No Exit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 15, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1998 | |||
Studio | Red Night Recording, Electric Lady and Chung King House of Metal (New York City) | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 59:05 | |||
Label | Beyond Music | |||
Producer | Craig Leon | |||
Blondie chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from No Exit | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | A− [2] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | C [4] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
No Exit is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on February 15, 1999, [7] by Beyond Music. It was the band's first album in 17 years and features the UK number-one single "Maria". As of March 2006, the album had sold two million copies worldwide. [8]
As was customary for a Blondie album, No Exit dabbled in many genres, including pop, reggae, country, and hip hop. Mike Chapman, who had produced all but the first two of Blondie's previous albums, produced some of the early demos for the album, though final production of the album fell to Craig Leon.
A cover of the Shangri-Las' 1965 song "Out in the Streets" was included on the album. It was originally recorded by the band in 1975 while they were trying to get a record deal. The demo version was first issued on EMI's 1994 anthology The Platinum Collection and was later included on the 2001 remastered version of the band's eponymous debut studio album.
A comeback promotional tour, the No Exit Tour, was launched preceding the release of the album, which spanned 13 months and visited Europe, North America and Oceania.
No Exit reached number three on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. It was preceded by the single "Maria", which became Blondie's sixth UK number one, exactly 20 years after the band's first number one, "Heart of Glass", making them the first American band to have chart-topping UK singles in three different decades: 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. [9] A second single, "Nothing Is Real but the Girl", peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The title track, "No Exit", was released as a limited-edition third single in Europe, and is a fusion of classical, hip hop and rock, and featured raps by Mobb Deep, Coolio, U-God, and Inspectah Deck. "Screaming Skin" was released as a promo single in the US in late 1999.
The album was released in several editions in different countries with various bonus tracks, mainly live versions of songs recorded during the band's No Exit Tour. The album was also reissued in 2001 along with all of Blondie's other studio albums.
Chris Stein commented on the title of the album in a 2004 interview: "The title was taken from a Sartre play, which says there's no madness in individuals, it's all in groups. I think that's probably what all these reality TV shows are about. Maybe we were a reality TV show before there was reality TV."
The album was not available on streaming platforms or digital music stores for several years, most likely because of a possible dispute in licensing or distribution rights, although the song "Maria" from the album could still be found on these platforms and stores on compilation albums. No Exit and its follower The Curse of Blondie (2003) were added to all streaming platforms on November 16, 2023.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Screaming Skin" |
|
| 5:37 |
2. | "Forgive and Forget (Pull Down the Night)" | Stein | Stein | 4:31 |
3. | "Maria" | Jimmy Destri | Destri | 4:51 |
4. | "No Exit" |
|
| 4:19 |
5. | "Double Take" (featuring Candy Dulfer) | Harry | Stein | 4:12 |
6. | "Nothing Is Real but the Girl" | Destri | Destri | 3:13 |
7. | "Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room" |
| 4:08 | |
8. | "Night Wind Sent" |
|
| 4:40 |
9. | "Under the Gun" (for Jeffrey Lee Pierce) | Stein | Stein | 4:09 |
10. | "Out in the Streets" |
| 3:03 | |
11. | "Happy Dog" (for Caggy) |
| Stein | 3:24 |
12. | "The Dream's Lost on Me" | Ashby |
| 3:19 |
13. | "Divine" |
|
| 4:14 |
14. | "Dig Up the Conjo" | Destri |
| 4:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Dreaming" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) (hidden track) |
| 3:22 |
16. | "Call Me" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) (hidden track) |
| 4:47 |
17. | "Rapture" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) (hidden track) |
| 7:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Call Me" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 4:47 |
16. | "Rapture" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 7:07 |
17. | "Heart of Glass" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 6:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Call Me" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 4:47 |
2. | "Rapture" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 7:07 |
3. | "Dreaming" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 3:21 |
4. | "Heart of Glass" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 6:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Hot Shot" |
| 3:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Hot Shot" |
| 3:46 |
16. | "Rapture" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 7:07 |
17. | "Heart of Glass" (live at Lyceum Ballroom, London, November 22, 1998) |
| 6:49 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of No Exit. [10]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Portugal | — | 8,000 [30] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [31] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [32] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States | — | 417,000 [33] |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 2,000,000 [8] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on September 8, 1978, by Chrysalis Records. An instant critical and commercial success, the album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart in February 1979 and proved to be the band's commercial breakthrough in the United States, where it reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in April 1979. In Billboard magazine, Parallel Lines was listed at No. 9 in its top pop albums year-end chart of 1979. The album spawned several successful singles, notably the international hit "Heart of Glass".
100th Window is the fourth studio album by English electronic music group Massive Attack, released on 10 February 2003 by Virgin Records. The album was mainly produced by lead member Robert Del Naja, as the group's producer Andrew Vowles departed shortly after the release of their previous album Mezzanine (1998), and Grant Marshall opted out of the production of the album. 100th Window features vocals from regular guest Horace Andy, as well as newcomers Sinéad O'Connor and Damon Albarn. Stylistically, it is the first album by the group to make no use of existing samples, and contains none of the hip hop or jazz fusion styles that the group were initially known for.
Talk on Corners is the second studio album by Irish family pop rock band The Corrs. It was released on 17 October 1997 by 143, Lava and Atlantic Records. Preceded by lead single "Only When I Sleep", which became a top ten hit internationally, the album was an immediate commercial success in several territories, including Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Its commercial performance elsewhere was initially modest, however.
The Corrs Unplugged is the third album by Irish band The Corrs, filmed and released in the fall of 1999. The album is part of the iconic MTV Unplugged series, which features musicians performing in a more acoustic, “stripped-down” concert setting. Initially, the album was released internationally, albeit not in the United States until a year later, after the band had experienced further success with their single “Breathless” and their fourth album In Blue, with both releases earning them their highest chart positions to-date in the US.
Secrets is the second studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on June 18, 1996, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards. Secrets has been certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies. In support of the album, Braxton embarked on the Secrets Tour, playing dates in North America and Europe from August 1996 to October 1997.
Ultra is the ninth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 14 April 1997 by Mute Records. It was the band's first album following the departure of Alan Wilder. Wilder's departure and lead singer Dave Gahan's drug problems, which culminated in a near-fatal overdose, had caused speculation that Depeche Mode was finished.
Forever is the third and final studio album by English girl group the Spice Girls, released on 1 November 2000 by Virgin Records. It is their only album without Geri Halliwell, who later rejoined the group for their Greatest Hits album in 2007.
The Best of Sade is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994. The compilation chronicles Sade's first four studio albums, while also including non-single songs "Jezebel", "Like a Tattoo" and "Pearls", as well as "Please Send Me Someone to Love", which appeared in the soundtrack to the film Philadelphia. The album was digitally remastered in 2000.
Voyageur is the fifth studio album by the German musical project Enigma, released on 8 September 2003 by Virgin Records.
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released February 27, 1995, on Columbia Records. It is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years along with four new songs at the end, mostly recorded with the E Street Band in 1995. The latter constituted Springsteen's first release with his backing band since the late 1980s. Some of the songs are shorter versions of the original album releases.
The Hunter is the sixth studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on May 24, 1982, by Chrysalis Records. It was Blondie's last album of new material until 1999's No Exit. It was recorded between December 1981 and February 1982.
Plastic Letters is the second studio album by American rock band Blondie, released in February 1978 by Chrysalis Records. An earlier version with a rearranged track listing was released in Japan in late December 1977.
"Denise" is a song written by Neil Levenson that was inspired by his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak. In 1963, it became a popular top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, when recorded by the American doo-wop group Randy & the Rainbows. A cover version by the American new wave group Blondie, re-titled "Denis", reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1978. Dutch actress and singer Georgina Verbaan covered "Denis" in 2002 and reached number 30 on the Dutch Singles Chart.
Eat to the Beat is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on September 28, 1979, by Chrysalis Records. The album was certified Platinum in the United States, where it spent a year on the Billboard 200. Peaking at No. 17, it was one of Billboard's top 10 albums of 1980. It also reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart in October 1979 and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Autoamerican is the fifth studio album by American rock band Blondie. It was released in November 1980 and reached No. 3 in the UK charts, No. 7 in the US, and No. 8 in Australia. The album spawned two singles, "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture". "The Tide Is High" hit number one in several countries, including the US and the UK. "Rapture" became the first rap song ever to reach number one on the singles chart in the US. It also reached number five in the UK and number four in Australia.
The Best of Blondie is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Blondie. It was released in October 1981, by Chrysalis Records. The album peaked at number four in the United Kingdom and number 30 in the United States, while becoming the band's only number-one album in Australia.
"Maria" is a song by American rock band Blondie. The song was written by Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri and produced by Craig Leon. Taken from their seventh album, No Exit (1999), it was Blondie's first new release since 1982. "Maria", issued as a single in Europe on January 11, 1999, reached number one in the United Kingdom; Blondie's sixth UK chart-topper. The song also topped the charts of Greece and Spain, becoming a top-20 hit across Europe and in New Zealand.
Break Every Rule is the sixth solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released on September 8, 1986, through Capitol Records. It was the follow-up to Turner's globally successful comeback album, Private Dancer, released two years earlier. The lead single "Typical Male" peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks in October 1986, while "Two People" and "What You Get Is What You See" reached the top 20. "Back Where You Started" earned Turner her third consecutive Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in 1987. It was Turner's first solo album of original songs.
Love Deluxe is the fourth studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 26 October 1992 and in the United States on 3 November 1992.
Stronger Than Pride is the third studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 3 May 1988 and in the United States on 10 May 1988. In September 2018, Pitchfork placed the album at number 37 on its list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". The album spawned five singles.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)