Gary Numan - The Beggars Banquet Albums (1978-1983)

I didn't vote for it, but my Numan collection would definitely feel incomplete without Tubeway Army... I love that album and often feel that it gets overlooked because it's not as synth-y as what Numan did later (even though there's plenty of synth on it).

Yeah I obviously didn't hear it until after I'd heard Replicas and The Pleasure Principle, it's pretty raw but it has some great songs on it especially "Listen to the Sirens", "My Shadow in Vain" and the totally underrated and overlooked "Jo the Waiter". The lyrics are some of the best he ever did, very wordy but dystopian in the extreme.

xp to naus: that's OK :) Gary used to say that the songs on side 1 of Replicas were thematically linked but those on side 2 less so, although it certainly works as a cohesive whole. As someone said upthread the B-sides and unreleased songs that came out later add considerably to the theme of the record.

actually, that was a point made on the Dance thread

It seems to have this reputation as being Numan's straightforward punk album, and I kinda disagree with that. Yeah, it's much more raw and there's more guitar on it, but stuff like 'My Love Is A Liquid' is just as robotic sounding as anything he ever did at his commercial peak... and 'Something's In The House' is hardly 'Anarchy In The UK', that's for sure.

paid an arm and a leg for this back in my days of Numan collectordom:

http://eil.com/images/main/Tubeway+Army+-+Tubeway+Army+-+Blue+Vinyl+-+EX+-+LP+RECORD-261180.jpg

Yeah, the first edition on blue vinyl! Although strangely I think the white reissue sleeve with the outline drawing of Numan's face is the superior artwork...

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I, Assassin definitely needs more love

that is exactly the order I thought they'd be in (though I would've switched the last two)

I had that blue album, it was well worn but it was cheap.

Never played it, sold it eventually..

A friend of mine I'd lost touch with was most miffed when she found out I'd had it.

Thought it would have been closer at the top.

Y'know, the more I listen to I, Assassin, the more I'm convinced it's one of his best albums. As much as I love Dance, I can't help but think that maybe it would have made more sense if something like I, Assassin had been the follow-up to Telekon, with something like Dance following after that. It's got the fretless bass funkiness of Dance, but retains the ass-shaking elements what were part of what made tracks like 'Remind Me To Smile' so great.

Looks like Marc Almond isn't a fan of Warriors...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb04y4Nz2qw

This is an old feud. Gary retaliated in an interview a couple of years later, describing Marc as "pick a note, any note Almond... why sing the right note when you can sing these three." It resurfaced recently when Gary did a webchat for the Guardian and was asked about it:

I don't think there's any anger from Marc towards me. He said something unpleasant about one of my songs about 35 years ago, so I think we've probably both moved on. In fact, I was about ten feet from him in a restaurant in London a few months ago, and he didn't punch me, so I guess everything's ok now.

Regarding I, Assassin, I think "Music for Chameleons" and "We Take Mystery" are two of his greatest songs but otherwise I can't stump up much love for the album. The bass overpowers the synths and the tunes just aren't there.

Christ that video is insufferable. Almond at one point does say something on-point about that era of Gary Numan records -- the songs meander, they drift -- which I always thought was kind of the point of those records, the songs are really immersive spaces and the textures are lovely (I think it's plain Numan had been listening to a lot of Japan), they're really nice records to just put on and let play -- but tthat raised-eyebrow"ooh I'm going to say 'John Revolta.' Did everyone notice me say my clever thing" style he flexes through the whole thing

what a dick

Regarding I, Assassin, I think "Music for Chameleons" and "We Take Mystery" are two of his greatest songs but otherwise I can't stump up much love for the album. The bass overpowers the synths and the tunes just aren't there.

― anthony braxton diamond geezer (anagram), Tuesday, March 31, 2015 7:59 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The fact that it's relatively bass-led is one of the reasons I love the album so much! I don't think he ever worked with a bass player of the calibre of Mick Karn and (on I, Assassin) Pino Palladino again, and I think it's a massive shame that Palladino didn't return for Warriors. 'White Boys and Heroes', 'A Dream of Siam' and 'War Songs' are incredible too, IMO. 'This Is My House' and the title track weren't as immediate for me, but grew on me eventually. I dunno, I'm a sucker for live drumming mixed with Compurhythm patterns anyway, but the bass playing on I, Assassin adds that extra dimension, again IMHO.