Angel Station
Encyclopedia
Angel Station is an album released in 1979
by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
. 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. "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 Jimmy O'Neill whose influence can be heard in the edgy, angular instrumental "Platform's End" (a song whose title was probably influenced by the fact that it originally closed the 1978 vinyl's A side), and ex-Slapp Happy
and 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 In spite of this announcement, Thompson's own outfit Night
turned out as unsuccessful, releasing two mostly overlooked albums in 1978 and 1979 respectively, so the singer stayed with the Earth Band instead, returning on the group's next album Chance
(1980) already.
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.
Side two
1999 re-issue Bonus Tracks
with
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
. 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. "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
M. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
, whose art is alluded to on the cover illustration.
Of interest is the involvement of Fingerprintz's Jimmy O'Neill whose influence can be heard in the edgy, angular instrumental "Platform's End" (a song whose title was probably influenced by the fact that it originally closed the 1978 vinyl's A side), and ex-Slapp Happy
Slapp Happy
Slapp Happy was a German/English avant-pop group consisting of Anthony Moore , Peter Blegvad and Dagmar Krause . The band formed in Germany in 1972. The band members moved to England in 1974 where they merged with Henry Cow, but the merger ended soon afterwards and Slapp Happy split up. Slapp...
and Henry Cow
Henry Cow
Henry Cow were an English avant-rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler and bassoonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper were important long-term members...
member Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore
Anthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
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 In spite of this announcement, Thompson's own outfit Night
Night (band)
Night was a rock band formed in 1978 in Los Angeles whose personnel were veteran British-based session musicians.-History:Night's vocalists Stevie Vann and Chris Thompson had met when Vann had provided backing vocals for the 1978 album Watch by Manfred Mann's Earth Band then fronted by Thompson...
turned out as unsuccessful, releasing two mostly overlooked albums in 1978 and 1979 respectively, so the singer stayed with the Earth Band instead, returning on the group's next album Chance
Chance (album)
Chance is an album released in 1980 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.- Track listing :Side one#"Lies " – 4:37#"On the Run" – 3:53#"For You" – 5:41...
(1980) already.
Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
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- "Don't Kill It Carol" (Mike HeronMike HeronMike Heron is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work in the Incredible String Band in the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:...
) – 6:18 - "You Angel You" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) – 4:02 - "Hollywood Town" (Harriet SchockHarriet SchockHarriet Schock is an American singer, songwriter, teacher, author, and actress. She made three albums for a major label in the 70s, scoring gold and platinum awards for her Grammy-nominated Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady, before moving into teaching and soundtrack work, and then resuming an ongoing...
) – 5:09 - " "Belle" Of The Earth" (Manfred MannManfred Mann (musician)Manfred Mann is a keyboard player best known as a founding member and namesake of Manfred Mann and Manfred Mann's Earth Band.-Career:...
) – 2:46 - "Platform End" (Mann, Geoff BrittonGeoff BrittonGeoff Britton is a rock drummer known for his work with Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1975, where he was featured on the Venus and Mars album,...
, Pat KingPat KingPat King is best known as the bass guitar player for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1978 and 1982. He featured on the albums Watch, Angel Station and Chance, and was the replacement for founder member Colin Pattenden who left the band in 1978...
, Steve WallerSteve WallerSteven Charles Waller was best known as the lead guitar player and a vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1979 and 1983...
, Chris Thompson, Jimmy O'Neill) – 1:32
Side two
- "Angels At My Gate" (Mann, Martinez, O'Neill) – 4:50
- "You Are - I Am" (Mann) – 5:11
- "Waiting For The Rain" (Billy FalconBilly FalconBilly Falcon, born William Falcone July 13, 1954, is a musician from Rosedale, New York. He released a handful of rock albums throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, as well as making an appearance on The Way International's "High Country Caravan". He signed a deal with Mercury Records after fan Jon...
) – 6:17 - "Resurrection" (Mann) – 2:42
1999 re-issue Bonus Tracks
- "Don't Kill It Carol" (single version) (Heron) – 3:58
- "You Angel You" (single version) (Dylan) – 3:46
Personnel
- Manfred MannManfred Mann (musician)Manfred Mann is a keyboard player best known as a founding member and namesake of Manfred Mann and Manfred Mann's Earth Band.-Career:...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Geoff BrittonGeoff BrittonGeoff Britton is a rock drummer known for his work with Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1975, where he was featured on the Venus and Mars album,...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions... - Pat KingPat KingPat King is best known as the bass guitar player for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1978 and 1982. He featured on the albums Watch, Angel Station and Chance, and was the replacement for founder member Colin Pattenden who left the band in 1978...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Steve WallerSteve WallerSteven Charles Waller was best known as the lead guitar player and a vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1979 and 1983...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals ("Don't Kill it Carol", "Angelz At My Gate") - Chris Thompson - vocals ("You Angel You", "Hollywood Town", ""Belle" of the Earth", "Waiting for the Rain")
with
- Jimmy O'Neill - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Dyan BirchDyan BirchDyan Birch, born 25 January 1949 in Liverpool, is an English singer.Bands and artists with whom Birch has worked include Arrival, as founder member in 1969, Kokomo, The Voice Squad, Bryan Ferry, Gloria Gaynor, Frankie Miller and Manfred Mann....
- backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Anthony MooreAnthony MooreAnthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
- guitar, sequencerMusic sequencerThe music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...