Labels:text | screenshot | font OCR: ======================== THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP =======================- 41m 32m FLASHBACK 41m Om Flashback a section of TI, the official OctaMED magazine which features .... wait for it record reviews! "Oh, No!" I hear you sigh in unison, "TI is just another run of the mill, ten a penny, etc etc. .. NO CHANCE! `Flashback' is a review corny diskmag" section with a difference. The clue lies in the title. In `Flashback' we intend to look at those CLASSIC, those LONG FORGOTTEN, and in some cases, those UNHEARD, albums that helped put synth/computer music where it is today. Those artists and bands whose influence upon electronic music has been, on the one hand completely OVERLOOKED, or on the other hand REVERED; in some cases for all the wrong reasons! `Flashback' intends to enlighten you, inform you, and, not least, to give you an idea on what to spend some of your curiosity' cash on next time you're down the local car boot sale! Everyone of course, has their own opinion on what constitutes a `classic' album. Equally, everyone will also hold an opinion on WHICH band/album was the catalyst for the initial popularisation of computer music ., Sure, you may be too young to have any INTEREST in such distant happenings. (phillistines). Fair enough, in that case, we want reviews of the albums that first got YOU into computer music. Get writing then, and remember, keep the the reviews interesting, informative and objective. Most of all though, in the true tradition of TI, Make them ENTERTAINING! The address to send your reviews is at the end of this document ... 41m 41m32m F L A S H B A C K 41m 33m1m NUMBER ONE . Om 32m * 0m 33m1m by RAVEN . Om 42m 1m REPLICAS by THE TUBEWAY ARMY aka Gary Numan 1979 0m DEAR Gary Numan. Much ridiculed in his time and guilty of amongst other things, wearing BLUE lipstick, and crashing aeroplanes all over the English countryside. Still, I love 'im. OK, OK, I'll admit. He's CRAP now. BUT, That certainly hasn't always been the case. His credibility problem is caused I would suggest due to the fact that he peaked within 5 minutes of s `arrival`. and has been living off past glories ever since! Still, he's not the only one eh? Hey, wait a minute, I'm beginning to sound like every other Numan detractor aren't I? It's not ON you know, this 'ignorance ', this, `belittlement', as 1 said, it's not always been the case. Take 'REPLICAS' for example. This was Numans' second album - the first being a rather nondescript affair - and spawned amongst others his BIGGEST song `Are friends electric' (number ONE for 5 weeks) and his BEST song `Down in the park'. Honestly folks, you had to BE there to fully realise the impact that `Are friends electric' had on the music scene of the day! It was 1979 and most of the clubs were playing the dregs of the first `disco explosion', nothing but `Chic, Sister Sledge, Rose Royce et- al, with the `alternative' section being dedicated to those radio friendly `punk' rats, Blondie, and Buzzcocks. Drab, and a little stale. Then, WHOOSH? . .. Monotone vocals, cool (read `pretentious') lyrics, heavily flanged bass guitar and glorious slabs of Moog induced melody. Soooo DIFFERENT? Naturally, anyone who h trendiness, immediately picked up on Numan, and for a year or so, he was being hailed and worshipped as "the new Bowie" !!! On the strength of the single and its totally brilliant yet strangely over looked B side `We are so fragile' I, Like EVERYONE else, rushed out and bought `Replicas' on its' release day. I wasn't disappointed. I recently `discovered' the album again, and frankly, was suprised at just how good some of it still sounds. As mentioned, the whole basis of the album is the classic sound of the Moog. The Moog was always Numans ` workhorse. If you've never had the pleasure of hearing this beautiful and powerful analogue synthesiser, Then, above all others, THIS is the album to check out. Everything works on this record. `Me I disconnect from you' features some truly wicked synth lines and some brilliant drumming. In fact, looking back, I would say that one of the most endearing features of Numans ` early work apart from his dab hand at a catchy melody, was the drumming of Jess Lidyard. Jess' drumming was always Crisp, hard, clever and totally reliable. He is one of those sticksmen that seems to drag ever so slightly BEHIND the beat. Done right of course, and BOY does it take some precision, this method makes a song sound a LOT more powerful. Most of all Lidyards' drumming provided the human touch to Gary's records, preventing them becoming totally clinical. Back to the album. `You are in my vision' features an overtly simple chord sequence, again some wonderful drumming, (just listen to those rolls!) and some of Numans' most excellently pretentious lines yet. Example: `DELICATE BODIES THAT DECAY BENEATH THEIR CLOTHING, PLAY CARDS IN AN EMPTY HOUSE IN PARIS' Brilliant eh? They just don't write `em like that anymore do they? Other highlights include the lovely, Moog only piece, I nearly ``I nearly married a human' and the awesome depiction of a fictional futureworld `Down in the park` `Park' is one of those truly `musical' works that can lend itself to literally ANY instrument and still send a shiver down your spine. I've actually heard it played by a radio orchestra and was totally blown away by it. A piano only version also appeared as a later Numan B side! This album version though IS the definitive version. No doubt about it. If ever a song was written to demo an instrument, then it was this one for the Moog. Sure, I'm gushing a little here but please, get a hold of this album, turn your stereo up full, turn out the lights, and just lose yourself in this song. If you appreciate melody, mood, power, and haunting lyrics, I promise you, you '11 be moved. Summing up, `Replicas'is a classic overlooked album. Sure, bands used synths BEFORE Numan, trouble was, nobody had managed to combine all the key elements together like Gary. In my opinion he made just one more great album (to possibly feature in a future Flashback) but undoubtably, `Replicas' was the record that began my interest in computer music. Thanks Gary. 42m31m4m RAVEN Right readers, let's have yours Flashbacks - address below! -ニーミーニーニーニーニーニー =-=-=-=-=- THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=====-=-=- This article orignally appeared in the official OctaMED magazine, TI. For more information on TI, please send a stamped, addressed envelope or international reply coupon to MED USERS GROUP, 6 Glevum Road, SWINDON, Wiltshire, SN3 4AF, ENGLAND. This is also the address to write to if you would like to make any comments or criticisms of this article or if you would like permission to use this article in your publications.
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