Kraftwerk

1995 release ** European CD re-issue with 2-panel cover. "The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop - less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals (The Robots, Spacelab, and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject (Neon Lights and Metropolis). Plus, there's The Model, a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle. More pop-oriented than any of their previous work, the sound of The Man-Machine -- in particular among Kraftwerk's oeuvre -- had a tremendous impact on the cold, robotic synth pop of artists like Gary Numan, as well as Britain's later new romantic movement."