- Audio CD (1 Oct 1999)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Pie
- ASIN: B000025A4N
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 79,188 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Album Description
U.S. version of Gary's 1986 release. With different artwork and including 5 bonus tracks including the original 12" version of 'New Thing From London Town' - to date an exclusive to this CD.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Firstly the poor rating is not for the content. I am a great Gary Numan fan and was hoping here to purchase a copy of the 1986 Strange Charm album that i have on vinyl. I MUST STRESS (as it appears that this review is being aligned to more than one item???) this review is for the item on the PIE label with reference to "live cuts; hits and rarities" not the Eagle label version which is in fact the remastered album i was looking for with bonus tracks.
In the absence of a track listing i assumed that since all other reviews attached to this product don't seem to impy that it is not in fact that album and coupled with the actual product description that mentions that it includes the 12" remix of "New Thing from London Town" it appeared to be what i was looking for (incidentally the aforementioned remix does not appear on this compilation at all).
Simply put it is just a compilation of tracks from differing periods and should not be associated with the original album at all.
I feel that the product description and associated reviews are misleading and certainly do not related to this particula item at all.
In the absence of a track listing i assumed that since all other reviews attached to this product don't seem to impy that it is not in fact that album and coupled with the actual product description that mentions that it includes the 12" remix of "New Thing from London Town" it appeared to be what i was looking for (incidentally the aforementioned remix does not appear on this compilation at all).
Simply put it is just a compilation of tracks from differing periods and should not be associated with the original album at all.
I feel that the product description and associated reviews are misleading and certainly do not related to this particula item at all.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Strange Charm has come in for alot of stick down the years (as well as on Amazon judging by some of the comments here). I cant pretend its a classic in the mould of his early albums (Replicas, The Pleasure Principle, Telekon) nor can I say its up there with his later industrial period (Exile, Pure, Jagged). It is, however, one of the better albums of his middle period and deserves a second chance.
First off, its very "of its time". Numan had jealously watched the rise of the Pet Shop Boys and the all conquering Frankie Goes To Hollywood at a time when he couldnt get his own records played on the radio. This (new) anger propels not only the lyrics but the sound as well. Its a mix of early 80's synth pop, high energy disco, Trevor Horn inspired slabs of percussive synth and Numan's own brand of sci fi dystopian gravitas. A heady mix that just about hangs together due to the quality of the songwriting throughout.
The title track in particular is a guargantuan disco stomp that sounds so of its time it could be an artefact in an 80's museum. But its also got a chorus to die for and a great verse hook that spins the song into another dimension in a way dullards like Dead Or Alive couldnt even dream about. The Bill Sharpe collaboration attempts to do a West End Girls and pretty much suceeds. The Blade Runner sampling opener (My Breathing)is a winner as well.
So, all in all, I think this album has been abit unfairly treated. Added to the fact that this remastered edition contains a slew of extra tracks I would recommend a purchase. It has alot more going for it than its predecessor (The Fury) and the albums that followed (Metal Rhythm and Outland - more one dimensional than Strange Charm).
Give it a chance...you just may be pleasantly surprised.
First off, its very "of its time". Numan had jealously watched the rise of the Pet Shop Boys and the all conquering Frankie Goes To Hollywood at a time when he couldnt get his own records played on the radio. This (new) anger propels not only the lyrics but the sound as well. Its a mix of early 80's synth pop, high energy disco, Trevor Horn inspired slabs of percussive synth and Numan's own brand of sci fi dystopian gravitas. A heady mix that just about hangs together due to the quality of the songwriting throughout.
The title track in particular is a guargantuan disco stomp that sounds so of its time it could be an artefact in an 80's museum. But its also got a chorus to die for and a great verse hook that spins the song into another dimension in a way dullards like Dead Or Alive couldnt even dream about. The Bill Sharpe collaboration attempts to do a West End Girls and pretty much suceeds. The Blade Runner sampling opener (My Breathing)is a winner as well.
So, all in all, I think this album has been abit unfairly treated. Added to the fact that this remastered edition contains a slew of extra tracks I would recommend a purchase. It has alot more going for it than its predecessor (The Fury) and the albums that followed (Metal Rhythm and Outland - more one dimensional than Strange Charm).
Give it a chance...you just may be pleasantly surprised.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album came at an awkward time indeed for Mr Numan. Radio support was gone. Slating press revues made a turn for the even worse: non existent. It seemed the whole media world was on a mission to erase him. No wonder Numan was well and truely out of fashion with everyone who either blindly followed what they read in the music weeklys, or who's ears couldn't reach past the (then at least) narrow tastebuds of daytime radio. Dark days and a real test of faith for the Numanoids.
On Strange Charm, Numan tackles a few of these issues head on and when he does, boy does it work. My Breathing has irresistible airy eastern atmospheric effects over a situation in which he describes he will "pick up the pieces" after the "assassination by the radio". "I can't stop for all your stories" he states on the soaring chorus of I can't stop. Fighting stuff and the power is transfered straight to the listener. He really bears his heart over the industrial minimalism of The Sleeproom, "this isn't evil,this is a sound", "this is uncertain,this is unsound...". Really haunting. As is the bonus ballad, Time to die, where he takes a glimpse at a possibly bleak future and references what it would be like with no more concerts or recordings: "no Exhibition, no screaming War Song, no Conversation, no more opinions here". But unfortunatly these are among the few of the albums highlights.
Elsewhere the struggle is all too evidently eating away at the creative juices. The all out attack of Unknown and Hostile is oversmothered by sax and girl vocals. I can't stop is overstretched into it's 5 min version and oversells its girl vocal at the price of the original single issues impact. He even forsakes a Numan principle by borrowing the Sharpe and Numan single New thing from London town, although it's disco throb has its merits, it sounds just a tad out of place. As for The Need, this really is the pits of bad disco/funk, not a thing to recommend here, the overbearing girl vocals and pointless sax say it all. The meshing of synths and rock guitars works for the title track Strange Charm, but is marred by its sameiness to other songs. By the time we reach the pretty piano based ballad, This is love, it's all been such hard work its hard to take it all in.
At least the 5 spine tingling bonus tracks here offer a breath of fresh air at the end and vindicate just what we all see in this man.
This is a piece of Numan history that was overshadowed by doubt, dwindling faith and preconceptions. How it sounds now to fresh ears I will never know. Probably more Strange than Charm.
On Strange Charm, Numan tackles a few of these issues head on and when he does, boy does it work. My Breathing has irresistible airy eastern atmospheric effects over a situation in which he describes he will "pick up the pieces" after the "assassination by the radio". "I can't stop for all your stories" he states on the soaring chorus of I can't stop. Fighting stuff and the power is transfered straight to the listener. He really bears his heart over the industrial minimalism of The Sleeproom, "this isn't evil,this is a sound", "this is uncertain,this is unsound...". Really haunting. As is the bonus ballad, Time to die, where he takes a glimpse at a possibly bleak future and references what it would be like with no more concerts or recordings: "no Exhibition, no screaming War Song, no Conversation, no more opinions here". But unfortunatly these are among the few of the albums highlights.
Elsewhere the struggle is all too evidently eating away at the creative juices. The all out attack of Unknown and Hostile is oversmothered by sax and girl vocals. I can't stop is overstretched into it's 5 min version and oversells its girl vocal at the price of the original single issues impact. He even forsakes a Numan principle by borrowing the Sharpe and Numan single New thing from London town, although it's disco throb has its merits, it sounds just a tad out of place. As for The Need, this really is the pits of bad disco/funk, not a thing to recommend here, the overbearing girl vocals and pointless sax say it all. The meshing of synths and rock guitars works for the title track Strange Charm, but is marred by its sameiness to other songs. By the time we reach the pretty piano based ballad, This is love, it's all been such hard work its hard to take it all in.
At least the 5 spine tingling bonus tracks here offer a breath of fresh air at the end and vindicate just what we all see in this man.
This is a piece of Numan history that was overshadowed by doubt, dwindling faith and preconceptions. How it sounds now to fresh ears I will never know. Probably more Strange than Charm.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Numan Moves Towards His Nadir
By Gary Numan's high standards, `Strange Charm' is a pretty rum affair and when I listen back through his catalogue this is one of the albums I look forward to the least. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pink
Fabulous atmospheric production piece
As a fan of 80s music and 80s production, I was in heaven when I discovered this. It might be a 'marmite' thing...but I love marmite! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Hysteria
Christ
My Breathing is at the same time shamefull and saving. This was the first "trashy" Numan-Record with the last hit on it. And it fits well with the record. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Jo day
Spectacular
Before you ask, i'm not a numanoid. So i'm not just saying this because i "can't say a bad word against Gary"
Speaking to you as a fan of 80s music, this album is truly... Read more
Speaking to you as a fan of 80s music, this album is truly... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by Mr. W. C. Balloch
Strange Album
The orginal vinyl had just eight tracks- a major insult at the time. Ideas completely gone and the same old tired synth chords and overstretched vocals- this quite simply is one... Read more
Published on 15 April 2008 by ndb_master
Numan's most underrated album.
Strange Charm is an album that seems to have been dismissed by critics (and a lot of Numan fans), probably as it came out at a low point in his career when a lot of his music was a... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2008 by M. Evans
schizophrenic charm
Gary Numan's dance trend reaches scattered heights in the disco-tronic 80's. Confusion and perhaps blatant redundancy cloud whatever direction Numan is trying to approach in the... Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2007 by olofpalme63
DISCOEY !!!!!!!
After his collaborations with keyboardist Bill Sharpe of Shakatak,Numan temporarily dropped his funk influences to record this very disco-influenced lp. Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2006 by JUAN MARTIN GABASTOU
Sweet 80s synth pop, but gritty and emotional
This is a collection of a lot of tracks that are otherwise very hard to find. The track "This is Love" typifies the album, and is my favorite track. Read more
Published on 5 April 2001
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