Machine and Soul

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I convinced myself [that Machine + Soul] was all right, that it was a 'clever' mix of funk, pop, rock and electronics. I almost convinced myself that I liked it. Not long after it was released though, I had to admit, only to myself for a while, that it was not what I'd hoped. There was nothing wrong with it as such, it just doesn't have much of me on it - not playing-wise, but emotionally. It is the most 'non-Numan' Numan album I've ever made, for my style, sound and character are completely missing. Whatever people think about my music, it's always been very personal. So, at a time when I was experiencing extreme lows in my career and private life, the last thing I felt like making was a shiny, polished pop record. But that's what I'd done. [2]

Numan stated that reflecting on the album and its reception almost convinced him to retire from the music industry altogether.

I put out a really shit album in 1992 called Machine + Soul which I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I realised that what I’d been doing wasn’t the right way to do it. I took a bit of time out and really thought through everything. Even whether I wanted to leave the music business. [3]

Numan later said that in 1993, "Nothing was right...That music, those clothes, that haircut. Imagine falling off a ship in the ocean, knowing if you stop swimming you're finished. That's what I was doing then. I was trying not to die." [4]

Machine + Soul peaked at No. 42 on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released from the album: "Emotion", which did not chart; "The Skin Game", which peaked at No. 68; and the title track, which peaked at No. 72.

Over a year after the album's release, Numan embarked on the 14-date "Dream Corrosion Tour" of October–November 1993, from which the live album Dream Corrosion was released. Recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo, London on 6 November 1993, and released in August 1994, Dream Corrosion reached only #86 on the UK Album charts, however, it has been cited as the template with which Numan relaunched his career, preparing him for his return-to-form studio album Sacrifice in 1994. With Sacrifice, Numan dispensed with the dance rhythms and female backing vocals, in favour of a back-to-basics approach, more introspective lyrics, and a darker musical sound.

Three songs from Machine + Soul (the title track, "Emotion" and "U Got the Look") were included on the 1996 remix album, Techno Army featuring Gary Numan.

Machine + Soul was reissued in 1998 in the US and 1999 in the UK. The album's original sleeve was discarded for both releases. Both editions featured entirely new covers, utilizing photographs from Numan's Metal Rhythm era.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gary Numan except where noted.

All timings are approximate and will vary slightly with different equipment.

1992 Numa CD release (NUMACD 1009)

Machine + Soul
GNmachineoriginal.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1992
RecordedLate 1991 – Mid 1992
StudioOutland Studio
Genre
Length47:09
Label Numa
Producer Kipper
Gary Numan chronology
Outland
(1991)
Machine + Soul
(1992)
Sacrifice
(1994)
Alternative cover
NumanmachineAlt.jpg
1998 reissue cover
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Machine + Soul" 5:57
2."Generator"Numan, Kipper6:08
3."The Skin Game" 6:23
4."Poison" 5:02
5."I Wonder" 4:28
6."Emotion" 5:31
7."Cry" 4:45
8."U Got the Look" Prince 3:57
9."Love Isolation" 4:38

1993 Numa 'Extended' CD release (NUMACDX 1009)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Machine + Soul (titled 'Mix 3' on the "Machine + Soul" CD single)" 7:33
2."Generator"Numan, Kipper9:51
3."The Skin Game (titled 'Lycra Mix' on "The Skin Game" 12" single)" 7:41
4."Poison" 6:39
5."I Wonder" 6:33
6."Emotion" 8:00
7."Cry" 7:31
8."U Got the Look"Prince3:57
9."Love Isolation" 6:30
10."Dark Mountain" 3:57
11."The Hauntings" 4:06
12."In a Glasshouse" 4:12
13."Hanoi" 2:03

1999 Cleopatra U.S. CD reissue (CLP 0541-2)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Machine + Soul" 5:57
2."Generator"Numan, Kipper6:08
3."The Skin Game" 6:23
4."Poison" 5:02
5."I Wonder" 4:28
6."Emotion" 5:31
7."Cry" 4:45
8."U Got the Look"Prince3:57
9."Love Isolation" 4:38
10."Hanoi" 2:03
11."In a Glasshouse" 4:12
12."Wonder Eye" 4:04
13."Cry Baby" 4:21
14."The Hauntings" 4:06
15."1999"Prince4:56
16."Dark Mountain" 3:09

1999 Eagle Records UK CD reissue (EAMCD075)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Machine + Soul" 5:57
2."Generator"Numan, Kipper6:08
3."The Skin Game" 6:23
4."Poison" 5:02
5."I Wonder" 4:28
6."Emotion" 5:31
7."Cry" 4:45
8."U Got the Look"Prince3:57
9."Love Isolation" 4:38
10."Hanoi" 2:03
11."Dark Mountain" 3:09
12."The Hauntings" 4:06
13."1999"Prince4:56
14."Cry Baby" 4:21
15."Wonder Eye" 4:04

Notes

Personnel

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References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Praying to the Aliens: An Autobiography by Gary Numan with Steve Malins. (1997, André Deutsch Limited), pp. 232–233
  3. "Interview: Gary Numan". 25 November 2011.
  4. interview in Uncut #130 (March 2008), p. 21