Angel Station

{{distinguish|text=Angel tube station, a station on the London Underground}} {{for|the novel by Walter Jon Williams|Angel Station (novel)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

{{Infobox album | name = Angel Station | type = Studio album | artist = Manfred Mann's Earth Band | cover = Angel Station.jpg | alt = | released = 9 March 1979 | recorded = August 1978 – January 1979 | venue = | studio = {{Unbulleted list|Workhouse, Old Kent Road, London|Noel Redding's House, Clonakilty, County Cork}} | genre = {{hlist|Progressive rock|art rock}} | length = 38:47 | label = {{hlist|Bronze (UK)|Warner Bros. (US)}} | producer = {{hlist|Anthony Moore|Manfred Mann}} | prev_title = Watch | prev_year = 1978 | next_title = Chance | next_year = 1980 | misc = {{Singles | name = Angel Station | type = studio | single1 = You Angel You | single1date = 2 February 1979 | single2 = Don't Kill It Carol | single2date = 8 June 1979 }} }} '''''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.

==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 chord progression and basic arrangement. They occupied almost identical positions on either side of the LP.

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, while it was also a play on the back cover of the previous album ''Watch''), and ex-Slapp Happy/Henry Cow member Anthony Moore who produced the album and influenced its modern, sparse sound.

<blockquote>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''<ref>Manfred Mann, ''Angel Station'' album, Sleeve notes (1979)</ref></blockquote> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Manfred Mann's Earth Band |url=http://www.newburycomics.com/rel/v2_viewupc.php?storenr=103&upc=501914861912 |publisher=newburycomics.com |accessdate=27 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430101837/http://www.newburycomics.com/rel/v2_viewupc.php?storenr=103 |archivedate=30 April 2009}}</ref>

The album was on the US Billboard 200 charts for thirteen weeks, peaking at No. 144 on 9 June 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1979-06-09|title=Billboard 200 – June 9, 1979|magazine=Billboard |accessdate=11 August 2017}}</ref> The single "You Angel You" spent seven weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at No. 58 on 14 July 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1979-07-14|title=Billboard Hot 100 – July 14, 1979|magazine=Billboard |accessdate=11 August 2017}}</ref> The album spent eight weeks and reached No. 4 on the German Media Control Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album/for-date-295412400000|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts|website=www.offiziellecharts.de}}</ref>

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''. Manfred Mann adapted this recording into his own track "One Hand in the Air" on his 2014 album ''Lone Arranger''.

''Platform End'' also became the title of the official MMEB fanclub's magazine,<ref>{{cite web |title=Magazines 1-3 |url=https://www.platform-end.co.uk/archive-1/platform-end/magazines-1-3/ |website=platformend |access-date=17 May 2021}}</ref> nowadays it is the fanclub website's name.

==Critical reception== {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/angel-station-mw0000194751 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - ''Angel Station'' (1979) album review by Joe Viglione, credits & releases] at AllMusic</ref> | rev2 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |first=Colin |last=Larkin |author-link=Colin Larkin |chapter=Manfred Mann's Earth Band |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |year=1998 |publisher=Groves Dictionaries |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpo05lark/page/3438/mode/2up 3438–39] |isbn=1-561-59237-4}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Melody Maker'' | rev3Score = favourable<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=March 1979 |title=Manfred Mann's Earth Band: "Angel Station"|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/manfred-mann-angel-station-bronze |access-date=25 July 2024 |magazine=Melody Maker}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Music Week'' | rev4score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="mw rev">{{cite magazine|date=March 24, 1979|title=Album Reviews: Manfred Mann's Earth Band — "Angel Station"|magazine=Music Week|page=36|publisher=Pensord Press Ltd.|location=Gwent|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-03-24.pdf#page=30|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520093118/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-03-24.pdf#page=30|archive-date=May 20, 2024|access-date=March 26, 2025|via=WorldRadioHistory.com}}</ref> | rev5 = ''Musikexpress'' | rev5score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Musikexpress|title=Manfred Mann's Earth Band: "Angel Station"|url=https://www.musikexpress.de/wp-content/uploads/zeitung/musikexpress/2OLJNPVuetXVn/index.html#/html5///page/44|language=de|page=44|date=March 1979|access-date=1 March 2025}}</ref> | rev6 = ''NME'' | rev6Score = favourable<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Edmands |first=Bob |date=31 March 1979 |title=Manfred Mann's Earth Band: Angel Station |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/53959020155/ |pages=32 |access-date=25 July 2024 |magazine=NME}}</ref> | rev7 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' | rev7Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Marsh|first=Dave |author-link=Dave Marsh |editor1-last=Marsh |editor1-first=Dave|editor2-last=Swenson |editor2-first=John |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |publisher=Random House |edition=2th |year=1983 |isbn=0-394-72107-1 |chapter=Manfred Mann|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstoner00mars/page/313 313–314]}}</ref>}}

''The Globe and Mail'' noted that "there are no songs with the hit potential of 'Blinded By the Light', only a safe copy called 'Don't Kill It Carol', by former Incredible String Bander Mike Heron."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Niester |first1=Alan |title=Angel Station Manfred Mann's Earth Band |work=The Globe and Mail |date=19 May 1979 |page=F4}}</ref>

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

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

'''1999 CD re-issue bonus tracks''' # <li value = "10">"Don't Kill It Carol" (single version) (Heron) – 3:58 # "You Angel You" (single version) (Dylan) – 3:46

==Personnel== '''The Earth Band''' * Chris Thompson – vocals (chorus of "Don't Kill It Carol", "You Angel You", "Hollywood Town", ""Belle" of the Earth", "You Are - I Am", "Waiting for the Rain") * Steve Waller – guitar, vocals (verse of "Don't Kill it Carol", "You Angel You", ""Belle" of the Earth", "Angels at My Gate", "You Are - I Am") * Manfred Mann – keyboards, vocals ("Resurrection", bridge of "Don't Kill It Carol") * Pat King – bass guitar, vocals (Co-lead vocals and backing vocals on verse of "Don't kill it Carol" and "Angel's at my gate") * Geoff Britton – drums, alto saxophone

'''Additional musicians''' * Anthony Moore – guitar, sequencer, synthesizer * Jimme O'Neill – rhythm guitar, arrangements * Graham Preskett – violin ("Waiting for the Rain") * Dyan Birch – backing vocals

'''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) * Re-mastered by: Robert M Corich and Mike Brown

==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1979) ! scope="col" | Peak position |- ! scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=191}}</ref> | 22 |- {{album chart|Austria|6|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|album=Angel Station|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|19|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|album=Angel Station|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5| language= fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 10 |- {{album chart|Germany|4|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|album=Angel Station|id=8687|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Norway|3|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|album=Angel Station|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|6|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|album=Angel Station|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|UK2|30|date=19790325|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|144|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- |} {{col-2}}

===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1979) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1979|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|date=1979|publisher=GfK Entertainment Charts|language=de|access-date=2 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108121805/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1979|archive-date=8 November 2021}}</ref> | 8 |} {{col-end}}

==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1979|region=Australia|award=Gold|certyear=1982|certref=<ref name="aus"/>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Manfred Mann's Earth Band|title=Angel Station|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1979|certyear=1980}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

== Notes == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.discogs.com/Manfred-Manns-Earth-Band-Angel-Station/release/3089610 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - ''Angel Station'' (1979) album releases & credits] at Discogs * [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=4755 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - ''Angel Station'' (1979) album credits & user reviews] at ProgArchives.com

Category:Manfred Mann's Earth Band albums Category:1979 albums Category:Bronze Records albums Category:Warner Records albums