Date: Sun, 20 Mar 94 13:45:15 CST From: numan@cs.uwp.edu Reply-To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #71 Gary Numan Digest Sun, 20 Mar 94 Volume 1 : Issue 71 Today's Topics: (fwd) OUT OF PRINT cds for SALE!! Derek Langsford's Top 20 Numan Songs Introduction. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 19 Mar 94 21:57:13 PST From: dlangs%sunstroke@sdsu.edu (Derek Langsford) Subject: (fwd) OUT OF PRINT cds for SALE!! To: numan@cs.uwp.edu This appeared on rec.music groups yesterday. If anyone has to get Strange Charm on CD then this is an opportunity. Newsgroups: alt.music.todd-rundgren,rec.music.marketplace,rec.music.cd Path: newshub.sdsu.edu!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!yeshua.marcam.com!hookup!batcomputer!cornell!egaaron From: egaaron@cs.cornell.edu (Eric G. Aaron) Subject: OUT OF PRINT cds for SALE!! (Mw/oH, Utopia, G500, etc.) Message-ID: <1994Mar19.212357.12082@cs.cornell.edu> Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853 Date: Sat, 19 Mar 1994 21:23:57 GMT Lines: 11 Xref: newshub.sdsu.edu alt.music.todd-rundgren:100 rec.music.marketplace:12576 rec.music.cd:40205 Howdy netters! Thought you might be interested in some of these -- for each, best offer takes it. Hope you find something you wanted! (all are new or might as well be -- ask for details, if you want) Gary Numan -- Strange Charm Utopia -- Oblivion Utopia -- Trivia Galaxie 500 -- Today Mike Rutherford -- Smallcreep's Day Jesse Johnson's Revue Men Without Hats -- Folk of the 80s part III -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek H. Langsford Dept. of Biology dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu San Diego State University ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Mar 94 21:49:58 PST From: dlangs%sunstroke@sdsu.edu (Derek Langsford) Subject: Derek Langsford's Top 20 Numan Songs To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Accepting Joe's invitation for my top 20 Numan songs, I list here what to me at the moment are my picks. Note I list nothing from The Plan or Tubeway Army albums. That's because I rarely, if ever, listen to them. All the versions are the studio versions. I have never been a big fan of live albums and unless you are there at the concert I find live renditions rather rough and frustrating. Perhaps that is because I have seen Gary live twice and am spoiled by those experiences. OK here goes, in chronological order: Down in the Park Apparently the only single for which Gary has had a good review in the UK music press. Classic in both it's original form and the piano version. Defined the Replicas album and it's cover. The atmosphere created by the track is unique and was so different back in 1979 it blew me away. Are 'Friends' Electric? Even though I am getting tired of AFE I cannot deny the impact it had on me back in 1979. My high school colleagues were into metal with which I had little affinity. AFE was a breath of fresh air and much to my friends' disgust made number 1 in the UK and held on for 4 weeks in total. A new genre of music was propelled to the fore. and continuing my agreement with Gary's choice of singles........ Cars Only a few months after the AFE triumph Gary came back with a much harder and colder synth sound that at the time was simply stunning. I now prefer the Zeus B. Held remix (E Reg Model) which added rather than subtracted from the song. The recent 1993 remixes are OK but not in the same calibre. Films Such raw, bone crushing synth had never been heard before commercially. Well, at least by me, anyway. Typically uninspired lyrics do not detract from this wonderful wall of synth. Tracks This has always been a favourite of mine. Shame it is so short. The song flows from soft piano intro but quickly builds into another stunning combination of synth, drums and bass guitar before winding down into it's piano-only end. Shows Gary had more than one style of song in his repertoire. Conversation Again demonstrating diversity, Gary shows he can write more than 3.5 minute top 40 material. This 7+ minute track more fully explores the intruments and sounds that he was using and incorporates some wonderful electric viola by Billy Currie of Ultravox fame. I Die You Die I first heard this song performed by Gary on the Kenny Everett Video Show back in 1980. It was January. I was agog. I was eagerly waiting for its release as a single. In May We are Glass was released. I was left wondering what happened to that song I heard back in January. Was it lost forever? Thankfully not. In late Summer it became the single that was the precursor to the Telekon album release. Still I was disappointed the track was not on the album (in the UK) and thus had to survive with my very poppy and crackly 7" until the CD of Exhibition was released. On Broadway If Gary had a studio version of this cover then I'd probably prefer it but this live performance of an old standard is rather good. It first appeared on a bonus single that came with the Telekon album. Cry, the Clock Said I was so annoyed this track was ommited on the old 2 on 1 CD releases. This nearly 10 minute epic deserves to be heard. Not only was it very different from anything he had done before but it probaably was the first indication that Gary had great potential for movie soundtrack work. If you don't have this track on CD, go get it! Crash A direct contrast to Cry, the Clock Said. This song is just glorious played loud. Gutteral and screaming synth sounds combined in a very catchy song. I put it in the same category as Films. Noise Noise I hadn't heard this until I got Exhibition. I know it was an easily available b-side but I was not a big vinyl collector at the time (never have been either). I like Gary's offbeat songs. I was also very pleased with the b-sides that appeared on the Asylum CDs. We Take Mystery Was my clear favourite from I, Assassin. Came to be a very popular dance tune amongst the Numan faithful. I like the original album version (6.12) rather than the single edit, extended version or early version. Apparently this song went through a lot of production changes that even delayed its release as a single. The Rhythm of the Evening After my disappointment with Telekon, I wandered away from Gary, not even buying Dance or I, Assassin. After seeing his Warriors show I picked up the album and quickly the two I had missed. I do like the Warriors album despite the silly cover. Bill Nelson added a lot to Gary's sound. This is New Love The first time I heard this song was live on the Berserker tour. It was one of the new songs in the set that I hadn't heard because I was again being sheepish about getting the new album. The show was superb and much better than what White Noise presents. Upon getting the tape I instantly fell in love with many of the songs. It's my favourite Numan album. I prefer the extended mix that is on the cassette and CD (so glad they used the cassette mixes for CD). The Secret This again has those growling, gutteral synths that I like. The chorus makes this song. Reminiscent of David Bowie in many respects. The extended version which I prefer is found on the cassette and CD of Berserker and also Isolate. Pump It Up I still can't get over the sampled bass line on this track. Wow! My Breathing I remember picking the CD of Strange Charm up and worrying about how much it cost me (it was only $18 but I was pretty broke then) but was heartily encouraged by this opening track, only to be devasted by the second track - Unknown and Hostile. Nope, Gary was not out of his Fury rut. Voix Metal Rhythm was a suprise to me. The change in direction was a good one producing a much more satisfying effort than both The Fury and Strange Charm. Voix is a stand out track on the album. Don't Call My Name I have a soft spot for Gary's ballads and am looking forward to the ballad compilation (if it ever arrives). This one had a delicacy and atmosphere that is just perfect. I Wonder Even though M+S is mixed I love this track. Again a ballad but he muzzles the wailing female backing vox, doesn't overdo the instrumentation and gives it room to breath, develop and become a very worthy song. So that is a jab at my fave 20 Numan songs. I am sure it will change as time goes by and not because of the release of new material. How about a list of one's least favourite songs? Off the top of my head I woud nominate: Telekon Sister Surprise Unknown and Hostile The Need Dark Sunday Emotion These are positively grating IMO. I know Joe put Sister Surprise on his top 20 list. It has the opposite effect on me. Each to his own. Bye for now, Derek ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek H. Langsford Dept. of Biology dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu San Diego State University ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Mar 94 18:33 GMT0 From: Dominic Thomas Subject: Introduction. To: numan@cs.uwp.edu, dominict@cix.compulink.co.uk Hi, all. In a way, I'm fairly new to Gary Numan - I remember him from when "Are 'friends' electric" charted here in the UK, but apart from buying (and hardly listening to) "White Noise Live" he rather passed me by. However... a friend gave me the "Best Of 1978-1983" double CD for Christmas this year, and I seem to have been playing it constantly since; a definate hit! I was surprised, actually, how many of the songs I recognised - I suppose it must be subliminal... :-) With the odd exception, I prefer the first CD of the pair (which seems to be the earlier tracks); the ones that have *really* grabbed me are "My love is a liquid", "We are so fragile", "That's too bad" and "Remember I was vapour", but all the others are more than listenable-to, IMO. Also "Please push no more" - which came as somewhat of a surprise to me; the style is alien to what I'd expected of him, although his voice still seems *very* distinctive. I'd be interested in recommendations of where to go from here, please. My taste so far is his earlier music, but I'm open to suggestions... Best etc. Dominic. |------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Dominic C. Thomas >UK< | "The opinions expressed above | | dominict@cix.compulink.co.uk | are probably those of the | | Tech support with *attitude* | last person I talked to." | |------------------------------|-------------------------------| ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************