Gary Numan - Engineers

Live in concert, in robotic terms at least

In 1980 Gary Numan was at the top of his game, having successfully sold the idea of a musical android from Slough wearing a tie to the masses on three continents. The first shock the listener gets from this Australian live date comes from the amazing sound quality, which (considering the age of the master tapes) puts in-concert albums from a decade later to shame. Numan’s voice is a little weary on some of the songs, but otherwise the band’s sound is near-flawless: the big hits (then as now, judging by the audience response) of Cars, Are “Friends” Electric and Me I Disconnect From You are close to the recorded versions. The setlist comes from the two 1979 albums Replicas and The Pleasure Principle, plus I Die, You Die, Remind Me To Smile and Remember I Was Vapour from the forthcoming Telekon. The latter work-in-progress songs will be the Incentive To Buy™ for most Numan fans, but the rest of the set is gold dust too, not least the Webbster’s rearrangement of Satie’s Gymnopedies for synthesised theremin. Weird, addictive stuff on all sides.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Beggars Banquet | BBQCD 2059

Reviewed by Joel McIver
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