Compilation Memorabilia
Memorabilia - that's what I now call these cheap Numan compilation CD albums that keep on coming out. As soon as you hear there's a new or official release on the way - i.e. Pure, I Assassin re-release - it seems that someone somewhere in a shed in Kent decides it's time for a release of a Numan compilation. Presumably they get to buy the tracks in at some low cost and can whack them together in any order as fast as they can.
The only reason I mention this, is that my friend at Atomic Sounds of Shoreham-by-Sea (an excellent shop - plug plug) handed over to me the latest one yesterday. He knows my feelings of contempt for these types of release, but chiefly he knows that I will buy them anyway - as I suspect a number of you lot do too. Goodness only knows what Gary thinks of these. With a title of U Got the Look and a track listing including the well known Down In The Dark (yes, I did type Dark) you know what to expect.
The cover shows three colour-tinted shots from the Replicas cover sans window and the tracks are Cars (Live), Rumour, Anthem, I Die:You Die, U Got The Look, New Anger, Machine & Soul, Down in the Dark, Absolution, Desire, Your Fascination, A Child with the Ghost, Strange Charm, I Can't Breathe and Are Friends Electric (Live) - so nothing new there then.
As I type this I shall open the CD for the first time... Well, the CD itself is reasonably pretty, and the sleeve folds out into 3 with the inside having a short article...'Born Gary Webb in Hammersmith...' and isn't too bad considering it's been written by someone not a fan.
The track listing shows that Cars Down in the Dark & Absolution are licenced by Eagle Rock Entertainment, whilst the rest are Numa Records. Hmm. Cars and AFE (live) seem to be of Ghost vintage
So, was it all worth it? If you feel you must buy everything from Gary Numan then go on and buy it. It's not an official release, so you can guess where the money goes. If, like me you can afford it and you treat it as a piece of memorabilia then go ahead. Mind you, it makes you think what the casual browser will think when they buy one of these CDs - what will be their impression of the artist - an artist who puts out 'I Can't Breathe' alongside 'U Got The Look'