Gary Numan- White Boys and Heroes REACTION AND REVIEW

[@benjisandoval5640]

So true JP. He is so talented and so many people only know him for his hit song 'Cars', but there is so much more!

[@GazEndo68]

This sound from Numan was actually first penned on the album previous to this one called “Dance”. Definitely worth a listen.

[@antonyrobinson1215]

Oddly, I was looking for 'Mike' just two days ago (weird). Anyway I found out his name is Mike Paice. Sadly died in 2020 from what I could tell. Not sure if they just never knew his surname in time for the album sleeve printing or if it was a contractual thing. The sax solo on bonus track "The Image Is" is phenomenal and that track is one of my favourites. Do check out all the bonus tracks, especially "Noise Noise" which is a fan and live favourite. As to "White Boys and Heroes", good track but odd choice for a single. Points of interest: the bass line is actually two basses so cannot be performed live exactly as it appears here, the extra percussion hits are a Latin American instrument called 'timbales' (only time they were ever used I think) and the sax is a soprano sax, which is the straight one.

[@chinard]

Definitely do this one and "Dance" for some tasty Mick Karn grooves

[@gaiaeternal5131]

Hi Justin. Dave from Across The Ocean. The final two minutes makes it for me. Terrific groove, and the musicianship throughout is fantastic. I notice Chris Slade is on the drums - I know him from Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but he's played with so many artists across the whole musical spectrum, except maybe with Slade! Pino too (who is fantastic with Paul Young). I also notice Gary Numan was born in Hammersmith, West London, where I was shopping this morning (so what?, I hear you say.).

[@marcharley6465]

The Bowie and Japan influences are definitely there. Loved the bassline.

[@onsesejoo2605]

Mick Karn plays on the album but uncredited.

[@richardkolnsberg4418]

White Boys And Heroes is, for me, one of Numan’s greatest achievements. It’s a sweet spot where he sheds the skin of Pleasure Principle and Telekon and embraces his fresh musical skin. It’s where cold becomes warm. Don’t get me wrong, the Dance album the precedes I,Assasin is a departure, but it doesn’t have the confidence of I,Assasin. I love all of Numan’s 40+ years of music, but this is such an exciting moment in his career.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

That moment when you have found something new that you love and want to dive in deeper... I love discoveries like that. Here in the UK it was seen as the album of when he went 'off the boil' a bit. Seems he was self consciously trying to grow, expand, get maybe a bit more musically intellectual... but most of us missed the point. Possibly why it does not get that much love, us 'casuals' only saw the prior albums as the pure gold. I was a teenager at the time, early teens, my education and understanding has grown since then to the point I have almost caught up with what he was trying to do here.

[@keithdawe5512]

I found that it would take the next Numan album for me to appreciate the previous one (so I always 'got' what he was doing at then, albeit one year late). I assassin helped me enjoy Dance (which I gave up on after Side one!-- with regret). And Warriors made me appreciate the noir funk of I, Assassin. Justin has to listen to Dance next to feel the segue between these albums (though skipping Telekon is criminal).

[@MDMagneticDragon]

Gary Numan has so many distinct musical eras, fans tend to gravitate towards one favorite, while often holding the others in surprising disdain. I have my preference (Dance/I, Assassin primarily but I also love the New Anger/Outland material), but each era has its strange charm ;-) and I'd be sorry if I had missed any of his albums. I'm really grooving on his 2021 album Intruder too, deliciously dark and layered. "The Gift" is a gem.

[@stephendennis5911]

Absolutely love the bass line

[@onsesejoo2605]

A surprise to me is that there is this later AC DC guy Chris Slade on drums. But that is of course a sign of musician. Back up singers David van Day and Thereze Bazar also formed a duo Dollar who cut some hits.

[@saturninebear]

Really like the production on this album. GN is such an overlooked, important figure in music.

[@exile220ify]

He's got a vast catalog. I recommend the following tracks, which will give you a taste of his ongoing development as a musician. (KZbin won't let me post links, so search on the text) Gary Numan - My Dying Machine (1984) Gary Numan- A Question of Faith (Sacrifice) Rico & Gary Numan - Crazier Gary Numan vs Ade Fenton - Healing (new HD!) Gary Numan - 'I Am Dust' (OFFICIAL VIDEO) Gary Numan - Saints and Liars (Official Video) These tracks were released in 1984, 1994, 2003, 2007, 2014 and 2018 respectively

[@frugalseverin2282]

Thanks for the mention (NELSONDJ) Justin. I was stationed in England when Numan was scoring hits. This album is a little funkier than his earlier more sterile works. Later he went more goth and metal.

[@JustJP]

Anytime FS ;)

[@HippoYnYGlaw]

Truckin' Bass lines that Drive or just Base Songs? Certainly Sir, Please take yer Pick: We'll call it a Boxing Day 10 Truck Bass Feast!* Blue Oyster Cult - Shooting Shark Judie Tzuke - Heaven Can Wait The Passions - Small Talk Level 42 - Kansas City Milkman Budgie - Black Velvet Stallion Genesis - You Might Recall China Crisis - Wall of God D Train - Music Prince -Live 4Love Mute Math - Quarantine *Guess which one is in there despite it not hittin the Criteria! This? Well it inspired me to list these so it was good.

[@StuartJ]

I recommend Gary Numans autobiography. It's a good read. And while we are on recommendations, try Go West, Dancing on the Couch. Kate Bush features on the track The King is Dead.

[@lie188]

my fave Numan song. he totally understands the sound & feel of instruments. him and Gabrial should have collaborated. not so excited about his new material but he will always be Top 10 v.i.p. musician of all time. personally, his best album is 'Warriors' 🤝

[@lie188]

there is a mega-extended mix too. you'll find it on my 'Extended' playlist. happy days 😊

[@JustJP]

That'd be a great team up!

[@yw1971]

They could be heroes... Just for one day

[@6581punk]

I Assassin and Warriors was where he started to lose his style, bringing in a more commercial sound to try to stay popular. Not to say I don't like it (I have the recent green vinyl re-release). He got things back on track with Berzerker and The Fury. But that change in sound was inspired by others like Hohokam who he signed to his Numa album. He again tried to get commercial with Metal Rhythm and Machine + Soul. Luckily he stopped trying to make music that sounded like Janet Jackson.

[@paulcollins5586]

Classic.

[@jonathangilbert2456]

Dance is a great album as well.

[@REPLICANT84]

Telekon telekon telekon telekon dance dance dance are far better albums but your the boss! 😊

[@AriadneJC]

Sounds that would not be out of place in the early-80s King Crimson catalogue. The same sort of time (give or take a year or two) so shouldn't be too surprising.

[@pentagrammaton6793]

❤

[@BenjaminMitrofan-Norris-hi7bj]

I'm a huge Numan fan. However I'm so keen for you to do the Dog Man Star album by Suede.

[@LIVERPOOLFCVLOGS]

You think it's amazing to hear that synth sound on a studio album wait until you watch some live stuff

[@jtenaz]

Pretty good

[@78zappaf]

Gary Numan is quite good. Foo Fighters covered one of his songs long ago. Back in the late 80s I thought Gary was in The Kids In The Hall (turns out to be Bruce McCulloch). They both looked similar including whenever Bruce would do one of his own silly songs.

[@bobholtzmann]

I heard this on the radio before - always thought it was either Eno or Bowie.

[@lancegfoin9117]

Great music, rubbish lyrics!

[@a.k.1740]

I admit I've had trouble with Gary Numan's voice going off the rails since the Telekon album, but here it's even worse and musically I find a lack of originality with that slap bass and saxophone typical of the 80s. I can at least appreciate the first side of Telekon, but the rest doesn't interest me any more. For me, The Pleasure Principle remains Numan's best album. Justin, if you were looking for singularity in the mid-80s, the short-lived Dalis Car was really something else! The band, made up of Mick Karn, Peter Murphy and Paul Vincent Lawford, were off the beaten track with their album The Waking Hour (released in 1984). If you haven't heard it yet, it deserves a full listen on your channel.😉

[@pentagrammaton6793]

Telekon is my #1 🙃

[@a.k.1740]

@@pentagrammaton6793 I can understand that. I listened to it quite a bit when it came out in September ‘80 and enjoyed it, but it ended up getting on my nerves over time. I find Numan's voice much more tense on some tracks on Telekon than on the previous two albums (particularly on the gruelling "I'm an Agent"), and I remember certain synth sounds annoying me and prolonged listening to the album giving me headaches (literally!). I'd already disliked the two non-album singles ("We Are Glass" and "I Die: You Die") released before the album, in which Gary's vocals really got on my nerves. My favourite Telekon track has always been the brilliant "Sleep by Windows"!

[@pentagrammaton6793]

@@a.k.1740 yeah, I get that. I guess I like the tension! 🙃

[@a.k.1740]

@@pentagrammaton6793 I don't know if it's just tension, because overall the synthesizer sounds on Telekon are soothing and haunting, but at the same time irritating and boring to the point where you end up completely exhausted after listening to the album (It's like being brainwashed!🤕). It's weird, it's one of the rare cases where an album gives me this feeling of mental and physical exhaustion.

[@pentagrammaton6793]

@@a.k.1740 how curious! It keeps me engaged all the way through. But differences make the world revolve, innit?