Angel Station

Angel Station is the ninth album released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released in 1979. Several line-up changes were made for this album. Ex-Wings drummer Geoff Britton replaced founding drummer Chris Slade and Steve Waller replaced guitarist Dave Flett. Britton left the band soon after due to illness, and was replaced by John Lingwood. Also in the line-up were Pat King on bass guitar from the then current line-up and Chris Thompson.

Not to be confused with Angel tube station, a station on the London Underground.
For the novel by Walter Jon Williams, see Angel Station (novel).

Angel Station
Studio album by
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Released9 March 1979
RecordedAugust 1978 – January 1979
StudioWorkhouse Studios, Old Kent Road, London
Noel's House, Clonakilty, County Cork
GenreProgressive rock, art rock
Length38:47
LabelBronze (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)
ProducerAnthony Moore
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann's Earth Band chronology
Watch
(1978)		 Angel Station
(1979)		 Chance
(1980)
Singles from Angel Station
  1. "You Angel You"
    Released: 2 February 1979
  2. "Don't Kill It Carol"
    Released: 8 June 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

Background

Angel Station features a six-note descending theme in most of the songs on the album, woven into the context of each song in a different way, an idea hatched by Pat King after having watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind.. "Hollywood Town" and "You Are, I Am" share a common tune and basic arrangement. They occupied almost identical positions on either side of the LP. The album has the air of an emotional and musical crossword puzzle, or has affinities with the work of M. C. Escher, whose art is alluded to on the cover illustration.

Of interest is the involvement of Fingerprintz's Jimme O'Neill whose influence can be heard in the edgy, angular instrumental "Platform End" (a song whose title was probably influenced by the fact that it originally closed the 1979 vinyl's A side), and ex-Slapp Happy/Henry Cow member Anthony Moore who produced the album and influenced its modern, sparse sound.

"This is Chris Thompson's last album with the Earth Band as he is forming his own band in the near future. I wish to thank him for a valuable creative and personal relationship, and wish him every success in the future." – Manfred Mann, 1979[2]

In spite of this announcement, Thompson's own outfit Night turned out as unsuccessful, releasing two mostly overlooked albums in 1979 and 1980 respectively, so the singer stayed with the Earth Band instead, returning on the group's next album Chance (1980) already.[3]

The album was on the US Billboard 200 charts for thirteen weeks, peaking at No. 144 on 9 June 1979.[4] The single "You Angel You" spent seven weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at No. 58 on 14 July 1979.[5] The album spent eight weeks and reached No. 4 on the German Media Control Albums Chart.[6]

Kanye West sampled the bridge from "You Are, I Am" for the track "So Appalled" from West's 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Don't Kill It Carol" (Mike Heron) – 6:18
  2. "You Angel You" (Bob Dylan) – 4:02
  3. "Hollywood Town" (Harriet Schock) – 5:09
  4. ""Belle" of the Earth" (Manfred Mann) – 2:46
  5. "Platform End" (Mann, Geoff Britton, Pat King, Steve Waller, Chris Thompson, Jimme O'Neill) – 1:32

Side two
  1. "Angels at My Gate" (Mann, Hirth Martinez, O'Neill) – 4:50
  2. "You Are – I Am" (Mann) – 5:11
  3. "Waiting for the Rain" (Billy Falcon) – 6:17
  4. "Resurrection" (Mann) – 2:42

1999 CD re-issue Bonus Tracks
  1. "Don't Kill It Carol" (single version) (Heron) – 3:58
  2. "You Angel You" (single version) (Dylan) – 3:46

Charts
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 22

Personnel

The Earth Band

Additional musicians

Technical
  • Anthony Moore – producer
  • Rik Walton – engineer
  • Davie Phee, Edwin Cross – assistant engineers
  • Martin Poole – art direction
  • John Shaw – photography (front cover)
  • Pat King – photography (back cover)

Notes
  1. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Angel Station (1979) album review by Joe Viglione, credits & releases at AllMusic
  2. Manfred Mann, Angel Station album, Sleeve notes (1979)
  3. "Manfred Mann's Earth Band". newburycomics.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  4. "Billboard 200 – June 9, 1979". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. "Billboard Hot 100 – July 14, 1979". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Angel Station (1979) album at Offizielle Deutche Charts
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 191. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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