Hybrid [Import]

Gary Numan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 4, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Artful Records
• ASIN: B00008DKDX
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,983 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Hybrid

2. Dark

3. Crazier

4. Bleed

5. Torn

6. Down in the Park

7. Everyday I Die

8. Absolution

9. Cars

Disc: 2

1. Ancients

2. Dominion Day

3. A Prayer for the Unborn

4. Me! I Disconnect from You

5. Listen to My Voice

6. Rip

7. This Wreckage

8. Are Friends Electric?

9. M.E.

10. Down in the Park

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful mixes modernize classics, offer interesting alternatives to more recent work, December 1, 2005

By 

A. Reid (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hybrid (Audio CD)

I bought my first Gary Numan album, The Pleasure Principle, when I was 14 years old and formed a lasting impression that the artist was capable of producing brilliant music but that aside from a few standouts the bulk of his library was not something that would appeal to me. I tried to keep an eye on him over the years but lost him in the shuffle of other interests until Nine Inch Nail's cover of "Metal" on Things Falling Apart in 2000 reminded me how much I liked the original and sparked a new interest in Numan's classics. But it was the combination of "Are 'Friends' Electric" and Adina Howard's "Freak Like Me" on the Sugababes' hit "Freak Like Me" that inspired my interest in Newman's more recent releases. I just had one of those goose-bump raising moments where I recognized Numan's sublime melody and loved the combination of the two. When "Freak Like Me" recently popped up on random on my MP3 player, I just had to see what else had been done with "Are 'Friends' Electric." That's how I discovered this mix album.

Hybrid seems to draw its material from the late 70s and late 90s primarily (if we can squeeze the 90s a bit and include 2000's Pure). There are also two strong original songs, "Crazier" and "Ancient," the latter of which is particularly powerful with its menacing beat and obscurely mournful lyrics. Not unexpectly, the songs selected are pretty dark overall--especially "A Prayer for the Unborn," a nihilistic message to an uncaring God after the death of a child. Many of Numan's songs deal with issues of disconnection, alienation & isolation. (Perhaps these relate to the artist's asperger's syndrome. Numan discusses the impact of this on his relationships in a November 2005 interview with Trackitdown, currently available at http://www.trackitdown.net/news/928.html.) The darkness of Numan's lyrics have sometimes been disguised by his cold, reedy voice (which work to such good effect in his technological nightmares), but for the most part these mixers have worked to bring it to the fore. The songs here lean heavily towards the industrial, aggro or darkwave. Fans of Numan's classics may enjoy hearing how such hits as "Cars" and "Down in the Park" have been updated. Those who prefer more recent works like Pure, which I've come to consider one of his best and most cohesive works, might find new appreciation for those old hits in these more modern versions.

I expect this album to get a lot of playtime in my house--and not just when the MP3 player is on "random." As for the song that drew me here, the mix of "Are 'Friends' Electric" by Oakenfeld collaborator Andy Gray, I'm sorry to say that it obscures everything I liked about the original song. Not that it's a bad song in its own right, but that sublime melody almost completely disappears. I'm sure it'll grow on me, but I doubt it will ever move me like the Sugababes "Freak Like Me."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest reworkings of the songs of a legend..., January 5, 2004

By 

Takis Tz. (InYourHead) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hybrid (Audio CD)

Gary Numan released "Pure" in 2000 and that was an album of exceptional quality that not only brought this legendary artist back to the limelight but proved he still has the ability to deliver stunning and very emotional albums. Among the avalanche of dishwashed nu-metal and hip-hop acts it went (of course) largely unnoticed.
Taking a cue from that, Numan continues by releasing this double CD where he reworkds his older songs with the aid of some seriously fine acts such as Curve, Flud or Rico.

Now, in most other cases, such a release would smell "cash-in" from miles, but "Hybrid" is a very ambitious and before anything else a very honest effort.
Classic songs of a bygone era that have left their mark on contemporary music are redone and their quality increases multifold. It's not only the quality of production that is notched-up here. The songs themselves are delivered with a new aura attached them. Both of the CDs sound super dark, very doomy and incredibly atmospheric. And in how many cases can an artist release a double album that you can hear through and through without feeling this a drag?

Numan's vocals are also in superb form. Indeed the older this guy gets the better he becomes somehow, even though it would seem that with his style of music that would be somewhat difficult.

What also needs to be noted is that "Hybrid" is by no means a release "for the Numan fans". By far not. This will appeal to anyone out there into NIN, Ministry, or any of the relevent industrial acts. But it goes further thatn that in my opinion.
Numan has not only influenced a big part of the modern music scene with his 80s albums but he continues to do so by outdoing them in the process. This is absolutely stunning actually.
The recipe, when it comes to industrial music, is somewhat "standard" yes, but at the end of the day what counts is the aura, as i said above. Heavy industrial guitars, distorted and trippy sound effects and loops, whispering or echoing vocals, samples mostly inspired by horror soundtracks or multisampled songs for the extra effect. But in the end it's still the aura that makes the big difference. And that is exactly where Numan leaves you with a burning mark in your brain. In this respect, for anyone into dark sonic scapes this is a massively essential album.

And judging from Numan's return into recording fresh stuff (with "Pure") it seems we will be seeing and hearing a lot more from this guy in the upcoming time. Thank all the cosmic forces for that.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gary numan goes the distance, March 24, 2003

By 

M.P (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hybrid (Audio CD)

You may remember Gary Numan as a fey 80s sythpop maker, full of silly robots and gigeresque imagery. Hybrid should not alientate fans of that era, however this album blends in completey remixed/remade tracks into a firmly post millenium landscape... deep guitars, EBM/Industrial beats, even more eerie vocals.

For new Numan fans this would be a great album, and for those who like NIN(especially, you'll love this -'crazier'), Depeche Mode, and ebm/industrial/darky smoothies, this cd is also great.... It gets 4 1/2 stars because some of the tracks should have more fidelity to the beautiful originals.