Exile (Gary Numan album)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Exile" Gary Numan album – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

1997 studio album by Gary Numan

Exile

Studio album by

Gary Numan

Released| 20 October 1997
Recorded| 1996–1997
Studio| Outland, London
Genre|

* Industrial rock
* gothic rock

Length| 47:14
73:26 (Extended)
Label| Eagle, earMUSIC
Producer| Gary Numan
Gary Numan chronology
| Random
(1997)  | Exile
(1997)  | Pure
(2000)

|
|

Singles from  Exile

1. "Absolution (original)"
Released: 13 March 1995[1]
2. "Dominion Day"
Released: 6 April 1998

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]

Exile is the thirteenth solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released in October 1997 by Eagle Records. Its release continued a critical upswing in Numan's career which began three years earlier with the release of Sacrifice, and which had been boosted by the release of the Random tribute album earlier in 1997.

## Overview

[edit]

The album followed a loose concept namely that, rather than being opposites, God and the Devil were two sides of the same coin. Each track reflected some aspect of this premise. Unlike Sacrifice, Numan's theme in Exile was not so much atheistic as heretical; it did not deny the existence of God but, instead, his proclaimed goodness. Shortly after the album's release, Numan explained: "Personally, I don't believe in God at all, but if I'm wrong and there is a God, what kind of god would it be who would give us the world we live in?"[3]

The opening number and single, "Dominion Day", set the album's gothic/industrial rock tone, describing how a man's nightmare becomes reality as Christ returns to Earth in scenes suggestive of the Book of Revelation. The tale was set against a wall of synthesizers, drum loops and distorted guitars. "Dark", which further explored what the composer saw as an incestuous relationship between God and the Devil, became a favourite for movie trailers before being used on the soundtrack of Alex Proyas’ film Dark City. "Dead Heaven" turned various biblical conceits on their head (Mary is ravaged, rather than revered, by the Three Wise Men) while "Absolution", a re-recording of a 1995 single, was a bitter reflection on the consequences of unquestioning faith; it had been covered by Amanda Ghost on the Random tribute album.

Though not a big chart success Exile scored almost universally positive reviews, a contrast to the situation in Numan's early years when he had many hits but was generally condemned by critics. However it further alienated some fans who had been put off by Sacrifice's anti-religious undertones. The website www.remindmetosmile.com changed from a tribute page to one openly critical of Numan for being "so bold that he feels he can mock God and feel good about it".[4] Numan's response was:

"This sort of reaction always amazes me. Here you have people that genuinely believe that God created this entire bloody universe in just six days, without anybody's help, and yet they seem to think that He needs their help to deal with little me. If God was bothered about me, He would deal with me".[5]

The US edition of Exile included one extra track, a live recording of "Down in the Park", previously released on the double album Ghost (1987); Numan, who did not approve its inclusion, presumed that his record label did it to link him to Marilyn Manson and other artists who had recently covered the song.[6] An extended version of Exile, twenty six minutes longer than the original, was released in 1998. Numan toured the UK and US in support of the album to largely sell-out crowds, a concert recording from this period called Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire (US title Live in London) eventually being released in 2004.

## Re-recording

[edit]

On 21 July 2021, Vaughn George announced on his YouTube channel after his interviews with Gary Numan and his present album producer Ade Fenton that Sacrifice, Exile and Pure would be re-produced from the ground up to the current production standards of more current albums produced by Fenton such as Savage and Intruder.

At the time of the video, Sacrifice and Pure had been fully recorded, while production of Exile had been put on hold due to the release of Intruder. There has been no announcement for the release date.[7]

## Track listings

[edit]

Exile (1997 Eagle Records)No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Dominion Day"| Gary Numan| 4:52
2.| "Prophecy"| Numan| 5:05
3.| "Dead Heaven"| Numan| 5:23
4.| "Dark"| Numan| 4:30
5.| "Innocence Bleeding"| Numan| 4:26
6.| "The Angel Wars"| Numan| 5:04
7.| "Absolution"| Numan| 5:00
8.| "An Alien Cure"| Numan| 6:09
9.| "Exile"| Numan| 6:47
Total length:| 47:16

Exile (1998 Cleopatra Records US Bonus Track)No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

10.| "Down in the Park" (Live)| Numan| 5:10
Total length:| 52:24

Exile Extended (1998 Eagle Records)No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Dominion Day"| Numan| 7:50
2.| "Prophecy"| Numan| 9:01
3.| "Dead Heaven"| Numan| 7:52
4.| "Dark"| Numan| 7:34
5.| "Innocence Bleeding"| Numan| 6:55
6.| "The Angel Wars"| Numan| 9:40
7.| "Absolution"| Numan| 6:28
8.| "An Alien Cure"| Numan| 9:50
9.| "Exile"| Numan| 8:57
Total length:| 74:07

## Personnel

[edit]

* Gary Numan – vocals, producer, keyboards, guitar, engineer, mixing
* Mike Smith – keyboards
* Rob Harris – guitar

Technical

* Simon Shazell – mastering
* John Burns – re-mastering
* Gemma Webb – assistant engineer, artwork
* Chris Poel – artwork
* Cürt Evans – design
* NuFederation – design
* Joseph Cultice – photography
* Perou – photography

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "New singles". Music Week. 11 March 1995. p. 49.
2. ^ Cantlon, Simon. Exile at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
3. ^ Sonic Boom Magazine interview
4. ^ Day, Michael (24 January 2001). "Main Page". remindmetosmile.com. Fort Wayne, IN: Day-Lite Consulting. Archived from the original on 24 January 2001. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
5. ^ Chaotic Critiques interview
6. ^ Sonic Boom Magazine interview
7. ^ Gary Numan to Re-Release Sacrifice, Exile and Pure!!, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 1 August 2021

## References

[edit]

* Paul Goodwin (2004). Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide To Gary Numan.

* v
* t
* e

Gary Numan

Albums with Tubeway Army|

* Tubeway Army
* Replicas
* The Plan

Studio albums|

* The Pleasure Principle
* Telekon
* Dance
* I, Assassin
* Warriors
* Berserker
* The Fury
* Strange Charm
* Metal Rhythm
* Outland
* Machine + Soul
* Sacrifice
* Exile
* Pure
* Jagged
* Dead Son Rising
* Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind)
* Savage (Songs from a Broken World)
* Intruder

Collaborations|

* Automatic (with Bill Sharpe)
* Human (with Michael R. Smith)
* Nicholson / Numan 1987–1994 (with Hugh Nicholson)

Live albums|

* Living Ornaments '79
* Living Ornaments '80
* Living Ornaments '79 and '80
* White Noise
* Ghost
* The Skin Mechanic
* Dream Corrosion
* Dark Light
* Living Ornaments '81
* The Radio One Recordings
* Scarred
* Hope Bleeds
* Fragment 1/04
* Fragment 2/04
* The Complete John Peel Sessions
* Engineers
* Big Noise Transmission

Singles|

* "That's Too Bad"
* "Bombers"
* "Down in the Park"
* "Are "Friends" Electric?"
* "Cars"
* "Complex"
* "We Are Glass"
* "I Die: You Die"
* "This Wreckage"
* "Stormtrooper in Drag"
* "She's Got Claws"
* "Love Needs No Disguise"
* "Music for Chameleons"
* "We Take Mystery (To Bed)"
* "Warriors"
* "Change Your Mind"
* "New Thing from London Town"
* "This Is Love"
* "I Can't Stop"
* "Like a Refugee (I Won't Cry)"
* "Crazier"

Compilations|

* New Man Numan
* Exhibition
* The Best of Gary Numan 1978–1983
* The Premier Hits
* Techno Army Featuring Gary Numan
* Random
* Exposure
* Hybrid
* Resonator (Pioneer of Sound)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Sharpe & Numan
* Paul Gardiner
* Cedric Sharpley
* Dramatis
* Tubeway
* Radio Heart
* "Freak Like Me"
* "Where's Your Head At"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template