Gary Numan Digest Thu, 6 Jun 96 Volume 1 : Issue 233 Today's Topics: ADMINISTRIVIA - June discussion topic Atco Records address Gary Numan Digest V1 #232 Greetings High import price for Premier Hits Metal Rhythm - critique by Derek Langsford My Vinyl list PDO discs trivia Techno Army (2 msgs) The Definitive Poll - "I'm not dead yet!" THE FURY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 15:13:18 -0700 From: dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu (Derek Langsford) Subject: ADMINISTRIVIA - June discussion topic To: numan@cs.uwp.edu A month has passed and it's time to move onto another subject for discussion. Thanks to all who posted their comments on "The Fury". Let's hope we see its reappearance on CD later this year. This month's topic: METAL RHYTHM/NEW ANGER, Gary's first album after the initial demise of NUMA and his signing with IRS Records. Track details from the discography: 1988 Metal Rhythm (UK) Gary Numan (Vocals, Keyboards, Drum Programming) Keith Beauvais (Guitar) Ian Herron (Percussion) Mike Smith (Keyboards) Tessa Niles (Vocals) Andy Coughlan (Bass) Dick Morrisey (Saxophone) Peter Haycock (Guitar, Slide Guitar) RRussell Bell (Guitar) Martin Elliott (Bass) Chris Payne (Violin) Recorded at Black Barn Studios, Studio House, The Factory, Rock City Sound Studios Engineered by Ted Miller, Ray Hedges, Tim Summerhayes Assisted by Julie Gibson Mixed at Popps Farm by Nick Smith, Ben Fenner, Assisted by Robin Black 3.59 This is Emotion 4.28 Hunger 3.19 New Anger 4.15 Devious 3.30 America 4.56 Voix 4.07 Respect 3.00 Young Heart 4.25 Cold Metal Rhythm 3.42 Don't Call My Name 1988 New Anger (Europe, USA, Japan) 3:35 Devious (remix by Andy Piercy) 3:30 America 4:26 Cold Metal Rhythm 4:02 This is Emotion 3:41 Don't Call My Name 4:57 Voix 4:06 Respect 3:19 New Anger (remix by Andy Piercy) 6:33 My Dying Machine (remix by William Orbit) 4:03 Child With the Ghost Do you like this album? Which of the versions do you prefer? Opinions on the remixes? How do you feel it stacks up with his other albums? Favorite tracks? Least faves? Tell us what you want about this album. Derek -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek H. Langsford dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu Dept. of Biology Tel. (619) 594 2885 San Diego State University Fax (619) 594 7831 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 11:47:42 -0400 From: Subject: Atco Records address To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Anyone wanting to contact Atco Records to encourage them to release Gary's back catalogue with whatever bonus material they have available (promo mixes, etc.) here is their address: Atco Records 75 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10020-1604 phone: 212-275-2500 Tony Tony R. Boies Check out the Nut Music Home Page: http://www.shentel.net/nutmusic/nutmain.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 16:26:38 +0000 From: Phil Marsh Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #232 To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Ahem! The last bit of my last message got a bit garbled, BUT.. what I was trying to say WAS.... "Just to put my penny's worth in - I LIKE the Fury album. The brass stabs were well 'ard. The intro instrumental and 1st song (Tricks? I can never remember titles) on the Fury tour were top notch - the bootleg tape (played loud enough) still sends the odd shiver down my spine." Just in case any of you were wondering! Ok, I know you weren't - I'm going... Best wishes Phil Marsh (pmarsh@tpmde.ac.uk) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 96 12:11 EST From: Rodney Valdez <0006546270@mcimail.com> Subject: Greetings To: Numan My name is Rodney Valdez and I am 30 years old. I listen to a lot of different types(styles) of music. Some of my favorite artists are Marillion, Fish(ex-marillion), Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, King Crimson, Ozric Tentacles and (of course) Gary Numan. I have been listening to Gary Numan since about 1979, when I saw him on Saturday Night Live. The next day I purchased his 'Replicas' album. I used to play piano but not any more. All I play now is the CD player, radio and my old turntable(it STILL works). Yeah, I brew wine, beer and mead(honey wine). In fact, I am writing a book on brewing mead as well as a video series on making beer, wine, mead, liquers and sodas. That's about it. Sincerely, Rodney Valdez ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 02:02:54 -0500 (CDT) From: hepcats@eden.com (T M Wagner IV) Subject: High import price for Premier Hits To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) >I finally saw a copy of "Premier Hits" today but gasped at the $26.99 that >was being asked for it. That seems a hefty sum for a UK import, especially >as the exchange rate between the US dollar and pound has been stable for >more than a year now. UK imports used to cost about the same as they would >if you bought them in the UK. So, #13 would translate to $20. I might >expect to see maybe $22 but $27? CDUniverse are asking $25.99, CDNow don't >have it on their lists but they are wanting $28 for "Sacrifice" and $25 for >"Sacrifice extended". Someone is making a lot of money somewhere. All I can think of are import tariffs and customs duties, plus whatever the distributors just feel like charging. Probably too there is a difference with Polygram being a huge label, I don't know. I can tell you I paid $24.99 for Berserker, but only $16.99 for Human, and only $26.99 for White Noise. I've seen Dream Corrosion going for anything from $29.99 to $37.99. Odd. It never seems to make sense. Anyway, I didn't buy Premier Hits because I have all that's on it. Still, I did read the liner notes and enjoyed them. The writer acknowledges Gary's triumphs as well as mistakes and in the end you get the impression of a guy who just wants to make satisfying music and has had the balls to stick it out where so many others have chucked their hands in. I understand PH wasn't a sales triumph, but did chart respectably well, which is impressive considering this career-rehash thing was all done once before in 1987 with Exhibition. Frankly I think Gary should now do all he can to get Polygram interested in Exile (I'm sure he's trying). Martin ---------------------------------- "I'm alone on the moon!" --Bugs Bunny ---------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 15:12:46 -0700 From: dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu (Derek Langsford) Subject: Metal Rhythm - critique by Derek Langsford To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Autumn 1988. I'd been in the US for 3 years. Had picked up "The Fury" in '86, "Strange Charm" in '87 and my interest in Gary was still flagging after the peak of "Berserker". Whereas the "The Fury" had been consistant but boring (sorry), "Strange Charm" was terribly inconsistant and unsatisfying. there's nothing like playing "My Breathing" and "The Need" back to back to remind you of Gary's capabilities at both ends of the spectrum. So I approached "Metal Rhythm" with caution. I waited for the UK import which was widely available due to the different tracking i.e. it was not a parallel import. Much to my surprise I got to like MR quite quickly. This was a new sound for Gary. The switch from analog to digital synths was now complete, giving it a thinner and less big sound. Guitar also appeared in a major way. Many of the tracks were uptempo with complex percussion. The songs were also fairly short and straighforward, unlike SC. This was apparently Gary's choice and not IRS's requirement. To me MR was a departure that took Gary to fertile ground. MR is unlike any other album I have heard. It's clearly Numan, but it's not classic Numan (TPP, Dance). Neither is it the result of overinfluence from other artists (Outland, M&S). IMO there are no bad tracks on this album. I am not fond of "New Anger", Gary's "tribute" to Robert Palmer, as it almost seems out of place. Shouldn't have been used as a single. "America" was a much better choice. I always seem to have a soft spot for Gary ballads on his more recent albums and this is no exception. "Voix" is so impressive and "Don't Call My Name' is just beautiful. I used to play this track over and over. The album flows well, maintains it's focus and has the consistancy that SC lacked. Musicianship was good. The tracks have energy, they make me tap my feet or want to dance but it's not a dance album by any means. And even the female backing vox is not so overblown here. A small criticism would be that there is too much percussion, something that was a big problem for me on "Outland" So, Gary regained my repect and interest with this album. My fear though was that taken too far, this style could see Gary's music become too comercial a la Top 40. I give it a middle rank in Gary's catalogue. It was only last year (or was it earlier this year) that I acquired a copy of New Anger. I have the Japanese version (thanks again Jim) which has the same track listing as the US and German version. Gary has expressed his displeasure at what Miles Copeland did with his original album. In the UK, only the title was altered (Gary wanted it to be "Cold Metal Rhythm") but in the rest of the world the name was changed, the track order changed, two tracks removed, two tracks remixed, and two 1984 songs from "Berserker" added, one remixed. Artwork was also less impressive. Needless to say, I can't play this as a full album. The flow is ruined. Maybe it's just that I am use to the MR version. I do like the Andy Piercy remix of "Devious" but the "New Anger" remix is so similar to the original I am not sure I can tell the difference! Andy Piercy was drummer for After the Fire (Der Kommissar! etc.) Putting two "Berserker" tracks on was a very strange decision. Copeland apparently thought the tracks fitted well (they had access to Gary's NUMA back catalgoue and promised to reissue it - hah!). He also got a young artist on his label at the time, William Orbit, to remix "My Dying Machine". I like the remix but I don't think it belongs on an album. Would have made a great b-side but it shows off Orbit's talents as a remixer which reminds me I need to get some of his albums. Still, this interference did not bode well for the future. Were IRS going to mess around with every album Gary made (seemingly so after sending remixers to Garyt to work on "Outland")? So, "New Anger" was not the best way IMO for the rest of the world to experience Gary Numan after 3 years of relative distribution isolation in the UK. If you don't have MR, track down a copy ASAP to hear the album as Gary originally had it structured. It's been deleted for some while now and is getting rare. It also sounds very good too. Derek -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek H. Langsford dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu Dept. of Biology Tel. (619) 594 2885 San Diego State University Fax (619) 594 7831 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 14:43:18 +0000 From: Phil Marsh Subject: My Vinyl list To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Thanks to those of you who requested my list this week. I sent it out to you on 4 June - if you didn't get it let me know (I had a couple of odd errors at this end). Cheers all Phil Marsh (pmarsh@tpmde.ac.uk) ------------------------------ Date: 02 Jun 96 12:59:47 EDT From: Ste Cork <100135.3052@CompuServe.COM> Subject: PDO discs trivia To: "INTERNET:numan@cs.uwp.edu" >>Send the discs only (no artwork or jewel cases) along with a note seeking replacement, to: PDO Discs Ltd (UK) Attention Pat Burns, Helpline Phillips Rd Blackburn Lancs. BB1 5RZ UK<< That's only about 3 miles away from my house!, pity none of mine need replacing.... Ste Cork (Blackburn, Lancs, UK). ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Jun 1996 10:35:55 +0100 From: "Paul Denman (The Complex)" Subject: Techno Army To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Ron Cadieux wrote: > Trying to turn Deadliner into a Jazz-Dance fusion is like > trying to turn water into wine. Hi Ron, I was going to be pedantic & say shouldn't that read 'wine into water', but seeing as Gary doesn't drink (much;-) then I suppose you were right :-) I think the album's worth buying for the 'We Are So Fragile' & 'Cars' remixes alone. The others are, as you say, interesting & flattering if not all that good :-) Has the abundance of smileys indicated the light-heartedness of this reply? Hope so. Cheers, Paul Denman The Complex http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/complex.d2/contents.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 96 11:13 BST-1 From: dj@cix.compulink.co.uk (DJ Walker-Morgan) Subject: Techno Army To: numan@cs.uwp.edu In-Reply-To: <199606020600.BAA01836@cs.uwp.edu> I have to concur with Ron Cadieux on Techno Army; it wasn't garbage, it was different and some of the tracks worked, others didn't work as well. Deadliner though did work for me; but then I visualise it as Gary singing it in Dennis Potter's bar in "Karaoke" with Mr Fleed watching. (You Americans will have to wait to see that though.... I hope Gary is watching "Cold Lazarus", the second part of the two TV dramas by Potter; it may give him some interesting ideas) Personally for me the track that works best on Techno Army is the We Are So Fragile which does really kick. Dj ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 17:19:04 +1000 (EST) From: DONALD PEDDER Subject: The Definitive Poll - "I'm not dead yet!" To: numan@cs.uwp.edu So, as noted in my "Fury" posting, I missed the deadline for Sunday's digest. Sorry. YES, the poll IS still alive. I sent reminders to people in Mid-January, in hopes of wrapping it up by March. I wasn't inundated with responses at that point, and have had some personal problems too, so this has been on the back-burner for a little while unfortunately. It's now June, and I've had NO MORE responses since then! AARRGGHH!! It LOOKS like the enthusiatic people got to work quickly (not many of them), and the others STILL have it on their "to do one day" list. SO, I'm gonna forget about those people (unless you get cracking soon), and am posting a general notice again, since I CAN'T get this wrapped up until July ANYWAY (I have exams coming up). So, if there is anyone who HADN'T told me they'd like to take part, and they WILL do it within the next month, then just let me know. I'd LIKE to have as many voters as possible (haven't even made double figures yet with actual votes, even though almost 20 people said they would), but I AM prepared to publish the results now if no-one else votes. The results ALREADY folllow a normal distribution, which means that even with the low numbers, I HAVE gotten a good cross-section of tastes. See issue #139 for full details, or email me. DONALD PEDDER. "I can see in your eyes, you're not so sure about me. This machine is my voice, Please Listen!". G. NUMAN - "Steel And You" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 17:05:46 +1000 (EST) From: DONALD PEDDER Subject: THE FURY To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (WHOOPS! Missed the digest deadline - oh well, better late than never!) I don't really have much time for posting these days, but can't resist chipping in on THE FURY! First off, as a general note, how is it that the lyrics of this album have managed to evade mention so far? Are we trying to avoid opening up a can of worms? What am I on about? Well, Gary's appearance on the cover has been noted. It's his most clean-cut image EVER! (DANCE was STYLISH, which isn't neccessarily the same as clean-cut). So, we have the album in our hands, smirking on the inside at this Ferry-esque image, and then we LISTEN to the album. "Hey man! Listen to these SLEEEEEAZY lyrics!" It's a JOKE! Clean image - dirty lyrics. *I* thought it was funny. CALL OUT THE DOGS - O.K. so the album doesn't START out sexually. This is one of my all-time favourites! Lyrically, surprise suprise, it's another anti-fame song. Some of Gary's themes NEVER die! Gotta love the music though. Can't stop the feet moving with that relentless,driving bass synth. Like the effect during the chorus too, where the synth-percussion is making round-trips between the speakers. How come ALL the samples are from BLADE RUNNER though? THIS DISEASE - Well, this song is sub-par for Gary, but I take it over most "good" stuff by OTHER people. This song always springs to mind when I make a bad decision. Most OFTEN when I'm driving. Change lanes, WHOOPS, picked the slowest lane again "decision....bad decision". ANOTHER anti-fame theme, but, what's this, unmistakeable sexual vocalizations by two females. THIS is new! And the lyrics are overtlly sexual too - "She finds me the girls". And so begins the NEWEST style for Gary. YOUR FASCINATION - This song also has somewhat of a driving rhythm to it. I quite like the longer intro from the extended version. Not a REALLY outstanding song, but it's good to sing along to. Now we get into Gary's "world-weary" theme. "Everything you've ever seen I've seen before". And he's clearly unimpressed by someone who's impressed by him. "Your Fascination leaves me cold". And again more sexual moaning from the girls, and sexual lyrics. "Every little girl is welcome here". MIRACLES - Don't like this much. The music is just way too trill! It grates. Back to another familiar Gary theme - I've been heartbroken. But THEN, along comes the SAX solo! Saves the song!! You can go home again Batman. THE PLEASURE SKIN - Here we are. Back to sexual lyrics again. That accounts for 3/5ths of the album so far. I really liked the drumming in this song, but was waiting for it to "break out", akin to MORAL. The drumming is just going along in a kind of restrained manner. After the first chorus - "here it comes. the drums are gonna let loose here!", but they didn't. Was a bit disappointed about this. The song didn't DEVELOP, like a lot of Gary's songs do. But hang on a tic. Don't you sense that this song was MAYBE written about ALIEN? "Protect this disease in me she said", "You could hear the bitch outside the door", etc. CREATURES - Hmmm, even MORE sexual moaning in this one. And from memory, this song contains the FIRST use of "I need it", which we're WELL familiar with now! Gotta bit of a different feel to it, this one. The main synth riff is moving along on the UP-beats, kinda like Reggae music. I HATE Reggae, but this sounds good. And we have the world-weary Gary making a re-appearance here. "You are the young things fed on garbage and lies". And this song contains one of my FAVOURITE lyrics "I'll show you something while the boys beat time". ("Me??!! A strongly SEXUAL person?? Who said that?!" :-) ) TRICKS - Hey! Even the SONG TITLES are getting sexual now! This is my FAVOURITE song on this album, which is one of my favourite albums. Love the gradual build-up at the start, akin to FILMS, and the use of Sax. And then comes another DP favourite, some Funky Bass. This song would STILL be great without the female stuff, so I can see other people's points of view in THAT way, but I DON'T think it detracts from the song. The bridge in this song is reminiscent of the bridge in GHOSTBUSTERS. not STOLEN from it, but a similar FEEL to it. And some more favourite lyrics, "We could play new games, and you could lose","She likes to whisper, but then she likes to scream". GOD ONLY KNOWS - Like the deep bass synth's in this song. Lyric check - Words say "thinking metal", but it SOUNDS like "sinking metal". Is this just me, or is it Gary's accent/pronounciation at work again? This is never EXPLICITLY mentioned, but it sounds like this is written about a plane crash. "The sound of thinking metal" makes sense in this context (Auto-pilot). A friend of mine, who NATURALLY gets exposed to Gary by virtue of hanging around me, really liked this song. We're both pilot's, so that makes sense. In fact, he really liked this ALBUM, and he doesn't NORMALLY react this way to Gary (doesn't normally react at ALL). I STILL REMEMBER - Back to the heart-broken Gary here, and BOY can I relate at THIS point in time. Really like the lyric "You told me, time makes it easy, but you never told me time stands still". The last line sent a shudder through me, "Say it ain't so Gary!". It wasn't, although I didn't like STRANGE CHARM all that much. But eventually, we got to METAL RHYTHM, so that's O.K. (NO responses to THIS comment until it's THAT topics turn! O.K?) Didn't like the R.S.P.C.A. mix of this at ALL! (although, I can understand why some people WOULD, just not me). Da B-sides... WE NEED IT - Like the deep bass synth in this one (how did you guess?). And is that a "wo-oh" I detect slipping back for a guest appearance? I like the instrumental parts of this - with all the different sound effects - but the rest isn't much chop. And was this Gary's first use of "language" (Smart Ass), I think it was. That would've upset a few (only a FEW though). ANTHEM - I thought this was an instrumental, and I listen to it again, and there ARE words - but what ARE they. Can't undrstand a damn thing except for "we all break down" (now why would THAT lyric be recognisable? :-) ). NO SHELTER - This has a very DEPECHE MODE-ish (circa BLACK CELEBRATION) opening to it. But, hang on a tic, let's just check here. Hmmm, BLACK CELEBRATION came out the year AFTER this, HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. This is a cool track. Love all the effects in it. THIS SHIP COMES APART - This has a PRINCE-like opening to it. I guess it's KINDA enjoyable. Got a bit of a Jazz-Funk feeling to it. Not REALLY my style though. Pleasant listening, not much more. THE FEAR - Now THIS is awesome! I LOVE this song. Can't really put my finger on one thing though - it's kind of an ensemble thing. I DO like that "boom boom" thing throughout the song - it's kinda like a heartbeat pumping life into the song. PUPPETS - One of my favourite instrumentals. And a good title - it DOES kinda have a jerky feel to it. I quite like the part with the rich-sounding synth in it - the part (well, 2 parts) which has more of a FLOW to it. (Don't you just HATE trying to describe which sound you're referring to??!!). So, to tie it all up - I LOVED this album. In fact, I loved this PERIOD (WARRIORS,BERSERKER,THE FURY). I think I've talked enough now. :-) Give this album another try if you don't like it - it has a lot going for it (even though it's not ALL great). DONALD PEDDER a.k.a. "another controversial personality" ("who WAS that masked man who had this debate idea?!" :-) ) "I can see in your eyes, you're not so sure about me. This machine is my voice, Please Listen!". G. NUMAN - "Steel And You" ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************