Tubeway Army [Gary Numan + Tubeway Army]: Replicas (1979)

Depending on which version you have, this record is either credited as Gary Numan + Tubeway Army or simply as Tubeway Army. Mine -- a Canadian pressing -- is the former, probably because it was re-released after Cars had become a big hit in North America, and the record company wanted to ensure that Gary's name was front and centre. Discogs, of course, does what you would expect by now.

Replicas was originally released on April 4, 1979 in the UK, and forms the first part of what Numan calls his Machine Trilogy, which includes The Pleasure Principle and Telekon. There is a real sense of machinery and technology in this record.

I saw him turn on
Like a machine in the park
Saying 'please come with me'
But you've been there before

The transition to synthesizers is well underway here, though there are guitars in the mix. The spacey Numan character, which reminds me a bit of what Bowie attempted on Ziggy Stardust, is in force on tunes like Praying to Aliens. The record contains one of Numan's biggest hits, and a favourite of mine, Are Friends Electric? That's just a fantastic track, easily making it onto any top 25 list of my favourite songs of all time.

There is some suggestive sexual identity content in Praying to Aliens:

Now only boys
That love only boys
...
"Do you ever think of women?"
They broke him down
Into a torn old queen

Down in the Park has to be the most surprising track on the record for me, because it has a very slow pace and it isn't what I would have viewed as a single, though it was the first single from this record. Also, the lyrics are rather dystopian and probably depressing:

Down in the park where the machmen meet
The machines and play 'Kill-by-numbers'
Down in the park with a friend called 'Five'

I was in a car crash or was it the war?
Well, I've never been quite the same
Little white lies like I was there

Come to Zom-Zom's, a place to eat
Like it was built in one day
You can watch the humans try to run

Oh, look, there's a rape machine
I'd go outside if it looked the other way
You wouldn't believe the things they do

Down in the park where the chant is death, death, death
Until' the sun cries mornin'
Down in the park with friends of mine

We are not lovers, we are not romantics
We are here to serve you
A different face but the words never change

I think that song could be made into a movie. Replicas is better than the first record, and it's one of my favourite records from Gary Numan. I'd put this LP in the top three.

Tubeway Army [Gary Numan]: Tubeway Army [First Album] (1978)

So, that's a truly awful photo. Not enough light :(

Station boys keep their hands on steel
Tubeway days now seem quite unreal
It's always so close but never quite arrives

- Listen to the Sirens, Gary Numan

Gary Numan's birth name, according to Wikipedia, is Gary Anthony James Webb. He was born in 1958. I'll take both of these statements as true.

The first pressing of this LP was released on November 24, 1978 in an edition of 5000 copies on blue vinyl and it was just called Tubeway Army, with no mention of Gary Numan on the front cover. Numan was listed on the back cover along with Paul Gardiner and Jess Lidyard. Not surprisingly, copies of this record are now very expensive.

Repressings came out in in 1979 (after the success of Replicas, the second Tubeway Army record), and 1981, and subsequently with different covers, some of which had First Album printed on them while others did not. I have the repressed 1981 edition with a white jacket and First Album printed on the cover. In typical Discogs fashion, that release is listed, not as a self-titled record called Tubeway Army, but as: "Tubeway Army Featuring Gary Numan ‎– First Album." WTF!

I guess one could argue that the record label intended First Album to be the title of the reissue, but I have to believe that it was intended simply as a clue to the record shoppers that this was the first album and that Tubeway Army included the now-famous Gary Numan. I have a hard time believing that the intention was to entitle the record First Album. Beyond the cosmetic differences, the contents are identical.

Gary is, without question, one of the pioneers of synth pop. As Allmusic writes: "his dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy alien persona, and clinical, robotic sound were echoed strongly in the work of many goth rock and (especially) industrial artists to come." [source] I can agree with that, and it is interesting to note that he is good friends with Trent Reznor, and Reznor has cited him as an influence.

Interestingly, Numan began his career in punk music, and some of these early tunes are collected on the LP The Plan, released in 1984. In the film I Dream of Wires, Numan discusses his chance encounter with a Moog synthesizer, which led to a new direction in his music, though it should be mentioned that there is lots of guitar on this record as it is really still in the punk realm with mostly guitar, bass, and drums, but with some keyboards.

This debut record is quite amazing, though I will confess that I heard the record after I heard Cars, from The Pleasure Principle. I think Allmusic gets it right:

"Numan & the Tubeway Army were one of the first new wave/punk bands (along with Kraftwerk and Devo) to successfully fuse robotic synthesizers with rock & roll. Gary Numan's guitar riffing is more prominent here than on any other of his albums, which gives the tunes a splendid Ziggy Stardust feel at times." [source]

And, it's not just the music. As others have noted, there is a science fiction dystopian element in his lyrics. On this record, there are themes that might have offended back in the day. The track Friends is about male prostitution and Every Day I Die focuses on teenage masturbation:

The problems of need
I need you
Obscene dreams in
Rusty beds
No one came here
Tonight
I pulled on me
I need to

I unstick pages and read
I look at pictures of you
I smell the lust in my hands
Everyday I die

Her favorite trick
Was to suck me inside
Oh so very
Art nouveau
Completely false
Feelings of love I don't
No one knows, but that died
Years ago

I unstick pages and read
I look at pictures of you
I smell the lust in my hands
Everyday I die

The record is uneven, with side one being better than side two, but this is a fascinating record.

The Notting Hillbillies: Missing... Presumed Having A Good Time (1990)

As a fan of Dire Straits, I had a hard time passing on this record when I saw it in a bin for only $5. It is in awesome shape too, nearly mint. The Notting Hillbillies are referred to as a supergroup, but I think that depends on your perspective. For example, I had never heard of Steve Phillips, Brendan Corker, Paul Franklin, Marcus Cliffe, or Ed Bicknell before. The only people I knew were Mark Knopfler, of course, and Guy Fletcher, who was a keyboardist with Dire Straits. So, supergroup? Maybe; maybe not.

In any case, this is a country record with some blues thrown in. This was the only record they recorded, right on the cusp of the death-of-vinyl era. This is not an expensive record to find, but $5 was an amazing deal.

The Northern Pikes: Secrets of the Alibi

Sweet September rain
Coming down hard on the roof of the car
Familiar terrain
I'm in a daydream, and the thoughts keep on coming
Nineteen-eighty-two
Was the year I fell head over heels with you
I was only twenty-one
What can I do now and what have I done?
You've thrown it all away
Six years go by, and they seem like a day

Allmusic awards only three stars to Big Blue Sky, with no companion review, and the site gives this one 4.5, also without offering a review of any kind. I don't see much difference in quality between the two, but I have to say that Wait for Me, from this record, might be the band's best track.

About one year after recording their successful debut album, the Northern Pikes returned to the studio in the Spring of 1988 to record the follow-up. The resulting production had a more serious tone than their first, no longer talking about "Teenland" but themes of growing up and a political awareness of the world at large. [source]

It's a good, and underrated record, from an underrated band.

The Northern Pikes: Danicng in a Dance Club (1988)

This 12 inch single had two releases. The official, commercial release had an extended version of the title track, plus Love Will Break You and Heartaches Heartbreaks (Open Up). The promo copy, which I have, contains the title track in an edited form (shortened from 4:46 to 3:32) and live versions of the title track and the Things I Do For Money. Happily, the jacket is not blemished with a promo stamp. Rather, "FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY - NOT FOR SALE" is printed on the label. In all my years of buying vinyl, I have seen this 12 inch single once, and I bought it for a couple of bucks.

The Northern Pikes: Big Blue Sky (1987)

And the best band from Saskatoon is ... The Northern Pikes. I saw the band in concert once, a long time ago. Big Blue Sky was the full-length debut, which I own on blue vinyl, and not on CD. I suppose the blue matches the title. Some CD versions have a couple of extra tracks.

The Northern Pikes were a good pop band -- one of the best ever from Canada -- and I enjoy their music, but I have to say that I have always hated She Ain't Pretty, from Snow in June.

No Wave: A Musical Dip into the Ocean of Contemporary Sounds (1978)

My statement on this is: confused much? None of the groups featured are No Wave acts. Instead, we have Squeeze, The Police, Joe Jackson, The Stranglers, Klark Kent, The Secret, and David Kubenic, The Dickies, etc. There is no No Wave on this record!

No Nukes: From the Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future - Madison Square Garden - September 19-23, 1979 (1979)

I bought this record in my early Bruce Springsteen period of infatuation just to get Stay and the Detroit Medley (Devil with a Blue Dress, Good Golly, Miss Molly, and Jenny Take A Ride). I don't think I ever listened to anything else from this record. My copy is in mint condition because I transferred the Springsteen tracks to cassette right away. And, I never listened to any of the other tracks.

No: El Prado (2014)

It's almost as if this band wants to remain unknown. How else can one explain why they would choose such a stupid name for the band? It's nearly impossible to search for this band on the web.

I don't love this record. I picked up this LP in a sale bin for under $10, after having read a review online, but the album underwhelmed me. It sat in a pile of records that I planned to get rid of, but I subsequently decided to hang onto it for a while. 

With their debut LP, El Prado, the band pick up where their 2011 EP Don't Worry, You'll Be Here Forever left off -- trying to pick up the pieces and earn a second chance with familiar-sounding, atmospheric, adult indie rock. Like a slightly more optimistic, west coast version of the National or a slightly less-creative version of Elbow, NO adopt the sort of muted romanticism gained by years of life experience. [source]

It's a rather boring record. There are two copies for sale on Discogs right now. One is listed at $72.60, and the other is £269.00 plus shipping, for a total of $426.93! Canadian I would sell mine immediately for that price. 

Nitzer Ebb: Murderous (1986)

This is Murderous, from That Total Age, plus Fitness to Purpose.

Nitzer Ebb: Shame Redesign (Mix 1) (1989)

Shame (Mix One) is backed with Backlash on this UK 12" single from 1989.

Nitzer Ebb: That Total Age (1987)

I can't possibly describe how much I love this record. It's a genre that really spoke to me, back in the day. If you listen and don't like it, then there is probably something wrong with you. I have an original Canadian pressing, which has the advantage of containing Warsaw Ghetto, not present on other pressings.

Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch (2018)

EP? LP? You decide. I like it, even with the saxophone :)

The record diverges from the style of previous Nine Inch Nails work, notably by the inclusion of jazz instrumentation in the music, including saxophone performances by Reznor. The album is reminiscent to (and influenced by) David Bowie's final studio album Blackstar, with Reznor having collaborated with Bowie in the 1990s as well as citing Bowie as a primary influence. At just over 30 minutes long, the record is Nine Inch Nails' shortest full-length release. The Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 Tour was announced alongside its release to promote the album, in addition to the album's sole single, "God Break Down the Door". [source]

Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth (2005)

As with many vinyl releases during the resurgence, early pressings tend to be expensive. If you don't have an original 2005 pressing, it's likely too late, unless you pony up some cash. The second official pressing was dropped in 2019 and Amazon had it for an astounding price. 

Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

Virtually ignored upon its 1989 release, Pretty Hate Machine gradually became a word-of-mouth cult favorite; despite frequent critical bashings, its stature and historical importance only grew in hindsight. [source]

I bought the CD version of this when it came out, and that CD is now essentially worthless. I didn't pick up a vinyl copy until much later, and it's a later repressing. Oh well: it sounds good. I really like this record.

Nine Inch Nails: Sin (1990)

In addition to the three version of Sin, originally from Pretty Hate Machine, this 12" single has a version of Queen's Get Down Make Love. It's a solid version of a Queen song that I don't hate.I wonder if Freddy Mercury ever heard this version.

Colin Newman: Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish (1981)

From Wikipedia:

The album received mixed reviews, and less attention than other albums in Newman's discography. AllMusic gave it 3 out of 5 stars but no written review. Richard Cook of the British music magazine NME called the album, along with Newman's previous work A-Z, "erratic and needlessly fussy affairs that creak under pretensions to alchemy when studio pottering is nearer the mark." [source]

This is a bizarre record, but I do like it. It does not sound like Wire at all. The tracks are entitled Fish 1 through Fish 12 with a brief reprise at the end. 

New York Dolls: Night of the Living Dolls (1985)

Imagine releasing a best-of collection after only two records? It's a weird thing to do, but maybe the label felt that they needed to bring the band back to the fore. Anyway, this collection arrived in 1985. perhaps the only reason to grab this is because, in the words of a Discogs user:

A band with only two studio albums doesn't need a best of, though there's nothing wrong with this set as a collection of Dolls' material. What makes it interesting for serious fans is the presence of "Give Her a Great Big Kiss", a studio outtake that has never appeared elsewhere (as of 2014). (It is not the same version that appears among their earlier demos). It's a bit of a clunky version, but still a worthwhile addition to their catalog.

That seems accurate.

New York Dolls: New York Dolls / Too Much Too Soon (1986)

From Wikipedia:

The New York Dolls were an American hard rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums—New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular cult records in rock. The line-up at this time comprised vocalist David Johansen, guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist and pianist Sylvain Sylvain and drummer Jerry Nolan; the latter two had replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia, respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, and satin. Nolan described the group in 1974 as "the Dead End Kids of today".

According to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music (1995), the New York Dolls predated the punk and glam metal movements and were "one of the most influential rock bands of the last 20 years". They influenced rock groups such as the Sex Pistols, Kiss, the Ramones, Guns N' Roses, the Damned and the Smiths, whose frontman Morrissey organized a reunion show for the New York Dolls' surviving members in 2004. After reuniting, they recorded and released three more albums—One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006), Cause I Sez So (2009) and Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011). [source]

This two-LP UK set collects the first two New York Dolls' records; New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974). Of course, I was too young to have heard of them at the time of the original releases, and tracking these original pressing s down now is not too easy. But, I am happy to have this in my collection.

The New Year: The New Year (2008)

All of the records from this band share the same minimalist cover design. It's not unlike the cover design used in Bedhead, the previous musical outfit from the brothers. I don't really know too much about Bedhead, to be honest.

Anyone who has followed the Kadane brothers over the past almost 20 years first as Bedhead, now as the New Year pretty much knows what to expect from a new album released under their guidance. You're guaranteed chord progressions that start off quietly and build and build until the speakers are overflowing with chiming guitars and your heart swells at the restrained majesty of it all. Count too on Matt Kadane's poignant, almost spoken vocals and glum lyrics. Take it to the bank that your listening experience will be emotional and fulfilling. [source]

I like it.

New Order: Be A Rebel (2020)

Toronto is blessed with many record stores, most good, some not. I try my best to shop locally, but sometimes, I see things online that I cannot find here, and, sometimes, I see things for some unbeatable prices. Take this record for example. It's the latest New Order single and something I probably would not have purchased. It has four mixes of Be A Rebel and is pressed on limited edition grey (dove) vinyl. The current price is $21.08 on Amazon, though it seems to fluctuate. One day, this was on sale for $6.93. I could not turn in down. 

New Order: NOMC15 (2017)

I wrote a whole damn post on this record, and Blogger lost it. It should have saved as draft, but it did not. I can't be bothered to rewrite it, or even dig up the music from YouTube.

New Order: Music Complete (2015)

The artwork for Music Complete was created by New Order's long-time art director and collaborator Peter Saville. The artwork features a montage of lines with the colours red, yellow, green and blue. Depending on the type of format, the colour schemes vary. For the CD, the pattern clockwise from top right is yellow, red, blue, green. The LPs are red, yellow, green, and blue. Digital downloads are the regular format; blue, green, red, and yellow. The deluxe edition's artwork is the same as the album, but all six coloured vinyl sleeves are different styles, and have no colour. The six coloured vinyl range from red to purple. [source]

I like this record better that the last two, for sure. It might be the best NO release since Technique.I ended up with a clear vinyl version.

New Order: Lost Sirens (2013)

When Sunrise temporarily went out of business, I picked up a few records there on the cheap. This was one of them. (By the way, speaking of Sunrise, I used to frequent the two locations on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. When the chain was resurrected, they failed to establish any stores in central Toronto. Now, there is a Sunrise location in Dufferin Mall. I went, but was not impressed. The store had what I would describe as a mainstream collection of records at very high prices. I will be surprised if management is able to keep this location open for long. Another aside: one thing I liked about the old Sunrise locations on Yonge was the selection of used records at fairly good prices. So far, the location in the Duff has no used bins. Maybe that has to do with the fact that there are a lot of record stores in Toronto looking for used merchandise).

When I played this record for the first and only time, I was not really impressed. Since then, it has been sitting on a shelf. Out of curiosity, I checked Allmusic for a review and was stunned to read this:

Trumpeted in some circles as a New Order rarities collection, Lost Sirens doesn't really fit the bill as such, but it does offer a wealth of bonus tracks from circa 2005 -- call it the second disc of the deluxe edition that was never released for Waiting for the Sirens' Call. [...] Compared to that album's half-hearted songwriting and rote sound, Lost Sirens positively shines -- leading to the customary questions of why this material didn't replace several, if not many, songs on the original Sirens' Call. [source]

I'll have to listen to it again. On a sad note, this was the last New Order record to feature Peter Hook. The band is not the same without him.

New Order: Waiting for the Sirens’ Call (2005)

This is LP number eight, from New Order, credited here correctly as New Order, despite the front cover of the LP, which lists the band as NEW order. Discogs has always been inconsistent. I bought a copy of this album on CD at the now-defunct HMV for a couple of dollars. It was languishing in a delete bin. I played it once and determined that I did not like it. I found this 2015 vinyl reissue for an amazing price, so I decided to give it another listen. It's much better than my first impression of the CD, which I had already sold by then.

New Order: Crystal (Lee Coombs Remixes) (2001)

The orange striped cover has the Lee Coombs Remixes:

Crystal (Lee Coombs Remix)
Crystal (Lee Coombs Dub)

New Order: Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Remixes) (2001)

The cover of the John Creamer & Stephane K Remixes has the green stripe. 

The tracks are:

Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Intro Remix)
Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Main Remix)

New Order: Crystal (Bedrock Remixes) (2001)

A bunch of different versions of this single were released. This one contain the Bedrock Remixes, with the red strip on the jacket. The tracks are:

Crystal (Digweed & Muir 'Bedrock' Mix)
Crystal (Digweed & Muir 'Bedrock' Dub)

It's pretty good, but I think I prefer earlier New Order. 

New Order: Get Ready (2001)

Get Ready was the seventh record from New Order. Note that Discogs got the band's name correct. That's a small miracle. Because I wasn't buying records in 2001, I don't have an original pressing, the cost of which now is really not that bad. I picked up the 180g American pressing from 2015.

Billy Corgan handles lead vocals on Turn My Way.