Life in Exile After Abdication is the second solo studio album by American musician Moe Tucker, released in 1989 by 50 Skidillion Watts.
Production Rather than performing all of the instruments herself, as on her debut album, Tucker is accompanied by Lou Reed, Jad Fair, Daniel Johnston, and all four members of Sonic Youth.
Critical reception
Robert Christgau wrote that "'Work,' 'Spam Again,' and 'Hey Mersh!' are Amerindie knockouts, lived postpunk takes on the grind and release of lower-middle class adulthood, a subject rock and rollers usually leave to Nashville company men." Trouser Press wrote that "Tucker’s loose and unpredictable Life in Exile offers a little of everything, all performed and recorded with ramshackle casualness." The Chicago Reader called the album "a tour de force recording that wedded noisy indie guitar textures to songs of blue-collar rage, fueled by [Tucker's] years as a divorced mother of five trying to support her family on a Wal-Mart paycheck."
The Washington Post wrote that "anyone who ever loved Maureen Tucker—and that surely includes all true Velvet fans—will find Life in Exile, motley as it is, irresistible." The Spin Alternative Record Guide deemed the album Tucker's "finest solo outing." The New Yorker thought that the album "demonstrated an abiding love for Bo Diddley rock and girl-group pop, played as if by dinosaurs and sung as if by a choirgirl."
Reed selected the album as one of his "picks of 1989".Rolling Stone, March 8, 1990
Track listing All tracks written by Moe Tucker except where noted. "Hey Mersh!" – 3:16 Maureen Tucker – vocals, guitar Lou Reed – lead guitar Kate Messer – guitar Hank Beckmeyer – guitar, bass Joe Martinelli – drums Scott Jarvis – drums "Spam Again" – 5:25 Maureen Tucker – vocals, guitar, percussion Jad Fair – lead guitar, percussion Kate Messer – 12-string guitar, percussion Hank Beckmeyer – slide guitar, percussion Scott Jarvis – drums Kim Gordon – percussion M. C. Kostek – percussion "Goodnight Irene" (Huddie Ledbetter, John A. Lomax) – 2:29 Maureen Tucker – lead vocals, guitar Kate Messer – backing vocals Hank Beckmeyer – backing vocals Joe Martinelli – backing vocals "Chase" – 8:07 Thurston Moore – guitar, arrangement Lee Ranaldo – guitar, arrangement Hank Beckmeyer – guitar, arrangement Kim Gordon – bass, arrangement Maureen Tucker – drums, arrangement Jad Fair – cymbals, arrangement Kate Messer – congas, arrangement "Andy" – 5:08 Maureen Tucker – vocals, guitar, piano Hank Beckmeyer – guitar Jad Fair – guitar Kate Messer – acoustic guitar "Work" – 3:38 Maureen Tucker – vocals Hank Beckmeyer – lead guitar, bass Kate Messer – guitar Barry Stock – bass Scott Jarvis – drums "Pale Blue Eyes" (Lou Reed) – 6:44 Maureen Tucker – lead and backing vocals, drums, guitar Lou Reed – lead guitar, backing vocals Hank Beckmeyer – guitar, backing vocals Kim Gordon – bass, backing vocals Jad Fair – backing vocals Kate Messer – backing vocals Scott Jarvis – backing vocals Daniel Johnston – backing vocals Rob Elk – backing vocals Don Fleming – backing vocals "Bo Diddley" (Ellas McDaniel) – 5:07 Maureen Tucker – lead and backing vocals, guitar Kim Gordon – bass, backing vocals Steve Shelley – drums Kate Messer – backing vocals Hank Beckmeyer – backing vocals Scott Jarvis – backing vocals Jad Fair – backing vocals "Talk So Mean" – 4:59 Maureen Tucker – vocals, guitar Kate Messer – 12-string guitar Ann Marie Ear – piano Kim Gordon – bass Scott Jarvis – drums "Do it Right" (Jad Fair, Daniel Johnston) – 3:10 Maureen Tucker – vocals Daniel Johnston – vocals, piano Moejadkatebarry Bonus Tacks "Guess I'm Falling in Love" (Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker) "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (Jimmy Reed) "Why Don't You Smile Now?" (Lou Reed, John Cale, Vance, Phillips) "Hey, Mr. Rain" (Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker)
Personnel Maureen Tucker: Vocals on all tracks except track 6, guitar on all tracks except 4, 6, 10, percussion on track 2, drums on track 4, 7, piano on track 5 Kate Messer: Guitar on tracks 1, 6, 12 string guitar on tracks 2, 9 percussion on track 2, backing vocals on tracks 3, 7, 8, congas on track 4, acoustic guitar on track 5 Hank Beckmeyer: Guitar on tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, backing vocals on tracks 3, 7, 8, Bass on tracks 1, 6, Slide Guitar & Percussion on track 2, lead guitar on 6 Scott Jarvis: Drums on tracks 1, 2, 6, 9, backing vocals on 7, 8
Guest musicians Jad Fair: Lead Guitar & Percussion on track 2, cymbals on track 4, guitar on track 5, backing vocals on 7 - 8 Kim Gordon: Percussion on track 2, Bass on track 4, 7, 8, 9, backing vocals on 7, 8 Lou Reed: Lead Guitar on 1, 7, backing vocals on 7 Joe Martinelli: Drums on 1, backing vocals on 3 Daniel Johnston: Backing Vocals on 7, Vocals & Piano on 10 M. C. Kostek: Percussion on 2 Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo: Guitar on 4 Barry Stock: Bass on 6 Rob Elk & Don Fleming: Backing vocals on 7 Ann Marie Ear: Piano on 9
References