Though in 1978-80 I was a dyed-in-the-wool [if not hair] Gary Numan fan, owing to a single playback of “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” on the what-were-they-thinking FM Rock of the day, I will admit that by 1983 I’d moved on. I was getting my electrowrok from a more potent source via Ultravox and the man himself, John Foxx. The last Numan album I bought at the time was 1982’s “I, Assassin.” Which I thought was okay, but seemed to be in a holding pattern. His album prior to that, “Dance” was a wild attempt to meld JAPAN and Eno into a coherent hybrid that was surprisingly potent. I felt that this was the way forward for Numan. “I, Assassin” was merely him going in a JazzFunk direction. Fun, but less interesting.
But 1983’s Numan album was a deal-breaker. Just the cover of “Warriors” looked risible. “Mad Gary” with an orange spray-tan and baseball bat. And the musical reputation it had was close to being toxic. Producer Bill Nelson actually had his name taken off the finished product! At the time there was no US release but as Numan seemed to be going down the plug-hole, I moved on with my life and bypassed the import LP trying to call my name at Crunchy Armadillo Records.
In 1984, I wasn’t shocked when it transpired that Beggars Banquet cut Numan free and he was a free agent. He then started his own label, Numa Records, and put out the first fruits with “Berserker” in 1984. Again, I saw the import LPs and ignored them as I was hardly listening much to Numan. But in late 1986, an interesting thing occurred. Ultravox, who had kept me much more highly stimulated for five years, put out an album [“U-VOX”] that was way worse than anything I could imagine from Numan. Even with the spray-tan.
So by 1987, I started thinking maybe I should check out the current Numan album, which was “The Fury.” His second on the Numa imprint. I bought the CD at the very descriptive “Digital Sounds” store that was the only retailer in Central Florida that only stocked CDs and not records. Their import selection was second to none. I took “The Fury” home and was immediately a fan of Numan again. Whatever awkward dry patch he’d gone through, he was now firing on all eight cylinders.
I would have bought the CD of “Berserker” but there wasn’t one…yet. That didn’t happen for several more years. Meanwhile, I was buying each new Numan album and liking them. “Strange Charm” was another big winner. I wouldn’t get “Berserker” until I bought a 5xCD digibook box called “The Numa Years” in 1998 on its release. I thought the album was good. Much stronger than “I, Assassin,” or especially “Warriors.” Which by that time I owned the latter in the Japanese “Asylum” boxes covering his Beggars Banquet era capably. “The Numa Years” had all five Numa studio albums with B-sides and the occasional 12″ mix appended to the programs on each disc. It’s served me well, but now Numan is making [like any legacy act] full boxes of this period’ with “Berserker” currently in pre-order for a 4xCD set.
Gary Numan: Berserker – UK – 4xCD [2025]
CD1 | Berserker
- Berserker
- This Is New Love
- The Secret
- My Dying Machine
- Cold Warning
- Pump It Up
- The God Film
- The Child With The Ghost
- The Hunter
CD2 | Bonus Tracks
- Empty Bed, Empty Heart
- Here I Am
- She Cries
- Rumour
- This Ship Comes Apart
- Berserker (Extended Mix)
- This Is New Love (Extended Mix)
- The Secret (Extended Mix)
- My Dying Machine (Extended Mix)
- Cold Warning (Extended Mix)
- The Hunter (Extended Mix)
CD3 | White Noise Disc 1 (Live)
- Intro
- Berserker
- Metal
- Me, I Disconnect From You
- Remind Me To Smile
- Sister Surprise
- Music For Chameleons
- The Iceman Comes
- Cold Warning
- Down In The Park
CD4 | White Noise Disc 2 (Live)
- This Prison Moon
- I Die, You Die
- My Dying Machine
- Cars
- We Take Mystery (To Bed)
- We Are Glass
- This Is New Love
- My Shadow In Vain
- Are Friends Electric?
As we see, this wraps up the original album, the non-LP B-sides, the extended versions, and the live album, “White Noise,’ that followed its 1984 release. There were only two 12” singles released from the album, but they were good ones. The title track, and the frankly amazing “My Dying Machine.” If Numan can be said to have a high point in the 80s it may well be that single. Which I’ve never heard in its full length 9:16 mix! The 12″ is on the want list, of course. The other four extended versions here were made of LP tracks for the cassette version of the album that Numa released in 1984. Gary was cannily working every angle. He later issued the album on CD with all extended remixes beginning with the first issue on CD in 1991.
There’s nothing previously unreleased here to spur reticent collectors, but the package was a neat and tidy summation of the entire campaign as released back in 1984-1985 on the label. And the asking price for the CD box is a not bad at all $32.00! If I didn’t already own the album and its B-sides on the silver disc, I might be tempted to be all over this like white on face, er…rice! And that’s taking into account the fact that Numan, for his seemingly dozens of live albums, has never been that compelling of a live phenomenon to me.
If you need the licorice pizza, the 2xLP version has just the album and B-sides across two discs [black!] for a $41.00 price point. But save your shekels. The rest of the Numa Records canon will be getting a similar treatment throughout the year, if the Gary Numan website is to be believed. That means we can look forward to clamshell boxes for the following albums.
Numan is way down on “Machine + Soul.” Having heard it, I’ve heard much worse. But if I had to have just five Gary Numan albums on a desert island with me, I’m confident I’d pull “The Fury” and “Strange Charm.” Once the contents of those boxes are announced, I may be relaxing my steely resolve. For the rest of you, DJ hit that button!
-30-
Post-Punk Monk 
I have always loved the first few Numa Numan LPs-I also saw him live on the Fury tour in Liverpool.
Strange Charm is absolutely superb too. I have just about everything on this set so I doubt I will buy it all again,though the package looks good. The extensive use of the then cutting edge PPG Wave digital synth has always been a delight to my ears,so much so that I am about to take delivery of the new Behringer version ,the Wave.
I watched the White Noise video until it wore out back in the day,a great live double LP too.
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gavinthemetamorph – Having read interviews with Gary, wow did he find programming the PPG Wave a challenge! It could have been worse! Could have been a DX7! Actually, thank heavens it wasn’t a DX7. That was the synth so difficult to program [except for that Brainiac® Eno…] that everyone just fell back on those verdammt presets which I never want to hear again! The first three Numa albums were an impressive island of quality surrounded on both sides by Numan albums best ignored. With the [brief] I.R.S. era being a real nadir for me. I consider “Outland” worse than “Machine + Soul,” for the record. And what are my five Numan Desert Island discs, since no one asked?
• Replicas
• Telekon
• Dance
• The Fury
• Strange Charm
And bonus round, if I’m feeling particularly charitable that day…
• Sacrifice [yes, I know that’s six]
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I attended the Fury tour at the Liverpool Empire too. A very good gig. Not so keen on his image at the time though.
That PPG Wave system did sound like a real challenge! Trust Behringer to bring out there own version.
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Andy B – Numan derisively called it his “the guy who lost it all at Monte Carlo” look in a very perceptive comment in the “Numa Years” box.
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I have all of Numan’s albums and I also have The Numa Years set. I’m in two minds whether or not to get the Beserker set.
I’m rather disappointed with what’s on offer. As I already own the album and the White Noise live set the only thing I’m lacking are the extended versions.
There are two extended versions missing, both long versions of My Dying Machine. The 7” versions of Beserker and My Dying Machine are also missing.
It was the perfect opportunity to collect all related releases in one set. A lost opportunity for me.
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Andy B – A 6:14 William Orbit mix of “My Dying Machine” was included on the US “New Anger” (a.k.a.) “Metal Rhythm” album. I always wondered if only I.R.S. America brought Orbit to the track or if he also mixed the 9+ minute UK 12” version as well.
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I have the William Orbit mix of My Dying Machine on the Metal Rhythm reissue. I don’t think Orbit mixed the original extended version.
There is also an Italian mix and a long instrumental mix of the same track. Shame they couldn’t have been included on this set.
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Andy B – Thanks for confirming my Orbit suspicions. I have to admit I’m a big fan of Orbit’s remixes but I really love the first two Torch Song albums!!
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I’m really happy with this release as I don’t have Berserker or White Noise on cd. Also I appreciate the very reasonable pricing, refreshing compared to many reissue campaigns these days.
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SimonH – Very reasonable pricing? While I wouldn’t complain at the cost let’s save that description for The Blow Monkeys, who gave us the 4xCD of “Animal Magic” for £15!!
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I’m not sure the Blow Monkeys release is a fair comparison! It was an unusually low price and is even lower now. I have a feeling it may not have sold very well. Four CDs for £23.99 (the price I’m paying) is well below what I would expect on average these days. Suspect you would struggle to find anything else beyond the Blow Monkeys set to prove your point:) Anyway, I’m happy. They could easily have made a more bloated set and doubled the price or more.
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SimonH – At least it doesn’t come with mandatory vinyl! I don’t relish that!
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Yes, that would have been a dealbreaker for me!
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I had long ignored Berserker, like you probably due to a bad Warriors aftertaste. I’ve loved The Fury and (mostly) Strange Charm for decades but am only just now discovering that Berserker is quite enjoyable. The B-sides are fun too, esp. Here Am I. I’d like to see a “sad ballad” compilation, though I suppose that’s what playlists are for!
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seanoduill – Sounds like we could form a club! The even more contrived image probably didn’t help. He looks like he was trying to compete with Steve Strange, “War Songs” to the contrary. And in 1984 Steve’s image was similarly far off the more conservative style charts.
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Or at least compete with the late, great Wolfgang Riechmann!
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James Pagan – Don’t you know that albums been in my want list for over a decade! It got reissued on Bureau B so that guarantees that it will be good!
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I was hardcore on the early Numan albums and saw him live in San Francisco in 1980. Unlike you, I loved “I Assassin” (and still do!), and for me, “White Boys and Heroes” is the unheralded 80s highlight. I agree, though, that “Warriors” was a major letdown.
While I liked the early Numa label singles, those first couple of albums didn’t grab me, though at last “Strange Charm” was a fine return to form. As much as Gaz himself rags on “Machine + Soul”, I kinda like it. His Prince covers of this era (one on the album and one CD single track) are quite entertaining, though perhaps not quite in the way the artist may have intended.
But what of the Sharpe & Numan album? I know, I know, that’s Polydor, so it’s a different kettle of fish, but dang, I like that one a lot.
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Big Mark – The “Automatic” album was Bill Sharpe rising above Shakatak (sun-Level 42) with a guest vocalist. I had the album since release and it’s right there with the “Radio Heart” single as an example of Numan-for-hire singing someone else’s song… and coming out a winner for his effort.
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I too love “I,Assassin”. It’s a consistently good album. The use of saxophone is restrained. I think “Warriors” is a disaster. There are some good ideas unfortunately drowning in saxophone and female backing vocals. “Beserker” is at least an improvement on that. Shame it didn’t sell too well.
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Andy B – Of course all of this “Berserker” talk only alerts me to the fact that Numan hasn’t owned that term for decades. Whenever I think of the title, this singer immediately comes to mind.
“BERSERKER!!”
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Numan was my first gig in 1980 on the Telekon tour and was superb. Like yourself, I lost interest after then as Ultravox were more appealing and Numan gradually descended into naffness. The Warriors album did him a lot of damage – particularly the image.
Berserker stood out as his image was pretty good. The music was also way ahead of it’s time I think (particularly My Dying Machine) but his vocal delivery was lacking any feeling. MDM is a prime example of that – he sings like he’s reading from cue cards. There is no emotion and lyrically you’d be forgiven for thinking he was singing about crashing his plane – and not many people can relate to that. He sounds like his vocal confidence is shot which is a shame as the music is good. And of course the media would barely give him the time of day. So it’s no surprise his career dropped and dropped.
Thankfully, things changed from ’94 onward. But there are some occasional gems in the late 80’s. My Breathing on Strange Charm is one of his best songs. I was fortunate to see him perform Call Out the Dogs in 2012 along with Warriors which are great tracks.
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With your comment about the vocals, I think you’ve hit upon one reason why this era of Numa releases never really grabbed me.
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