Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room NUMAN

A thread dedicated to the work of one G.Numan - probably discussing his discography and those very hard to find occassional live recordings.

Phew thanks Rads for taking the first step!

Thsi is probably one of the best (non official) sites for discography etc.etc. NuReference

Its the best reference site, and owned by Lewis and Barry.

I would also recommend what about 10% of members here have already done, thats joining afenet. That could help take the load off 'Meta' slightly, i just wish EV was as lively as here and afe.

Perhaps to alleviate the possibility of heavy internet traffic, we should make a rule not to discuss those very hard to find occassional live recordings he very rarely, occassionally releases from time to time now and then.

Would Numan fans* swarm from afar to our Garden-on-Leigh to chat or is it just us Gardeners?

*Are Numan fans still Numanoids? Was I a Numanoid? I can't remember...I don't see that word get much useage anymore - perhaps Numanoids are like a hard-core rebel splinter force, operating outside Numan Fan communication lines.

Some already have, just ask Will etc.

Oddly, the term 'numanoid' is not used so much now, even on Numan sites.

oh yes they're everywhere...

We Have a Numanoid
Are Numanoids Electric?
I Nearly Married a Numanoid
Please Push No Numanoid
I'm a Numanoid
We Are Numanoid
We Are So Numanoid
My Love is a Numanoid (aka My Numanoid is a Liquid (yeukk))
I, Numanoid

...long live Numanoids!!!

Heh! Nice one D!

"Oddly, the term 'numanoid' is not used so much now, even on Numan sites."

Perhaps we should petition or something to get it in the Oxford English Dictionary!

Down with Numan Fans!

Three Cheers for the Numanoids!

Numanoids Redux.

I have been a Numan fan since the beginning and I don't recall even being aware of the term 'numanoid'. However, I will admit to saying stuff like 'Numan is god' (much to the chagrin of the Clapton fans who were convinced he was god)

Ha! ha! ha! ha! Brilliant!

It was the letters that were 2ft high and 1ft wide that had been sprayed in blue across a railway bridge on the way to church that started it all for me when I was a kid.

And the letters said;

'THERE IS NO GOD SO PRAY TO GARY NUMAN'

I believe they were put there by someone who called himself 'ALAN THE NUMANOID' - Must of been 1980 as the 'A' were Pleasure Principle triangles and the 'L' was the telekon strips.

God love you Alan, wherever you are

Yup! Afe gets a bad name but it's more urban legend than anything else.
Don't mind talking about Numan here,I talk about Foxx/Gordon Associates Pete Wylie on Afe

I must be the only Foxxhead in the whole wide world who doesn't dig this Numan cat!
I hereby declare myself the forum's Patrick McGoohan !

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KZUz88-xoqY

No Ivan, you're not alone.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a 'fan' either. Like a lot of people at the time I really enjoyed Numan's first four albums (TA/R/TPP and Telekon) and they all still rank very highly.
But after that ('Dance' etc...) I lost interest and there were other people doing more exciting things.
Didn't really raise an eyebrow until I was given a copy of Pure in 2005. I like that, and Exile too which I discovered post-Jagged.

I have a lot of respect for Numan's music and recognise its significance in the grand scheme of things, but it just doesn't inspire me like others do.

Luckily, he doesn't give a fig what I think.
Quite right too.

Okay, who likes Metal Rhythm? Warriors? Anyone?

Too true..incredible how many people fit into that category.
I suppose being a "fan" just meant buying the records, listening to them religiously, putting up the posters in your bedroom, dressing like him* (ehem) and for the lucky ones living in big cities going to the gigs. Life was so much simpler then....

*P Oakey once claimed that when he met 'the girls' at the Crazy Daisy they were 'dressed as Gary Numan'.

well yeah, but looking at that clip it seems that there in your car you feel safest of all, you can lock all your doors...
:p

Maybe I should have put this clip up instead Membs "I'm a man , not a number or a numanoid ! I can think for myself"
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=29JewlGsYxs&feature=related
I remember I put a tongue in cheekpost on here about Gaz which was removed I too remember being blown away by "Leccy Friends" Got the first album on cassette (praying to the Aliens etc) but soon grew weary of it I went thru a similar thing with Oasis
Best high the Numanoid gives me now is having a bop to "Cars" along Rod Stewart's Maggie May at a wedding or some such Still I guess it's me that's missing out. I'm afraid I'm like that little lad in the Hans Christian Anderson story when it comes to Gary . Apologies in advance to my fellow Foxxhead Numanoids
Seriously tho , boss music by John Barry You can see where Portishead were coming from (and I don't mean County Avon) I bet even Den was influenced by the great man

Good shout Martin Shall we start a " Genius of Carter USM" thread ?

**..is that in "Now I'm alone and I can think for myself" ha! Tubeway Army cross reference spotted! Nice one.

Thanks Ivan. What a splendid idea!
And just for that, I'm now going to play the LOVE album again.

Is wrestling fixed?

“... Like a lot of people at the time I really enjoyed Numan's first four albums (TA/R/TPP and Telekon)”

Agree with this (although I think ‘Dance’ is one of his masterpieces) - for me its:

78-81 You are a god and I will worship you forever

82 You are good and I will worship you forever

83 You are good and I will worship the Bill Nelson bits forever

84 You’re alright you are, nice make-up…but…um a bit Level 42 in places

85 Mr. Webb – there is no way out from screechy backing vocals, saxaphones and Vauxhall Conference funk

86-88 Mr.Webb these nice men want to talk to you and they’re only wearing white coats so as not to scare you.

89 – 94 NURSE! NURSE! MEDIC! ANYONE! We have a Synth Pioneer down! Synth Pioneer down!

94 – present. You have my total respect for getting your mojo back, but that sort of music holds no interest for me at all – still love your old stuff though guv.

The new Telekon Live album is fantastic. A perfect reminder of just why I love Gary Numan's music.

Damn it . .that evasive Live Telekon thing keeps cropping up. I'll be having funny dreams again.

You and me both! Is it out? Why is not in the shop? What's going on? What's life all about? Who shot Nice Guy Eddie? etc etc etc

That's EXACTLY it. That thump-slapping bassline/guitar is just unbearable...

Well then Happy Birthday to you. You certainly don't sound 80 today.

I thought not.

After the Numania on this thread yesterday, I had a brief listen to Warriors...but only got as far as 'I Am Render' I'm afraid before I had to switch to something else.

I haven't listened to Metal Rhythm since it came out, so can't tell you what I think of it now. 'America' stuck in my head though - for all the wrong reasons, it did seem really naff. There was that whole 'Radio Heart/London Times'period as well which was just soooooooo BAD

I've found out that it (and the DVD) were sold at the gigs and now only available on e-bay at extortianate prices, but possibly in the near future available on Nu-site etc. etc. . .(cf. Metal Beat).
Well that's life, but I'm not sure about this Eddy chap.


edit. here's a DVD ..Rads: can't you get them at Camden Market or something?

A-ha! Cheers D! Will keep a look out on the NuStreet shop

I played both yesterday and I was very very disappointed in both. Metal Rhythm more so. Perhaps if the backing singers were not on the record it would have been better. I thought Warriors was slightly better but not by much.

I'm a typical "ignore the bit in the middle" Numanoid. I got as far as Dance, then nothing until Sacrifice. Bumped into two Numanoids on a train the other week, talking about Numan playing at Newcastle. Not whispering, either. So we're still around.

Anyone else here heard Global Citizen's Numaoid track? Class.

Which always made me wonder why people do this.
I mean, if you like Rembrandt's paintings you're not dressing up like him as well huh? :p
After all, it's only entertainment...

greetings,
fons

Blimey! That's expensive - don't think I'd bother with the DVD though, I'd prefer the CD so I'll just keep checking the Numan shop.

I could try local avenues like Camden but they're more expensive than EBay!

I see the bloke who's bidding on ebay is an Italian geezer so might be knocking on his door with a DVD-R handy.

It's funny how most of us made it to Dance then no more .. I saw him on Warriors tour .. you had one last chance Mr Numan, but nahhh ..

Mind you there is just one song from the wilderness years which I do like a lot ...

All in all I do like both Dance & Warriors.
In fact I like most of the backcatalogue, though it ain't consistent in quality.
The Fury is...well, it is...
Then the Sharpe & Numan thing, which was quite good methinks.
"I can't stop" wasn't that bad imho as well.
The "Radio Heart" thing was again not that bad.
Metal Rythm / Outland / M&S...well, that was his darkest hour
On the other hand, its only music...well most of the time it was :p

regards,
fons

Quite an interesting discussion on Numan.

I fell in love with Are Friends Electric on the first listen years ago. Reflecting back Gary has had an interesting career and the person I sat next to at the O2 I had a comphrensive discussion with him and he said, quite rightly that Gary as made a lot of mistakes thoughout his career.

I loved Relicas , TPP and Telekon as distingished albums. Dance was acceptable with a few good tracks. Then he went downhill again my opinion which as already been described as his "middle" albums. OK I could make an half decent compliation album out of some of the tracks.

One day in 2006 was in HMV and saw Hybrid at a give-away price. I loved it. At the suggestion of a good friend I went on to buy Sacrifice, Pure, Exile and Jagged. Gary was back in a totally different style. Great Lyric's and musically interesting to listen to.

Back in the days of vinyl, it was always worth buying his singles for the non album "B" sides.

I've also liked his intrumental tracks. I could listen to Human and The Radial pair over and over. I know I have a weird taste but nothing beats Asylum the "B" side of Cars, so haunting, I never tire of hearing it.

I've constantly had a love/hate/love relationship with his music.

The live Telekon tour CD surpasses all his other live albums. Gary put a lot more feeling and emotion into is voice than any other live CD.

I'm glad that I've seen him live now. It only took 30 years LOL

Regards

Peter

I played I, Assassin the other day and was pleasantly surprised. It is underrated in my opinion.

That sums up numans career for me too, and the 'Telekon Live' cd is the best for years. Sure the 'Replicas Live' will be just as good.

Nothing to LOL about, Peter. You got to see him and that is what really matters.

The Telekon Live dvd is superb!!!
Brilliant work by dash at last!

Yes,the cd and dvd were only available at gigs,and even then not at the first few.
Nu-street should have them for sale soon too

And Maryann,I love Warriors,and Metal Rythmn is a great album, down hill fast after that though

..good point but I'm just talking about the black suit / shirt and stripey tie à la Pleasure Principle era which was quite easy to put together.(not the full Berserker outfit LOL), mind you there was a girl in our year who had her mum make her Telekon style 'overalls' with the red stripes .. man was she fit.

Went to a Warriors gig some years later and there all these people with the various outfits (Assassin, Dance, Warriors included) and I just thought 'how sad'.

But apart from all this am I right in remembering that GN became 'unpopular' after or around Dance period cos of his supposedly 'Thatcherite' leanings?

We can start a poll: which Numan fashion style was the best? Who wants to go first?

The Pleasure Principle ...

..how about a poll for the worst ???

My copy of Engineers arrived today!

And there's an interesting blog from Gary on his site.

Thanks Alex.
What he says seems fair to me ...

I have to agree. Personally I think he's sometimes a bit too harsh on the whole nostalgia thing - or has been up until realising that those first 4 albums still hold a special place for the majority of his fan base or older fans at least, and he owes a lot to them and the success of those albums.

I saw the Telekon tour in 2006 and it exceeded all my expectations and is still the best gig of his I've been to - not just because of those particular songs, but the live sound and style, which comes over perfectly on the new live CD, and the feeling of witnessing a glimpse of Numan's hayday of the eary 80s and all that made me realise just why I love his music.

But I'm all for moving forward, as with any artist I like. Personally I love Gary's work from Sacrifice onwards just as much as I do his stuff from 79-83. It's all in the same league for me. Being a younger fan I don't have the bias towards the early/successful stuff like some fans do.

I got into his music in 1995 and Sacrifice was one of the first albums of his I got, as I've followed him since then, alongside buying up his back catalogue since then.

Since the topic has ben raised, I love Metal Rhythm. Arguably his best album from that difficult 'mid-period'. Even Strange Charm has its moments for me, but they're few and far between.

It all went wrong with Outland and Machine + Soul, and I won't even mention Radio Heart... that was the pits!

I, Assassin has been mentioned too and I think it's one of his most underrated albums. Excluding The 1930s Rust and Bridge What Bridge, it has some absolutely amazing songs on it - classic Numan such as This Is My House, We Take Mystery to Bed and Music for Chameleons. And some of his best b-sides too, like Noise Noise and War Games.

I just received my Replicas redux CD today. I haven't heard all the tracks yet but I found the little booklet that came with it, writtern by Steve Malins very informative. The article mentions Ultravox! and Systems Of Romance and the influence John Foxx and Billy Curry and the way they merged Synthesizers with guitars and drums.
It also goes on to mention that Slow Motion is one of Gary's all time fav songs.

Peter

As well as one of mine!

Don't know if this has been noted on here as yet, but this is on NuWorld in the News section (Mar 20);

"As soon as we have cleared the backlog of Replicas and Engineers orders we will add the Telekon DVD, Replicas tour t-shirts and Replicant audio programme to the store and will be back at full strength again."

So it looks like the Telekon DVD will be made available, but the CD must have sold out on the tour last year.

yeah saw that too. I just wondered if it was a mishtake or meant 'reading between the lines'...not.

Hi D,

Good point! Just slightly off-topic - has your copy of DZ arrived yet?

nope, I think it sunk.

(you've got mail)

Yeah - mine with it!

Cheers D - will check at home tonight

Sorry, I don't like either one. Must be the 'backing vocals' that are not so backing.

Warriors without the sax and female backing would be a fantastic album - same goes for Metal Rhythm.

I agree, Alex. However, the sax doesnt bother me as much as the predominant backing vocals. Perhaps Mr. N can be persuaded to remix or reissue those two albums....

Ooh! He'll get grumpy if you push him back into his past!!

I think there is a lot of lost potential on both albums though. For me, if the rest of Warriors was as good as the title track and My Centurion, it would be one of my favourites.

Production and style of Metal Rhythm worked well for me, although the songs aren't his best, verging on the commercial side, but good nonetheless. It's just those awful female vocals.

Mind you, the same can be said for Berserker and the Fury...... still lots of potential on The Fury...

I agree. That is why if it was up to me, I would remix them and get rid of the female vocals.

Granted, Numan was not the only one to over utilize female backing vocals. Tears For Fears is another one, as well as Depeche Mode on their Faith and Devotion live stuff.

I wouldn't object the the use of more etherial female vocals on Numan's work, maybe not unlike on My Breathing or Scar. That said, TJ Davis' vocals on Scar seem quite inappropriate and certainly out of place on the rest of Sacrifice.

But overall, it's better without them. Gary's vocals don't go particularly well with squealy female backing.

..and on a lighter note (..well it is the weekend!)...pinched this off TTP forum (Hi DreamP)but well worth watching:

Ladies and Gentlemen give it up for:
Accordions Anonymous !!!!!!!!!

'Great Minds' a member D

I posted this on a site called metamatic

Oh right, sorry hadn't seen that.

I used to have an old .mp3 with an accordion version of 'Metal' too; wonder if there's any connection. Must dig it out.

No, i put it up after you Mr D.
Along with calling Louis..... Louise last week, im thinking it may be time to retire.

It's quite understandable. Fret not.

Achtung! Another Numan live release?????
link to play.com page

Blimey! Thanks for the heads-up D!

Numan live releases are so rare these days it's good to know!

Yeah I knew you'd like to know about it ..

..also read he's doing a FOLK FESTIVAL this summer ..never mind the cow bells, it'll be Cars with uilleann pipes. Can't wait for the bootleg!

Wow! Can't wait to see his stage set! Christopher Lee, Moogs and a full-size Wicker Man!

I can see Numan now - dressed as Sgt. Howie only with horizontal and vertcal belts!

I hear the version of 'Are 'Friends' Electric?/Strawberry Fair' is amazing

I miss out on all the fun festivals.

yer 'tis from GN myspace page blog thing:

Apologies for going back to the Numan career discussion.

I think Numan is neither crap nor God (though when I was young and impressionable I thought the latter for about ten years - until I heard the oddity that is Machine and Soul). He's made some wonderful music and some appalling dross, like most artists I suppose.

I feel I must stick up for the Warriors album, if only for one particular song on it that is very close to my heart - Love Is Like Clock Law. Dick Morrissey worked best on Numan's slower songs and for me this is probably the best example. The piano melody under the sax goes so well with it. It just gets me every time I hear it.

I've bought my first Numan album (The Pleasure Principle) TOGETHER with my first Foxx album (Metamatic) after reading comments from Bowie on those albums. Those two albums are two of my all-time favourite electronic albums.
But I also dig later work from Numan:
- Dance (because of the Japan crew on it)
- I, Assassin (cold funk; Prince goes electro)
- Warriors (like Assassin but a warmer feel to it)
- Metal Rhythm (his version of electro-disco)
- and the new more industrial albums too.
His music suits me best when I'm feeling down. Instead of the music of John Foxx which suits me grey ehm ... always.

A quick myspace round-up for those gaggin' for a Gazza gig:

I reckon the gigs will probably be Predominantly new stuff, since the new 2-disc Jagged Edge is about to be released, plus there's Splinter in the works and also Resurrection, which I'm particularly looking forward to (an album of tracks left over from the Exile, Pure and Jagged sessions).

Gary posted a really negative blog after the Replicas tour and it seemed, unlike the Telekon shows, he really didn't enjoy them. He hates nostalgia and looking back, so I'm not sure there'll be another old album tour from him or not. Anyway I'd like to see him getting on with some new stuff rather than living in the past.

Yes, and his new stuff sounds very interesting (again). But what do you think of his reworks of older songs on Mutate? I think they sound gorgeous ...

Agreed, their some of hes best 'remakes', and theres been a lot in the past, some not so good it has to be said.

I haven't really followed Gazza's more recent career, some of his earlier stuff still sends shivers down my spine and and I was thrilled when a decade or so back my sister rang from one of his gigs and I heard a very familiar synth line down the line. My question is, after viewing the excellent photos in the gigs forum, when did he get the large, furry animal stapled to his head???
Don't take offense Numanoids but I prefer the semi skinhead look.

Yes, his furry head! Looks like a completely Newman
Well Katja, it's as simple as this: he had a hairtransplant!
(that's why he wore a hat sometimes in the old days; he was losing his hair rapidly)

Numan has had a full head of fantastic, floppy, furry hair since 1993, when I guess micro surgery could do a better job than the old fashioned method ever could.

In his autobiography he goes into quite gruesome detail about his first operation which he had way back in 1982! That explains why he was kinda stuck with the "Action Man" haircut or a long time.

Thanks for the explanation, didn't realise I was that out of touch. I wondered if he was visiting Bob Smiths wig designer (oooo will that upset some people?). Love you Robert!

He wore an hat in those picture because the image was from the grey man standing outside on the replicas cover.

For Dance the hat hid his thinning hairline and for I Assassin the grey man image came in handy to cover his post-op head!

If you look at the 'Warriors' 12" cover, you can see the holes that were drilled into Gary's head for the strands of hair to be put in.

The last time he had a hair-op, huge advancements had been made, so a weave was opted for.

Elton John & Shane Warne have had one done.

I think he looks really good now.

Bizarre........

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R_6Twb6Vav8&feature=related

For those interested I have posted cover versions of 3 Numan tracks (I Nearly Married A Human, Replicas & Cars) on my page on icompositions. The link for those is below:

Gary Numan Cover Versions

Gary

I've just taken delivery of the new Jagged Edge double CD set. Basically all the tracks are either versions of Jagged tracks completed with earlier production partners and subsequently re-worked or new versions(by eventual Jagged co-producer Ade Fenton) of some others.

Based on a first couple of listening I'd say this is a worthwhile project, albeit far too long being released. I managed only one listen on the big sound system at home last evening and it sounded very impressive, much better than a first listen on the crappy little PC speakers at work!!!

Still too early to say which tracks are better / worse / different to the originals but probably safe to say of you enjoyed Pure and / or Jagged then there'll be something here to interest you. If you're not a fan of those two then I don't think Jagged Edge is going to change your mind.

Going to get it even though I am expecting the worst.

I think it rather good

But why?

I felt Jagged was one of Numan's best albums of late, and given that it went through several changes during its creation, I think the ida of releaseing an album of the other versions is a rather cool idea. I'm sure some versions will be different, others superior and some just not as good.

I've only heard sound clips, but I plan to buy the album.

Not really a fan of 'Jagged' but i can play any of the 2 discs from 'Jagged Edge' much easier. The re-works lift the atmosphere and keep it interesting.

I think 'Jagged' and 'Pure' for that matter are a step back from 'Exile'. There was more of a 'numan factor' to 'Exile' even though it was part of the so called industrial stuff. Still like the last two albums though, but i do feel hes slipping into a progressive rut just as he did with the 'middle years'.

Agreed but at least this 'progressive rut' doesnt have female backing vocals.

To my mind Pure is the best of the four so called industrial albums. Really liked the Sulpher production. Jagged would probably follow a close second. While I like both Sacrifice and Exile thay both sound more basic and demoish compared to the last two.

Having had Jagged Edge on rotation for a while now I would heartily recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the last couple of albums. Although that said there is also a very noticable attempt to re-create the keyboard driven vibe of old (try the new version of Scanner for instance).

I think Jagged was the first of Numan's later albums to embrace BOTH the old and new. You can hear many more of the old style synths in there than on any previous album.

My favourite Numan industrial albums are Sacrifice and Exile. I certainly think they boast the strongest songs, but as you say, the minimal production lets them both down. I have a hard time with Pure, although I don't dislike it.