| Computer World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 May 1981 (1981-05-11) | |||
| Recorded | 1979–1981 | |||
| Studio | Kling Klang (Düsseldorf) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:25 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Kraftwerk chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Computer World | ||||
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Computer World (German:Computerwelt) is the eighth studio album by Germanelectronic bandKraftwerk, released on 11 May 1981.[6] It was accompanied by four singles, including a double A-side UK no. 1 featuring "Computer Love".
The album is themed aroundcomputer technology and its rise within society. In keeping with the album's concept, Kraftwerk showcased their music on an ambitious world tour. As was the case with the two previous albums,Computer World was released in both German- and English-language editions.
"We live in a computer world, so we made a song about it", said mastermindRalf Hütter.[7]Computer World has been described as a futuristic conceptual work that predicts the presence ofcomputer technology in everyday life. Featuring themes such ashome computers anddigital communication, the album has been seen as both a celebration of computer technology as well as a warning about its potential to exert power on society with social control and digital surveillance. Despite its theme, the production of the album was completelyanalogue and did not involve any computer technology.[8]
The cover shows acomputer terminal (apparently based on theHazeltine 1500)[9] displaying the heads of the four band members. Thefont is indicative ofOCR-A.
The inner sleeve artwork, created byEmil Schult and photographed by Günter Fröhling, depicts four slightly robotic-looking mannequins (representing the band members engaged in studio activities: performing, recording, mixing), similar to the artwork of the previous album,The Man-Machine, also created by Fröhling. In two photos, the mannequin representingKarl Bartos is seen playing aStylophone, an instrument which is featured[citation needed] on the track "Pocket Calculator".
Computer World peaked atNo. 15 on theUK Albums Chart.[10] It was certified silver by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 12 February 1982 for shipments in excess of 60,000 copies.[11]
The track "Computer Love" was released as aseven-inch single in the UK in June 1981, backed with "The Model", from the group's previous albumThe Man-Machine. The single reachedNo. 36 in the charts. In December 1981 the two songs were reissued as a double A-sidetwelve-inch single, and reachedNo. 1 on theUK Singles Chart in early February 1982, although "The Model" received the most airplay.
"Pocket Calculator" was released as a seven-inch single in the USA by Warner Brothers in 1981, pressed on a fluorescent yellow/lime vinyl matching the color of the album cover. The flip side featured the Japanese version of "Pocket Calculator", "Dentaku".[12] "Pocket Calculator" charted at No. 38 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Computerwelt" was remixed in 1982 as a dance version with additional bass and percussion sounds. It was released in January 1982 as a twelve-inch vinyl single only in Germany. The original track was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1982.[13] "Computer World" was also chosen by theBBC for use in the titles of their UK computer literacy project,The Computer Programme.
Kraftwerk issued several different versions of the single "Pocket Calculator" in different languages: namely, German ("Taschenrechner"), French ("Mini Calculateur"), and Japanese ("Dentaku", or 電卓). An Italian version ("Mini Calcolatore") was also performed live on the music TV showDiscoring.[14]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10[15] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [16] |
| The Guardian | [17] |
| Mojo | [18] |
| Q | [19] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [20] |
| Select | 4/5[21] |
| Uncut | [22] |
| The Village Voice | B[23] |
Computer World was ranked the second best album of 1981 byNME.[24] But some contemporary critics were unimpressed.Smash Hits reviewer David Hepworth described the content as "predictable" and "gimmicky" and not the presumed step forward by the group: "Kraftwerk are seemingly content to tootle around on their instrument panels in the service of a bunch of non-songs about pocket calculators and computers", Hepworth wrote, giving the album a 4 out of 10 rating.[25]
Retrospectively,Computer World has frequently appeared in numerous 'Best'-listings. In 2012,Slant Magazine placed it atNo. 25 on its list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.[26] In 2018,Computer World was listed byPitchfork as the 18th best album of the 1980s.[27]Pitchfork listed the track "Computer Love" as the 53rd best song of the 1980s.[28]Rolling Stone namedComputer World the 10th greatestEDM album of all time in 2012.[29]
Following the release of the Computer World album, Kraftwerk went on a subsequent tour, that started on 24 May 1981 and ended on 14 December 1981.
Computer World maintains a distinct influence over subsequent releases across a multitude of genres; this influence is particularly noticeable in early and contemporary hip-hop and rap.
In 1982, American DJ and rapperAfrika Bambaataa wrote the song "Planet Rock" and recorded chords inspired fromTrans-Europe Express. The song's lyrics also included the Japanese number counting "Ichi Ni San Shi" from Kraftwerk's "Numbers".
Cybotron's 1983 release "Clear", from the albumEnter, contains multiple auditory elements ofComputer World: the musical refrain closely resembles parts of "Home Computer" and "It's More Fun to Compute"; additionally, the track contains musical allusions to other Kraftwerk tracks.[30]
Señor Coconut y su Conjunto, an electronic project of German musicianUwe Schmidt which initially covered Kraftwerk's songs, published amerengue-styled version of "It's More Fun to Compute" on their first LPEl Baile Alemán, wrongly labeled as "Homecomputer" on the sleeve.
Coldplay used the mainriff from "Computer Love" in their song "Talk" from their 2005 albumX&Y. "Lugom-IX" fromRicardo Villalobos's 2006 albumSalvador prominently uses the riff from "Computer World".
Fergie's track "Fergalicious", from her 2006 debut albumThe Dutchess, borrows heavily from two tracks onComputer World: the opening synth line from "It's More Fun to Compute", as well as the rhythmic component ofJ.J. Fad's "Supersonic", as the latter track's beat is based upon theComputer World track "Numbers".[31]Arabian Prince, the co-producer of "Supersonic", has been vocal about his admiration of Kraftwerk.[32]
La Roux used the main riff from "Computer Love" in their 2009 song "I'm Not Your Toy" from theirself-titled debut album. "Home Computer" is used as background music in theYoung Sheldon episode "A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer".
LCD Soundsystem took "Home Computer" throughout the trackDisco Infiltrator.
DJ Hooligan (Da Hool) sampled The Mix version of "Home Computer" for the Underground and Cursed remix of the song "Scatman's World" byScatman John.
Beck took sounds from it and played "Home Computer" live.[33][34]
Neil Young's 1983 electronic albumTrans was influenced byComputer World.
Ulf Ekberg ofAce of Base, when asked what brought him to music, if he had to boil it down to one reason, responded with: "In one word: Kraftwerk. Once Kraftwerk released their 1981 albumComputerwelt it all became clear to me: they showed the world that you can combine music with technology and be successful with it — and that was exactly what I wanted to do."[35]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Computer World" ("Computerwelt") |
| 5:05 | |
| 2. | "Pocket Calculator" ("Taschenrechner") |
|
| 4:55 |
| 3. | "Numbers" ("Nummern") |
| 3:19 | |
| 4. | "Computer World 2" ("Computerwelt 2") |
| 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Computer Love" ("Computer Liebe") |
|
| 7:15 |
| 6. | "Home Computer" ("Heimcomputer") | Schneider |
| 6:17 |
| 7. | "It's More Fun to Compute" |
| 4:13 | |
| Total length: | 34:25 | |||
The original 1981 sleeve notes are relatively unspecific regarding roles, merely listing all the equipment suppliers and technicians under the heading "Hardware" and the various other people involved, such as photographers, as "Software".[36] By contrast, the 2009 remastered edition notes list the performer credits as the following:[37]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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