Outland is a
Gary Numan album from 1991. It was recorded for
Miles Copeland's
IRS records, and is not a fan favourite. Due to record company pressure
Numan was forced to emulate the production of
Janet Jackson's then-massive
Rhythm Nation 1814, with curious results;
Numan has been many things, but funky is not one of them. In common with all his post-
1985 albums, it did not chart in either the UK or the US.
The album features copious samples from contemporary films, such as Predator, Blade Runner and Red Heat. The title song went over exactly the same thematic ground as Numan's most famous song, Cars. Apart from that, the usual Numan staples - isolation, paranoia, revenge and so forth - were present, although backed by funk.
Listened to in retrospect, it's not nearly as bad as Numan fans believe; the contrast between the overstated production and Numan's deadpan, reedy voice works well, rather like the work of The Pet Shop Boys but less European and more American. Had it been effectively marketed (IRS records went bust shortly afterwards) it could have been a moderate hit. The sole single, a ballad called Heart, went nowhere.