Date: Sun, 9 Oct 94 04:00:07 CDT From: numan@cs.uwp.edu Reply-To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #100 Gary Numan Digest Sun, 9 Oct 94 Volume 1 : Issue 100 Today's Topics: ADMINISTRIVIA (Digest survey results) Availability of Numan discs (and maybe some for sale) Concerning a format change Dream Corrosion Literary References Philip K. Dick & William S. Burroughs trivial bitz UK Fan Club Merchandise ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 09:45:08 -0700 From: dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu (Derek Langsford) Subject: ADMINISTRIVIA (Digest survey results) To: numan@cs.uwp.edu After three weeks of input I thought I'd summarize what I have so far. I'm sorry I'm a week late on this but things got hectic late last week. And, I got 4 more responses this week anyway. I have received 21 responses, not as many as I was hoping for. A common comment was that the digest has a high signal to noise ratio which should be of prime consiuderation. First, I am very glad that many of you appreciate the existance of the list and its quality. Second, I agree that we should avoid allowing the digest to dissolve into a flame infested, forum of personal email and inapproprite posts. Few of us have time enough to be filtering out a half the messages of another newsgroup or mailing list. The preferences were scattered across all possible scenarios. Many stated a few possibilities in order of preference. Taking first preferences only, the tally was as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- votes for *opposed --------------------------------------------------------------------------- daily reflector only 1 1 (would be unable to receive) daily digest only 1 reflector & daily digest 5 biweekly digest 2 weekly digest (as is) 9 newsgroup 2 1 (site does not give access) newsgroup + mailing list 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- total 21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *opposition was only counted when person would lose access under this format. It is clear that there are a wide variety of levels of interest in Gary. I suspect the throughly devoted fans want either a newsgroup, reflector or daily digests. For others a weekly digest is ample. There were many fears that "going public" with an unmoderated newsgroup would create a lot of unwanted traffic without much increase in valuable content. And several people are just too busy to deal with a lot of extra email as would be created with a reflector. Subscribers at educational establishments should note that many other subscibers actually work for companies and thus do not have the time to cruise bulletin boards or deal with large amounts of email. I know myself I spend at least an hour each day doing personal email and catching up on my newsgroups and I try to do this at the same time as having lunch but it always spills into time when I should be working. I think we could argue the merits of each format as well as the disadvantages until we are blue in the face. For almost every vote for a change to a particular format there was one which opposed changing to that format. I only cited opponents who would be shut out from receiving Numanews in a particular format. I hope you agree that we don't want to do that. At the moment I don't think there is any groundswell of support for any particular change at all. The current weekly format received the most votes and was ahead of any other format by a clear margin. Nobody inicated they hated the current format however there were some strong comments against any reflector or daily format, the runner-up in the voting. So, for the time being I think we'll be staying with the weekly digest. Discussion of these findings is welcomed. The situation can be reviewed at any time and especially if new circumstances arrive. Thanks to all who sent me comments. Your input is appreciated. Derek ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek H. Langsford Dept. of Biology dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu San Diego State University ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 12:42:15 -0700 (PDT) From: atomic@netcom.com (atomic city) Subject: Availability of Numan discs (and maybe some for sale) To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Numanews Mailing List) Hi, gang. Metlay here, thinning out his collection and trying to plug some holes. I'm taking offers for my Heart CD single and my Dream Corrosion EP (I don't want to be in the habit of collecting CD singles from Gary, for obscure reasons, and I understand all the EP's songs are on the double CD set--is this true?)...make offers. I also have an extra copy of The Other Side of Gary Numan for anyone who wants a copy. I haven't heard from my local CD pusher and am having NO luck finding the following records, new or used: Here I Am Dream Corrosion 2CD set Machine and Soul with extended mixes and extra tracks I'll pay top dollar. PLEASE help me! I'm stuck in Hell (no decent record stores within 150 miles in any direction!) and I want my Gary! Stick on pretty aircraft nose, mike PS. I'm considering selling my Asylum 1 and 2, but haven't made up my mind just yet...any bidders? -- mike metlay * atomic city * box 81175 pgh pa 15217-0675 * atomic@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bumper stickers advertising BREAK, a new weekly entertainment newspaper for ultra-jammin' Tallahassee, Florida, read: "Even shit doesn't happen here." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 13:11:14 -0700 (PDT) From: atomic@netcom.com (atomic city) Subject: Concerning a format change To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Numanews Mailing List) I wouldn't mind immediate replies, although I find weekly digests handy and not too large to take in one bite. Daily digests would also work, so I guess I'm just plain not particular where this is concerned. However, I strongly strongly STRONGLY vote against a USENET alt group; these days, nothing strikes terror into my heart like the mention of USENET. I've seen so many previously fantastic newsgroups go down the toilet as the democratization of the Net and careless posts and cross posts and counterposts destroy their ability to convey anything of worth. Here, we have a list where people jump on because it requires subscribing, and say what they want when they want to say it and when they have something to say. On a USENET group, posting a message is as easy as hitting the 'f' key: We'll have to deal with a huge volume of ignorant posts ('I found this CD called BERSERKER or something. My cat chewed on it. Was it worth anything?'), sheer noise ('who's Gary Numan?'), flames ('You fukheads are fuked for lisening to gary Newman hes a faggot an your all faggots for lisening to him ! Wy dont you lisen to real good music like ?'), counterflames ('YOU SUCK for bitching about Gary, Gary is God, why don't you learn to spell and get a life and take a bath once in a while?'), countercounterflames ('You Are a PECKERSNOT ! Im not scared of ytou an Ill FUK you UP !'), antiflameflames ('Both of you shut up, we're trying to discuss gary here'), antiantiflameflames ('YOU shut up, this fighting is c00l!'), etc. ad nauseam. Don't believe me? Try reading any, and I mean ANY, of the alt.music hierarchy and see for yourself. We have an amazingly high signal to noise ratio here. Treasure it! Don't tell your mother or some jealous husband, mike -- mike metlay * atomic city * box 81175 pgh pa 15217-0675 * atomic@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bumper stickers advertising BREAK, a new weekly entertainment newspaper for ultra-jammin' Tallahassee, Florida, read: "Even shit doesn't happen here." ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 94 23:38:44 -0700 From: Gordon Van Huizen Subject: Dream Corrosion To: numan@cs.uwp.edu I finally ran across a copy in a local store today, and of course grabbed it immediately. My reaction isn't all that different from that of others that have reported in. Overall it's a pleasant surprise, both in terms of song selection and energy level. The sound quality is just plain horrible though -- it took a good hour with a 31-band EQ to get it close to tolerable. I can't imagine what they did to make it sound so bad. That said, play it loud and it doesn't matter much anyway -- and it's the first Numan release in a long time I'd *want* to play loud. The arrangements are hit-and-miss, although overall I do enjoy the more aggressive performances. I'd hoped that some of the newer material were punched up more (or completely re-arranged) but, alas, Machine And Soul, Respect and Outland still suck for example. The good moments are quite brilliant, though, and definitely make the release worthwhile. Numan's voice is the best I've heard it in a live recording - both in terms of control and range of expression. Some vocal interpretations are downright clever, which is something I'd never expected to say of Numan. The following are the highs and lows as I ran across them: Mission (intro) -- A truly dissapointing intro for a Numan live show; he's done some killer intos and this one is a complete throw-away. We Are So Fragile -- Having heard more than a few versions of this tune, I still find this arrangement refreshing; found myself grinning several times. Shame -- Not a bad track from the Janet Jackson-era Numan; at least it has some punch. Films -- While I respect taking a risk on the arrangement of a classic, and some of the guitar work is nice, nothing beats the ominous wall of sound of the Living Ornaments version. Deam Killer -- Infinitely better live; I can actually listen to it all the way through. Down In The Park -- Extended scary intro that's been in used for some time, with drop-ins from Blade Runner and Predator (I *love* that laugh), and a suitably dark gothic arrangement. There are better versions, but this one's quite enjoyable. My World Storm -- I'd always assumed this would make a good live track, and it does. Plenty of venom in the vocals, high energy. Almost feels like My Breathing, which coming from me is quite a compliment. Nice Blade Runner snippets in the back of the mix (that seems to happen in a number of tracks, but is more obvious here). The Machman -- Nice selection; powerful, faithful rendition. Neat soaring synths...very retro in the most positive sense of the term. Generator -- While I'm a fan of juxtaposition, placing this dreck between The Machman and Noise Noise is purely criminal. Noise Noise -- This oddly enough has always been one of my favorite Numan tunes, and hearing a live rendition with the balls that this one has is great! I would have payed the $27.99 just for this track. Powerful arrangement, excellent vocals, awesome build-up. Hope it doesn't cause me to break my lease due to excessive noise levels coming from my loft. Cars -- Nice opening for what has become the most redundant Numan live track for me. Good energy, but how many copies of this does one need? Voix -- One of my favorite latter-day Numan tracks performed with impact and venom. You Are In My Vision, It Must Have Been Years -- Fun to hear; I've always liked the lyrics on these old tunes and hearing a matured Numan sing them is gratifying. Remind Me To Smile -- There are *much* better versions of this. I'd hoped the "power style" rendition of this would kick some serious butt, but unfortunately it doesn't. I'm An Agent -- Refreshing new opening, but due to the sound quality it's a pretty shrill tune. Nice to see it selected, though. Then again, I Dream Of Wires would've been pretty cool. Are 'Friends' Electric? -- Same boring drum opening, but otherwise a guitar-fest, if you can imagine that. Quite enjoyable, aside from the periodic "buzzer" synth. My Breathing -- Always an excellent live track, but the version on Ghost is superior. This track never fails to remind me of the power that Numan is capable of. Makes me wish I hadn't lost my CD of Strange Charm in my divorce settlement... I Don't Believe -- Quite good track, mostly interesting due to its fusion of old and new Numan styles. Telekon-era synth line, slap bass, fast funk, loud guitar motif, very high energy level. While a little restraint on the backing vocals would have been nice, this track hints at what Numan's new direction has the potential of. It sure ain't the Sisters Of Mercy, but it's a lot more interesting than the bulk of what Numan's done in the last several years. Bombers -- Nice thrashy rendiition that sticks pretty close to the original (aside from the percussion), until toward the end when the arrangement shows more variation. Benefits once again from Numan's matured voice. Jo The Waiter -- A straight rendition, but very nice to hear. Probably the biggest surprise, aside from Noise Noise. We Are Glass -- Another straight rendition, with updated percussion and the now-familiar Peter Gunn bass motif in the closing section. At first I thought "Oh no! Not again!", but I found myself quite enjoying the energy level. Always seems like a triumphant Numan ending to me. In summary, while no one would mistake the new "power style" for Sisters Of Mercy or NIN, it is refreshing to hear new percussive guitar-oriented approach and the energy level is vastly more inspiring than the antiseptic Skin Mechanic performances. At very least we seem to see Gary moving in a refreshing direction and the live CD, while uneven, contains many surprises and more than a few inspired moments -- which is something I haven't been able to say about a Numan release in some time. Regards, Gordon ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Oct 94 17:17:49 EDT From: ZigiF@aol.com Subject: Literary References To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Scott Abfalter (thx1138@angus.mystery.com) asks: > They had mentioned that a lot of Numan's earlier music was based off of > Phillip K Dick inspired short scifi stories. Does anyone know if these > are available? Philip K. Dick's works are certainly still around. Besides the short stories, check out _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ (which was the novel Blade Runner was made from, with fairly massive changes, and _Flow My Tears the Policeman Said_ ("Flow my tears the new police song" is certainly a reference, as is, I think, the line about "a random polcheck" in "Praying to the Aliens"). _V.A.L.I.S._ is also very good. They should be available at the library. Gary Robinson (Cthulhoid@aol.com) wondered: > I came across some William S. Burroughs spoken-word stuff which was > discussing Scientology... I am wondering: it seems unlikely that Numan > used these words out of pure coincidence. Does anyone know if he had > any history of involvement with Scientology? As far as I know, Numan has no history of nor interest in Scientology (I could be wrong); however, he has an extensive history of using Wm. Burroughs references, especially in old material. To name a few, "Basic J," "I was in a car crash or was it the war?" (it rather disappointed me that that wasn't original), "Young men need love special" (the Burroughs quote is "young men need it special"), "Her eyes went out," "I only exterminate in my spare time," and the line about the Lemon Kid in "Oh! Didn't I Say." There are quite a few others. Speaking of literary Numan references, "Music for Chameleons" is the title of a (is it Truman Capote?) short story, and there is a book (which I've never found) titled _I, Assassin_. I've heard that there's a sci-fi story titled "Friends Come in Boxes," though I've never seen it. I always thought that "This Prison Moon" was probably a reference to _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ by Heinlein (was it Heinlein??). . .Does anyone know if "Crash" has anything to do with the J. G. Ballard book? Ziggy Blum _____________________________ "The Lemon Kid is my friend, but even he don't know me well" ------------------------------ Date: 4 Oct 94 11:31:15 EST From: "Kay Teel" Subject: Philip K. Dick & William S. Burroughs To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Philip K. Dick: Numan was indeed influenced by the writings of Philip K. Dick, an extremely good sci-fi writer (IMHO). Many (if not most) of his works are still in print. For the most "numanish", I recommend _Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?_ (the book "Blade Runner" was based on) and _The Man In The High Tower_. William S. Burroughs: Numan also read Burroughs, so I believe he borrowed terminology from Burroughs's works, rather than being involved in Scientology. At least, nowhere have I ever read that Numan was interested in Scientology. I've read precious little Burroughs, but immediately recognized in his stories the mood of the early songs, up to Replicas-era. I feel the need now to put in a plug for my profession: Check your local library for works by these authors! And if you can't find what you're looking for, remember to ask your friendly librarian for help! [public service announcement over] --Kay Teel teelk@elmer1.bobst.nyu.edu p.s./ The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the largest research library in the world, owns a couple of Numan albums. It's been a while since I checked, but I believe they have Replicas, The Pleasure Principle, and I Assassin. Just thought it was cool... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 12:46:28 -0700 (PDT) From: atomic@netcom.com (atomic city) Subject: trivial bitz To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Numanews Mailing List) Did anyone notice that the "Remember I was Vapour" live track on the newly released Tubeway Army CD in the BB 2CD sets fades into silence then come surging back with another song that lasts for about 45 seconds and bears no resemblance to any Gary I've ever heard before? Or is it just me? I'm now eagerly going back to look for other hidden stuff, since that one little snippet seems to have evaded the sharp ears of the List so far and there may be more.... He would say things like 'I love you' and cry real tears, mike -- mike metlay * atomic city * box 81175 pgh pa 15217-0675 * atomic@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bumper stickers advertising BREAK, a new weekly entertainment newspaper for ultra-jammin' Tallahassee, Florida, read: "Even shit doesn't happen here." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 13:15:21 -0600 From: "BRIAN D. HAMMOND" Subject: UK Fan Club Merchandise To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Greetings, Paul Bosanko has provided me with a list of official UK Gary Numan Fan Club merchandise that is available to US (Canandian too I imagine) fans. The deal he set up with Beryl is similar to past ones done by Derek except with a wider range of merchandise to choose from. Paul will be amassing orders before sending off the money to Beryl. This makes shipping cheaper but will make the entire transaction, from when you placed your order to when you actually receive your goods, much longer than normal. Unfortunately, this really may be the only way in which some of these items can be obtained here in the states. One final note. I am putting this list out for Paul as a favour since he does not have access to Internet yet. I will try to answer any questions I can, but really all orders or queries should be sent to Paul himself (phone number and address will follow below). The following items are currently available: Dream Corrosion T-Shirt $18 Images 11 CD $22 Radial Pair CD $16 Fan Club Newsletters 4 - 20 $4 each Fan Club Yearbooks 1982 - 1993 $5 each Photographs from 1981 - 1993 $2 each Tour Programmes 1985 - 1994 $4 each The Fury Extended Mixes Cassette $4 Emotion Casingle $5 The Skin Game Casingle $5 Most Numa records 12", 10" and 7" singles by Numan. Call Paul for price and availability. UK Fan Club Memberships $14 Concert Tickets to up-coming tours. Call Paul for details. Paul wanted me to mention that in the future videos will also be made available. Beryl is currently attempting to make a deal with a company to convert videos to the US standard so that they may be sold in their original packaging (and Numa can get the profits on each sale too no doubt). He is also going to inquire into the availability of the Numa back catalogue for all the artists Numan signed in 1984 (e.g. Caroline Munro, Hohokam, etc...) . Finally, Numa plans to release soon a boxed CD set that will contain all the Images albums. More details when this becomes a reality. Anyway, Paul's mailing address is as follows: Paul Bosanko 2198 Camino A los Cerros Menlo Park CA 94025 USA his phone number, at least until he finally moves to a new place is: 415 - 967 - 2187 Have fun. Me! I Disconnect From You ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************