Gary Numan Digest Thu, 28 Nov 96 Volume 1 : Issue 283 Today's Topics: about me gary1. Gary Numan Digest V1 #281 if you can't take the heat, take it back Inter Relay Chat is it live or memorex on crack Massive Sale on Numan items! My introduction Numan siting -- of sorts... Poll speculation Sigh... What is going on? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 10:44:42 -0200 (GMT) From: gary Subject: about me To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Thanks for sending me the digest and putting me on the mailing list. Here follows a brief Numan History about meself I have followed Mr Numan since I first heard RFE back in 1978/9, boy am i getting old. I have tried to follow his music ever since.I have seen him live at the TELEKON Tour and the White Noise tour. I have all his early material on vinyl and also on cassette, doubles that is. Yes i still try to look like him but I would not go so far as to have a hair transplant.Besides myself I know of only one other Numan fan in South Africa, as I moved out here in 1981 August. So I am starved of my favourite "Machine and Soul" music. With the advent of Internet Numans question on R Friends Electric has been answered in the affirmative. I am actually hoping to return to Britain next year 1997, with my family to stay. So I can catch up on all the material that I cannot get out here, as I feel as I am in EXILE and I just go "BERSERK"er when i cannot get new material. I will be sending my contribution to your digest pretty soon, today perhaps, so all I can say is keep up the great work and I hope to hear from you soon..... Regards STEPHEN ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 14:26:11 -0800 From: Ingo Weinard <106074.1471@compuserve.com> Subject: gary1. To: numan@cs.uwp.edu hello, i'm new on the digest and i will give you informations about me very soon. see you then your's Ingo ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 10:35:18 +0800 (SST) From: Mark Winn Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #281 To: numan@cs.uwp.edu > Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 21:59:08 -0500 (EST) > From: Erin Tavano > Subject: child with the ghost > To: numan@cs.uwp.edu > > anyone know anything interesting about this song? i really like it, even > after not hearing it for years. > > erin This song is about Paul Gardiner who was Tubeway Army's bass player who managed to top himself or OD a few years ago - I can't remember which Cheers, Mark Winn "You know I hate to ask, but are 'friends' electric ?" ############################################ # Name: Mark Winn # # Position: Principal Systems Analyst # # Company: SWi Pte Ltd, Singapore # # E-mail: mark@SWi.com.sg # # WWW: http://www.SWi.com.sg/~mark/ # ############################################ What makes the universe so hard to comprehend is that there's nothing to compare it with. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 17:26:34 -0500 (EST) From: Erin Tavano Subject: if you can't take the heat, take it back To: numan@cs.uwp.edu all statements below qualified by the fact that _my_ million dollar career is as yet on the ground, so what do i know. alex: >numan is hardly the cutting edge of music and even if Sacrifice is >fucking streets ahead of his 85'/'93 output, in comparison to a lot of >contemporary music it stinks. i agree with this. someone asked what contemporary music was better, and i would say that there are more modern uses of synthesizers and loops being had, for instance techno and ambient, and even industrial, music (i don't like the stuff myself, okay, so don't yell at me, but its presence makes sacrifice, and probably will make exile, sound dated.) sacrifice smacks of the one-man-album sound, and the themes are unsexy and tired. right, there's no god. got it. nigel: >and who was such a hero to me in my youth has become such a sad >character. i was sort of wondering about this myself. i got the man's biography here and it's all about how people want a star, and how he's got a tremendous fear of being a has-been, but i wonder if anyone can argue that he's not one. he had a big hit when he was twenty, now he's thirty-seven or something and unsigned, and only enjoys a renewed sort of retro popularity through other people's covers. i mean, it happens. take the money and go flying. or be a producer. and what happened to the distance he insisted upon between him and the fans? why does he so eagerly answer the digest questions? i can't say i blame him, though. it must suck, but then you'd think he'd have anticipated it. > Numans image was well and truly jumble sale. I refuse to believe that >anyone can hold up the Beserker or Warrior looks as the height of cool amen to this. it was a long time ago though. erin ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 12:00:33 +0000 From: colin mc Subject: Inter Relay Chat To: numan@cs.uwp.edu I have been logging on (Sunday 0900 GMT)at the Undernet irc server,and joining #numan channel for the last four weeks in succession,every time there is nobody on it,I have stayed on channel for over one hour in the hope that somebody would join,no such look! Where is everybody? P.S Looking for Gary Numan newsletters 1,2,3 to complete my collection,also has anyone got Nicky Robson's "Stars" on 7" or 12" for sale? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 11:32:49 -0500 (EST) From: "Michael R. Ward" Subject: is it live or memorex on crack To: numan digest "can't we just all get along" rodney king "i don't give two monkey about what people think" gary numan "i really need a valium refill" me just a food for thought. i really enjoy gary's live arrangements of his songs that are not my favorites on album. the continuity of instumentation appears to aid this feeling on my part. this is all based on his live cds as i am an american and am too young to have seen him live here. not to interject any discussion of his music into this listserv but do other people agree/disagree with my assessment. i am a big boy now and can take opposing views quite well as i can be occasionally persuaded to change :) (please don't remind me of the mix level of dream corrosion as i remember the discussion and i personally love its live and nasty mix. very bootleg to my untrained ears" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 21:47:53 -0500 From: Dumpo712cd@aol.com Subject: Massive Sale on Numan items! To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Seasons Greetings from Dumpo Music! We just wanted to let you know that we have SLASHED our prices on all our items, many by as much as HALF! It's our way of saying "Happy Holidays!" So hurry and take advantage of the best in 80's music at the lowest prices anywhere! To peruse our selection, simply visit Dumpo's glorious website! http://members.aol.com/dumpo712cd Happy Shopping! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 20:39:21 -0800 From: Britton Robbins Subject: My introduction To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Hello, My name is Britton. I've been listening to and collecting Gary Numan music since 1981. Other artists that I enjoy are: Yaz Erasure Human League The Fixx Enya Yanni Art of Noise Go Go's B52's and most other "New Wave" bands As a hobby only, I write and record music at home using my Casio VZ-1 Synth and my computer. Just wish that I'd known more about Gary a little earlier in life. It would have been great to have seen him perform "Live" in San Diego, where I was living when he was touring the States. -- Britton Robbins ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 19:47:47 -0500 From: tlwalter@accs.net (Troy Walters) Subject: Numan siting -- of sorts... To: Gary Numan I didn't get to witness this personally, but my cousin -- who is a huge Numan fan as well did: There is a sitcom in the US based on the movie "Clueless" and on the most recent airing of this show -- "CARS" was heard in the background. No lyrics, but the music was recognizable. Even though this was "CARS" it is still a good thing. -- Troy L. Walters tlwalter@accs.net http://www.accs.net/users/tlwalter -- Beware of the IDGAF Syndrome... (c) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 14:07:04 +1100 (EST) From: DONALD PEDDER Subject: Poll speculation To: Numanews In #282, Andy prognosticated... >Speculation on Donald's poll... > >OK - People with any sense will list these songs as the >top, middle and bottom songs: > >Top: A question of faith Wrong! >Middle: Tricks Wrong! >Bottom: I sing rain Wrong... BUZZZZZZ. Next contestant please! APPARENTLY the people with any sense didn't vote! ;-) Rob Trousdale speculated that "I Can't Stop" was last - wrong also. Are we having fun yet?? :-) DONALD - Down, but not out! Looking for work come March '97!! For my Resume (and eventually other neat stuff) - check out **** http://www.usyd.edu.au/~dpedder **** LOTS of caps = LOTS of emotion | a PASSIONATE belief And your problem with that IS........? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 96 16:26:03 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Sigh... To: "Gary Numan" It is a fact that Gary Numan does not read this Digest. Given the current state of it, I'm glad he doesn't. In his shoes, if I were to see my own hard-core fans tearing me down as much as has been happening here, I'd have chucked in the towel a long time ago. Time to play Answerman: Q) Is valid criticism of Gary and/or his music on-topic in this list? A) Absolutely. Q) Is mindless flaming of Gary and/or his music on-topic in this list? A) Absolutely not. Q) Should people who engage in the latter continue subscribing to this list? A) No. Given their level of intolerance of the views of others (something they accuse the rest of us as being), they'd find themselves more comfortable signing on to, say, an anti-abortion mailing list. Q) Are discussions about such mundane topics as Gary's cats on-topic and/or relevent? A) Yes to both. They may not interest you, but they interest SOME OF OUR READERS, and most of us are here because we're fans. Those of you who fancy yourselves to be on top of the hill looking down upon the unwashed masses should go re-read the lyrics to Mr. Numan's wonderful song "Critics". I happen to like hearing about, and talking about, such earth-moving issues as Gary's pets, and Gemma, and the other people/pets that are such an important part of his life. As someone else recently pointed out, Gary Numan is one of the most accessible "celebrities" you'll ever encounter, and I happen to enjoy hearing about these things. It gives me a better feel for the man, what his values are, and how he lives his life. I've always respected him as a musician, but this window into his life that he has graciously left open to his fans allows me to learn more about him and to be able to respect the hell out of him as a man. Q) Is Gary's music garbage compared to the rest of today's modern music? A) Depends on who you talk to. This is a subjective issue. A writer in Sunday's Digest called today's modern music "banal" and that's an assessment I can agree with (mostly). The problem here is that for the most part, you're comparing apples to oranges. Q) Is the answer to the last question relevent to this list? A) Not in the least. We're here because we're fans and we, at least, enjoy the music. Q) Should Matthew Holbrook promote the band "Play Like God" on his web site? A) This is completely ridiculous. Someone please tell me why he should NOT do so. The band is made up of Numan fans and plays nothing but Numan cover songs to audiences primarily made up of Numanoids. The same UK audience that regularly reads his NuZone page are the same people (by and large) that attend "Play Like God" gigs. Besides which, the lead singer (Jason Smith) happens to be a good friend of Matthew's (and, I might add, they're both good friends of mine). Q) Are questions about Matthew Holbrook's writing style and/or the content of his web site relevent to this discussion list? A) In my opinion no, although a case could be made for it as it does, indirectly, pertain to Numan. The big problem I have is that people are discussing Matthew and his site out here in public instead of bringing up any issues they might have directly with the man himself. This is the height of cowardice. I'm not even sure the man reads this Digest anymore: in his position, I doubt I would. In my own situation, the criticisms I've received about my writing and/or my site have, for the most part, arrived via private email. And I found that in about 80% of that email, the writers had valid points, and the result has been reader-inspired improvements to my site. But when I read the Digest and find people dissing me because I drive a taxi, I dismiss them as the intolerant bigots that they are... just as Matthew dismisses Alexander Deacon and all those that bash him here. In the Sunday Digest, one writer (I'm sorry but I've forgotten your name) actually came out and stated *WHY* he has a problem with Matthew's writing... and while I find myself completely disagreeing with those reasons, I must bow to that writer and say "THANK YOU FOR FINALLY OFFERING A CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM"... assuming, of course, that it's valid in this forum. If the writer really believes what he says, perhaps the next step is to send Matthew some email. Matthew Holbrook is a kind, generous man who's just plain "good people" from head to toe. You may feel his writing style is not perfect, but that is NO reason to run him down in public. This is behaviour reserved for the small-minded. Q) Did Alexander Deacon ask an innocent question about whether this list is moderated, or did he indirectly accuse Dave and Derek of censorship? Q) He indirectly accused them of censorship. Read his question again: there was nothing innocent about it. And I will not buy any argument from a "professional writer" that it was otherwise. Q) Does Gary Numan "owe" us anything? A) Absolutely not, although he has said publicly that he feels that he does. Certainly "we", for the most part, have been the ones supporting him by buying every album that comes down the trail. But if we have a problem with that, we can vote with our wallets and stop buying (as some self-proclaimed die-hard fans have done). We're here because we love the music and/or we love the man behind it. Gary doesn't "owe" us anything for our loyalty: for those of us who remain die-hards, he's already earned it. Q) Did Gary's performances at the festivals suck? A) Again, subjective. And I wasn't there. I've read some of the criticisms and certainly many of them are valid: I only ask for a bit of forebearance on this issue as it *WAS* his very first festival and as he himself stated, he wasn't at all sure what to expect. If he misread the situation and/or failed to take advantage of a golden opportunity... well, the man's human. Q) What exactly is it that inspires such deep loyalty in Gary Numan's fans? A) That's a question that we could spend the next year debating without coming up with a satisfactory answer. Personally, based on some of the recent posts to this list, I'm beginning to wonder about that loyalty. For me, my "relationship" with Gary Numan is extremely personal. Robert Eggleston once suggested that particular Numan albums tend to associate themselves with particular periods in his life, and I find myself feeling the same way. The music has a certain "something".... it's not something simply to be heard, but to be felt and experienced with your entire being. This probably goes a long way towards explaining the rather harsh responses (my own included) towards some of the critical posts on this list: an attack on Numan is easily perceived as a personal attack against oneself. Q) Are the answers to all these questions the gospel truth? A) Yes. :-) Well, at least as far as I'm personally concerned: your mileage may vary. In truth, my opinion (although shared by many) is but one man's opinion, and is posted here purely for your consideration. Unlike others, I will not tell you that I Have Seen The Light and that any who disagree with me must be infidels. You have a right to your opinion. Don't fall into the trap laid so skillfully by the likes of liberals such as Bill Clinton and the rest of the Politically Correct crowd: your opinion is yours and it is sacrosanct. Some posters to this list would have you believe that their opinion is the only one that has been skillfully thought out, and that if you don't agree with them you are somehow unenlightened. DO NOT let yourself be cowed or bullied into believing something that you don't want to believe. Remain open-minded: form your own opinions and don't let anyone tell you that your opinion doesn't matter, about Numan or any other issue. You have but one life to live: enjoy it, and enjoy it the way YOU want to. Q) Joey, have you finished lecturing us yet? A) Absolutely. See you next week. :-) /--------------------------------------------------------- / Joey Lindstrom numanoid@netway.ab.ca lindstrj@cadvision.com / http://www.netway.ab.ca/worldwidewebb/ / "There's a reason 'Wheel Of Fortune' is on right after 'Jeopardy'. Once / you've been forced to choke down the foul-tasting tequila shot of your / own abject ignorance, it's nice to be able to bite into the refreshing / lime wedge of other people's incredible fucking stupidity." / - Dennis Miller ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 20:34:40 GMT From: swooldri@lucent.com Subject: What is going on? To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Well, the subject line says it all as far as I`m concerned. I`ve been away from the Digest for a while now (from not long after the Matthew Holbrook slagging actually, but not because of it incidently), and was pretty surprised and disappointed by my first digest back. I thought this digest was here to discuss Gary Numan and his music. It seems to me that it is now to slag off Gary, his music and his fans. I read Alex`s latest effort with sheer amazement. You couldn`t have gotten more personal if you tried. Discussion is one thing, but what you wrote goes way beyond that. It seems you have nothing good to say, so why are you here? Could it be that you just love stirring it? I feel I must answer some of the points you made, feel free to paint your own picture of me :-) <---this means I`m joking, I`ve made this point because I remember you saying your `attack` on Matthew was a joke but I certainly never saw the minutest sign that that was your intention. 1. Matthew`s page. This is the page I always go to first for any updated news, or it was until recently. It seems that Matthew is out of circulation at present. You didn`t do anything to him did you Alex? :-) 2. Alex also states that without us he would be shifting boxes again. Not strictly true, but I think Gary could probably live with that. Of course, it is also true that without Gary and his music, we would have nothing to discuss. I don`t know of any other music star with the level of `net participation as Gary (doesn`t mean I`m not wrong of course...), but we have no divine right to expect it. I think I would probably get a bit hacked off if people sent me stupid questions. Of course, I bet that the minute Gary decides he`s had enough of this, Alex will be the first to criticise him for backing off. 3. Alex, your attack on Numanoid appearance should have pissed off a lot of people. I was annoyed, and I only listen to his music. I haven`t yet had a chance to see Gary in concert yet, and haven`t been to any other Numan events, but if people want to get into the spirit of things by dressing up in any of the Numan images, then that`s absolutely fine by me. Trekkies get the same sort of reaction, but I see nothing wrong with, even if I don`t fancy it myself. Well, I`m glad I got that off my chest - shouldn`t have had to though. ttfn, Si *** Si Wooldridge Senior Systems Equipment Engineer Lucent Technologies NS-UK swooldri@lucent.com *** ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************