Replicas (album)

Replicas is the second and final studio album by English new wave band Tubeway Army,[9] released in April 1979 by Beggars Banquet Records. It followed their self-titled debut from the previous year. After this, Tubeway Army frontman Gary Numan would continue to release records under his own name, though the musicians in Tubeway Army would continue to work with him for some time. Replicas was the first album of what Numan later termed the "machine" phase of his career,[10] preceding The Pleasure Principle and Telekon, a collection linked by common themes of a dystopian science fiction future and transmutation of man/machine, coupled with an androgynous image and a synthetic rock sound.

This article is about the Tubeway Army album. For other albums of this name, see Replica (disambiguation) § Music.

Replicas
Reissued cover that credits Numan and Tubeway Army.
Studio album by
Tubeway Army
ReleasedApril 1979
RecordedDecember 1978 and January 1979
StudioGooseberry Sound Studios (London)
Genre
Length42:02
Label
ProducerGary Numan
Tubeway Army chronology
Tubeway Army
(1978)		 Replicas
(1979)
Singles from Replicas
  1. "Down in the Park"
    Released: 16 March 1979
  2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?"
    Released: 4 May 1979
40th Anniversary Edition cover
40th Anniversary Edition release
Audio sample
"Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric"
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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[2]
Mojo[3]
MusicOMH[4]
Record Collector[5]
Smash Hits8/10[6]
Spin9/10[7]
Uncut[8]

Fuelled by a surprise No. 1 hit single, "Are 'Friends' Electric?", the album also reached No. 1 in the UK charts in July 1979 and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies.[11]

Background

A loose concept album, Replicas was based on a dystopian book Numan hoped to complete someday,[12] set in a not-too-distant future metropolis where Machmen (androids with cloned human skin) and other machines keep the general public cowed on orders from the Grey Men (shadowy officials). While the album's setting and lyrics were directly inspired by the science fiction of Philip K. Dick, particularly his seminal work Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the title was not. Although Numan's Machmen were similar to Replicants, the term used for androids in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (based on Dick’s book), Scott’s film came out three years after Tubeway Army’s album and Dick never used the word "Replicant" in his original 1968 novel. The album cover shows Numan as a Machman staring out from his room at a waning crescent moon hovering above "The Park" as a barely visible man stands outside while Numan's reflection stares back at himself.

Recording and music

Musically, Numan’s main influence was the commercially unsuccessful John Foxx-led incarnation of Ultravox. Tracks like "Speed Of Life" and "Breaking Glass" from David Bowie’s Low were also cited, along with Kraftwerk’s The Man-Machine album, in particular the long and wistful track "Neon Lights".[13][14]

The recording was a development of the sound of the first Tubeway Army album. While the tracks "The Machman", "You Are in My Vision" and "It Must Have Been Years" recalled the earlier album’s guitar-oriented rock, the rest were built solidly around an analog synthesizer, the Minimoog. Along with "Are 'Friends' Electric?", this included "Me! I Disconnect from You", the atmospheric "Down in the Park" (released as a single prior to the album and acquiring cult status though not commercial success), the multi-layered title track and the closing instrumentals "When the Machines Rock" and "I Nearly Married a Human", the latter featuring Numan's first use of a primitive drum machine; it made an appearance the following year in Carl Sagan's TV series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

Legacy
Promoting the 2008 album tour

Replicas' synthesizer sound and occasionally nihilistic lyrics had a major impact on the industrial acts that came to prominence in the mid-1990s such as Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, both of whom covered Numan's songs on record. Both Manson and Foo Fighters released versions of "Down in the Park". "Are 'Friends' Electric?" was covered by a number of artists, and was most notably the basis for Sugababes' No. 1 hit "Freak Like Me" in 2002. Numan has continued to play tracks from Replicas on his live tours, with "Me! I Disconnect from You", "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Down in the Park" being mainstays, whilst "Praying to the Aliens" and "Replicas" have also lately become part of his live repertoire.

Reissue

The 1999 and 2008 reissue editions included several bonus tracks, including three single B-sides: "We Are So Fragile" (from "Are 'Friends' Electric?"), and "Do You Need the Service?" and "I Nearly Married a Human (2)" (from "Down in the Park"). "The Crazies", "Only a Downstat" and "We Have a Technical" were outtakes from the Replicas sessions.

Track listing

All songs written by Gary Numan.

1979 Beggars Banquet LP and MC (BEGA/C 7) and 1995 Beggars Banquet CD reissue (MUSCD509)

The lightbulb on the front sleeve artwork was removed for the 1995 reissue to allow for a larger print of the album title.

  1. "Me! I Disconnect from You" – 3:23
  2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?" – 5:25
  3. "The Machman" – 3:08
  4. "Praying to the Aliens" – 4:00
  5. "Down in the Park" – 4:24
  6. "You Are in My Vision" – 3:15
  7. "Replicas" – 5:01
  8. "It Must Have Been Years" – 4:02
  9. "When the Machines Rock" – 3:15
  10. "I Nearly Married a Human" – 6:31

1997 Beggars Banquet CD remastered reissue bonus tracks (TKCB-71194)
  1. "Do You Need the Service?" - 3:40
  2. "The Crazies" - 2:54
  3. "Only a Downstat" - 3:36
  4. "We Have a Technical" - 8:04
  5. "We Are So Fragile" - 2:56
  6. "I Nearly Married a Human 2" - 6:38

2008 Beggars Banquet "Redux" CD reissue (BBQCD 2057)

To coincide with Numan's 15-date Replicas Classic Album Tour in 2008, Beggars Banquet issued an expanded 2CD and limited 3CD version of Replicas, titled Replicas Redux.

Disc One

  1. "We Are So Fragile" - 2:55
  2. "Do You Need the Service?" - 3:39
  3. "I Nearly Married a Human 2" - 6:38

Disc Two This disc contained a complete earlier version of the Replicas album, recorded in late 1978 and January 1979.

  1. "Me! I Disconnect From You" - 3:24
  2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?" - 5:25
  3. "The Machman" - 3:08
  4. "Praying to the Aliens" - 4:08
  5. "Down in the Park" - 4:24
  6. "Do You Need the Service?" - 3:42
  7. "Only a Downstat" - 3:35
  8. "We Have a Technical" - 8:00
  9. "You Are in My Vision" - 3:22
  10. "Replicas" - 5:02
  11. "It Must Have Been Years" - 4:04
  12. "When the Machines Rock" - 3:15
  13. "The Crazies" - 2:54
  14. "I Nearly Married a Human 3" - 6:24
  • The early version of "When the Machines Rock" featured vocals by Numan, unlike the instrumental standard album version.

Disc Three - Replicas - Mixes + Versions (GNCD 2008)
This disc of bonus tracks was only available for a limited time when Replicas Redux was purchased via Numan's official website.

  1. "Are 'Friends' Electric? (Renegade Soundwave Mix)" - 5:15
  2. "Replicas (Early Version 2)" - 5:05
  3. "Down in the Park (Early Version 2)" - 4:23
  4. "Are 'Friends' Electric? (Early Version 2)" - 5:28
  5. "Replicas (Early Version 3)" - 5:00
  6. "Are 'Friends' Electric? (Renegade Soundwave Instrumental)" - 5:14

40th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the release of Replicas, a special edition of the album, Replicas: The First Recordings was released on 11 October 2019.[15] Released on 2 LP coloured vinyl and 2 CD editions.

CD 1
  1. "You Are In My Vision (Early Version)"
  2. "The Machmen (Early Version)"
  3. "Down In The Park (Early Version)"
  4. "Do You Need The Service? (Early Version)"
  5. "The Crazies"
  6. "When The Machines Rock (Early Version)"
  7. "Me! I Disconnect From You (Early Version)"
  8. "Praying To The Aliens (Early Version)"
  9. "It Must Have Been Years (Early Version)"
  10. "Only A Downstat"
  11. "I Nearly Married A Human 3 (Early Version)"
  12. "Replicas (Early Version)"
  13. "Are ‘Friends’ Electric? (Early Version)"
CD 2
  1. "Replicas (Early Version 2)"
  2. "Down In The Park (Early Version 2)"
  3. "Are ‘Friends’ Electric? (Early Version 2)"
  4. "We Have A Technical"
  5. "Replicas (Early Version 3)"
  6. "Me, I Disconnect From You" (BBC Peel Session)
  7. "Down In The Park" (BBC Peel Session)
  8. "I Nearly Married a Human" (BBC Peel Session)

Chart positions
Chart (1979) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[16] 1

Personnel

References
  1. Prato, Greg. "Replicas – Gary Numan / Tubeway Army". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: N". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 8 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. "Gary Numan and Tubeway Army: Replicas". Mojo (172): 122. March 2008.
  4. Shepherd, Sam (25 February 2008). "Gary Numan – Replicas Redux". MusicOMH. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  5. Doran, John (March 2008). "Gary Numan & Tubeway Army – Replicas Redux: Expanded 2008 Tour Edition". Record Collector (347). Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  6. Starr, Red (14–27 June 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits: 25.
  7. Price, Simon (September 1998). "Retro Active". Spin. 14 (9): 188–89. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  8. "Gary Numan and Tubeway Army: Replicas". Uncut (130): 96. March 2008.
  9. "Tubeway Army - Replicas at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  10. Numan, Gary (1981). Living Ornaments '79 and '80 (Media notes). Beggars Banquet.
  11. "Certified Awards Search". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.
  12. Lott, Tim (9 June 1979). "Confessions of an honest poseur". Record Mirror. p. 26.
  13. "We Are Also the Robots: 8 Essentials of Post-Kraftwerk Pop - SPIN". 22 June 2012.
  14. CloneDaddy (21 January 2011). "Gary Numan discusses John Foxx and early Ultravox" – via YouTube.
  15. "Gary Numan / 40th anniversary reissues". Super Deluxe Edition. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  16. "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2011.

Bibliography
  • Paul Goodwin (2004). Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide to Gary Numan
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