Both Numan's music and his transgressive public image are known for his sense of alien coldness and embrace of avant-garde influences. Becoming of the founding fathers of electronic-based pop music, Numan's reach extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars,” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles. That seminal track helped usher in the synthpop era on both sides of the Atlantic, especially his native England, where he was a genuine pop star and consistent hit-maker during the early 80s. Even after new wave had mostly petered out, Numan’s influence continued to make itself felt. His dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy persona, and clinical, robotic sound were echoed strongly in the work of many goth rock and (especially) industrial artists during the past several decades. For his part, Numan just kept on recording, and, by the late 90s, he’d become a hip name to drop. Prominent alternative rock bands have covered his hits, with Numan himself playing live with Nine Inch Nails briefly to much acclaim, and a goth-flavored brand of industrial-type music christened darkwave looks to him as its mentor.
Numan was born Gary Anthony James Webb on March 8, 1958, in Hammersmith, West London, U.K. A shy child, music brought him out of his shell; he began playing guitar in his early teens and played in several short-lived bands. Inspired by the amateurism of the punk movement, he joined a punk rock group called "The Lasers" in 1976. The following year, he and bassist Paul Gardiner split off to form a new group, dubbed "Tubeway Army", with drummer Bob Simmonds. They recorded a couple of singles under futuristic pseudonyms (Valerium [or Valerian], Scarlett, and Rael, respectively) that attempted to match their new interest in synthesizers. Scrapping that idea, Webb rechristened himself Gary Numan and replaced Simmonds with his uncle Jess Lidyard. Thus constituted, "Tubeway Army" cut a set of "punk-meets-Kraftwerk" demos for Beggars Banquet in early 1978. That work ended up being released several years later as 'The Plan'.
That summer, Numan sang a TV commercial jingle for jeans, and toward the end of the year the group’s debut album, 'Tubeway Army', appeared. Chiefly influenced by Kraftwerk and David Bowie’s Berlin-era collaborations with Brian Eno, the album also displayed Numan’s fascination with the electronic, experimental side of glam rock (such as in some works by Roxy Music and Ultravox) and Krautrock (such as in some works by Can). He also drew much influence from transgressive science fiction writers such as Philip K. Dick, people who challenged conventional thinking through exploring the affects of new technology.
The group’s second album, 'Replicas', was released in early 1979. Its accompanying single, “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?", was a left-field smash, topping the UK charts and sending 'Replicas' to number one on the album listings as well. The record also included “Down in the Park", an oft-covered song that stands as one of Numan’s most 'gothic' outings.
Numan had become a star overnight, despite critical distaste for any music so heavily reliant on synthesizers, and he formed a larger backing band that replaced "Tubeway Army", keeping Gardiner on bass. "The Pleasure Principle" was released in the fall of 1979 and spawned Numan’s international hit “Cars”, which reached the American Top Ten and hit number one in the UK; the album also became Numan’s second straight British number one. He put together a hugely elaborate, futuristic stage show and went on a money-losing tour, and also began to indulge his hobby as an amateur pilot with his newfound wealth.
Numan returned in the fall of 1980 with "Telekon", his third straight chart-topping album in Britain, and scored two Top Ten hits with “We Are Glass” and “I Die: You Die”; “This Wreckage” later reached the Top 20.
In 1981, Numan announced his retirement from live performance, playing several farewell concerts just prior to the release of "Dance". While "Dance" and its lead single, “She’s Got Claws”, were both climbing into the British Top Ten, Numan attempted to fly around the world, but in a bizarre twist was arrested in India on suspicion of spying and smuggling. The charges were dropped, although authorities confiscated his plane. His retirement proved short-lived, but when he returned in 1982 with "I, Assassin", some of his popularity had dissipated - perhaps because of the retirement announcement, perhaps because the charts were overflowing with synthpop, much of which was already expanding on Numan’s early innovations (which were starting to sound repetitive). "I, Assassin" was another Top Ten album, and “We Take Mystery (To Bed)” another major hit, but in general Numan’s singles were starting to slip on the charts; the title track of 1983’s "Warriors" became his last British Top Twenty hit (excluding reissues and collaborations).
Numan and Beggars Banquet subsequently parted ways, and Numan formed his own Numa label, kicking things off with "Berserker" in late 1984. Sadly, longtime collaborator "Paul Gardiner" died earlier that year from a drug overdose. 1985’s "The Fury" became the final Numan album to reach the British Top 30. Over the next few years, Numan collaborated occasionally with "Shakatak’s" Bill Sharpe, releasing four singles and one album from 1985-1989.
Following 1986’s "Strange Charm", Numan signed with IRS, but the relationship was fraught with discord from the start. IRS forced Numan to change the title of 1988’s "Metal Rhythm" to "New Anger" for his first North American release since 1981 (and also remixed several tracks), refused to release his soundtrack for the film "The Unborn", and would not fund any supporting tours for "New Anger" or 1991’s "Outland". When his contract expired, Numan returned to Numa for 1992’s "Machine + Soul".
1994 brought the release of the industrial-tinged "Sacrifice", the first glimmering of Numan’s return to critical favor and underground hipness. Over the next few years, bands like "Hole", "The Foo Fighters", and "Smashing Pumpkins" covered Numan songs in concert, and Marilyn Manson recorded “Down in the Park” for the B-side of the “Lunchbox” single; moreover, "Nine Inch Nails" cited Numan as an important influence. With his fan base refreshed and expectations raised, Numan delved deeper into gothic, metal-tinged industrial dance on 1997’s "Exile". However, he didn’t truly hit his stride in this newly adopted style until 2000’s "Pure", which was acclaimed as his best work in years and expanded his cult following into new territory.
In 2003, Numan enjoyed fleeting chart success once again with the "Gary Numan vs Rico" single “Crazier”, reaching No.13 in the U.K. chart. Rico, who is an up and coming artist from Glasgow, also worked on the remix album "Hybrid" which featured reworkings of older songs in a more contemporary industrial style. In 2004 Numan took control of his own business affairs again, launching the label Mortal Records and releasing a series of live DVDs as a precursor to his highly anticipated new studio album, "Jagged" which was released on 13 March 2006. An album launch gig took place at "The Forum, London" on 18 March 2006. Numan announced a UK tour commencing in April 2006 and plans to tour other countries, including the USA, during the year in support of the release. Numan also to launched a "Jagged" website to showcase the new album.
Numan contributed vocals to four tracks on the April 2007 release of Ade Fenton’s debut solo album "Artificial Perfect" on his new industrial/electronic label Submission, including songs “The Leather Sea”, “Slide Away”, “Recall” and the first single to be taken from the album, “Healing”. The second single to be released in the UK was “The Leather Sea” on July 30, 2007.
In 2008, he released a double CD remix album "Jagged Edge", based around 2006’s critically acclaimed "Jagged", co-produced with Ade Fenton. The pair are currently in the studio working on Numan’s 18th studio album "Splinter", due for release in 2009.
While Numan is known for his electronic music innovations, he prefers real instruments. He explained in an interview with Songfacts: "I didn't go the technology route wholeheartedly, the way Kraftwerk had done. I considered it to be a layer. I added to what we already had, and I wanted to merge that. There's plenty of things about guitar players, and bass players, and songs I really love that I didn't particularly want to get rid of. The only time I did get rid of guitars was on Pleasure Principle, and that was in fact a reaction to the press. I got a huge amount of hostility from the British press, particularly, when I first became successful. And Pleasure Principle was the first album I made after that success happened. I became successful in the early part of '79 and Pleasure Principle came out in the end of '79, in the UK, anyway. And there was a lot of talk about electronic music being cold and weak and all that sort of stuff. So I made Pleasure Principle to try to prove a point, that you could make a contemporary album that didn't have guitar in it, but still had enough power and would stand up well. That's the only reason that album didn't have guitar in it. But apart from that one album they've all had guitars - that was the blueprint."
The official website can be found here: www.garynuman.co.uk
Critics
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could say I'm the nazz
You could hail me as the new king of it all
You could say I'm nothing new
You could speak well of me
You could say it's already been done before
What will you make of my lines
What hidden secrets will you say are in my head
I feel you waiting for me
Waiting to dig my grave
I'm growing scared of everything you could say
Look in my eyes
There's no surprise at all
Critical mind
What will you find to say
Old faces in my wardrobe
So many I've not seen
Memories to look back on people I've been
Dead love on faded carpets
Nostalgia grows with time
I see your face in mirrors shadowing mine
I see your dirty finger
Marks are still on my wall
I can recall the time we tried it that way
In dingy hotel backrooms
Where paint cracks like your face
I must admit I have acquired the taste (?)
Stab my arm
With your synthetic feelings
You amaze me
I crave for you
You could say I'm pretentious
You could say I'm the nazz
You could hail me as the new king of it all
In Gary Numan's song "Critics," the artist addresses the idea of how critics and fans view his work. He acknowledges that people may consider him to be pretentious or nothing new, but at the same time, they could also hail him as the new king of music. He wonders what people will make of his lines and what hidden secrets they might say are in his head.
The artist expresses fear towards the critics and fans, as if they are waiting to dig his grave. He refers to old faces in his wardrobe, memories of people he has been and dead love on faded carpets. He sees the critics' dirty finger marks on his wall and recalls trying things in dingy hotel backrooms. He admits to acquiring a taste for the darker side of life, but at the same time, he feels amazement and a craving for the synthetic feelings that the critics bring to his attention.
Overall, "Critics" is a reflection of Gary Numan's vulnerability to the opinions of critics and fans as he navigates through his career. He is not afraid to acknowledge his fears and the darker aspects of his life, but at the same time, he craves the attention and feedback of his audience.
Line by Line Meaning
You could say I'm pretentious
You have the option to express that I have an exaggerated sense of my own importance or that I am making a claim to some form of identity that does not entirely belong to me.
You could say I'm the nazz
You have the choice to refer to me as an outstanding or impressive person.
You could hail me as the new king of it all
You could give me lavish praises and regard me as the ultimate authority in my field.
You could say I'm nothing new
You have the possibility of calling me unoriginal or not breaking free from conventions.
You could speak well of me
You have the alternative of praising my work or actions.
You could say it's already been done before
You have the preference to claim that there is nothing new or original about what I am doing.
What will you make of my lines
I wonder how you will interpret what I have written.
What will you think I've said
I am curious about what you will imagine my message to be.
What hidden secrets will you say are in my head
I wonder what you will speculate as being the deeper meanings or motivations behind my words.
I feel you waiting for me
I sense that you are anticipating my next move or waiting for me to make a mistake.
Waiting to dig my grave
I feel like you are patiently waiting for me to fail or be criticized.
I'm growing scared of everything you could say
I am starting to feel intimidated by the potential judgment or criticism that you might give me.
Look in my eyes
I want you to pay attention to me and to understand me more deeply.
There's no surprise at all
I think that you might already know everything that is going on with me.
Critical mind
I recognize that you are examining me and my work in great detail.
What will you find to say
I am questioning what your eventual opinion or evaluation of me will be.
Old faces in my wardrobe
I have kept the memories of people and experiences in my mind and revisit them often.
So many I've not seen
There are many memories that have become distant or foggy in my mind.
Memories to look back on people I've been
I keep the memories of who I have been in the past so that I can reflect and learn from them.
Dead love on faded carpets
I remember the love that I have lost, even though it is no longer present.
Nostalgia grows with time
My nostalgia becomes stronger as time passes.
I see your face in mirrors shadowing mine
I see your image, or a reflection of you, in my own image.
I see your dirty finger
I am reminded of your actions or deeds that have been less than pure.
Marks are still on my wall
Your impact on my life or my surroundings remains visible long after you are gone.
I can recall the time we tried it that way
I remember the time when we attempted something new or different.
In dingy hotel backrooms
We experimented with or practiced something secretively or in a hidden, unimpressive place.
Where paint cracks like your face
The space where I remember us being is old, dirty, or run-down.
I must admit I have acquired the taste (?)
I am realizing that I have become fond of something that I perhaps once found distasteful.
Stab my arm
Pierce or hurt me with your artificial emotions or feelings.
With your synthetic feelings
I feel like your emotions are not genuine and are instead manufactured.
You amaze me
I am impressed by you or find you fascinating in some way.
I crave for you
I desire your attention, approval, or acceptance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind