Gary Numan

Gary Numan didn't invent the idea of synth-pop--Germany's innovative Kraftwerk had a high-tech electronic sound half a decade before Numan's first Tubeway Army album came out in 1978. But he was definitely a major player in synth-pop and new wave and became amazingly influential; everyone from the industrial-oriented Nine Inch Nails to pop-rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot has claimed Numan as an influence. Electronica, as we now call it, has evolved considerably since Numan's late �70s/early �80s heyday, and this two-CD set addresses some of those changes. Recorded in 2002, Hybrid re-examines many of the British innovator's �70s, �80s and �90s recordings and does so from an early 2000s perspective. Anyone who expects Hybrid to be a best-of in the conventional sense will be disappointed; this double-CD offers new versions of familiar material, not the original versions. Some of the songs were first unveiled in the �90s, including "Absolution," "Dominion Day" and "Dark". But many of them go back to Numan's late �70s/early �80s heyday, and it's intriguing to hear new wave/synth-pop classics like "Are �Friends' Electric?," "M.E." and "Down in the Park" getting an early 2000s makeover. These are hardly carbon copies of the original versions; on Hybrid, a song that started out as new wave is likely to receive the industrial, techno, aggro or darkwave treatment. "Everyday I Die" (originally recorded in 1978) acquires a Stabbing Westward-like appeal, while "Cars" (Numan's biggest hit) loses its new wave bounce and becomes surprisingly moody. Hybrid isn't recommended to casual listeners, who would be better off starting out with a best-of that focuses on the original versions of Numan's late �70s/early �80s songs. But the singer's hardcore fans will find this double-CD to be an interesting, if less than essential, addition to his catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide