Search - Gary Numan :: Pleasure Principle

More than Cars.

Maine Writer | Maine, USA | 08/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's amazing how much emotion Gary Numan was able to evoke with an album so dominated by electronic instruments. Numan produced a number of great albums in his heyday (I'm not a big fan of his recent, dark material), but the Pleasure Principle--with its Magritte take-off cover--has best withstood the test of time for me. Replicas comes close, but I think this is Gary at his best.Cars became a hit here and in the UK, but the rest of the cuts are every bit as strong. And there's a sensitivity on display behind the andriod cool that makes this music far more than the sum of its parts. Couple that with an excellent rhythm section, great keyboard textures, and first-rate arrangements, and you have an album that never seems to wear out its welcome.Gary Numan's voice can tend to become grating on some of his albums, but not this one."

"We're in the building where they make us grow"

mwreview | Northern California, USA | 08/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Pleasure Principle, of course, is Gary Numan's most recognizable album because it features "Cars." Sadly, "Cars" is the only Numan track a lot of people know which is unfortunate because it is not even close to his best work. It is in the middle of the pack on this album alone.

Every track off Pleasure Principle is classic! The opener "Airlane" is an instrumental but it is by no means a filler. It rocks and once those drums kick in, it takes the listener for a ride (Numan, not long after this album was released, earned his private pilot's license and traveled around the world). "Complex" and "Tracks" are beautiful. "Metal," having a very rough sound, is a fan favorite as is "Films" with the powerful, kick-butt drums. "M.E." is one of my all-time Numan favorites and "Engineers" is interesting for its, well, ingenuity and for its experimental, retro late 70s/early 80s sound. The only track I am not as crazy about is "Observer" because it sounds too much like "Cars." Still this album is classic and a must for fans of New Wave, synthesizer-driven music.

The extra tracks on Pleasure Principle are not as intriguing as the ones on the other re-issues. "Random," "Oceans," and "Asylum" are all instrumentals. "Oceans" is the best of the three. It has a beautiful relaxing sound like the instrumental extras off Telekon. "Random" is a jolting rocker. "Asylum" is spooky. The live version of "Bombers" (B-side to the "Complex" single), I admit, is better than the original studio version. The live tracks come from Living Ornaments '79 which includes the peculiar "On Broadway." It is a very odd cover for Numan, although the keyboard part is pretty cool. I would rather not have that track on this CD but, whatever. I recommend all the Beggars Banquet Gary Numan re-issues. They each have several pages of text on the albums, photos from the original album and single covers, lyrics, and many extra tracks. Each disc also has a slice of the album cover on the spine so, together, they look terrific in the CD case."

Synth pop second only to kraftwerk..and that's saying alot..

magician of sadness | Kentucky | 01/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What could one say about The Pleasure Principle that hasn't been said by countless others?Without a doubt,this album is synthpop perfection.Cold and sarcastic in its construction,I would be hard pressed to think of an artist that had as much effect on synthpop and techno as Gary Numan.This is an album filled with lush rhythms,exacted lyrics and sardonic precision.I highly suggest playing this one late on a cold January night with an adequately primed lava lamp and an adult beverage or two to keep you company.This album is nothing short of genius and is one of the rare few outside of The Man Machine that can actually be played repeatedly without becoming redundant.Go out and buy a copy immediately.You won't be disappointed.."