While Gary Numan is an artist that all but his rabidly loyal fans in his British homeland ridicule and pretend to hate, in the USA he has remained an obscure one hit wonder ("Cars" reached the top 10 in 1980). Most US DJs think Numan flew off into the sunset to follow his passion for airplanes, never to be heard from again, musically. But he achieved a string of UK top 20 hits from 79 through 82 and less successful singles almost every year since then. This CD is the worldwide release of his 78-83 UK singles output, the first of his early material in many markets.
Premier Hits hit UK stores a year ago after a 1987 remix of "Cars" was used and renamed to promote a British lager. The US edition sports a different cover and back but contains the same tracks. The well illustrated booklet includes an intelligent commentary piece by Steve Malins that reflects more accurately the career of Numan up to the present day than you'll find in any fanzine or the often self-absorbed UK music press.
These singles include Numan's contrived but successful sound that landed a recording deal in the final throws of punk ("That's Too Bad", "Bombers"), the stunningly successful electronic UK chartbusters ("Are Friends' Electric?", "Cars" - both were UK No. 1s) and the Jazz and funk influenced singles that were released as Numan's career started to wind down ("She's Got Claws", "Music for Chameleons", "Warriors"). Also included are such electronic classics as "I Die: You Die", "We Are Glass" and "Down in the Park". Two of Numan's earlier and more musically successful collaborative singles, with his backing band "Dramatis" and his Tubeway Army bass player, Paul Gardiner, are also featured.
While some of this material is showing it's age, it cannot be denied that Numan was the first synthesizer based artist to appeal to the UK masses for more than one release. Bands such as Depeche Mode, Yaz(oo), Ultravox and more recently Pet Shop Boys and Erasure might not have succeeded were it not for Numan's ear for a catchy hook presented without the use of guitars. Numan pioneered the European electropop field with the first number one of its kind (AFE), the first commercial music video release ("The Touring Principle"), and the first successful electronic ballad ("Complex").
Indeed many of today's top bands are acknowledging Numan by providing covers that will be released later this year on a 2CD tribute titled Random. But Numan's huge success was relatively short-lived as sales dropped, and Numan's relationship with the media deteriorated. That antagonism even extended to BBC Radio 1 which has unoffically and unfairly boycotted all of Numan's work since 1986. While Numan has continued to make music since then, with some very idiosyncratic and inconstant albums, he has won over new fans with his most recent UK album (_Sacrifice, 1994), and is actively looking for a record deal for his new one, Exile.
Premier Hits is a splendid retrospective that allows the listener to relive some of the best electronically based music from the early 80s. The songs, newly remastered for this collection, are an essential addition for anyone who wants to include a broad sample of one of the founding members of the synth revolution in popular music in their collection. This CD will provide an excellent sample of what Numan was all about for people who liked "Cars" but didn't really follow the rest of his early career.
TRACK LISTING: Cars (Premier Mix), I Die: You Die, Are 'Friends' Electric?, Down In The Park, We Are Glass, Bombers, We Take Mystery (To Bed), She's Got Claws, Complex, Music For Chameleons, That's Too Bad, This Wreckage, Warriors, Love Needs No Disguise (Dramatis featuring Gary Numan), White Boys And Heroes, Sister Surprise, Stormtrooper In Drag (Paul Gardiner and Gary Numan), Cars (Original version)
