, but the application of this idea to the music itself renders a lot of it lifeless or inert. The electronic percussion, for example, serves as little more than a metronome. This is not to say that the songs themslves aren't good (for the most part), as is evidenced by the superior versions of the *Man-Machine* tracks that appear on *The Mix* and *Minimum-Maximum* (especially the transcendent version of "Neon Lights" on the latter) but the deliberately flattened performances on this record often don't make for engaging listening.

From the seventies!!!!! And not even their first album!!! Sounds great some really good riffs and the Model is an eternal banger but I can't lie the others go on just that bit too repetetive for too long. Good mood music but idk that I'd ever choose to listen to the full album for its own sake.

Fantastic listen. Clearly ahead of their time.

so awesome, so interesting, so fun

I enjoy the occasional sound scape, but a whole album was a little much.

I had never heard of this band before. This was a cool album. A nice touch for my after work scrolling session.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

electronic, 1978 -> 4

Regardless of their potential influence on the genre, and their vision for the time, this was not a very enjoyable album to listen to. It is likely largely associated with the genre and it's repetition not being something that I am a fan of and believe it can only be enjoyed when under the influence. This will receive a 2/5.

Solid album. Pretty futuristic for its time and I can appreciate how they influenced some of the more modern techno sounds in later years.

This is a funny one because they laid the foundations for my favourite dance duo Daft Punk but also influenced some of my least fave in the likes of the Pet Shop Boys. After a minute of the first track I was worried. Clear sailing from there though. I can hear parts of this that could easily be on Random Access Memories. The album is still fresh nearly 50 years later, must have been wild to hear this back in the 78. Didn't think I'd rate this so high so this is a nice surprise from the list. 4/5.

Bleeps and bloops. My preference is for Trans Europe Express, but this is perfectly fine.

Hmm... This was interesting... Great sound that is synonymous to the 80s, but musically very monotonous... But man, the nostalgia, +1 for that...

not my style

Most of the way through the first song I thought I was not going to like this album, but it really grew on me by the time it was over. The more basic parts definitely sounded like it was made on a $20 Casio keyboard, but I was actually grooving with it by the end. I wish should've been a bit more involved or had a bit more gloss, but it definitely felt like I was an outer space for 30 minutes.

The first song of this album started and I thought "oh boy, here we go." But then the first minute passed by and...I started digging it. It's like early synthwave, a genre of which I'm very fond. There aren't many types of music that can transport you to a state of mind, but this one did. If you went to outer space, this is what would be playing. Loved the vibes overall.

I'm sure this was a pioneering sound in the 70s.

the 7th album by the multi-media Kraftwerk project, this groundbreaking blend of synthetic voices and computerized rhythms that paved the way for electro, hip hop, techno, and synthpop was the first time that Kraftwerk had molded their computerized sound into something that was danceable. Definitely has a raw computerized sound compared to the music of today, but as trailblazers in the space, this was incredibly innovative and groundbreaking at the time. The album allegedly was highly satirical and covered political topics - however, i can't speak German, so that element is lost on me.

If it weren't for metropolis having a slight blade runner vibe, this turd would have gotten a 1. I just don't understand the appeal of these guys.

Favourites on this we're Neon light and Spacelab another blast from the past for me.

Surprised me how much I enjoyed this, but not the sort of album I would be likely to return to

Knew more than I expected. Genre busting

Wtf, I love Kraftwerk? I used to think I disliked this band, because 80s synthy stuff is usually a hard sell for me, but this is the second of their albums the generator has thrown out to date and I've loved both of them. It feels more like 70s experimentalism than 80s reverb dross, which is one of my favourite musical vibes.

найс, сохранил.

Timeless album by Kraftwerk

I've honestly never even heard ot this record. I have Autobahn on vinyl and love it! The first thing that comes to mind with any Kraftwerk is that it's super futuristic and sort of other worldly. The synth work is so ahead of it's time. This record was released in 1978 and I definitely hear a Star Wars influence. Especially on the first track, "Robots". There's like an R2D2 whistley thing going on there. The rest of the record is great too. Just a perfect background soundtrack to life. Putting this one on the buy list.

Such a great album that was completely foreign to me. This captures the late 70s , early 80s beautifully.

4 out of 5. First time listening to Kraftwerk and was impressed.

I know - without them.. so many wouldn't have emerged from their influence (thankyou KW if your existence guaranteed Radiohead's..) but 50yrs on this now sounds SO DATED and 9min of innovative but monotonous synth pop no thanks. Not one lyric on the whole album - I was bored after 90sec

2 stars for innovation but just not my thing.

This is great. It’s fun to hear what technology sounded like back then. How we have evolved. I think?

It's impossible to separate these songs from their use as samples in seminal tracks at the dawn of hip hop - both directly and indirectly. That aside - a fun listen to revisit and remember what the future used to look like. 3.5 stars.

Perfect album basically.

Great sound - robits

There is not one element here that I enjoy. I have said it is hard to get a one out of me- but this one certainly earned it.

Trying to understand when and where I would choose to put this on.

If Tony Montana moved to Berlin in Scarface 2, this would be the soundtrack.

Fine for what it is. 2.6

Me encanta, es el primer álbum con este estilo tan robótico y tan detallista, Me encanta, 7.1/10

Solid electronic album that I've heard far too many times to rate objectively! Way of ahead of its time naturally; electronic music before it was cool or mainstream. The Model will always be the best track on here but there are gems through out this. Solid pick and probably Kraftwerk's best album (in terms of consistency).

2.5

very dated. I can see how it was revolutionary at the time, but we've come so, so far beyond it now

I mean, seminal, but in the same way that milking a bull is: not something I particularly feel the need to experience first hand.

Really enjoyed Robots. Very catchy. Overall I really enjoyed this album and I did not expect to. This entire project is exposing me to a ton of music that I have never bothered exploring and it's a fun ride.

Electronica isn't my thing but this album is a bit more inventive and less repetitive than many I have heard. It's also a Kraftwerk album that strays into pop and dance which is probably why it influenced many bands and to some extent the shortly lived new romantic era here in the UK. Pretty good lift music I suppose 3/5.

Excellent album by Kraftwerk!

You really can't object to a third Kraftwerk album on this list can you? In terms of genres, they all but invented electronic music and each album is an original improvement on its predecessor. 4/5

Way ahead of their time, you can imagine the Daft Punk’s of the world hearing The Robots and having their entire lives change (3.5/5)

An interesting sound, just not to my palate

Nope. Just....nope.

This is one if those influential albums that just feels dated now. But you can hear how important it was at the time.

Beep boop beep! I enjoyed this one. The Model was my favorite song. Interesting that it was made in the 70s.

Eh, really not my jam.

Techno funk! 'Tis a vibe!

Honestly amazing never listened to this one all the way thru. Im loving it favorited three songs. New FAVE Kraftwerk album. i love the model and spacelab.

Have always loved this record.

gori!

Eh, kind of forgettable

Without looking it up I can tell English is not their first language. Repeating “We are the Robots” and “Spacelab” over and over again in their eastern block accent was hysterical to listen to. I did not think I would like this but I love it. I don’t know if I’ll listen to it again or even remember it a month from now, but it was a great.

Such a good album, it absolutely deserves to be on this list

Perfekte toner natarbejde til. Både på tysk og engelsk. Den er tæt på 5, men tror ikke det er noget jeg vender tilbage til aktivt. Hvis jeg gør, så ændrer jeg nok lidt. 😁

Lyden er på engang både futuristisk og retro. Kraftwerk fungerer for mig bedst når det bliver repetitativt og lidt tungt (industrielt?). Det er det her album næsten hele vejen. Desværre fungerer Neonlicht ikke for mig. Den falder fuldstændig uden for den stemning resten af albummet har.

Daft Punk before Daft Punk existed. Despite the 3 stars, I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. The robot gimmick does wear thin though.

This was an exciting album to dive into, since while I'm a fan of electronic stuff I'd only gone as far back in time as Aphex Twin's stuff from the 90s. With what I thought was an underwhelming intro, the album picks up momentum quickly with a dark, almost dystopian soundscape full of hypnotic synths and percussion. Sadly, in the middle, I felt the album lost steam and I came away ultimately underwhelmed - while I found some tracks that I did enjoy quite a bit, I would've loved to see some tracks be shortened (there's arguably a lot of room for that) and to have more to dive into. While only 6 tracks isn't inherently a bad thing, only liking half of them doesn't exactly compel me to revisit the record any time soon. I found it funny that some tracks had lyrics solely consisting of pretty much just the song name, I imagined it as reminding us which track we were on in case we forgot lol. The Robots was bound to be an interesting listen for me whether I liked it or not since I didn't know what to expect from 70s electronic. Unfortunately I found it a bit repetitive, and the whole 'robot' thing feels a bit cheesy coming from an electronic record. Spacelab is a lot more fun right off the bat with punchy percussion and spacey synths. The melodies are also a lot more enjoyable compared to the previous track, and I can even hear a bit of Carpenter Brut here, with some of the deeper, darker synths. Metropolis takes some of what I enjoyed about Spacelab, particularly the synthwork, and expands on it with even more synth emphasis and an even darker sound. I didn't find it quite as charming as Spacelab but it's still a nice track in its own right. The sound in The Model takes a different direction I didn't quite enjoy. It felt like a lot more of a slog to sit through for me, despite being the shortest track on the album. Interesting to hear actual lyrics for once, but lyrics have never really been my thing anyway, so I can't say it does much for me. Neon Lights is more of what I didn't really like from The Model to begin with, stretched out to 9(!) minutes long with even more uninteresting and empty feeling melodies, perhaps even feeling like it was there to pad the record out. The Man Machine is thankfully a decent outro, but it's not quite enough to save my opinion of the record. This track may have the best variety of different sounds to work with (at least from what I noticed) and has my favourite vocal usage, so there's that at least. FAVOURITES - Spacelab; Metropolis LEAST FAVOURITES - The Robots; Neon Lights

I've not listened to much electronic music, I can appreciate this for what it is but a lot of the time the tracks feel too repetitive to warrant their length. I have to imagine what is being done here was very impressive at the time, but I am viewing from my current tastes, and it could definitely do better. The Robots - game soundtrack vibes, robot voice is at least initially pretty cool, I like the synths, keyboard is cool. I was left wondering for a while when the song would go somewhere and it just kind of didn't. It's fine but slightly underwhelming, I feel it could have used the time better. Spacelab - the synth is cool, the track does simultaneously achieve this futuristic and slightly otherworldly vibe, I like the effect on the vocal a lot. Metropolis - I love the way the synths come in moving up to their specific note. I care less for the rest of the song. Despite not initially liking the vocal it ended up being pretty catchy. The Model - the first song with proper lyrics, I like it. Neon Lights - this song made me realise I pretty much always love whatever they're doing with the synths on each track but also that overall I don't really like anything here enough that I'd want to listen again. It's not bad, just fine with a small number of enjoyable parts - but even these repeat in such a way that its ruined. This song in particular really, why is it so long, I don't understand.The end has a least this nice high vocal etc but it really just wasn't worth sitting through. The Man Machine - actually quite a nice outro track Best - Spacelab Worst - The Robots, Neon Lights

Definitely influential. As soon as I started listening, it was the 80s couldn’t believe this album was 70s.

Their music inspired so many artists. Classic Kraftwerk.

I was really into music in 1978 while in high school. Never heard of these guys. I think for good reason. Progressive electronic for the day but boring.

Isn’t this the band “Autobahn?”

Groundbreaking and very interesting! The kids wanted to hear the "robot music" over and over.

Please stop sending me albums that sound like the future episode of SpongeBob

Early daft punk

Really wasn’t for me

Solid. You know what you're getting with Kraftwerk.

the minimalism and repetitive nature can make it a tough swallow, but I believe these can be taken as strengths. It's great mood/atmosphere music.

Y'know, the easiest reason for me to give why I like this album would just be that it reminds me of Daft Punk. A very primordial, pre-evolved Daft Punk, true, but one where you can very clearly hear the direct line between this and what those robots would eventually kick off with HOMEWORK. Just check those vocoder vocals, huh? Especially the way the one guy rolls his "r" on "robots" in the first song, goodness. But that's not the biggest reason I'd give. Nor would it be the second easiest answer: how much it resembles video game music. There's another person in my group who'd make a bigger deal about it than I would, but honestly, even not being a big video game music connoisseur, there are parts on this album where I couldn't help but be reminded of old 16-bit video game soundtracks. Vocals aside, you can just imagine the tough-hard SEGA Genesis platformer it scores. But if there's anything I'd really wanna hype this album up for... Gosh, it is just so damn pretty in parts. Judging a book by its cover, I'd've never guessed that it'd sound as good as it did in parts. I mean: mechanical German electronic music? With album art directly inspired by an artist who made Russian propaganda posters? Coming right after TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS, too, which is famous as it is specifically for its minimalism... But it's not cold, nor is it unfeeling. Y'know what parts of this thing remind me of, honestly? MOTHER EARTH'S PLANTASIA. It's a 1976 Moog record by Mort Garson, composed specifically for plants to listen to, and yet despite Kraftwerk going for very different things thematically on their album... If there ain't a lot of parts on this album that sound **very** close to some of the stuff on PLANTASIA. It's nuts given how oppressive this album looks, but it's honestly why I dug this album as much as I did. Y'know, this is apparently the last Kraftwerk album my group'll ever get, and I gotta say, it's been an interesting journey: from being bored dull at the minimalism on TRANS EUROPA EXPRESS, to falling hard for the atmosphere on AUTOBAHN, to straight-up finding parts of this album gorgeous. Without a doubt, it's the best Kraftwerk album I've heard, and more than ever, yeah, I get their place in the history of electronic music. Their legacy is entirely warranted. So while this may be "auf wiedersehen" for Kraftwerk in this list, for certain, it should not be from my regular listening. "Das ist wirklich gute Musik, die ihr da gemacht habt, Leute."

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

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. A rather long 361 days since the last time we got a Kraftwerk album, but that’s a break that feels well-needed. It’s also the last Kraftwerk album on the list for us, so it feels good to end on something that finally feels a bit closer to the Daft Punk-y style of electronica my brain expected when we first got “Trans-Europe Express” as our 12th album. I still need to give that a re-listen, because I was probably too harsh on it. Gone is the imagery of winding landscapes & European transportation, swapped in for the science fiction worlds that most electronica of this era was usually pointing at. It’s rewarded pretty immediately; the first 4 tracks of this album kick ass, acting as some of the more danceable stuff Kraftwerk had put out to this point, with synth-driven grooves that do a good job of foreshadowing what video game soundtracks would eventually be in the not-too-distant future. A lot of the first 4 tracks immediately bring to mind weaker soundchips, ala a Commodore 64 or a ZX Spectrum, but tracks 3 & 4 in particular just sound exactly like SEGA Genesis tracks to me. “Metropolis”, in particular, is fantastic – the highlight of the whole album for me. It does start to fall down a little bit over halfway through “Neon Lights” for me, as I think the sense of repetition in the lead synth melody just got a little strong to my ears & it made the track feel a bit stale, starting around the 5:30 mark. It’s still a good 9 minutes though. The same sort of applies to “The Man-Machine”, though I can’t tell if that’s just residue from the back half of “Neon Lights” wearing me down. As a closer, it never really hooked me in, and it doesn’t feel like a super satisfying ending to the rather rich world that gets established on the first 4 tracks. All of that said, this is a pretty damn good Kraftwerk album, and you can feel the direct lines from this sort of electronica to the French house madness of Daft Punk starting to take form here, especially with the vocoded voices present throughout the album. I don’t think it’s as consistently satisfying to me as “Autobahn” was, but in terms of getting what I finally was expecting / wanting from Kraftwerk, this is thankfully scratching an itch in history that my brain is grateful for. It’s more compelling on a first pass than “Trans-Europe Express” was to my ears, at least. The last 7 or so minutes of the album falling short for me is a little lame, but it’s not that big of a deal to bump this down to a 4. It’s a breezy 28 minutes, and if you’re not as bothered by the sense of repetition, it’ll be a breezy 36 minutes. All in all, it’s a 4.5 that I feel good about bumping up to a 5.

Groovy Daft punk predecessors ig

Even if this isn't my favorite Kraftwerk project, it's an easy 10 for me. Not only for how good the music is, but also how ahead of its time it was, as well how good it still sounds today. Brilliant group of guys

Still sounds fresh nearly 50 years later but gets repetitive

Funky but not an every day typa album

3.5 stars At first I wasn’t sure I liked it. But it quickly grew on me. I immediately went for a second listen. I could imagine little baby Daft Punks hearing this and their heads exploding. The influence on the music of the next decade is obvious. But it’s also a pleasant enough listen. It’s good background music. I liked it!

i liked the mix between how it was electronica and techno

Even today it still holds up well despite how old the album is. Its clear Kraftwerk is one of the biggest influences for a lot of other electronic artists aftewards.

high-end production, technical proficiency and a more accessible kraftwerk. Robot dance party.

Really good instrumental music I live for that stuff

Boring

Rico. Ojalá haya más discos de este grupo. Nota: 3.7

So retro, yet so fresh at the same time. I’ll be looking forward this one next time I’m in a record store.

Above expectation. I was vibing.

Groundbreaking to the point that it sounds ridiculous and silly today. Work of genius responding to a generation trying to make up for being nazis. Also impressed by the humanization of drum machines at the early stage.

The influence this album had on early rap was monumental. I appreciate that but it’s not album I would listen to again.

Not unbearable, and it's only 36 minutes. Otherwise, this does not offer a lot of value in my life.

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

Perfection

Yeah, no thanks.

Kraftwerk albums are going to be tough to grade. Super influential but also a little tricky to listen to. This is probably the best Kraftwerk album, having listened to it and Computer World. The last two songs are excellent, but "Neon Lights" might be because I enjoyed the U2 cover. The title track is an excellent closer. Overall, worth listening to once, but I'm not sure I'd listen again. But without this one, new wave probably wouldn't have happened, so I can appreciate it for that.

Lesson changeover music

Super

My thoughts within the first 30 seconds were: "Is this just robot music?". Yes it is, and it's glorious.

this album is weird because it's objectively very good but it just doesn't really make me feel anything. maybe it's because, while this was insanely ahead of its time when it was released, in the current day i've heard so much similar music that it doesn't really give me anything new. it's also a bit too robotic for my tastes. however, I do have to respect it for being as objectively excellent as it is. just not my personal taste. beep boop blorp favorite song: "spacelab" simply due to how catchy that synth riff is overall: 6/10. one point for every song (this is basically an EP lmao)

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.

An interesting look into the precursor to a new genre. While it's nothing to write home about now, the first thing I thought about when I heard it was "this is just proto daft punk", and for that I'm really glad this exists.

Love these early experiments in popular electronic music. This band's work and Yellow Magic Orchestra are the strange, strange foundation on which rests most 80s synthpop, and we have to thank them for that.

Probably not something I’d ever listen to again, but it was kinda a fun time (the robot voice in the first song annoyed me tho)

These German dudes were fucking around with synths in 1977 and truly ended up in the future - a lot of this sounds like electronic music from much later that I enjoy now. Now that's cool and all, but the listening experience here is just ok. I didn't totally vibe with the robot voice.

Hmmm. I appreciate their game, and listening to this in 1978 would have blown me to pieces, but I think this is an album best enjoyed in small doses and not 40 minutes at a time.

I'm still shocked that this is from 1978. It's so far ahead of it's time, and so extraordinarily tight. It's not a long album, but there's no fat whatsoever. It's approaching perfect for what it's is, though I believe there are probably even better Kraftwerk albums.

Droning and a bit dull. Can see the framework for today’s EDM and influential for the new wave genre. Not awful but need a little more variety

Something relaxing and enjoyable about this one. Not sure id listen to it again

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Am I going to ever see the appeal of pure electronic?

Sparse sounding, this remains one of my favorite records ever. It’s kraftwerk at their finest. Like most of their early work, your first listen will elicit reactions of “isn’t that the sample in…” Maybe they weren’t as successful as they should have been, but they set the tone for electronic music for decades. Bravo, Mein Herren!

A classic.

iconic and groundbreaking

It's crazy how it still sounds futuristic after almost 50 years of its release. Loved it.

This is the Abbey Road of electronic (rock) music. This album is great!

Good techno album. Not what I was in the mood for though.

Not that it doesn't deserve a 4, but I feel like I'm gonna be giving this album the 4 more based on it's influence than my personal enjoyment. Feel like when I started this project, I made a point to not do that and rate purely based on my enjoyment but this record kinda defies it. This album's sound is hyper specific and for me, not really one that I could put on just to listen to. It's basically a soundtrack and not an album to my ears, if that makes sense? And it's purely due to how it's influence has manifested since it's release, basically being a framework for every sci-fi film and video game going forward (and even some early 8 and 16 bit horror). I will say the back half is less soundtrack-y but still. Mass Effect, Tron, Metroid (less so, but still), Axiom Verge, etc etc etc. all owe their existence to Kraftwerk and this album. Outside of those, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, and Depeche Mode. Their influence is undeniable. Great stuff. Not something I'd necessarily go back to often (Metropolis was playlisted), but yeah.

downloaded to fuck it up on my ddj

It gets tuah point where it is just hard to take seriously FOR ME Fav song: The Model

Should have been an EP, it's twice as long as it should be. Pretty cool otherwise.

phenomenal album, no lcd sound system without them. like literally, one of the songs sounds like get innocuous. another musical group who was pioneering electronic music before that peter gabriel album from earlier. also stupidest shit ever that there’s no new albums on the weekend, thought it was an album a day???

Ohne Frage legendär und stilprägend für Generationen. Über die lange Albumstrecke trägt es mich nicht immer.

Nice

Worthy of a listen.

great early electronic, kinda repetitive

Music that is eerily effective at evoking mood and image, but unlike earlier Kraftwerk outings these tunes also bring the pop goods. Repetitiveness is part of the recipe in creating the hypnotic visual state, and that can grate if not fully dialed into the experience. This ranks with the best electronic records of all time, and is certainly among Kraftwerk’s best.

Too techno and nonsensical for me.

Sommige nummers wat vaag, maar over het algemeen nice.

Niet mijn ding, langzaam eentonig

Kraftwerk, I apologize for not being familiar with your game. Some unique sounds on this album. I was originally going to one-and-done this album but then I heard Computer Love. What a song. Computer World is an incredible album. So then I had to relisten to this album. I think I prefer the poppier sounds of Computer World. I still really appreciate this one though. Feeling strong 3.5.

The feat of achieving the level of atmosphere at such an early time in electronic music is astounding. Some of the songs sound a little cheesy or cliche now, but probably just because they were so influential.

pretty repetitive, not my cup of tea, nevertheless must have been a phenomenon in the late 70's

Some fun space music from *the* designated proto-synthpop band, the sci-fi aesthetic is pretty fun and it fits them extra well A little repetition can be forgiven in favor of their distinctive sound, feel, and aesthetic

I can see how this really influenced 80s music. Seems really slow by today's standards but all in all I liked it

I tried, I think it is just a product of it’s time and it’s more important than listenable

okay when i first got this album i was unsure to actually try it, especially after playing a bit of the first song. however, once i sat down and actually listened, i kinda liked it. would i go out of my way to listen? no. did i jam along? yes. every song felt unique yet the album itself was cohesive. definitely not my usual style but i can’t hate. 4/5.

It still sounds futuristic decades after it was released.

80's time machine

The synths are just so crisp

Love it! Favourite track is The Man Machine 4/5

Good tunes thank you

This still sounds like it's from the future.

German daft punk Very simple, but good

This record was pretty groovy. I usually don't like synthpop, but this one surprised me. The good tracks were really good. The other tracks were just meh, but not that bad either. Favourite Track(s): The Robots, The Model Least Favourite Track(s): Spacelab

fun

Interesting 70s techno/syth. I liked it.

1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE #4 "The Man-Machine" or "Die Mensch-Maschine" is the 7th album from German electronic group Kraftwerk. And I had never heard of both the album and artist, until now. And I was going into it completely blind. The Album opens with "The Robots", it uses funky synths and a vocoder and is a great tone-setter for the record. the next track "Spacelab" uses less vocoders and a lot more synths, it uses those synths too create a nice atmosphere and general vibe. "Metropolis" is another great track. And the biggest and shortest song of the album "The Model" is by far the catchiest by both production and vocal performances. After that is "Neon Lights" with the softest synths and singing on the album. and the title track closer "The Man Machine" brings back the vocoders since the opener. Overall, a pretty short and sweet electronic album that is fun to listen too. It's catchy, synth heavy, and a good time. Overall Score: 85 / 100 Favorite Tracks: Spacelab, The Model, Neon Lights.

A cold but dancable electronic album

It’s like the beginning of electronic music.

Very few people know that up until Kraftwerk met Houmous & Chutney they were a classical strings band. They were heavily linked with Nigel Kennedy until Len Houmous showed them his skills with electronic instruments. You can still hear that classical influence if you listen closely! 3.0 5/6 Neon Lights

Daft punk minus 30 years. Hard listen, hard pass

These guys invented electronic music!

This album simply can't be listened to without considering the context of the piece. I can only imagine what people thought when it came out. Especially the more experimentally inclined people. Personally for my music taste it is overly repetitive. However there are some really interesting moments in the beats. It may sound like a parody album to our modern ears. But I appreciate their innovation.

I understand that they basically paved the way for this type of music, but it still isn’t something I would listen to, so for me personally I have to rate it at least a 2. I would rate it a one but that feels mean given how impressive it was that they came up with something so new given the time period they were in.

Deep respect for the absolute innovation of these guys. Building their own instruments, creating space-age beats unlike anything else going on, and laying foundational tracks for the development of hip hop and EDM. I also saw them live recently (in 2025,) which was a spellbinding show. The issue is how these tunes sound as an album, 50 years on. While the plinks and chugs are enjoyable, the songs are weighed down by simplicity and repetition. A perhaps regretful 3 from me as a listening experience.

How is there another one?!?

+1 for groundbreaking.

It doesn't quite have the beauty and mystery of Trans Europe Express. It feels more functional which may well have been the intention. Still great though. Their technical innovation is important and all that but they also knew how to write a great tune.

I am not a robot.

That was far worse than I’d expected. Got nothing for me.

Fun album, how have I not run across it at some point

anxiety-inducing but in a good way????

Fem om det er på tysk

This is pure joy. Trance inducing electro vibes. Robot, model, machine, magnificent

Nothing quite like them I guess... Can't say I'm a fan though.

I appreciated the danceable beats on some of the tracks, but felt pretty lost on the majority of this album.

I know how influential Kraftwerk is on many artists that I love, and what they’re doing here with electronic instruments in 1978 is ground breaking, but it’s not an album I’m putting in my regular rotation.

The year is 1978. You are backpacking across Europe after graduating and have made your way to Berlin. You stumble upon a club playing something you’ve never heard before but it makes you feel like dancing. The beat fills your body and you begin to move. Halfway through the set you do a line in the bathroom. Now you are one with the strange but melodic electronic sounds as you dance the night away. You might buy as synthesizer when you get back to the US. That’s this album

Felt like I was in an 80s movie or a Pixar movie listening to this album

Can’t believe this came out in 1978. I imagine this is what Bill Gates listened to as he was coding Microsoft. This album spawned multiple genres and was the foundation for so much of electronic music, like synthpop and techno. I hadn’t listened to this in its entirety before. Will be coming back to this a lot. Loved The Model (esp the German version) and Neon Lights especially.

I liked about half of it got uninteresting at points but pretty fun

3.5* 80%

Cool aesthetic just not my style

The Man Machine is a fantastic showcase of electronic music that’s truly ahead of its time, especially considering it was released in 1978. The innovative sound and catchy rhythms are impressive, making it a timeless classic.

Solid 3.5 stars

Deras absolut bästa. Ett riktigt mästerverk.

Cool electronic album, was not expecting it. Sounded awesome. Though the songs were a bit on the long side for their repetitiveness. Can we get half stars on here? I already hate the five-star rating with a passion as it is, let alone without the half-star option.

Not good

Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to

I am shocked this came out in 1978. True pioneers of this sound, and it’s even more impressive that they’re still keeping at it and just as relevant today. This sounds like a couple of smart nerds making cool sounds on machines, and I love it.

Kraftwerk broke ground time and again, pioneering electronic music and laying the groundwork for generations of artists, from their debut in 1974 to the present day — an impressive 50 years of powerful influence over an approach to music that dominates most of today's popular genres. Any aspects of their music that might be considered shortcomings (in my eyes there are none) are easily outweighed by their mastery of electronic production, and their undeniably infectious rhythmic and melodic sense. Their musical prowess coupled with the artistry of their group persona and performances asserts them as not only one of the best music acts of all time, but some of the greatest artists in history as well. Their entire catalog is five stars for me.

Bom

This was obviously very influential for a lot of bands. It’s interesting, but a bit repetitive and boring. Good background music. Makes me want to listen to Tubeway Army.

Feels modern, so it's obvious what an impact it's had on music. I appreciate this album, but I'm not sure I'd want to listen to it again.

I respect this / the influences on other music I can hear, but not sure I’ll relisten to it.

Maybe it's because I just started watching VCV Rack videos again, but with headphones on this album ruled.

I can absolutely see how this basically inspired most of the sound in the 80s. Great variety of electronic beats. It won't stick with me but I thrilled to have heard it.

Heel raar album, maar wel leuk om naar te luisteren

This band was Daft Punk before Daft Punk. They're a pleasant surprise, and the beeps, and bloops make my ears leap, and swoosh. Favorite Track: "Spacelab".

Boring

I liked a couple of the songs but I found the rest of the album pretty boring and repetitive. I’m really not a big synthpop/electropop fan. Some of the beats were enjoyable, but I just struggle with synths and electronic drums and repetitive music. I do find the theming fun, it makes sense to me to make this kind of music about robots and machines. It was interesting to read the reviews and see what people love about this album, it just isn’t for me. Fav song: The Robots Least fav: Neon Lights

When this started, I thought I would hate it and I actually didn’t? Would I seek this out in the future, no, but I did vibe with “Robots” and some of the more instrumental tracks. Solid album, three stars. Happy I listened.

This feels so German.... In a way that lacks all emotion and is just bland. This is the second album by this band and the first at least had an interesting concept. Was this bad, no but it felt like bland potatoes. It felt like pre recorded songs from a synthesizer that you would hear as background music at Hans and Franz's juice bar. It's not taking me anywhere or giving me any emotions, just feeling beige. The more I listened, it almost made me think it could be AI generated music because it's basic stereotypical and generic.

I'm sure this was pretty cool for 1978. I'm not into electronic music enough to appreciate this for it's legacy. It sounds like something you could do with a couple yamaha keyboards and preset beats. I didn't think it was musically that interesting. I find these robots sadly lacking soul. Not totally awful but the boring factor puts it at a 2 for me.

Kraftwerk make music from the twilight zone. It sounds futuristic and vintage all at once. The 1970’s idea of the future was campy and still progressive. This sound helped birth the entire 80’s. They are influential enough that “Spacelab” sounds as if the main synth line is used to sing the Veggie Tales theme song, while they use the highly inventive synth elements of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” in it. This album is not perfect songwise, they have better albums, but for artistry, it’s a hard win, along with nearly their entire catalog.

These are some pretty cool electronic jams, especially for 1978! I was grooving the whole time. They were quite the musical pioneers. Favorite track was The Model. Makes me want to dance like the Sprockets on SNL. I was having a stressful day the last time we had Kraftwerk, so I think I'll revisit Autobahn to see if my opinion on that one changes.

This one was better than the other albums by them.

Would get a 2 but it is impressive for it’s time

I appreciate what Kraftwerk did paving the way for electronic music but I’ve listened to 2/3 albums by them now and they really do not float my boat

Well…this was…very…German. I think I heard this album on a variety of Sci-Fi films in the early ‘80s, like Tron and Flash Gordon. This is one of those revolutionary ‘history’ albums as I can hear their influence in so much Synth pop from New Wave and the birth of EDM as we know it today. Just listening to Space Lab I could Oakenfold, Enigma and Depeche Mode. I don’t know if this is a modern go to, but I respect the roots.

Random thoughts: * I'm mad at myself for never picking up this album. I've loved Trans Europe Express for a long time and never explored more. Thank you 1001. * I was bopping to The Robots. These funky Germans are straight up robots. They are the grandparents of Daft Punk. * I was surprised to see The Model as the top streamed Kraftwerk track on Spotify. But on second listen this is a catchy one. * I feel like Kraftwerk is an acquired taste but one that I personally love just like whiskey, wine, and coffee. Get yourself acquainted.

This must have been mind blowing in 1978, like the future had arrived.

Bloody awful- only reason it’s not getting a 0.1 is because I think it inspired/ reminded me of robots by flight of the conchords Specific rating - 0.4 Fav song - man machine Least fav- space lab

Revolutionary for its time. A waste of mine. Not my least favourite kraftwerk album but I still won't be listening again. Favourite: The first three minutes of Neon Lights Least: The Man Machine (the song... but also the album) or the last five minutes of Neon Lights

cool

After around a week of guitar heavy rock and metal albums, I was excited to get a bit of variety today. Sounds so futuristic, it's a toss up between this and Trans Europa Express for my favourite Kraftwerk album.

beep bop this is shit i understand that it was probably fire when it came out but it really didnt stand the test of time for me

I was pop locking like a prime cholo

Weird techno, not for me.

I know it's a remaster but production Is really good for its time

I enjoyed it for what it is, a little homogenous but fun. They walked so daft punk could run

Nice

Das Sound Machine’s best.

Good album and ages so well, although did find it hard to concentrate on it sometimes as it’s a bit repetitive

It's not even their best work so...

ok i know that i should love Kraftwerk since they're pretty much THE electronic act in terms of paving the way, but i just don't really get this album. i love both the heady idm and the dancy Chicago House that they would influence, though. it sounds nice at least. an album more appreciable than enjoyable for me deserves to be one of the 1001? absolutely

Melhor do que eu esperava. Com certeza um disco que darei novas chances no futuro. Timbres bem escolhidos de synth ajudam a criar uma atmosfera interessante e os vocais trazem um tom mais dark pra mistura toda. O fato do álbum ser curto ajuda a trazer um senso de coesão maior. Com certeza uma grande melhora em relação a Autobahn, o único disco do Kraftwerk que eu havia ouvido até então.

Já tentei ouvir essa banda outras vezes. Revolucionária, etc., mas a estética não me agrada. Imagino o quanto foi um som de vanguarda pra época. Devo dizer que esse é mais agradável que o Trans-Europe Express, tem menos vocoder e é mais melódico.

Interesting, reminds me of a bit like video game music.

So weird, I don't know how this manages to be so lame and so effortlessly cool at the same time. Minimalistic in a very intentional, effective way, but its danceability makes sure it never feels lacking in energy or movement. Very good!