Customer Reviews

Dance

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Surprisingly, Gary Numan has stated in his biography that 'Dance' was the wrong type of album to release just after the success of 'Telekon', and this maybe the reason why only one single,'She's Got Claws' was released from it. To me, this has always been Gary Numan's crowning moment, the moment where he left his imitators behind and revealed possibly the most 'Numan' album of them all. Side 1 consists of four eerie electronic moodscapes that deal with sleaze and betrayal, yet in a highly sophisticated and stylish way. Apparently, many of the songs here were written around the time of the end of a disastrous relationship, and it shows. Side 2, however, is more upbeat, apart from the sublimely melancholic 'My Brother's Time'. It is strange that Numan's critics should call him detached and emotionless, because this was released back in 1981, and provides a plethora of very human and emotional subjects, dealt with in a polished, but sinister way.Helped out on the album by Roger Taylor, Mick Karn and Nash the Slash to name but three, there is a 'fuller' sound on 'Dance' than on previous albums. Numan wouldn't be quite this good again for quite some time.

In my opinion Gary Numan's best album. The only thing Gary's fans seem to have in common is that they like his music. They all seem to like different albums an even different songs on the albums. "Dance" probably disappointed a lot of his fans a bit when it was released since he changed his style so much. The fretless bass is hated by some, but it's what made me start to listen to Gary Numan about 20 years ago. Mick Karn is listed as bass player on only five songs but his playing blew me away. The bass on "A Subway Called You" is worth the money by itself.

It isn't Mick Karns album however, it's a great piece of work by Gary Numan with some of his most original songs. "Crash" still sounds tough and the two slow 9 minute songs "Slowcar to China" and "Cry the Clock Said" still makes me feel like there's no world outside my own head. "Dance" lacked any real hit songs allthough "She's got Claws" sold pretty well. It is one of the two songs on the original album that could have been released as a single in my opinion. The other one is "You Are, You Are" which reminds me a bit of Ultravox at the time. The real hit single on this CD however is one of the extras: "Stormtrooper in Drag". A great song with the most interesting song title ever. The other extras are good too and the song "Dance" had never been released before this CD came out. "I Sing Rain" however should never have been released.

If you are new to Numan buy this CD. It does not sound like "Pure" or "Exile". It does not sound like "The Pleasure Principle" or "Telekon" either. It is kind of in a style of it's own. Don't get to disapointed if you don't like it that much the first time you hear it though. It's the type of music that gets better after hearing it some times. And don't expect to dance to it. The title of the album must be one of the most misleading ones in history.

I have all of Gary Numan's releases or re-releases on CD. There have been numerous re-releases of Dance since the vinyl original. One thing that stood out about Gary Numan's vinyl recordings: he was always way more generous than other artists, filling each side with over 25 minutes of music. His re-releases have generally been in keeping with that policy. Another feature of Numan works is the technical precision of the engineering. His records have always featured great sound. The dynamic contrasts on Dance are considerable, with lots of extremely quiet passages that are vulnerable to popping and clicking on a scratched vinyl record, so CD was essential, but an original re-release had omitted "Cry the Clock Said," much to my dismay. Fortunately, later releases include that song along with bonus tracks. Yet another release included for the first time a short track with the same title, but that left no space on the CD for the last song, and it was dumped. That song is 'Love Needs No Disguise,' and it is an absolute classic. So, from the two extended re-releases of Dance, I used my iTunes to compile a playlist that includes the 11 original tracks and a total of six bonus tracks. I'll refer to those here.

The strong opener, "Slowcar to China" clocks in as one of the longest Numan pieces. It is atmospheric and jazzy, one of his best pieces. "Night Talk" has wonderful rhythms, awesome bass, and soaring synthesizer. The lyrics are provocative: "Boys like me aren't supposed to cry, but it's so easy to do." Another gem of musical perfection. "A Subway Called 'You'," as the reader may surmise from other customer reviews, is well-liked, and rightly so. It continues in the same vein as the first two: atmospheric, complex rhythms, music that floats in space, beautifully engineered recording. "Cry the Clock Said" is quite simply Numan's most introspective song ever, not to mention beautiful. After a leisurely introduction that features reverberant electric piano, Numan sings cryptic, despondent lyrics, fragmentary, and sufficient to evoke a sense of disappointment and longing.

"She's Got Claws" features some of Numan's vicious, somewhat misogynistic humour, accompanied by sly sax and quirky rhythms that go right back to "Cars." "Crash" is even more evocative of "Cars," but Numan's tenor was never so unleashed as here. "Boys Like Me" revisits a theme introduced in "Night Talk," and ends with a woman's ad-lib in spoken Italian. The content is mainly incomprehensible, but obviously sexual, and at the end she asks, innocently, "Is that okay" "Stories" sounds like a carnival song in slow motion. Numan sings of a woman who sits alone and asks, "Isn't it odd? You remind me of songs that I'd rather forget." "My Brother's Time" is much slower and moody, with spare accompaniment by piano, fretless bass and sax. It is a contrast to the manic "You Are, You Are." The original album ends with "Moral", a slow march, very much in keeping with the subdued tone overall of this excellent work. All but one of the bonus tracks are superb. The original complete re-release of Dance on CD included only four. "Stormtrooper in Drag" is great, with a catchy beat. "Take that smile off your face," Numan sings out. I quite agree with other reviewers that "I Sing Rain" is a real loser, an irritating improvisation that is mercifully short, but so what? I always let it play, and the next song, "Exhibition" more than makes up for it, another gem that has more the sound of Telekon than Dance. "Love Needs No Disguise" is another excellent bonus track, a rhythmic and melodic song that fits in well with the feel of Dance.

On the latest re-release, two tracks, "Dance" and "Face to Face" were added, and "Love Needs No Disguise" was dropped. It certainly was the wrong move. "Love Needs No Disguise" was a single that Numan recorded with Dramatis, a synthpop group that used to be Gary's backup band. Its sound is indistinguishable from Numan's work as a result. Well, the B-side of the single was the excellent Face to Face, but had that been included instead of "I Sing Rain," the 74 minute limit of the CD would have been exceeded.

Whatever! With the short exception noted, Dance and the excellent bonus tracks are a high point in a career that is filled with them.

The creation of DANCE found Numan at the end of a phase of his musical career and the end of a doomed relationship. The disc finds him addressing both. As he takes off into new musical territory, informed by both Kraftwerk and Eno yet still unmistakeably Numan, his lyrics express feelings of vulnerability, defeat, anger, and even hope.

The first four songs (Side One, pre-CD) conjure visions of a rainy, lonely city of the future, following a man (its architect?) beset by rain and visions of doomed love. Side Two is composed of seven songs, each one completely different from the others, as Numan attempts to shrug off his past (both his New Wave fame and his former lovers) and explore new territory. This disc is rounded out by a strong selection of bonus tracks, including the album's never-released title cut, a modest but consistent addition to the package.

Musically, it's all over the map, with Numan augmenting members of his late 70s band with contributions from Japan bassist Mick Karn (given a great deal of creative leeway here, and delivering solos that would redefine the parameters of the fretless bass for the 1980s), Queen drummer Roger Taylor, and the mysterious Nash the Slash (providing serrated violin sounds in both vulnerable and aggressive modes). The songwriting embraces (and creates!) various genres, from the ambient melancholy of "Slowcar to China" to the sax-fuelled funk of "She's Got Claws" through to the stark noise of "Moral." The production keeps the sound weirdly unified and cohesive. Lyrically, Numan infuses his usual futuristic atmospheres with poetic, heartbreaking flourishes that are both deeply personal and universal.

The package is completed by extensive liner notes offering valuable insight into the personal and artistic circumstances that led to DANCE's creation. They offer fascinating reading.

With Numan enjoying renewed interest in all phases of his career, this rerelease is required listening for any seeking insight into the soul of his early work. DANCE remains a fascinating, moving, amazing piece of music.

Hopefully no one buys this album to throw on during their next 80's party, because it'll screech everything to a halt. It's much better suited for sitting at home in the half-light, reading a mystery novel. The instrumentation receives the most attention here, with special emphasis on Mick Karn's bass work. "She Got Claws" is an intriguing number, if perhaps a poor choice for a single. Highlights include "You Are You Are", "Moral" (a rewrite of PLEASURE PRINCIPLE's "Metal"), "My Brother's Time", and the almost-too-laid-back "Cry the Clock Said". The bonus tracks include one of my favorite Gaza songs "Stormtrooper in Drag". Recommended for people who like to *listen* to albums.

At last, DANCE is available in its entirety in the U.S. (through Beggers Banquet records)! One of Gary Numan finest, most diverse and challenging electronic opuses...

This newly repackaged, remastered and extra track version of this 1981 classic by Gary contains a several page review of why DANCE is and has been very influential to many other artists; standout tracks include:

Slowcar to China (mesmerizing in its minimalism)

Nightalk (brillant bass by Mick Karn of Japan who contributes on several tracks)

A Subway Called You - music to sit in a subway station at night to....

She's Got Claws - the single and most danceable track on the CD - a sign to where Gary would go on his next one, "I, Assassin"

Crash - the flip-side to "Cars"

Dance - the never before heard title track; beautiful melody that comes in with a great backing rhythm track (the slowed-down drumbeats to "White Boys and Heroes")

Again, a MUST for any CD collection; guaranteed to wow you friends and confuse your enemies...!

This cd will take awhile to grow on you because it is so cold and different than most of Gary's other works. But as you will realize, it is a masterpiece and utterly timeless......take a slow car to China...
and very intricate in meanings and sounds...

I have been a Gary Numan fan forever - probably dating back to the first time I heard "Are Friends Electric?" back in 1979. When I purchased the Replicas album and heard "Down in the Park" for the first time, I knew I was hooked.

I own everything Gary has ever done, and absolutely love his current dark, industrial metal style. Having said that, "Dance" is a recording that I keep coming back to time and time again. A beautiful, atmospheric album, enhanced by Mick Karn's magical fretless bass and Nash The Slash's electric violins. This is not for everyone, and fans of 2.5 minute pop ditties should look elsewhere.

If, however, you enjoy losing yourself in mellow, adventurous compositions, then you will be rewarded. In a career that spans 25 years, "Dance" is Gary Numan's most impressive work. "A Subway Called You" and "Slowcar to China" alone are worth the price of admission. As an added bonus, most of your friends will think you've gone mad.

After you buy this, run out and get "Pure". Play at maximum volume.

I have been into gary numan for several years now, and I am 20 years old. I got this album originally when I was 18, and was immediately impressed. It is the type of CD that grows on you. Dont be scarred away by albums such as berserker, the fury, or machine and soul. These were some of numans worst. Well dance I would classify as the last of the 'classic' numan. It is definitely different from the telekon sound, or any sound on a numan album. But it contains the essential elements needed for a great numan recording. A song that not a lot of people have mentioned in these reviews is 'moral.' Moral is the sequal to the song 'metal' that was released on the pleasure principle album and also served as a b side to cars. Its fun to listen to metal then moral sequentially. Another great song is 'stories' that has a very creepy theme paired with a very creepy sound. Numans talents really shine in this epic recording.

There isn't a negative word I can possibly say about "Dance." Coming at a time where Gary'd said "forget it" to his intense fame, the album was quite a risk. And today, I daresay it's impossible to imagine a top-40 artist taking such an enormous artistic risk as this. An A-side with 4 sedate, meditative tracks, then a B with a litany of styles, tempos and moods?

Unbelievably brilliant, from the first note to the last. "Crash" gives me goosebumps every single time, and "Stories" is pure gorgeousness.

And the inclusion here of the formerly-unreleased title track is absolutely worth the price of the disc. Maybe I can say one negative thing: Gary, "Dance" is one of your finest, most oblique ballads ever! Why not release it in '82?

Vital. You must have this record in your collection. I'd give it fifteen stars if I could.