Still constantly judging Gary Numan by those two no.1 hits from 1979?
Well, more fool you. See, the music press may have been pretty snide about Gary Numan over the years, but there’s a whole host of musicians – to say nothing of an army of very loyal fans – who see him as nothing less than a pioneer. That’s people as diverse as Trent Reznor, Lady Gaga, and Prince, to name but three.
He’s not been treading the same ground all these years – and his music draws on and continues to influence goth, industrial and metal scenes, to say nothing of hip-hop as well.
And his latest album Dead Son Rising shows him doing what he does best very well indeed. The lyrical concerns remain dark, by and large, the music thought-provoking and atmospheric. The single ‘The Fall’ (about an old friendship souring) is a perfect entry into the album. However, ‘Big Noise Transmission’ is as Numan-esquely industrial as you would expect from its title, and yet other pieces like ‘Not For The Rest Of My Life’ are far more reflective than you might expect. I’m not so keen on ‘Into Battle’ but as an album this is a strong body of work.
So, yes, this should doubtless please his fans. But – and here’s the rub – this is as good a place as any to see what he’s up to, and why he is revered by so many.
