Gary Numan Digest Sun, 18 Oct 98 Volume 1 : Issue 478 Today's Topics: Cleo's missed opportunity, and a new compilation counting CDs Gary Numan Digest V1 #476 Hi KRAFTWERK instead numa years & PTTA poll update Singles and Albums.... The single that should have been This is my first letter to the digest Valerian Schmalerian....and other stories ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 23:44:37 -0500 From: Valerie Iglar-Mobley Subject: Cleo's missed opportunity, and a new compilation To: The Gary Digest Dear all, What was the thinking behind reissuing "White Noise" and "Dark Light"? If they had given the first one the "Living Ornaments" treatment BB gave their reissues-- releasing the entire concert instead of just the excerpts we'd previously heard-- that one at least would have made sense. But otherwise, how huge a market were they expecting for his lives? Didn't most of us already have them? They should have taken their resources for those planned reissues and put them behind a new "live" from one of his US shows, and touted it as his "return to the US." Now THAT would have outsold both those other albums combined. Has anyone else already mentioned the new compilation Gary is featured on? I haven't seen any post about it yet. It's called "The World's Greatest Club Collection" (I'm not making this up) and it's on a label I've never seen before, Alpha Wave. It lists the JLAB version of "Cars"-- so nothing new for us, but maybe some increased exposure for The Man. What am I saying? "Maybe"? Definitely! The cover shows our hero in full Berserker regalia (I don't know why that image) beside someone who I think is supposed to be "club kid." (It could be another artist; I don't recognize.) Some other artists are pictured in tiny little boxes on the cover, but really his image dominates. It gives him real place of prominence... as long as whoever would buy this disc recognizes him. Some of the other artists on it are: Dead Or Alive, Information Society, Spahn Ranch, Gene Loves Jezebel, Bow Wow Wow, Kraftwelt, Heaven 17, 808 State, and Keoki. Its catalog number is ALW 0008-2. love to all, Benjamin Iglar-Mobley ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 00:00:08 -0700 From: Mark Stanton Subject: counting CDs To: "'numan@cs.uwp.edu'" just to let everyone know. I was in a Tower Records tonight (in San Jose, California) and I counted TWENTY-NINE Gary Numan CDs... including a Japanese release of Exile. Pretty impressive huh? Here's my list of rankings for the record: 1. Dance (Slowcar To China) 2. I, Assassin (This Is My House) 3. Telekon (I'm An Agent) 4. Replicas [my first Numan LP] 5. Exile (Dark) 6. The Pleasure Principle (Films) 7. Sacrifice (Desire) 8. The Fury (Call Out The Dogs) 9. Warriors (My Car Slides) 10. Berserker (A Child With The Ghost) 11. Tubeway Army (Something's in the House) 12. Strange Charm 13. Metal Rhythm (Voix) 14. Machine + Soul (Generator) 15. The Plan 16. Outland ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 10:19:53 -0500 From: Derek Wilson Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #476 To: "'numan@cs.uwp.edu'" Thought this was kinda cool, Down in the Park (midi) is one of the tunes available on this e-card site. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/5308/penguincards.htm In the land of the blind......Be King (Sisters of Mercy) Derek Wilson ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 14:20:21 -0400 From: "D&T WHEELER" Subject: Hi To: "Numan Digest" Hi All, Haven't written lately, been busy. But I have been reading. I see I need to get the BB re-releases!! Question, what does "roche" mean???? As in MORE ROCHE FIVE THAN PAIN A question to all... What was the first song you ever heard of GN, and why did it get you hooked??? Mine was I'm Praying... on Saturday Night Live (followed by Cars). The movement of his eyes and the synth sounds did it for me. Just curious. Later Tim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 10:54:47 PDT From: "Jenny Beck" Subject: KRAFTWERK instead To: numan@cs.uwp.edu ARGH! i might do kraftwerk instead for my newsletter.. bec of the reqiurment.. we only can use 2 colors.. i like gary in all his colors like red black. blue etc... so kraftwerk will look better for what i plan to do... so if anyone can some how get to me the person that distributes kraftwerk newsletters.. or has a copy of one to scan... anything would help! thanks! jenny. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:16:36 EDT From: "jon glass" Subject: numa years & PTTA To: numan@cs.uwp.edu ok i know im always asking for things but... didnt someone have a numa years box they wanted to sell? & if so is it still available. & before i find out my book store cant get the praying to the aliens book wheres some good spots to get it...(internet, U.S. stores...) thanks as always, jon glass ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 10:37:09 GMT0BST From: "James Chapman" Subject: poll update To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Well, I have now got over 20 responses for the album poll just a week after it started. The favourite albums would appear to be from 79-81 and 94-7, the only interloper amongst those being Berserker. I am hoping to get at least 50 responses, so for those who haven't voted don't worry if you're having trouble making up your mind. The main reason I'm hoping for a lot of votes is so the odd change of mind won't affect things very much. And please send your responses to me, not the digest! Thank you --------------------------------------------------------------------------- They crawl out of their holes for me...... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 12:13:59 +0000 (GMT) From: Philip Lindsay Subject: Singles and Albums.... To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Dear All, My World Storm was a single, at least in some countries, wasn't it? I remember seeing 12 in singles around at about that time. Some people seem to be rubbishing Gary's singles output, especially the ballads - I actually agree, in that I generally don't like his (too formulaic, they all use the same piano sound, and sax etc). But if you look at the chart positions, This Is Love and Heart have been Gary's most successful singles in recent times. I think that non-Numanoids are more receptive to this sort of more music. Having said that, He has made some bad errors IMO - A Question of Faith, from Sacrifice, was never going to do well; it was even a particularly strong song. Although, other than maybe Love and Napalm, I can't think of any other possibles (maybe A Seed of Lie?). The Exile single should have been The Angel Wars or Dead Heaven then Exile itself, never Dominion Day. I'm sorry, but I find a rather boring, simplistic song. It does grow on you, but a single can't afford to be a grower, especially when you're getting the sort airplay that Gary isn't. I agree with the Metal and My Centurion suggestions, but lets face it, nothing from Dance would really have made a good single! Wreckage is a great song, and has a really distinctive hook and chorus, and was probably a better single than you think it was. Oh alright then, I'm an Agent would have been better! I think that the worst mistake was Absolution (a dreadful song, hated it then, hate it now) - it was released at totally the wrong time, was, quite frankly, boring. It has got better on Exile, but it's still not a single. I was at Depeche Mode on that night at Wembly a week or two ago, in the standing crowd with my sister. Both lifelong numan fans and completely gutted at not seeing him there, if only to tell him how much we enjoyed the Shepards Bush Gig. We were about 20 metres from the front and slightly to the right - can anyone tell me where Gary and Gemma were standing, just to know how close we got! I wonder what Gary thought of the night? I'll bet he was dead jealous! A similar vintage electronic band playing all their old songs to a gigantic crowd - the Empire was big, but not very big! And the crowd were listening to all the newer stuff equally too. Hearing play Just Can't Get Enough was one of the highlights of my life so far.... lastly, Favourite Album order. (favourite tracks) 1. Assassin (1=) 'White Boys and Heros' 2. Warriors (1=) 'This Prison Moon' 3. Strange Charm (3=) 'Strange Charm' 4. Berserker (3=) 'Child with the Ghost' 5. Metal Rhythm 'I can't believe' - b-side I know 6. Exile 'Exile' 7. The Fury (7=) 'God Only Knows' 8. Telekon (7=) 'Remind me to Smile' 9. Sacrifice 'Seed of a Lie' 10.Outland 'My World Storm' 11. Dance 'Slowcar to China' 12. Replicas 13. Pleasure Principle 14. Tubeway Army 15. The Plan 16. Machine and Soul I hardly listen to any of the bottom 5 anymore - strange isn't it? Of the rest, I still love Dance and Outland, but just not as much Warriors and I, Assassin. ciao for now Phil. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 16:27:34 +0100 From: Tom Gorham Subject: The single that should have been To: "Gary Numan" The single that should have been: just about anything on Dance would have done for me. Of course it would have struggled to reach the top 75, but hell, it would have raised Gazza's credibility about tenfold. My own choice for a favourite single would have been 'My Car Slides/2', which always struck me as miles better than anything on the Warriors album. The worst single releases? I was never a fan of 'This Wreckage', but the all time worst must have been 'I Can't Stop', the title of which would more accurately have been 'Ishould Stop' Regards Tom Gorham ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 11:53:07 -0700 From: "Lee, James H" Subject: This is my first letter to the digest To: "'numan@cs.uwp.edu'" (This is my first letter to the digest) How I got started as a Gary Numan fan . One night, I set my timer on my cassette deck to record the King Biscuit Flower Hour, (1980?). Playing was supposed to be one of my favorite bands, Black Sabbath. Instead, I found out that I caught the end of their show and 40 minutes of Gary Numan. I didn't know who he was, but I played the tape through. I thought, "Its kinda like Emerson Lake and Palmer, but not quite." "I'll listen to it one more time then erase it" I played it the next day. "Maybe one more time, then erase it." Finally I couldn't erase it. "Damn this tape, I'm going to play it over and over until I'm sick of it, then erase it" Every day for a year I played that tape at least once, often twice. It was unstoppable!.........Then, Gary came to town, (Seattle,). Well! I'll just have to see this guy!......At the end of the show I was yelling and screaming because I could not bear it to end...The show was incredible, just incredible....and I've been to a loooooooooot of concerts. A nice touch for example, were the disembodied heads in glass boxes moving around on a smoke-covered floor for "Me I disconnect from you". I mean just what the hell is THIS?!!! I would looooove to have a tape of that show. At the time it was $75 bucks. About $300 in today's money (with inflation). I almost bought it and wish I did. Later, I bought every thing else available, (records) but the King Biscuit tape just seemed to catch him when the words had the most meaning to him somehow. Anybody else got that one? And yes I did see him in Seattle. Killer! Perhaps, the best part was being amongst fellow addicts, like you guys. Has anyone else hit that level of compulsion? I mean every day for like 2 years (same album)? Jim "This is not love, This is not even worth a point of view." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 19:48:29 +0100 From: "Phil Marsh" Subject: Valerian Schmalerian....and other stories To: numan@cs.uwp.edu > I wondered where Numan came up with that early "Valaerien" name. >The full title of the comic is _Valerian, agent spatio-temporel_, >As for Numan's choice of pseudonym, it's far from impossible that this is >the source ...Maybe one ought to ask Gary? Can't remember whether Gary mentions it in his biog, but he said YEARS AGO that it was the name of a herb - and he chose it because it sounded futuristic. Absolutely NOTHING to do with obscure comic characters...sorry to disappoint! From:TikTokMan Moscow >Is it possible to attach a .JPEG file >to a Digest message? Or will I break some weird Internet Regulation? I don't think list software can handle attachments - what you end up with is ascii garbage - lots of it. I think also people using many different email progs which handle attachments differently might also give probs... one or the other anyway....or both... From: BaiHat@aol.com Subject: Dominion day single >Can anyone describe for me the 20th anniversary versions of down in the >park etc..etc.. from the Dominion day single. They're as played on the Exile Tour - ie muffled drum loops, no dynamics....err, I mean, far heavier and live sounding than the originals... :-) From: NickYak@aol.com >Sorry--I could not read a single word of this digest due to the annoying >dark red background!!! Try highlighting all the digest - then changing the font colour - should work! From: Stevorama >Also, a follow up to my previous post about Vinyl Tap Records in the UK: >http://www.vinyltap.co.uk >I was unbelievably impressed and >would recommend them very highly. Check them out! They are also unbelievably expensive...! From: "James Chapman" > Now I've somehow got to muster up the cash for Replicas and TPP-I'll feel >even more crazy getting them as there's absolutely sod all on them >musically that I've not already heard. Except the different take of We Have A Technical... and the roots dub mix of Complex on TPP...ok, I lied about Complex...:-) From: "Andrew West" >Is there any significant improvement on sound quality on the remastered = >Numan CD's that have been appearing lately. I am thinking of buying = >Telekon (for about the 4th time) but i don't want to waist money if = >there is no difference to the orig CD's. Been discussed mucho lately - they are hugely better sound quality, plus Telekon probably has the most differences in tracks - see previous postings for these. From: "Gary Hough" >releasing this or 1999 as a single would have totally ruined Gary's >credibility once and for all (If it's not already gone). >These covers while interesting for fans are complete crap! Absolutely true - they are funny though.... >This wreckage was an excellent single at the time (You only have to watch >the top of the pops recording to know this). I've got this on video...and I can't see it - it was a monotone 5 minute (or whatever) dirge then and it is now >Gary Numan doesn't need to release covers he has enough in his repertoire >of songs to release his own material. True again! Although he did do Addicted to Love in 1988...oh no, sorry that was New Anger, wasn't it.... >If there was one cover version he should have tried releasing then it >would have been the Leo Sayer version of on Broadway. Definitely - I do wish he could get round to getting it released somewhere. I asked him in the Gary's Qs last year and he said he thought it was a good idea and he'd look into it...hey ho! Cheery bye me dearios... ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ******************************