Date: Sun, 6 Mar 94 04:00:13 CST From: numan@cs.uwp.edu Reply-To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #69 Gary Numan Digest Sun, 6 Mar 94 Volume 1 : Issue 69 Today's Topics: Fave tunes Gary Numan Digest V1 #68 New subscriber ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 27 Feb 94 12:57:34 From: Joe.Lindstrom%f551.n5500.z201@cpubbs.cuug.ab.ca (Joe Lindstrom) Subject: Fave tunes To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Howdy everybody! In going through my old copies of the NumaNews, I've found that a lot of us have rated Numan albums in some sort of order of preference... often with HUGE differences (ie: I rated Machine+Soul *MUCH* higher than Derek did, etc.) But what I think might be entertaining would be to rate our top twenty SONGS. If you got stuck on a desert island and could only have a twenty-song tape to listen to for the rest of your life, which twenty would they be? So here's the plan, if you're interested: 1) Send your top twenty songs, either to the Digest or to myself in email (Joe.Lindstrom%f551.n5500.z201@cpubbs.cuug.ab.ca). I'll compile the results over the next few weeks and publish them in the Digest. 2) When submitting to the Digest, it might add to the fun to include not only song title, but if applicable WHICH PERFORMANCE YOU PREFERRED. IE: for me, I love "Down In The Park", but my absolute fave rendition is the one on "Living Ornaments" (with the solo piano opening). We can compare notes and maybe offer new insight to each other. I know this works. As an example, one poster several issues ago mentioned that his favorite track from "The Pleasure Principle" was "Films", and he explained why. I had never really considered that one as a "great" tune until I read his explanation. I whipped out the disc, played it a few times... and found myself in total agreement (though I did *NOT* like the "Living Ornaments" version, oddly enough). So anyways, I'll start right now. 20) "Sister Surprise" (original Warriors version with the extended intro and WITHOUT the annoying sax on the version that appears on Exhibition) They clipped off the intro on the Exhibition version of this song and, in doing so, neutered it. I'm not a huge fan of this album (fave tracks are this one plus "The Iceman Comes" and "My Centurion") but this song hooks me, and as with "Outland", I can't figure out exactly why. "Vintage" Numan vocals combined with some really interesting musical arrangements. 19) "Time To Die" (originally Berserker, my only copy is on Isolate). I'm a Blade Runner fan. Nuff said! 18) "Outland" (Outland). Please don't throw anything at me, please don't bomb my car, please don't skin my cats. I cannot explain why I like this song on an otherwise-weak album (although "From Russian Infected" and "Dream Killer" are very good). Whenever I play it to friends, their first impression is that it's Prince. I hate Prince, yet you can't deny that in a lot of ways it does sound just like him. So why the heck do I like this track? If you can figure it out, please let me know. :-) 17) "Out Of Sight" (The Plan). I know Derek's gonna see red over my inclusion of this track! :-) This album just grows on me, and this particular track really works well. It shows why Numan's act was so popular in the punker clubs. 16) "Strange Charm" (Strange Charm). I rated this album, if I recall correctly, right in the middle of the pack... but the title track is one of Numan's strongest works. 15) "Jo The Waiter" (my only copy is on Exhibition, where does this originate?) Another excellent example of Gary's early appeal, and of the fact that most of his lyrics are incomprehensible when he sings them. :-) 14) "The Pleasure Skin" (The Fury) Wow! Backing vocals that aren't "wailing female vox"!!! Actually, the "backing" vocals are Gary himself and Ian Herron. And BOY does this song work for me. It's a "weird" one: play it for your parents or your grandparents and they'll wonder what drugs you've been taking. The highlight is Gary's lead vocals, which are pure, raw, unadulterated Numan. "She said 'nothing is leaving here alive'" 13) "I'm An Agent" (Living Ornaments '79-'80). Driving beat, he sounds POSSESSED when he sings it. This is true on the Telekon version but even more so on Living Ornaments. The music works better here. This song was THE most memorable tune from the November 1980 concert performance that I saw here in Calgary, particularly the electric viola. :-) 12) "We Are Glass" (The Skin Mechanic). Always an "average" song but it rises to incredible heights on The Skin Mechanic. Gary really pours everything he has into this one. 11) "We Have A Technical" (could somebody please tell me where this came from? A friend of mine recorded his EP's for me and that's where I got it, but I have no idea which EP it's from). To me, this song embodies everything that was great about the "Telekon" album, and it comes from (I believe) roughly the same era. Beggar's Banquet made a mistake not releasing this on one of the studio albums. Very haunting, very cyberpunk. 10) "This Wreckage" (Telekon). Talk about your basic POWERFUL song. Slow moving and very deliberate... which is hardly surprising, given the message it contains. Luckily he changed his mind. 09) "Films" (The Pleasure Principle) This one just gets better and better every time I play it. Simple on the surface, but each time you listen to it, you find something new to enjoy. Real headphone music here. 08) "Child With The Ghost" (only versions I have are on New Anger and The Other Side Of... Gary Numan, both of which are identical. I'd like to know if it's the same as what originally appeared on "Berserker"). An excellent song all on its own, but made ever so much more poignant when you think about the true meaning behind the lyrics. This is a song to Paul Gardiner, who died of a drug overdose. If you have ever lost a loved one, think of them as you listen to this song. I found myself moved to tears, and this is a song from a guy who was always criticized as being "emotionless". 07) "I Dream Of Wires" (Telekon originally, my copy is on Exhibition). This song sounds like it wants to jump right out at you... and then does exactly that about a minute and a half in. Stands up well as a showcase of where Gary was at during that entire era in terms of songwriting and music. Don't throw rocks, but I also kinda like the Robert Palmer cover of this song. 06) "The Skin Game" (Machine + Soul). Ok, a lot of you are not happy with Gary's "direction" over the last several years... and maybe to a small extent I agree with you. But this track does it for me, it really does. It's not everybody's cup of tea but I find it has a DRIVING quality to it. Sure, maybe he's pushing for something that sounds top-fortyish, but even as he does so it still sounds uniquely Numan. 05) "I Die: You Die" (The Skin Mechanic). This one's a love-hate, it seems. Ya either love it or hate it. I loved it the moment I first heard it on the radio and loved it as it shot up the charts and then dropped off like a brick (it lasted about 3 weeks here in Calgary). I've got about 4 or 5 versions of it I think, but by far the most powerful version is the one on "The Skin Mechanic". I can't figure out why many of you don't like this live album: sure, it's "different", but it's one of Gary's most POWERFUL and ENERGIZED performances ever recorded (Live White Noise being about the only thing that comes close), and this track is one of the best examples. Maybe it's got something to do with the "wailing female vox" that y'all keep complaining about. :-) Sure, I buy Gary's albums to listen to HIS voice, but a few other voices don't, to my mind anyways, detract at all. 04) "Berserker" (Live White Noise). I've heard a studio version of this on Isolate, but found that the bass line works MUCH better in this live version. This is a hard track to drive my taxi to: I find I "lose" myself in it. Not a very complex tune, but it has a "sound" that is absolutely compelling. What I'd give for my own copy of the Berserker album... sigh! 03) "Cars" (E Reg Remixed Version, not the extended version). It might almost be considered blasphemy to rate a remix as better than the original, but so help me I really do like this one the best. A close second (tie) would be the original and the "E Reg Extended Model" which appeared on "Selection" and, I think, some versions of "Exhibition") 02) "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (Replicas). What more can you say about this track? However, while the original's my fave, honorable mentions need to be given. First, the "Live White Noise" version, which musically is inferior but is a joy to listen to because of Gary bursting out laughing in mid-song. Secondly, the "Skin Mechanic" version... the EXTENDED drum intro is a waste of time but once it gets into it, it's very powerful. And.... the number one reason to listen to Gary Numan: 01) "Down In The Park" (Living Ornaments '79-'80). Always a great tune, not much needs to be said. However, a friend of mine sent me a cassette with a piano-solo version of it, and I fell in love with the song all over again. It's a beautiful, haunting song right up there with the best of anything Enya ever put out (and I'm a STRONG Enya fan too). I found the piano-only version lacking just a LITTLE something, which I guess explains why I like the Living Ornaments version best: it's got the best of both worlds. I know a whole LOT of you are going to disagree with my picks, and/or put them in a different order (and in a few cases, punt them to the top of a "least favorite tracks" list, which I may do later). But therein lies the fun. Nobody is wrong and nobody is right, but it'll get us thinking more about the music and perhaps we'll gain an appreciation for some tracks that we didn't have before. Just be thankful I didn't put "Emotion" on the list. :-) (No, I didn't much like it either... it sounds like a song that isn't finished yet) So get those lists compiled and sent in! [~] The Liquid Engineer [~] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Feb 1994 10:17:39 +0000 From: mathew Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #68 To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) Chris Schumann writes: >and is well over 24 minutes. Think maybe the restriction >is to favor the CD3? Those mey very well by physically >limited to 24 minutes. The CD8 has pretty much died in the UK; just about everything is on CD12 now. I've heard that there are plans to use CD8s for software on portable computers. I've been gradually buying the Beggar's Banquet 2CD packs of old Numan material, one a month. Someone remarked on the strange pairing; to be honest, I think it's an attempt to get people to buy all the CDs. So far I have "Telekon / I, Assassin" and "The Pleasure Principle / Warriors". If they'd been paired the other way, I wouldn't have bothered to buy one of 'em. mathew ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 23:30:42 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher M Savage Subject: New subscriber To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Please add me to your mailing list. My name is Chris Savage. I live in East Lansing Michigan (USA) and you should use the following e-mail address: 22346ljs@msu.edu Thank you very much! ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************