Exile

Onward and upward. Just as Numan regained his musical mojo, a stream of music artists began name checking him as an inspiration and also began covering his songs. Beck, Blur, Pulp, Tricky, Afrika Bambaata, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay, The Orb, Basement Jaxx, The Foo Fighters, Marilyn Manson, The Smashing Pumpkins - all of them cited Numan as an influence and some of them covered his songs as well. Not only that, the once unanimously hostile music press began saying nice things about Numan! Actually, it was because of this that I returned to the Numan fan fold. I hadn't purchased a full-priced Numan album from a store since Metal Rhythm (partly because they were so hard to find but mostly because I had pretty much given up on him.) However, by chance I read a few very positive reviews of Exile so I bought it and loved it instantly. I read that Numan's music had made the artistic turn around with Sacrifice, so I bought that as well and was equally impressed. He has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Exile is pretty much a continuation of the themes Gary explored on Sacrifice, except here he takes us into even darker - and blasphemous - territory with his story of a mysterious, powerful alien being taking possession of a man and driving him to write a new Book explaining how the Bible is full of lies used by a malevolent force to control the world and ultimately destroy mankind. Still suffering from the same monotonous drum machine, the album still manages to be something magnificent on the strength of the song writing.

My favourite song is the title track, Exile. When Numan sings, "Some things you can't forgive, I'll make everyone pay,"  I get chills. Still.

I heard it in my sleep
A voice more dead than old
I thought I'd known the fear
But then it touched my soul and said:

"You will pray for me
Bow your head to me."

It came for me at night
And took me dream by dream
To where everything is dark
And no-one hears you scream
Took everything I loved
And turned love into pain
It said "I'm the prophecy
And I'll make you believe in me."

"Sacrifice for me
Be humility."

It said:
"I'll make everyone pay
I'll make everyone pay
Some things you can't forget
I'll make everyone pay
Some things you can't forgive
I'll make everyone pay."

"And so it comes to this
Death or eternity?
Or would you like to pay
For all humanity?
Do you believe in faith?
Than choose. Heaven or Hell or me?
A shadow on the sane
The final treachery of God."

"You will kneel for me
Lose your eyes for me."

"Betray the world for me
Burn your soul for me."

It said:
"I'll make everyone pay
I'll make everyone pay
Some things you can't forget
I'll make everyone pay
Some things you can't forgive
I'll make everyone pay."



Bonus track - my favourite Numan cover - Down In The Park by Marilyn Manson.