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Tin Machine is the debut studio album by the Anglo-American hard rock band Tin Machine, released on May 22, 1989 through EMI America Records. The band consisted of the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, the American guitarist Reeves Gabrels and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, while Englishman Kevin Armstrong acted as an additional guitarist. The project was spearheaded by Bowie, who felt disconnected in his career by 1987 and looked to reinvent himself. After meeting Gabrels through his Glass Spider tour, the two agreed to work together and would collaborate frequently for the next decade. Bowie hired the Sales brothers, neither of whom he had worked with since the 1970s, after a meeting in Los Angeles, while English producer Tim Palmer was hired to co-produce.  

The album was recorded in August 1988 in Montreux, Switzerland, and later in Nassau, Bahamas. The sessions were productive despite personality clashes among the members. The tracks were mostly recorded live in few takes, with Bowie improvising lyrics while standing at the microphone with lyrics discussing world issues and love. Tin Machine named themselves and the album after one of the tracks. Unlike Bowie’s previous backing bands, Tin Machine acted as a democratic unit, which was reflected in promotional interviews.  

Upon release, the album peaked at #3 in the UK, although sales declined quickly. It was accompanied by three singles and a 13-minute long music video containing performances of the tracks. Like its supporting concert tour, Tin Machine received mixed reviews and continues to receive similar assessments from Bowie’s biographers, who mainly criticize the lyrics and lack of melodies. Nevertheless, some reviewers noted that the band were exploring grunge and alternative rock styles before those styles became popular. Tin Machine began recording a follow up album in late 1989 before Bowie embarked on the solo Sound + Vision tour. Bowie later rerecorded I Can’t Read during the sessions for his 1997 album Earthling. 

Under the God is Tin Man’s first official single released in June 1989. It peaked at #51 in the UK and #4 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs and #8 on the Mainstream Rock charts. 

Tin Machine was released as a single in September 1989, as a double A-side with a live cover of Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm. 

Prisoner of Love was their third single in October 1989.