Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Once a Numanoid, always a...., 6 Dec 2006
No, I wasn't, don't worry.
Believe me, some of this has dated badly, but so what? The reason Sugababes' "Freak Like Me" was so instant was all Numan, and the source material is all here - every decent single from the first half of his career, before he went all clattery and metally and rocky and gothy. Though some of that does snake on here at the latter end of this set.
The re-mixed "Cars" sounds genuinely amazing, so zesty, it explodes out of the speakers. But that's just a tag-on to what people now hail as a tremendous musical legacy.
Was it? Is it? Yes. Whatever you think of the man, he was a great topline writer. Ironic, when you consider he's most famous for singing like a robot. These are great, ground-breaking singles, though it's a shame that he never really topped the incredible "Are Friends Electric?". I have no idea what that song was about, and I don't care. Great feel, great presence, great melody, great big squashy synth - it's all great.
Only "Cars", "We Are Glass", "This Wreckage" and "I Die: You Die" really stand up to "Friends". "I Die You Die" in particular, as it actually has some frighteningly memorable lyrics: "They crawl out of their holes for me, and I die: you die, Hear them laugh, watch them turn on me, and I die: you die". Ooh, the zombies are loose. Is he critiquing culture? Thatcherism? Fashinistas? School bullies (ah bless)?
Oh, I dunno. Maybe he just read some sci-fi and bought a rhyming dictionary. Maybe he ate too much cheese before bedtime.
It's big, dumb fun dressed up as something clever and metaphysical, really. But it was really a nervous, gifted young man finding his feet in music, really. Really.
Anyway, 4 out of 5, and worth a go, definitely.
If only because it didn't and doesn't sound like anyone else. Have another hit, Gazza. Go on.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the title says it all - "Premier", 16 May 2001
By A Customer
Gary Numan is the reason for almost all electronic-based music around today, and listening to this CD it is easy to see why.From the pure pop of "Cars" and "We are Glass" to darker moments such as "Down in the Park", this collection chows the range of Gary's work. The songs do vary quite dramatically in style, but the track listing is structured to keep similar tracks together - hit random and you may end up with a bit of a mess. But this just goes to show one of Numan's successes - the ability to constantly change and still produce quality music.
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22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Does what it says, 4 Jan 2004
To be honest, I'm not a huge Gary Numan fan, I like the classics that everyone likes, and I bought this cd because after hearing so many people sampling Gary's music, I thought I should buy the original.Gary Numan (I remember first time around) was alone in his musical direction, he and his band, produced some classic electronica, his music has stood the test of time, and I think he is one of Britains classic artists, in the same importance vein as the majestic Kate Bush. Gary Numan is an important peice of musical history, to Britain what Kraftwerk are to Germany, and this is a good cd to show new listeners his range and to give them some classic songs too. For me though, as a musician, Gary Numan's music is something I can only take so much of, but I have to say he was the best at what he did. But occastionally great use of classically powerful analogue synthesizers. The man stands alone in style and quality, just like Thin Lizzy, Kate Bush and a few others I could mention. Every now and then, modern musicians go back to "the source", and Gary Numan is one of them.
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