- Audio CD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: IRS
- ASIN: B000091O5I
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 119,476 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This was the first Gary Numan album I didn't have to defend, when playing to my friends! Sure it borrows liberally from Janet Jackson, and even Robert Palmer, but as Gary said himself "We all live in the same museum, we all rearrange the same old songs". To what effect! This album marks a departure from his previous stuff, and gives a suggestion of where he was to head subsequently. Why only four stars? Because he just keeps getting better! Do yourself a favour - buy this!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This albums predecessor was the slick hard hitting electro pop funk of 1988's Metal Rhythm. Although in some ways Metal Rhythm continued to divide Numan's fans. On one side, some were still longing for the darker analogue synths of old. On the other side many reckoned it to be his best effort yet! So where to go next?
With Numan retreating into his new built home studio (which gave this album it's name: Outland) perhaps we could expect some tech-heavy things. With sequencers and samplers aplenty, in some ways this is what we got, but not quite. They are there, but they are buried under all the overdubs.
Maybe the new heavy funk direction would be turned up a bit. The Prince like diva vocals and chick a lickin' guitars are there, but without the heavyweight production budget, we don't quite get them properly either.
Maybe Numan, alone, without anyone looking over his shoulder, would indulge into some of the heart wrenching songwriting or pop suss we all know he can be capable of. But with the hits drying up and his fans divided anyway, his confidence sliding, we don't get that either. Here Numan leans far too heavily on others ideas, Prince, Cameo, Janet Jackson to name a few, to let his own personality shine through.
Even his record company weren't sure where to go. As a result the album was re-altered, re-edited and overdubbed into oblivion. The finish, sounding far too tinny and over produced.
Perhaps if any of these areas had been tackled in a whole hearted manner, although opinion would inevitably have been divided, it may have been a stronger piece.
As it stands, Outland tries so hard to please all of the people all of the time, mostly it fails in every corner.
Never mind. There were better times ahead. If you're a Numan bystander either go for the earlier stuff (Pleasure Principle etc) or the later stuff (Jagged or Pure).
Only hardcore fans may find anything of real interest here.
With Numan retreating into his new built home studio (which gave this album it's name: Outland) perhaps we could expect some tech-heavy things. With sequencers and samplers aplenty, in some ways this is what we got, but not quite. They are there, but they are buried under all the overdubs.
Maybe the new heavy funk direction would be turned up a bit. The Prince like diva vocals and chick a lickin' guitars are there, but without the heavyweight production budget, we don't quite get them properly either.
Maybe Numan, alone, without anyone looking over his shoulder, would indulge into some of the heart wrenching songwriting or pop suss we all know he can be capable of. But with the hits drying up and his fans divided anyway, his confidence sliding, we don't get that either. Here Numan leans far too heavily on others ideas, Prince, Cameo, Janet Jackson to name a few, to let his own personality shine through.
Even his record company weren't sure where to go. As a result the album was re-altered, re-edited and overdubbed into oblivion. The finish, sounding far too tinny and over produced.
Perhaps if any of these areas had been tackled in a whole hearted manner, although opinion would inevitably have been divided, it may have been a stronger piece.
As it stands, Outland tries so hard to please all of the people all of the time, mostly it fails in every corner.
Never mind. There were better times ahead. If you're a Numan bystander either go for the earlier stuff (Pleasure Principle etc) or the later stuff (Jagged or Pure).
Only hardcore fans may find anything of real interest here.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album shows the growing leanings towards funk Gary Numan had adopted circa 91.Funkier than ever before,VERY Prince-influenced,this album is a hard hitting one,with excellent guitar performance and exquisite percussion programming.It has some nice ballads too.Starts out and out funk and gets more industrial towards the end.Gazza's voice is surprisingly less processed on most of this album's songs than on previous offerings,making for a nice,more natural variation.The sound is very good but the remastered version has gorgeous bonus tracks:River and Mistasax,which are 2 nice instrumentals,the excellent Shame single,and two remixes of My World Storm that are way better than the lp version.
Not an essential purchase for the average Numan fun but a treat for those of us who enjoy funk rock with the classic Numan signature.
Not an essential purchase for the average Numan fun but a treat for those of us who enjoy funk rock with the classic Numan signature.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Rotten To The Core...Very Sad
Whenever I listen back through Gary Numan's catalogue, this is the album that I always look forward to the least. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pink
Below-par Numan - but worth a listen.
Outland is undoubtedly a weak entry in Numan's back-catalogue. Most of the tracks are very bland, repetetive, electro-funk with an over-reliance on female backing vocals (a... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2008 by M. Evans
autland
gary is always surprising. metal rythm was really the low point. now there is comin new stuff before machine and soul, the one before sacrifice. take your seatbelts on. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2007 by Jo day
for the collector
Your Gary Numan collection is not complete without this album which seems to have been overlooked in the re-releases of late. Its OK but is still from his less good funk stage. Read more
Published on 15 May 2007 by Doc
SUPERB WHITE FUNK !!!!
This album shows the growing leanings towards funk Gary Numan had adopted circa 91.Funkier than ever before,VERY Prince-influenced,this album is a hard hitting one,with excellent... Read more
Published on 28 May 2006 by JUAN MARTIN GABASTOU
Dream Killer
I'm giving this 3 stars just for the song Dream Killer alone. No doubt one of my favorite Numan songs. The rest of the songs are just throw a ways. Read more
Published on 12 May 2005 by TM77
Its FUNK but not as we know it
By the late 80's Gary was trying so hard to please the record company (who wanted him more commercial, at the time DANCE!) and his legion of fans. Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2002 by Andrew Ellison
Not his absolute worst but a good stab at it
This album must have been conceived and performed as a contractual obligation. Gary Numan's first er... Read more
Published on 27 July 2002 by Alistair Dabbs
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