Gary Numan Pleasure Principle: 30th Anniversary Edition CD

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE contains seven bonus tracks which includes demo out-takes and `B' side singles.

Gary Numan's most commercially successful album is, perhaps unsurprisingly, his least representative disc. Powered by the hit single "Cars," arguably the first British synth-pop song to dent the US charts (M's "Pop Muzik" came out around the same time), THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a striking turnaround from the guitar-powered, Joy Division-like post-punk of his old band Tubeway Army. Aside from Paul Gardiner's bass and some percussion, every instrument is electronic.

To denote their futuristic simplicity the album's 10 songs are given one-word titles; they're all built on the same layers of analogue synthesizers and futuristic, dystopian lyrics. The album's resulting numbing quality is also pretty much its point. This Cleopatra reissue has seven bonus tracks, including demo outtakes, live tracks, B-sides, and, oddly, a song from a seven-inch single given away with the first pressing of Numan's next album, TELEKON.

The most popular of all the Gary Numan albums is undeniably 1979's The Pleasure Principle. The reasons are simple -- there is not a single weak moment on the disc, it contains his sole U.S. (number one worldwide) hit, "Cars," and new drummer Cedric Sharpley adds a whole new dimension with his powerful percussion work. The Pleasure Principle is also one of the first Gary Numan albums to feature true ensemble playing, especially heard within the airtight, killer groove of "Metal" (one of Numan's all-time best tracks). Starting things off with the atmospheric instrumental "Airlane," the quality of the songs gets stronger and stronger as the album progresses -- "Films," "M.E.," "Observer," "Conversation," the aforementioned "Cars," and the U.K. Top Ten hit "Complex" all show Numan in top form. The 1998 reissue contains three unreleased instrumentals (one the B-side to the "Cars" single, "Asylum"), as well as four live tracks. If you had to own just one Gary Numan album, The Pleasure Principle would be it. [Note: In addition to bonus tracks, all of the Gary Numan/Begggars Banquet re-releases contain classic photographs and informative liner notes by Numan biographer Steve Malins.] ~ Greg Prato

;Plus 7 Bonus Tracks

Recorded at Marcus Music AB, London, England. Includes liner notes by Steve Malins.

Personnel: Gary Numan (vocals, keyboards, synthetic percussion); Billy Currie (violin); Christopher Payne (viola, keyboards); Paul Gardiner (bass); Cedric Sharpley (drums, percussion); Garry Robson (background vocals).

Personnel: Gary Numan (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion); Garry Robson (vocals, background vocals); Billy Currie (violin); Christopher Payne (viola, keyboards); Cedric Sharpley (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Harvey Webb.

Liner Note Author: Steve Malins.

Recording information: Marcus Music AB, London, England.Spin (9/98, pp.188-189) - 8 (out of 10) - "...further honed REPLICA's adolescent angst/android fetishism schtick..."
CMJ (1/5/04, p.6) - Ranked #12 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1980".
Q (Magazine) (p.123) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's often forgotten that this was electronic music's commercial breakthrough."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.95) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a simultaneously grim and enlightening experience, and highly recommended."