Electronic music fans might be interested in the programme Synth Britinnia, about the uprise of the Synthesizer bands from Kraftwerk in the mid 70's to the Pet Shop Boys in the late 80's. It has exclusive interviews with Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Phil Oakey, Neil Tennant and many more. Very interesting programme and well worth a watch. It was shown on BBC4 last year but you can still watch it on BBC iplayer.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n9...ynth_Britannia/

I admire Bowie as an artist, but think his attitude towards Numan was somewhat petty it has to be said... Numan has certainly not shown any such pettiness towards the likes of Reznor and many others who have been influenced by him, and has collaborated with and supported many bands who've cited his influence... I guess there's a certain similarity to what Numan did in the 70s and 80s with Bowie, but why that should make Bowie so paranoid and dead set against him, I honestly dunno...

 

NIN are the most obvious collaborators, but also the likes of Fear Factory (he appeared in their reworking of "Cars") and has worked with a lot of the more underground Industrial acts such as Rico, Curve and Sulpher, as well as producers such as Alan Moulder and Flood... Oh, and Basement Jaxx (whom Russ so readily raves about) sampled the riff off of Numan's "ME" for "Where's Your Head At"..... :rolleyes:

 

His two original 00s albums, "Pure" and "Jagged" are both pretty bloody alright (considerably better than anything Bowie has contributed in the 00s IMO)... Dont make me ), a very strong NIN/Frontline Assembly influence, but then they were both influenced by him, so..... I would say Numan doing Dark Industrial Rock is just a little less embarrassing than Bowie's attempts to do "cyberpunk"... Obviously, "I'm Afraid of Americans" aside (it's a great tune), but the rest of it was pretty cack....

 

You think Bowie's attitude to Gary Numan is petty .... really .... well guess who has done an interview with NME, and still put in a completely unneccessary attack on the most influential British artist of all time.

 

 

Gary Numan announces one-off London gig and ticket details

Singer to play Scala show as Coachella festival warm-up

NME News

March 23, 2010

Gary Numan is to play a one-off London gig this April, he has announced.

 

Numan will play the Scala venue on April 13 as a warm-up to his performance at this year's Coachella festival on April 18 and subsequent US tour.

 

But for those of you who don't remember this recording artist who for a brief period was the biggest pop star in Britain at the beginning of the 1980s, he has still found time to refuel one of the most pettiest fueds in British music history.

 

Gary Numan was upset by David Bowie's 1980s verbal attacks on him but believes he has had the last laugh.

Gary Numan has blasted David Bowie for his lack of recent success.

 

The 'Are Friends Electric' singer admits he was hurt by criticism from his fellow musicians in his 1980s hey-day but believes he had the last laugh.

 

He said: "I remember Brian Eno was a bit s**t about me, as was Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

"Bowie has said some lovely things since - he said I'd written two of the finest songs in British chart history. Well, he's written one good song in 25 years so f**k him."

 

Despite his attack, the 'Cars' hitmaker admitted he was pleased when the 'Let's Dance' singer praised him.

He added: "I don't mean to sneer at Bowie, it was a lovely thing that he said and it healed a rift between him and me. But I was really upset when he said it."

 

Tickets are on sale now.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I think it is laughable how you can defend this pathetic excuse for a human being who became famous by ripping off Bowie's Kraut-rock Berlin era persona after the musical chameleon had left it behind by simplifying it so that a 9 year old could enjoy it.

 

Still this micro interview sums up Gary Numan for what he is = a Bowie impersonator = nothing more nothing less. This is what most casual music fans who can remember Cars and at a push Are Friends Electric? will remember him for. Still it is good that he has clearly moved on from being in the shadow of David Bowie isn't it. And you wonder why David Bowie & Bowie fans start grimmacing and swearing at this musical parasites name, well it is because he has to namecheck Bowie in a cheapshot to get some coverage in the media. :rofl:

 

Still I wonder which one good song in 25 years that Gary Numan is referring to could it be: Absolute Beginners; Underground; When The Wind Blows; Time Will Crawl; Never Let Me Down; Under The God; I Can't Read; Crack City; Pretty Pink Rose; Jump They Say; Pallas Athena; The Buddha Of Suburbia; Sex and The Church; Horizons; Strangers When We Meet; I'm Deranged; The Motel; I'm Afraid Of Americans; The Heart's Filthy Lesson; Hallo Spaceboy; Little Wonder; Battle For Britain (The Letter); Dead Man Walking; Seven Years In Tibet; The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell; Thursday's Child; Survive; Seven; Slow Burn; Everyone Say Hi; Heaven (The Rays); Sunday; Slip Away; New Killer Star; Reality; Never Get Old; Bring Me The Death Of The Disco King ....

 

Anyway knowing Gary Numan he is probably thinking of Magic Dance or Glass Spider.

 

As someone far more viscereal than me pointed out on a popular Bowie site where I frequent. Well knowing his love of ripping off a movement that Bowie started, young fans and wearing a wig:

 

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/03/0306_gary_numan_reveal.jpg

 

http://www.nndb.com/people/600/000022534/gglitter-yipes.jpg

 

David Bowie has always found time to praise acts who are inspired by him such as the likes of The Cure; PIL; Siouxsie & The Banshees; The Smiths; Bauhaus; New Order; Pet Shop Boys; Pixies; Nirvana; Sonic Youth; Massive Attack; Tricky; Suede; Blur; Radiohead; Moby; NIN; Divine Comedy; Badly Drawn Boy; Goldfrapp; Franz Ferdinand; Arcade Fire; TV On The Radio and even in a very recent interview his filmaking son Duncan let slip that his father is proud that his 9 year old's daughter Alexandria's favourite act is now Lady GaGa having previously been less than impressed when she liked Disney related acts such as Miley Cyrus; The Jonas Brothers & High School Musical!

 

Still David Bowie is far from the only act to be less underwhelmed when a newer act has come along and ripped off another older act; yet most great artists don't have a problem with inspiring others.

 

Hence it was no coincidence that Kate Bush admitted to approving of the work of Bjork & PJ Harvey... yet was far less charitable with Tori Amos; similarly Siouxsie Sioux is another fan of PJ Harvey .. but was far more scathing of Florence + The Machine; ditto The Beatles hated The Monkees; yet had less problems with ELO; Badfinger (& with the exception of George) Oasis; Bob Dylan appreciated the efforts of Bruce Springsteen but he hated what Bon Jovi did; whilst old punk rockers of rival acts The Sex Pistols & The Clash were united in their hatred of "US punks" Green Day ... yet gave the thumbs up to The Libertines; Robert Plant approved of Aerosmith and yet held Whitenake in contempt; etc.

It annoys me when people compare Tori and Kate like that. They are both artists in their own right. They are not identical. You can get urges to listen to either one! Sometimes you may want to have a listen to a Tori song, just because you like the song, and then you can get an urge for a Kate Bush song. The songs are separate pieces of music.

 

Pisses me off too tbh, it's not even remotely accurate.... Oh, they're chicks who play pianos so they must be the same..... :rolleyes: Yeah, cos Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica were just carbon copies of Iron Maiden or Motorhead weren't they, nothing individual about them at all eh......?

You think Bowie's attitude to Gary Numan is petty .... really .... well guess who has done an interview with NME, and still put in a completely unneccessary attack on the most influential British artist of all time.

Gary Numan announces one-off London gig and ticket details

Singer to play Scala show as Coachella festival warm-up

NME News

March 23, 2010

Gary Numan is to play a one-off London gig this April, he has announced.

 

Numan will play the Scala venue on April 13 as a warm-up to his performance at this year's Coachella festival on April 18 and subsequent US tour.

 

But for those of you who don't remember this recording artist who for a brief period was the biggest pop star in Britain at the beginning of the 1980s, he has still found time to refuel one of the most pettiest fueds in British music history.

 

Gary Numan was upset by David Bowie's 1980s verbal attacks on him but believes he has had the last laugh.

Gary Numan has blasted David Bowie for his lack of recent success.

 

The 'Are Friends Electric' singer admits he was hurt by criticism from his fellow musicians in his 1980s hey-day but believes he had the last laugh.

 

He said: "I remember Brian Eno was a bit s**t about me, as was Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

"Bowie has said some lovely things since - he said I'd written two of the finest songs in British chart history. Well, he's written one good song in 25 years so f**k him."

 

Despite his attack, the 'Cars' hitmaker admitted he was pleased when the 'Let's Dance' singer praised him.

He added: "I don't mean to sneer at Bowie, it was a lovely thing that he said and it healed a rift between him and me. But I was really upset when he said it."

 

Tickets are on sale now.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I think it is laughable how you can defend this pathetic excuse for a human being who became famous by ripping off Bowie's Kraut-rock Berlin era persona after the musical chameleon had left it behind by simplifying it so that a 9 year old could enjoy it.

 

Still this micro interview sums up Gary Numan for what he is = a Bowie impersonator = nothing more nothing less. This is what most casual music fans who can remember Cars and at a push Are Friends Electric? will remember him for. Still it is good that he has clearly moved on from being in the shadow of David Bowie isn't it. And you wonder why David Bowie & Bowie fans start grimmacing and swearing at this musical parasites name, well it is because he has to namecheck Bowie in a cheapshot to get some coverage in the media. :rofl:

 

Still I wonder which one good song in 25 years that Gary Numan is referring to could it be: Absolute Beginners; Underground; When The Wind Blows; Time Will Crawl; Never Let Me Down; Under The God; I Can't Read; Crack City; Pretty Pink Rose; Jump They Say; Pallas Athena; The Buddha Of Suburbia; Sex and The Church; Horizons; Strangers When We Meet; I'm Deranged; The Motel; I'm Afraid Of Americans; The Heart's Filthy Lesson; Hallo Spaceboy; Little Wonder; Battle For Britain (The Letter); Dead Man Walking; Seven Years In Tibet; The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell; Thursday's Child; Survive; Seven; Slow Burn; Everyone Say Hi; Heaven (The Rays); Sunday; Slip Away; New Killer Star; Reality; Never Get Old; Bring Me The Death Of The Disco King ....

 

Anyway knowing Gary Numan he is probably thinking of Magic Dance or Glass Spider.

 

As someone far more viscereal than me pointed out on a popular Bowie site where I frequent. Well knowing his love of ripping off a movement that Bowie started, young fans and wearing a wig:

 

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/03/0306_gary_numan_reveal.jpg

 

http://www.nndb.com/people/600/000022534/gglitter-yipes.jpg

 

David Bowie has always found time to praise acts who are inspired by him such as the likes of The Cure; PIL; Siouxsie & The Banshees; The Smiths; Bauhaus; New Order; Pet Shop Boys; Pixies; Nirvana; Sonic Youth; Massive Attack; Tricky; Suede; Blur; Radiohead; Moby; NIN; Divine Comedy; Badly Drawn Boy; Goldfrapp; Franz Ferdinand; Arcade Fire; TV On The Radio and even in a very recent interview his filmaking son Duncan let slip that his father is proud that his 9 year old's daughter Alexandria's favourite act is now Lady GaGa having previously been less than impressed when she liked Disney related acts such as Miley Cyrus; The Jonas Brothers & High School Musical!

 

Still David Bowie is far from the only act to be less underwhelmed when a newer act has come along and ripped off another older act; yet most great artists don't have a problem with inspiring others.

 

Hence it was no coincidence that Kate Bush admitted to approving of the work of Bjork & PJ Harvey... yet was far less charitable with Tori Amos; similarly Siouxsie Sioux is another fan of PJ Harvey .. but was far more scathing of Florence + The Machine; ditto The Beatles hated The Monkees; yet had less problems with ELO; Badfinger (& with the exception of George) Oasis; Bob Dylan appreciated the efforts of Bruce Springsteen but he hated what Bon Jovi did; whilst old punk rockers of rival acts The Sex Pistols & The Clash were united in their hatred of "US punks" Green Day ... yet gave the thumbs up to The Libertines; Robert Plant approved of Aerosmith and yet held Whitenake in contempt; etc.

 

Well, that just says to me that he's still a bit hurt by Bowie's p!ssy attitude to him in the 70s/80s, especially if previously he had idolised the guy... I mean, using his influence to get him chucked off a TV show. Christ, how "mature" of the most influential act of all time, come on dont you think he should be a bit bigger than that...?

 

And your attempts to compare him to Gary Glitter are really a little pathetic and potentially libellous, Jesus, they've been married for about the past 13 years and have three kids.. Numan's not a child molestor and to my knowledge hasn't been arrested for downloading child pornography, and you had the nerve to try and censure Rob's Jokes about Jacko...

 

Numan's done some great material over the years, and he has influence plenty of other out there (unless you're seriously trying to tell me that Frontline Assembly, Fear Factory, Rammstein, NIN, Alec Empire or Curve are also just second-rate Bowie rip-offs as well...) and if he'd been merely a "rip off act" he'd've been found out long before now and would've faded away like most of the other fakers who've come and gone and certainly wouldn't have influenced a generation of Underground Industrial/Rock/Metal/Cyber acts to come on the scene...

Well, that just says to me that he's still a bit hurt by Bowie's p!ssy attitude to him in the 70s/80s, especially if previously he had idolised the guy... I mean, using his influence to get him chucked off a TV show. Christ, how "mature" of the most influential act of all time, come on dont you think he should be a bit bigger than that...?

 

And your attempts to compare him to Gary Glitter are really a little pathetic and potentially libellous, Jesus, they've been married for about the past 13 years and have three kids.. Numan's not a child molestor and to my knowledge hasn't been arrested for downloading child pornography, and you had the nerve to try and censure Rob's Jokes about Jacko...

 

Numan's done some great material over the years, and he has influence plenty of other out there (unless you're seriously trying to tell me that Frontline Assembly, Fear Factory, Rammstein, NIN, Alec Empire or Curve are also just second-rate Bowie rip-offs as well...) and if he'd been merely a "rip off act" he'd've been found out long before now and would've faded away like most of the other fakers who've come and gone and certainly wouldn't have influenced a generation of Underground Industrial/Rock/Metal/Cyber acts to come on the scene...

 

The only thing pathetic is your attitude to a deeply unoriginal artist and all round arsehole - the former Gary Webb. As for approving of underage sex .... not very classy in my eyes but as you do correctly say he was not arrested for it (but neither was Bill Wyman) because back then it was not quite so much of a no no as it is now.

 

Thanks to Bowie websites it is all too easy to uncover that this guy is a prized pillock who is nothing more than a career opportunist. Which is something time and again David Bowie has little time for. The fact he has also had spats with the equally talentless and opportunistic Marilyn Manson & Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) in recent years is proof of that.

 

For example in 1982 he was reviewing the latest releases in Smash Hits magazine he reviewed the then Adam Ant single "Goody Two Shoes" but was particularly scathing about the Killing Jokes-esque proto Industrial metal B-side "Red Scab" a track that is now rightly regarded as a classic of its genre having been since covered in concert by Nine Inch Nails and the Pixies.

 

Or I could go on about producing legend Tony (T-Rex, Bowie, Sparks, Thin Lizzy, Hazel O'Connor, Stranglers, Boomtown Rats, Manic Street Preachers, Morrissey) Visconti's autobiography where he recalls the the time shortly after David Bowie had moved on from working with him in the 1980s and Gary Numan asked if he would produce his next album. After meeting Gary he became convinced that Gary had an unhealthy negative attitude towards David Bowie and decided that he did not want to work with Gary as he had the wrong motivation.

 

Or I could mention the that another Bowie inspired artist Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe) who produced Gary's 1983 Warriors album similarly found Gary's attitude to be some what unsavoury, and as a result he fell out with Numan during recording and chose to be uncredited as the album's co-producer.

 

You also claim Gary Numan was a some sort of influence on Industrial rock and gothic rock. Well unless I'm mistaken Gary Numan did not attempt this genre of music until 1994's Sacrifice album.

 

The funny thing is I thought industrial metal started with the likes of Killing Joke; Big Black & Ministry who had been doing this type of music since the beginning of the 1980s if not before. Whilst the likes of Nine Inch Nails were more commercially successful in the early 1990s before Gary Numan "discovered" this genre.

 

As for gothic rock well unless I'm mistaken I thought this genre started in the late 1970s with the likes of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, The Virgin Prunes, The Sex Gang Children, The Birthday Party.... and later the likes of Gene Loves Jezebel, Fields of the Nephilim, The Cult & The Mission.

 

Still this was while Gary Numan was making dodgy records with members of lightweight 1980s jazz funk outfit Shakatak:

 

Sharpe & Numan - Change your Mind (1985 UK#17)

 

^ I mean that sounds about as hardcore as Nik Kershaw or the Thompson Twins FFS. :lol:

 

Therefore, I don't respect him as a creative artist because there is little to respect as he was making lightweight electronic pop music sounded like 3rd rate Prince & Robert Palmer records when the likes of Depeche Mode and the Cure were being brave and bold and taking their music in the second half of the 1980s to a much darker and harder place.

 

Also, I should add that of course would people have heard of Gary Numan if he had not done the music to that strange 1979 advert for Lee Cooper jeans. Especially as the first three songs released by Tubeway Army "That's Too Bad"; "Bombers" and the wonderful "Down In The Park" flopped. Yet the 4th single released off the back of the advert went to #1. (Babylon Zoo - Spaceman - Levi Jeans advert ... anyone). :rofl:

 

Still I give him credit for being a good sport appearing in The Mighty Boosh; and he is a damn good car driver even if his music is on a par for innovation with fellow racing fanatic Brian Johnson (AC\DC); or he is as big a prat as fellow racing fanatic Jay Kay (Jamiroquai). :lol:

Scott..... Numan influenced FontLine Assembly? I thought Frontline Assembly were a fabulous Depeche Mode tribute act, to be honest.... and I rather like them.

 

And I agree -Numan jumped on the Inductrial bandwagon AAAAAAGES after the genre was established... so I can only assume it's more telling on the musical knowledge of Reznor et al if they cite Numan with any influence on this genre whatsoever.

 

And goth too - hardly a genre Numan's familiar with - just because most of his fans wear black nail varnish and have dyed red hair (like his wife... who was underage when they started going out, by the way... an underage fan, too, no less).... a goth doth not him make.

 

Numan is possibly my least favourite recording artist of all time - if there's a bandwagon, like the old slag he is...he's on it... and with Bowie still alive, as I said before on this thread.... why on earth would anyone be remotely interested in this nauseous pillock? He has about as much creative innovation and originality as Milli Vanilli. And at least they had their own hair.....

 

And Bush v Amos.... I reckon you should give The Kick Inside and Little Earthquakes a spin end-to-end, back-to-back.... because only the clinically deaf couldn't hear the glaringly obvious similarities... in fact, Amos even copied the cover.... check the US issue of Kick Inside... Kate posing in... a box. Little Earthquakes featuring Amos? Posing in... a box.

i was eagrely awaiting scotts reply, but he looks beat on this!

.

 

You also claim Gary Numan was a some sort of influence on Industrial rock and gothic rock. Well unless I'm mistaken Gary Numan did not attempt this genre of music until 1994's Sacrifice album.

 

I dont claim it, Trent Reznor was on the 02 stage telling me that Gary Numan inspired him; Dino Cazares and Burton C Bell of Fear Factory also said they were big fans of Numan too, same for Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber...

 

Oh, and then Gary shows up ON STAGE with Reznor and they then proceed to do blinding covers of "Metal" (which Reznor did a cover of years ago for "Further Down The Spiral"...) and "Cars"... Obviously all a figment of my imagination though, as was his onstage speech praising Numan's influence on him....

 

Oh, and Russ, who came first, Depeche Mode or Tubeway Army....? TA started recording in 1976, "Are Friends Electric" hit the charts in '79, I believe Mr Gahan didn't even join Depeche Mode proper until 1980.... :rolleyes:

 

You know Rich, do I have to be like a sheep and just fall into line with everything a favoured artist I respect says....? No, I dont, if I think someone is talking sh"te I'll say it, and Bowie IS talking sh"te as far as Numan goes... Being a fan (as opposed to a sheep) sometimes means disagreeing, and I'm afraid I totally disagree with Mr Jones on Gary Numan..... As far as I'm concerned "Replicas" is an absolutely seminal album, HUGELY influential, IMO...

 

And Bush v Amos.... I reckon you should give The Kick Inside and Little Earthquakes a spin end-to-end, back-to-back.... because only the clinically deaf couldn't hear the glaringly obvious similarities... in fact, Amos even copied the cover.... check the US issue of Kick Inside... Kate posing in... a box. Little Earthquakes featuring Amos? Posing in... a box.

 

Yeah, okay, whatever, Russ, you're right and I'm wrong.... :rolleyes: You cant just say that Tori's influenced by Kate (which no one would deny), you have to totally disrespect her as an artist, just because Kate's a little bit miffed at Tori for her own petty reasons.... Again, just following what someone else says like a sheep... I guess because Megadeth had a mascot on their album covers (Vic) which kind of looked a bit similar to Iron Maiden's Eddie, I guess it means Dave Mustaine just totally and utterly ripped off everything Maiden did artistically as well..... Yeah, right..... -_-

 

Jeez, you and Richard really need to look up the definition of the phrase "influence" when it concerns artists... It doesn't mean "totally rip off" like you guys seem to think....

Yeah, okay, whatever, Russ, you're right and I'm wrong.... :rolleyes: You cant just say that Tori's influenced by Kate (which no one would deny), you have to totally disrespect her as an artist, just because Kate's a little bit miffed at Tori for her own petty reasons.... Again, just following what someone else says like a sheep... I guess because Megadeth had a mascot on their album covers (Vic) which kind of looked a bit similar to Iron Maiden's Eddie, I guess it means Dave Mustaine just totally and utterly ripped off everything Maiden did artistically as well..... Yeah, right..... -_-

 

Jeez, you and Richard really need to look up the definition of the phrase "influence" when it concerns artists... It doesn't mean "totally rip off" like you guys seem to think....

 

And I think you, Scott, need to look up the definition of the word 'pastiche'.....

 

And you're way off the mark with the DM comments.... what on earth are you on about? I wasn't insinuating Numan was a DM rip-off? What I did say is that Frontline Assembly are startlingly like Depeche Mode.... no mention of Numan at all...

 

Back to Bush and Tori Aimless..... there's a gulf of difference between being influenced by someone... and ripping off their act... don't you think? Whilst, since Little Earthquakes, Aimless has carved a very solid niche for herself as this 'kooky' hippy bird on the ole joanna..... her early recorded work directly lifted from Bush's early work. "Precious Things" vs. "Hounds of Love;" "Girl" and vs. "Cloudbusting;" "Silent All These Years" vs. "Wuthering Heights;" "Winter" vs. "The Man With the Child in His Eyes;" "Happy Phantom" vs. "There Goes a Tenner," etc. Kate wouldn't even lower herself to discuss Tori Anus, Scott.... I'd be surprised if she'd even heard of her....

I dont claim it, Trent Reznor was on the 02 stage telling me that Gary Numan inspired him; Dino Cazares and Burton C Bell of Fear Factory also said they were big fans of Numan too, same for Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber...

 

Oh, and then Gary shows up ON STAGE with Reznor and they then proceed to do blinding covers of "Metal" (which Reznor did a cover of years ago for "Further Down The Spiral"...) and "Cars"... Obviously all a figment of my imagination though, as was his onstage speech praising Numan's influence on him....

 

Oh, and Russ, who came first, Depeche Mode or Tubeway Army....? TA started recording in 1976, "Are Friends Electric" hit the charts in '79, I believe Mr Gahan didn't even join Depeche Mode proper until 1980.... :rolleyes:

 

You know Rich, do I have to be like a sheep and just fall into line with everything a favoured artist I respect says....? No, I dont, if I think someone is talking sh"te I'll say it, and Bowie IS talking sh"te as far as Numan goes... Being a fan (as opposed to a sheep) sometimes means disagreeing, and I'm afraid I totally disagree with Mr Jones on Gary Numan..... As far as I'm concerned "Replicas" is an absolutely seminal album, HUGELY influential, IMO...

 

Is this the best you can do, as a comeback! :rofl: Pathetic. I think you should just give up on this topic.

 

Why have you not answered the question why Gary Numan has peddled so much unmitigated jazz-synth $h!t from the early 1980s through to after NIN became large?

 

Why have you failed to answer my question why the likes of credible producers/musicians Tony Visconti (who remember was a bit hacked off himself when David left him in the lurch at short notice to record the "Let's Dance" album with Nile Rodgers); and Bill Nelson found Gary Numan an unlikeable person to work with?

 

Why have you failed to address the point I raised regarding the chronological information I used with regards to his criticism of the Killing Jokes-esque proto Industrial metal track by Adam Ant in Smash Hits magazine:

 

Adam Ant - Red Scab

 

I got a heart on my arm

It says pure sex

It hurt

I mean it

Yeah

 

Red red scab

Red red scab

Red red scab

 

I got it till I die

Or till I reach orgasmo

I’m gonna get myself a girl with a gun

She’s gonna blow my throbbing brains out

Yeah

 

... Even though he did not utilize that sound until over a decade later.

 

And why have you not addressed the point about why a has been like Gary Numan had to take such an unnecessary cheap shot at a music legend who has been retired from recording music (probably due to ill health) since 2004 (only in the last week has Tony Visconti confirmed that David has not knowingly been writing or recording and has no present plans to do so); who has not even done an audio interview since 2007; other than by doing so it guaranteed him greater coverage in the media to advertise the fact he is still making music and had some gigs planned?

 

Sorry, but how pathetic a human being must you be to do that? For crying out loud Gary Webb is 52 years old; and yet he clearly has still not grown up; and by his comments he has proved that he has not moved out of the shadow of a far superior artist in 30 years.

 

So what if Gary Numan made a few good albums in a short period of time circa 30 years ago. Big deal so have hundreds of music acts. Oh and being some sort of pioneer of a musical genre (electronic music)..... well exactly the same thing could be said about another UK male artist at the turn of the millennium, Craig David, after all for 18 months he was the hottest property in the UK music via the then happening music genre (UK garage), and he is still around today all be it far less popular like Gary Numan ... hell he has even been sited as an influence by the likes of Taio Cruz; JLS & Tinchy Stryder ....

 

But it does not mean either acts are great though does it.

 

Lastly, you point out that me and Russ must be sheep for following the viewpoint of David Bowie.

 

Well using that logic I must be a "sheep" for not supporting the BNP then; just because over 90% of the population does not, as obviously I have been manipulated by the media not to rather than MAKE UP MY OWN MIND using MY OWN LOGIC and COMMON SENSE and EVIDENCE available.

 

Sorry, but you are talking complete bollocks; I think Gary Numan is $h!t for all the reasons I have previous given because I don't think he is anywhere in the league of being a creative artist like his UK new wave equivalents such as the likes of John Lydon; Siouxsie Sioux & David Sylvian.

 

I have never liked artists who are opportunistic and jump on a bandwagon instead of creating one of their own (The current example being that downmarket Lady GaGa impersonator Ke$ha; and similarly I'm also disappointed by the new Christina Aguilera single for the same reasons).

 

Gary Numan took the sound of the Kraut rock influenced Bowie Berlin trilogy (and the John Foxx era of Ultravox); the dystopian lyrical concept of David Bowie's Man Who Sold The World album; and his image being merely a more austere version of the white powdered face; panda eyes make up; & suit and tie get up from .... the more colourful David Bowie:

 

David Bowie - Life On Mars? (1973)

 

http://www.arras.net/fscIII/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/thepleasureprinciple12.jpg

Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle album cover

 

But of course he got so much (deserved) stick and ridicule over his unoriginality that he ended up borrowing his image from a Paul McCartney video:

 

Paul McCartney - Silly Love Songs

 

Gary Numan - Beserker

 

:rofl:

I dont claim it, Trent Reznor was on the 02 stage telling me that Gary Numan inspired him; Dino Cazares and Burton C Bell of Fear Factory also said they were big fans of Numan too, same for Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber...

 

Oh, and then Gary shows up ON STAGE with Reznor and they then proceed to do blinding covers of "Metal" (which Reznor did a cover of years ago for "Further Down The Spiral"...) and "Cars"... Obviously all a figment of my imagination though, as was his onstage speech praising Numan's influence on him....

 

Oh, and Russ, who came first, Depeche Mode or Tubeway Army....? TA started recording in 1976, "Are Friends Electric" hit the charts in '79, I believe Mr Gahan didn't even join Depeche Mode proper until 1980.... :rolleyes:

 

You know Rich, do I have to be like a sheep and just fall into line with everything a favoured artist I respect says....? No, I dont, if I think someone is talking sh"te I'll say it, and Bowie IS talking sh"te as far as Numan goes... Being a fan (as opposed to a sheep) sometimes means disagreeing, and I'm afraid I totally disagree with Mr Jones on Gary Numan..... As far as I'm concerned "Replicas" is an absolutely seminal album, HUGELY influential, IMO...

 

NIN doing "Metal" was on "Things Falling Apart" Not "Futher Down The Spiral" by the way.

 

 

"Back in that time when I was trying to figue out what Nine Inch Nails were gonna be about there was someone who was vitally important to me who was a huge inspiration and it is with great pleasure and honour i present to you Gary Numan"

 

by "Back in that time" he was just talking about before he recorded "Pretty Hate Machine" which was recorded in 1988/1989 so yeah Numan did influence Reznor before Numan got influenced himself by Reznor. (before Numan became industrial).

Hi. I am a Numan fan and I have found this great site with pics and chart info...... www.musicchartheaven.com

I kind of agree with the both of you. I've never much liked Numan and have long been a Bowie fan but I have to concede that Numan has been influential. Artists have said as much and to argue the point is to ignore their own words and brand them liars. Numan may have borrowed more than most from Bowie but he has written some decent tracks over the years and like Bowie most of the 80s was pretty barren creatively for him. Numan also suffered more through the 90s though. NIN are clearly influenced by both acts. Bowie was clearly influenced by others too but was more able to make it his own. In short Numan is influential and was briefly hugely popular but the phrase 'standing on the sholders of giants' comes to mind