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| Metal Rhythm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 September 1988 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1987–Mid 1988 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:41 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Gary Numan | |||
| Gary Numan chronology | ||||
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| Alternative Cover | ||||
 US Release cover. | ||||
| Singles from New Anger | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Metal Rhythm is the ninth solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan,released in September 1988 by I.R.S. Records.
Gary Numan's previous three studio albums had been released on his own record label,Numa Records. The disappointing sales of those albums led to Numan closing down the label and signing a recording contract with I.R.S. Records. Most of the album had been recorded before Numan signed with the label. I.R.S. therefore had little opportunity to make changes to the recorded material,but the label was still able to exert influence on the album's release. Numan wanted to call the album Cold Metal Rhythm after its song of the same name,but I.R.S. believed that the shortened title sounded less negative and more commercial.
Musically,Metal Rhythm represented a move by Numan into a more commercial sound,although it preserved continuity with Numan's previous studio albums. Metal Rhythm made liberal use of female backing vocals,which Numan had incorporated into his four previous albums;also,the futuristic funk that characterised Numan's previous albums remained on Metal Rhythm,but the programmed beats,hustling vocals and rock power chords gave the album an edgier,more psyched-up vibe. The album's sense of aggression is present lyrically as well as musically. On the liner notes for the album's 1999 re-release,Steve Malins writes that "like Trent Reznor's NIN debut,the persona projected on Metal Rhythm is restless,emotionally unstable,scathing about human frailties and flaws,self loathing about his own." In the songs "This Is Emotion","New Anger" and "Devious",Numan lashes out at the emotional desolation and manipulative personalities he had encountered throughout his career,and "Respect" is rumoured to be about Numan's falling out with Hohokam,a band signed to Numa Records and Numan's support act during the 1984 Berserker tour. [4] Numan himself remarked:
I must admit that one of my reasons for wanting to get back into the charts was revenge. I wanted to get back at everyone who had put the knife in. In fact the Metal Rhythm album is one of the most aggressive of my career. I poured out my nerves and frustration into my music, making it very psyched-up, raw and uncompromising. [5]
Metal Rhythm was released in September 1988 and although its edgy, industrial-funk sound met with favour from fans and some positive reviews in the UK music press, it sold poorly. The album charted at No. 48, while its singles, "New Anger" and "America", charted at No. 46 and No. 49 respectively. [6] Numan later recalled:
I think IRS expected to have success with me straight away. I remember the managing director of the UK division, Steve Tannet, leaping around his office when he played the first single from the album, "New Anger". I was happy about his enthusiasm but a little embarrassed at the sight of such a chubby man dancing around. IRS had chosen the title track after listening to the finished album and felt it particularly strong from the very beginning. Steve was full of it, the song was going to be a big hit, it would do this, that and the other. He forgot about that in October when it reached 46 in the UK charts. We were up in his office a few weeks after the release and he said, 'Of course, you chose the wrong single there, we never wanted that one at all.' 'Hello, 'I thought, 'Earth calling Tannet.' He flatly denied that he'd chosen the single and danced around his office. It was record company bullshit supreme. [7]
For its American release, and against Numan's wishes, the record label changed the album's title to New Anger, changed the artwork colour shade from black to blue, remixed several of its tracks and even replaced two tracks ("Hunger" and "Young Heart") with tracks originally recorded for Numan's sixth solo studio album Berserker (1984).
Numan released two more albums with I.R.S. – The Skin Mechanic (1989), a live album from the Metal Rhythm tour, and the studio album Outland (1991) – before quitting the label and reactivating Numa Records.
Numan supported Metal Rhythm with an 18-date UK live tour (September–October 1988) from which the live album The Skin Mechanic was released in 1989. Culled from two shows at the Dominion Theatre, London in September 1988, The Skin Mechanic charted at UK No. 55, and was followed by a 1990 video release of the tour.
All tracks written by Gary Numan.
All timings are approximate and will vary slightly with different equipment.
Adapted from the Metal Rhythm liner notes. [8]
Musicians
Gary Anthony James Webb, known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two studio albums with the band, he released his debut solo studio album The Pleasure Principle in 1979, topping the UK Albums Chart. His commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits including "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". Numan maintains a cult following. He has sold over 10 million records.
Sacrifice is the twelfth solo studio album by English musician Gary Numan, released in October 1994 by Numa Records. Its release is often cited as marking the start of a critical and artistic rejuvenation for Numan. The album was released in the US in 1997 with a different title, Dawn, based on the comic book character Dawn. It also carried cover art by Joseph Michael Linsner.
Tubeway Army is the debut studio album by the English new wave band Tubeway Army, released in 1978. Its initial limited-edition run of 5,000 sold out but did not chart. When reissued in mid-1979, following the success of the follow-up Replicas (1979), the more commonly known cover art featuring a stylised portrait of Gary Numan was introduced. This release made No. 14 in the UK Albums Chart.
I, Assassin is the fourth solo studio album by the English new wave musician Gary Numan, released on 10 September 1982 by Beggars Banquet. It peaked at No. 8 on the UK Album Chart. Three singles were released from the album: "Music for Chameleons", "We Take Mystery " and "White Boys and Heroes", all of which reached the UK Top 20.
Berserker is the sixth solo studio album by the English new wave musician Gary Numan, released on 9 November 1984, it was his first album to be released under Numan's own record label, Numa Records.
Warriors is the fifth solo studio album by the English new wave musician Gary Numan, released on 16 September 1983 by Beggars Banquet Records. It would be his last studio release on that label.
The Fury is the seventh solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, originally released in September 1985, it was Numan's second release on his self-owned Numa Records label. It saw him continuing to explore the sample-heavy industrial sound that he had developed for his previous album Berserker in 1984.
White Noise is a double live album by British musician Gary Numan and originally released in 1985. The album was reissued as a double CD in 1998 before a remastered version was released in 2003.
The Plan is an archival compilation album of early demo recordings by British new wave band Tubeway Army, released in 1984.
Strange Charm is the eighth solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, originally released in October 1986, it was Numan's third release on his self-owned Numa Records label. The album was not released in the United States until 1999 when it was issued in a digitally remastered form with five bonus tracks by Cleopatra Records. In the same year it was also reissued with bonus tracks in the United Kingdom by Eagle Records.
Machine + Soul is the eleventh solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released in 1992. It was a low point, released primarily to help pay off debt, and was the last of his efforts to make his music more radio-friendly. His subsequent work went in the much darker and more industrial direction that would revive his career.
Outland is the tenth solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released in March 1991. It was Numan's second and last studio album to be released by I.R.S. Records. It reached Number 39 on the UK charts. The songs "Heart" and "My World Storm" were released as singles; "Heart" charted at Number 43, while "My World Storm" eventually became a US-only promo single after a planned UK release was shelved due to the inner turmoil at the label around the release of the album. The latter however reached Number 46 on the US dance chart. The reaction to it was mixed with Q Magazine calling it 'repetitive and full of affectation'.
Automatic is a 1989 album released by Sharpe & Numan.
The Skin Mechanic is a live album released by British musician Gary Numan during his stint with IRS Records. The album was recorded in 1988 and released in 1989.
Dream Corrosion is a 1994 live album by the British electronic musician Gary Numan. It was recorded at the London Hammersmith Apollo on 6 November 1993, and was originally released under the Numa Records label.
The following is a comprehensive discography of Gary Numan, a British singer and musician. Numan released his first record in 1978 as part of the outfit Tubeway Army. Initially unsuccessful, the band scored a huge hit in 1979 with the single "Are Friends Electric" and their second album Replicas, both of which reached number one in the UK. Numan then decided to release further recordings under his own name, beginning with the single "Cars" later in 1979. Both this and the subsequent album The Pleasure Principle also reached number one in the UK, and Numan became a leading force in the British electronic music scene. He scored a third number one album in 1980 with Telekon, and more hit singles and albums until the mid 1980s when his popularity waned. Despite this, he has continued to record and tour on a regular basis up to the present day. His 2017 studio album, Savage , entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 2, which was Numan's highest chart peak since 1980. His most recent album, 2021's Intruder, also entered the UK charts at no. 2.
Ghost is a live album released by British musician Gary Numan in 1988. It was recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 25 and 26 September 1987 during Numan's Exhibition Tour. The original release was only available as a fan club, mail order double LP. It went on general release in the United Kingdom as a double CD in May 1992 before being released in the United States in 1999.
Exposure – The Best of Gary Numan 1977–2002 is a compilation album by Gary Numan featuring tracks from his Beggars Banquet Records years together with later and newly re-recorded material in non-chronological order.
Isolate – The Numa Years is a compilation album by Gary Numan. It was released in March 1992 on CD and cassette and contains tracks issued on his own Numa Records label during the years 1984–1986. The songs are taken from the albums Berserker, The Fury and Strange Charm. The four page insert contains printed lyrics to all the tracks.
"I Can't Stop" is a song by English musician Gary Numan, which was released in 1986 as the second single from his eighth studio album Strange Charm. It was written by Numan, and produced by Numan and the Waveteam. "I Can't Stop" reached No. 27 in the UK and remained on the charts for four weeks.
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