My final video in the first chapter of NuReview, going through various odds and ends in Gary Numan's discography, as well as counting down my favorite Gary Numan albums.
I really feel the love you have for GN's work, i applaud the time you spent critiquing the back catalogue. It doesn't matter whether i agree or not. The point is firmly in the listners objective and i can't put an argument to your list because of me cutting off a long time ago. That said, 'The Pleasure Principal' will always be at the top. Well done mate.
I couldn't do such a surgical ¨ best to worst¨ list, but I appreciated the live albums commentaries. To me, my top 4 would go from ¨The Plan¨ (I know, not a proper album, but hey, I'm a punk !) to Dance in decreasing order, followed by I Assassin and Warriors (a tie between those two) M+S, Outland, Berserker, Metal Rhythm, Strange Charm, Sacrifice, Pure and Jagged (tie there too) and The Fury , Savage, Splinter. BUT........I'll take any of the live DVDs over any studio work (despite the heavy doctoring) I nabbed ¨Savage Live¨ in HD from Amazon Prime the other day; man what a gig; gives the SD DVD a run for its money.
A great wrap up to a great series. Thanks for making these. I've been a Numanoid since '79 and it feels good to walk thru memory lane with these albums. Very enjoyable series. Thanks!
I, Assassin is totally “Dance light” I love Noise, Noise and a small handful of others, but it just makes me want to go back to Dance, which has become one of my favorite albums of all time. The mood he creates on Dance is dangerous and seductive, but also reassuring and comforting. Am I making any sense Tyler?! Haha
This series has been a joy. Great fun and the final list pretty much the same as mine. Dead sun is amazing album. I was 10 when I became numaniod In 79 it's a joy to here you enjoy his stuff. Ty x
Have you listened to the ¨New Dreams For Old¨comp CD ? I wrote a review of it for Amazon once. Here it is : ¨ What an amazing selection of songs ! Even for those who have all of the studio records.These carefully selected bunch are different versions to make it even better; shorter 7 ¨ radio edit versions,reworkings, edits, etc. Even 4 reworkings from 98 in full industrial mode and the funkiest version of ¨Cars¨ taken from the live ¨White Noise ¨album are included. The sound is remastered to perfection,and even the singles from ¨Sacrifice¨ (famous for their abysmal sound) sound excellent here !! I'd have included yet more tracks from ¨Outland ¨and ¨Machine And Soul ¨, but understand those are people's least favourites and that a comp has to be made with popular taste into account so I'm more than happy with this cd.75'of pure Numan history. WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE TOO !!!
You did a great job with these reviews. Passionate and insightful. I more or less agree with your comments on the albums, but I would rank them a bit differently. I have OCD, so please indulge me... 1) The Pleasure Principle 2) Telekon 3) Replicas 4) Berserker 5) Dance 6) Sacrifice 7) I, Assassin 8) Exile 9) Splinter 10) Tubeway Army 11) Dead Son Rising 12) Pure 13) Jagged 14) Warriors 15) Metal Rhythm 16) The Fury 17) Strange Charm 18) Outland 19) Machine and Soul
My list changes often. I used to place *Telekon* at #1, but I've grown to really appreciate the cohesiveness of *TPP*. As you point out, every song is a winner. It just flows so well from beginning to end. *Berserker* gets placed so highly because I love the ominous, industrial synth sound that permeates the album, especially on the title track and "My Dying Machine." I wish he had continued that dark trajectory on subsequent albums, but he went the opposite direction for a decade.
Great episode, I have loved watching this series. Great to find someone who appreciates Gary as much as myself, you're list is almost the same as mine 😂 I'm also guessing you're not a fan of his Radio Heart songs? I don't care for them, since you didn't mention them, I guess you don't either 😂
I'll try to keep this brief - he said stupidly. The Sharpe & Numan and (whatever the alias) Nicholson & Numan material has grown on me - especially when Numan's paranoia/misanthropy is being incongrously dropped into pure pop settings. The Plan, in all its various incarnations, reminds me of the above-ground Joy Division bootlegs which combine the Later Date session with, usually, the RCA session. Hard to listen to as an "album", but certainly revelatory. And especially interesting when it's either "very primitive" or unexpectedly forward-looking (by the general standards of the artist at that point in time). Obvious point of interest - those acoustic songs (esp. Monday Troop, for interpolating that accursed First World War tune!) Only one remix album that really justifies itself - Hybrids. But I have a certain fondness for the Cleopatra label remix album (I guess it has period charm). Tyler could have wrapped up some of the rarities by talking about the Babylon compilations My favorite of the live albums is actually White Noise because it's so atmospheric (the mix is a perfect balance of music and "live ambience"). And because the recent songs sound better in a real-time setting. And the fucked-up encores are fun. Dream Corrosion (wide-ramging setlist, and the mix may be a little murky but not enough to harm things for fans) and the Shepherds Bush 1997 album (which marks the highpoint of Numan's "comeback years", and has the Friends+Pure mashup) are my other favorites in this category. Ghost isn't a great live album overall but *that bass solo* singlehandedly makes it essential. Skin Mechanic isn't great either (murky mix, vocal fuckups) but the reinvigorated New Anger sort-of saves it. The "punk" live album added to Tubeway Army has its own appeal - whatever you think of some lyrics/fragmentary songs, speaking as a failed drummer I must say Bob Simmonds' performance was a minor revelation! The three early-'80s Ornaments albums I very rarely return to - they're mainly notable for their fuckups (I really don't like that three-song drum-machine-medley, or the goading of the audience in '81, especially not the use of Cry The Clock Said simply to provoke a fanbase incapable of assimilating it). I feel like Dark Light and Scarred should be higher up my live albums chart, but - demerits for conspicuous repair work on the vocals (I know, 'cause I was at the latter gig and I once had an audience tape of the former). I can't comment on any subsequent live recordings [except Hope Bleeds, which I've (ap)praised on other pages].
