July 16th, 2009 at 12:12 PM

Vintage Video: Gary Numan – “Down in the Park” (live)

gary-numan

It’s a crying shame that pioneering synth-rocker Gary Numan is a mere one-hit wonder on our side of the pond.  In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Numan scored several prominent U.K. singles, ushering in the acceptance of the synthesizer as a mainstream instrument, and taking his Bowie-influenced, futuristic nightmare to new levels with each record.

In the U.S., his career boiled down to “Cars,” the infectious and unforgettable pop hit that will forever be glorified by the VH1-watching masses.  I can still hear a group of “music experts” from I Love the ’80s poorly humming the song’s main refrain, singing that memorable melody line over and over again.  Though “Cars” is a great song, Numan was capable of far more, both before and after this massive chart-topper.  Here’s some proof: Recorded live and broadcast as part of the 1981 Urgh! A Music War documentary (which sadly has not made it to DVD), “Down in the Park” is an apocalyptic nightmare featured on Replicas, Numan’s breakthrough record with Tubeway Army.  Dig that stage set!

Preview Gary Numan's classic releases right now over at LimeWire Store!

By Frank Deserto

Filed under Featured Posts, Video

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Comments

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  1. July 16th, 2009 at 12:05 PM { # }

    natty said:

    I adore Numan. And damn, the man still has it at live shows. Just caught him a few years ago and it was amazing. And, I personally really dig his newer stuff.

  2. July 16th, 2009 at 12:05 PM { # }

    Frank Deserto said:

    If I could dog Numan for one thing, it’s his chameleon-esque nature. The early material took Bowie’s prowess and updated it, but the new stuff definitely treads NIN-follower territory. No matter though, though his recent aesthetic isn’t anything totally groundbreaking and original, there are still some great songs on the latter-era records, and that’s what matters most. I’m still dying to see the man live… Stop playing shows in Australia and get to the States!

  3. July 16th, 2009 at 12:05 PM { # }

    Matt said:

    his song is a great inclusion in a great film

    feel free to join my yahoo group if you want to discuss Urgh! A music War
    or that type of music

    thanks,
    Matt

  4. July 16th, 2009 at 12:05 PM { # }

    sharon said:

    i enjoy your song its got a beautiful beat,but i could not here you, you need to sing a little louder,somebody else was talking about australia,if i had the money i would love to go there,but as it figuares i dont.

  5. July 16th, 2009 at 12:05 PM { # }

    Zack said:

    All these years later and it still looks futuristic!

March 19th, 2010 at 2:38 AM