With his daughter live in Belgium at Lokerse Feesten – 2018 – Photo by TUTV
London‘s musician/singer-songwriterGARY NUMAN was
born, named Gary Anthony James Webb 67 years ago.
He started his impressive career in 1976 with his band Tubeway Army. After 2 LPs Numan wanted to break
free and went solo.
Now after 19 albums, with Intruder from 2021 as the most recent one and
countless tours the man still wants to electrify his numerous loyal fans, called Numanoids.
Electro-pop big shot GARY NUMAN (born Gary Anthony James Webb 67 years ago
in London) is one of those unwearying artists who keep on going, even after several
decades in showbiz.
He started his journey back in 1977 under the moniker of Tubeway Army.
After two TA albums he dropped the moniker and proceeded as Gary Numan.
Overall, he recorded/released 21 LPs, with Intruder as the most recent one.
It came out in 2021.
Artwork original LP
His 2nd solo longplayer Telekon turned 45 last September. Enter a deluxe anniversary edition. Over the next couple of months his record label Beggars Banquet will release three different editions: a sustainably pressed vinyl, a double-LP deluxe expanded edition, and
a standard double-LP edition.
Numan:“Telekon has always held a rather warm place for me whenever I look back
at the early years. I was very proud of it. I thought the production had moved up a gear
for one thing. I was also proud of the fact that I’d not gone the commercial route and tried to repeat the formula and sound of “Cars” and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” I was still trying to move forward, find new sounds.”
All Numaoid fans will be happy to find out that
the anniversary edition will feature 4 previously
unreleased tracks.
One of them is B-Film. Previously unreleased songs are mostly leftovers, not good
enough to make the original album. But, this one is quite good. Vintage Numanesqye.
Belgium in 2018, with his daughter joining her father for a couple of songs – photo TUTV
Electro new-dark-wave giant GARY NUMAN was born named Gary Anthony James Webb
on 8 March 1958 in London. Happy 66 to a remarkable artist on record and on stage, who started his career under the moniker Tubeway Army in 1978, but switched after 2 LPs to his stage name Gary Numan, as we know him. As solo artist he has released 19 albums, so far, with Intruder from 2021, as his most recent one.
To celebrate his birthday, we’ll go back to the still
unanswered question, Are Friends Electric?.
Gary Numan‘s band TUBEWAY ARMY hit the top spot of the UK Albums Chart with
their second and final album Replicas this day 40 years ago, on 21 July 1979.
Afterward the legendary electro phenomenon started his successful solo career. ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC? was Replicas‘ obvious masterstroke. It was released as a single a couple of months before the longplayer came out and peaked at #1 on the UK singles chart. Last year I saw Numan playing Belgium and this massive killer still sent shivers
down my spine with its irresistible swagger. Here we go…
Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
23 November 2018
Band: TUBEWAY ARMY
Album: Self-titled debut
Released: 24 November 1978 – 40 years ago
ALL MUSIC wrote: “In the past, many have felt that Numan’s debut disc didn’t measure up to his later triumphs (1979’s Replicas, 1980’s Telekon, etc.), but listening to it today, you discover that it’s the most underrated of all his early albums. Numan & the Tubeway Army were one of the first new wave/punk bands (along with Kraftwerk and Devo) to successfully fuse robotic synthesizers with rock & roll. Gary Numan’s guitar riffing is more prominent here than on any other of his albums, which gives the tunes a splendid Ziggy Stardust feel at times. Kicking things off with several strong compositions…”
Full review here – Score: 4/5
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: The startling start of Gary Numan‘s long and
electro-colorful career and the pre-birth of countless Numanoids worldwide.
