Customer Reviews

Metal Rhythm (Reis)

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

 

 

The period 1984 - 1992 wasn't exactly a high point musically for Gary Numan. Most of his albums from this period range from enh-OK to embarassing. This one remains my favorite from that less-than-stellar period. He obviously had gotten the funk bug somewhere (he claims to have been a fan of the Jimmy Jam-Terry Lewis production team), and he manages to mash this pseudo-funk into his style and still sound engaging most of the time ("Devious" has synth horns that I found too squeaky for my liking). The lyrics are pretty angry and/or threatening (except in the hopeful "America" and the languid "Don't Call My Name") with the vagueness one either likes or doesn't like about most of Gary's lyrics. Plenty of highlights here - "Respect" remains one of my favorite GN songs, with "This Is Emotion" and "Voix" just a half step down. "I Don't Believe" is a killer track (which sounds even better in its live DREAM CORROSION version) which should have been sandwiched into the orginal release somewhere. An angry moody album which I get a lot of apartment cleaning done during.

Originally released in 1988, Metal Rhythm is the original (and best) version of New Anger (re-named and repackaged for the U.S. market in 1989). The tracks here are consistently good, combining the usual Numan keyboard style with lively lead guitar, crisp woodwind and percussion, sultry brass sections, and smooth, velvety female backing vocals. In fact the entire production is of such high quality than one is pushed to pick and choose highlights! If you like to move your feet, try Devious and Respect. But if you just want to sit back and relax, then the beautiful ballad, Don't call my name, is just the track to chill-out to. Suspend judgement and just enjoy!

Even though I have so much trouble getting into this album, I still give it 3 stars because I enjoy everything Numan creates; I would honestly consider him one of modern music history's most influential musicians (piss off all you has-been Beatles/Hendrix wannabe's, give a real artist some credit!)

I remember reading that Numan considered Machine+ Soul his 'least Numan' album, but that album displays the same new wave sensibilities and his oncoming industrial sound, albeit in a much dancier production scale. MR, along with the American New Anger, show Numan in an angry pop light. A lot of the song's, lyrically, were aimed at his financial and other issues erupting, namely 'Respect' and 'Voix'.

MR shows Numan in a naked light, as during this time his own record label had lost the ability to maintain function, and I personally don't think Numan had much goal or theme for a new album, with the exceptions of singing about anger and sexuality. Basically, many Numan-esque ideas are displayed throughout, but either not in enough volume, too much volume, or almost entirely misguided.

Overall, the sound is somewhat typical pop that was being made at the time, and makes me feel Numan was trying too hard to get a good sound while forgetting about the unique qualities that initially earned him recognition. Most tracks on their own are still pretty great; my favorites, 'Voix', 'America', 'Cold Metal Rhythm', are worth listening through the whole album to hear, because MR does hold some strong continuity in sound and image, despite how tedious it is sometimes. One thing I am disappointed in is the instrumentation; there are some new ideas, like in percussion, a prelude to Outland's amazing sound, but that's about it, very little progression in that aspect. And don't forget the pre-requisite 'Don't Call My Name' ballad.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes hearing the heavy pop persona of Metal Rhythm is a breath of fresh air from some of Numan's other work, but that only makes this release stand out even more, I think.

Also, with the remastered edition, you get a number of b-sides and things, which are fun. The remix/movie version of 'Devious' and the different single mix of 'America' are both great, along with the 'My Dying Machine' remix; these tracks stand out on their own right from their originals, and well worth listening to. I was a bit disappointed in the 'Children' instrumental because I really like instrumentals, but that's just me. One of my favorites of the MR era is the b-side 'I don't Believe', which is just awesome and full of the energy that flows through most of the other songs, a shame it wasn't on the original album

Funk ? yeah ! Pop ? indeed ! Dance ? you bet ! Industrial ? somewhat. This album is a dense,powerful amalgam of all of the above styles,in Numan?s very own.Very synth heavy,loaded with samples,very polished,with a slick guitarwork somewhat (unfortunately) purposely compressed and buried in the mix .
There's even a wink to Robert Palmer on track 3.I've never listened to a single song by Janet Jackson but she's cited as an influence.This is cold black music.Sounds contradictory ? You bet,but then again it's G.Numan we're talking about.This album is in the middle of his infamous ¨mid-period¨ which some fans appreciate (if to a lesser degree) and most despise.The female backing vocals reach flat out excess this time when compared with his previous work (I could have used them a tad lower in the mix).There are 5 excellent bonus tracks at the end some of which are imaginative DJ remixes,one of which strikes one as an odd,anachronic choice,the My Dying Machine William Orbit.I was even reluctant to give it a first listen till I noticed there was a great deal of loud,upfront guitarwork in it,making it almost better than the original,despite a rather murky sound.The overall sound is very good to excellent,it has been remastered but it's a little tonally uneven from song to song.The 7''mix of ¨America¨ is definitevely not the same as the one I got on my ¨New Dreams For Old ¨ comp making it a good addition to my Numan collection.
Nice,but not an essential purchase.

For some odd reason people in my city (ERIE, PA) don't know who Gary Numan is. Its really annoying because it's not like he's a no-name ya know? Anyways i've gone to numerous stores around here (CD Warehouse, BuyBack$, Playworld, Exchange, etc, etc....) and none of them carry any of his albums, or know who he is. Its a shame i tell ya, anyways i'm glad i can always count on amazon for having his cd's.
This was a great buy!