The Pleasure Principle

its got all 3 B's BABY!!!!! 1.5/5

ok

It’s weird when the big hit is maybe the third best song.

I was onky familiar with Gary Neuman through "Cars". I actually liked it more than I thought I would- interesting sound and the use of heavy synth gives it a fun vibe.

Great as background music but lacks originality. All the songs sound the same.

ig weiss nid.

Ein Mann der an dem Tag Geburtstag hat kann ja nur grossartig sein :-)

3.5!

Why I'm not listening to this album every day of my life is a complete mystery to me. My standouts: Airlane, Metal, M.E., Conversation, Cars

Odd album with some decent tracks. Seemed like a movie album

Trååååkigt

All around lousy. Everything sounded the same.

Obviously groundbreaking at the time, but slightly bare bones and repetitive. 3.5

I think this is the first time I've listened to a Gary Numan (or Tubeway Army for that matter) album all the way through. Very much of its time, first to crack the UK charts with synth-pop, very Ballardian but opened the way to more soulful synth-pop.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Some amazing textures to the sound, the combination of strings and electronic instruments is great.

3.5

wayyy too long/repetitive, but i appreciated it a bit. liked his voice too.

Sounds like an old version of what seemed futuristic. Certainly nothing like other 70s music, though it sounds pretty ordinary now.

Sintetizadores expresándose de forma libre Se ve lo creativo e incursionista que fue Gary Numan con este álbum Según investigué Gary venía de una banda punk que justo de ahí fue descubriendo la existencia del sintetizador y fue incluyéndolo poco a poco más en su producción Gracias a eso es que canciones como Airlane y Cars salen a la luz Las otras canciones tienen buena melodía, mas las letras son un poco sencillas, su intención se nota que es más la de disfrutar la parte instrumental de primera mano Es un álbum reescuchable e interesante, lo recomiendo

A future where all the songs sound similar to Cars

Not a bad song on this album

fav songs: observer synths, electronic, pop 40/100

Amazing, groundbreaking synth record! ❤️

I looked forward to this bit of nostalgia, unfortunately it sounded very dated and like one long song. I get it that fans of electronica love this, but it’s not for me.

I enjoyed it far more than I usually enjoy synth-heavy music.

Repetitive, but cool.

En 1979, fraîchement débarqué du succès vaporeux d'« Are Friends Electric? » avec mon groupe Tubeway Army, je décide qu'il est temps d'assumer mon destin en solo. Je me pointe sur le plateau de l'émission Top of the Pops avec un look pensé pour traumatiser le téléspectateur moyen : teint d'une pâleur cadavérique, cheveux corbeau, regard fixe de sociopathe et costume d'employé de bureau futuriste. Un androïde échappé d'un roman de science-fiction qui se serait bêtement perdu dans le métro londonien. C'est à l'automne de cette même année que je sors The Pleasure Principle. Sans le savoir tout à fait sur le moment, je pose là les fondations de ce que la presse spécialisée s'empressera de baptiser la synth-pop et la new wave des années 80. Pourtant, quand je réécoute cet album aujourd'hui avec un regard lucide, mon constat s'avère bien plus nuancé que la légende officielle. The Pleasure Principle est incontestablement un bon disque, novateur et audacieux sur bien des aspects, mais il souffre également de défauts structurels majeurs qui m'empêchent de le crier sur tous les toits comme un chef-d'œuvre intemporel. Je lui attribue donc un 3/5, une note d'honnêteté brute. Pour bien mesurer ce que je tentais de faire à l'époque, il faut se remettre dans le contexte de la fin des années 70. L'utilisation des synthétiseurs en Angleterre restait encore largement cantonnée aux expérimentations du rock progressif allemand comme Kraftwerk ou Tangerine Dream, ou aux arrangements de David Bowie et Brian Eno sur la trilogie berlinoise. La plupart des groupes de rock traditionnels considéraient encore les synthés comme des gadgets sans âme réservés aux musiciens de studio ou aux vieux hippies fortunés. Issu de la vague punk, je voyais au contraire dans le synthétiseur l'instrument d'émancipation démocratique ultime. Pas besoin de maîtriser dix ans de solfège ou d'enchaîner des solos véloces pour composer sur un Minimoog. Il suffisait d'appuyer sur une touche avec un seul doigt pour déclencher un son monstrueux, lourd et totalement inédit. Quand j'ai essayé mon premier Minimoog dans un studio d'enregistrement, ma vie a changé en une fraction de seconde. Le son était tellement massif que j'ai su immédiatement que je ne voulais plus jamais toucher une guitare de ma vie. C'est cette révélation qui m'a poussé à abandonner la formule classique guitare-basse-batterie pour me plonger corps et âme dans les fréquences synthétiques. Ma première grande décision sur cet album relève d'ailleurs d'une audace folle pour l'époque : l'absence totale et définitive de guitare. Dans un monde musical encore dominé par les riffs saturés et le culte du guitar hero, bannir la six-cordes de tout un disque relevait du suicide commercial. Sur The Pleasure Principle, il n'y a pas le moindre grattement, pas la moindre distorsion à lampes. Tout le spectre sonore habituellement réservé aux guitares est intégralement transféré aux synthétiseurs analogiques. Le Minimoog assure mes lignes de basse rondes, lourdes et martelées, tandis que le Polymoog génère des nappes glaciales et des motifs répétitifs qui s'accrochent à l'esprit. Ce parti pris donne à l'album une identité sonore d'une cohérence absolue. On se retrouve immédiatement plongé dans un univers rétro-futuriste, froid et clinique. L'absence de guitares crée une sensation de vide spatial. La musique respire différemment, débarrassée des fréquences saturées habituelles, laissant toute la place à une architecture électronique rigide mais fascinante. Mais selon moi, ma plus belle idée sur tout le disque, c'est d'avoir injecté une étincelle organique au milieu de ce paysage de silicium. Et cette étincelle provient de l'intégration de cordes acoustiques, et plus particulièrement du violon et de l'alto joués par le talentueux Billy Currie, membre d'Ultravox. L'ajout de ces instruments à frottement au milieu d'une débauche de circuits imprimés fait un bien fou à l'ensemble. Ces interventions de violon apportent une touche de chaleur humaine, de mélancolie et d'élégance dramatique tout à fait saisissante. C'est un peu comme si une âme humaine subsistait et tentait de s'exprimer depuis l'intérieur d'un ordinateur géant. Le contraste entre le son chaud du bois et la rigueur froide des synthétiseurs crée une tension poétique magnifique qui sauve l'album de la sécheresse. Sur le plan purement technique, rappelez-vous que l'album a été enregistré aux studios Matrix de Londres sans le confort des ordinateurs modernes. En 1979, les séquenceurs automatiques et la technologie MIDI n'existaient pas encore dans nos studios. Toutes les lignes répétitives que vous entendez ont été jouées à la main par mes musiciens et moi-même, avec une précision métronomique pour rester calés sur la batterie. Cette contrainte technique obligatoire donne au disque une pulsation vivante malgré son apparence robotique. De plus, la batterie acoustique enregistrée par Cedric Sharpley bénéficie d'un traitement sonore très particulier. Le son est sec, mat, totalement privé de réverbération, ce qui accentue encore davantage cette impression d'espace fermé. La grande réussite de la première moitié du disque réside dans sa capacité à créer une ambiance paranoïaque d'une efficacité redoutable. Je maîtrise alors l'art d'écrire des mélodies simples mais terriblement accrocheuses sous mes airs d'androïde sans émotions. J'aborde des thèmes chers à la science-fiction : l'isolement urbain, la fascination pour les machines, le voyeurisme et l'angoisse de la déshumanisation. Le morceau phare Cars reste à ce titre un modèle de pop synthétique minimale. Avec sa basse binaire obsessionnelle, ses phrases de synthétiseur tranchantes et son refrain récité d'une voix neutre, la chanson capture parfaitement le sentiment de sécurité illusoire que procure le fait de s'enfermer dans sa voiture pour échapper aux autres. Malheureusement, c'est une fois la surprise passée que les problèmes commencent à pointer le bout de leur nez. Et c'est exactement là que se situe le motif central de ma réserve et de ma note mitigée. Le problème majeur de The Pleasure Principle, c'est que l'album devient rapidement trop répétitif. Une fois arrivé à la seconde moitié du disque, une impression de lassitude et de déjà-vu s'installe gentiment mais sûrement. Je me rends compte en le réécoutant que j'applique rigoureusement la même recette, avec les mêmes timbres de synthés, les mêmes tempos et les mêmes intonations vocales d'un titre à l'autre. Je vois déjà venir les puristes qui me reprocheront cette analyse en me disant : « Mais enfin, c'est le concept même de l'album ! La répétition et la monotonie font partie intégrante du côté robotique et mécanique recherché ! » J'entends parfaitement cet argument théorique et je reconnais la cohérence de la démarche sur le papier. Mimer la rigueur des machines en créant une musique répétitive et circulaire est une démarche artistique compréhensible. Mais entre la théorie intellectuelle et l'expérience réelle de mes oreilles, il y a un fossé que je ne peux pas franchir. Il est amusant d'ailleurs de constater à quel point la presse musicale britannique de l'époque s'est montrée féroce à mon égard. Les hebdomadaires influents comme le NME ou Melody Maker ont accueilli l'album avec un mépris d'une rare violence, me traitant d'imposteur sans talent et de sous-David Bowie intellectualisant des bruits de machines. Mais le public, lui, ne s'y est pas trompé. Porté par le succès massif du single Cars, l'album s'est rapidement hissé au sommet des ventes au Royaume-Uni avant de conquérir l'Amérique. Cette revanche populaire s'appuyait aussi sur la construction de mon personnage. Loin des postures machistes du rock ou de l'agressivité du punk, j'affichais une posture distante, presque asexuée et totalement impassible. Cette attitude, qui a beaucoup intrigué, était en réalité alimentée par ma timidité maladive. J'ai simplement transformé une vulnérabilité personnelle en un style visuel percutant, créant un modèle d'androïde introverti que des dizaines de groupes new wave allaient s'empresser de copier. Même si je reste réservé sur l'homogénéité du disque, il faut rendre à César ce qui appartient à César : l'influence de The Pleasure Principle sur l'histoire de la musique moderne est colossale. Cet album a servi de pont vers l'explosion synth-pop des années 80 (Depeche Mode, Human League, OMD) et a inspiré toute la scène industrielle et rock alternatif. Au moment de faire les comptes, il reste l'image d'un album pionnier, audacieux et historiquement fondamental. L'absence de guitares était un pari risqué et brillamment relevé, et l'apport des cordes est une véritable trouvaille. Mais il y a aussi ce revers de la médaille : cette répétitivité mécanique qui s'installe au fil des pistes et finit par étouffer la créativité. La formule tourne en rond sur la deuxième moitié et provoque une monotonie regrettable. Un bon disque, hautement recommandable pour la culture, mais pas le chef-d'œuvre parfait qu'on écoute en boucle.

Listen more for the historical value, for what I read here it meant for the new-wave genre for its time, which I found out I like. Now its more of an nice ambiance album

I love Gary Numan's dystopian Sci Fi music. As someone who occasionally feels like a robotic alien outsider, this album speaks to me. 3.5⭐️

Overall, I’m surprised to say that I almost enjoyed it. I expected a lot more repetitive droning, and while it has its share of droning, it’s not as bad as I feared. The composition of the album is decent, and the production is outstanding. The music is perhaps trying too hard and Numan’s voice is awful. Expected a one ir two star record, but it’s nearly a 4. 3.5 stars

This is how to do synth pop.

What a synth heaven of an album. This sucks you into a virtual world that's a little grungy and a little sleek at the same time. Numans voice is like an android giving you instructions on a training video for your new robot life, it works for me. The synth and drums feel very iconic to me as a familiarity to Cars which also lend themselves to when the stings come in for some songs. The vibe for this track is absolutely up my alley specifically and glad I finally spent the time to check out the full thing cause I might have missed it otherwise.

I liked this more than I expected.

It’s quite boring and in instrumentally really basic, if not bad, in my opinion. It’s probably an important album for some kind of new wave / synth tradition which I don’t want to diminish. I still don’t think it’s necessarily good …

Okay also tbh hab ich gedacht, dass es way beschissener klingen wird lol Ich bin aber auch eine suckerin für old school Synthesizer Sounds. Es wird jetzt kein stample Album für mich werden, dafür ist mir der Sound zu steif (was ja glaube Absicht ist?). Ich fand’s aber solide. Für kulturellen Kontext kann ich die Doku Synth Britannia empfehlen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lVljmH0yUw

Groundbreaking

Гламур. Секс. Софиты. Неимоверно акутовый, пронзительный и резкий. Вот так можно описать и обложку и музыку. Снисходительность исполнения и взгляда с обложки неповторимы. Конечно слушать весь альбом целиком сразу трудновато, лучше порционно получать такое качественное и концентрированное настроение, так ещё и в замечательном исполнении. Оценка 7/10 очень достойно.

it's interesting to see his thoughts and predictions on what technology was like at the time and how it would progress, even though he was sonically very off, except for some of the 80s. the music itself has some pretty good moments, but it's quite repetitive. still, i'd say it's worth a listen, due to it's overall unique nature.

It turns out my two favorite songs on this are basically just one song, but one is 5 minutes longer than the other one. I had heard of Cars going into this, but honestly I was pretty disappointed by the rest of the album. It was kinda just worse versions of that. I did like a couple songs, but he's also just a little bit annoying. Not for me for sure. Favorites: Films, Conversation, Cars

Tuvo su gracia en la época, pero ahora no pasa de ser una curiosidad.

Fun, with a health dose of nostalgia

Still enjoy this one…not quite a 4 so have to give it a 3..not really fair but their it is

Solid album, if its good enough for Basement Jaxx to steal samples from then its good enough for me

So good to hear it again

Great listen, packed with bangers and interesting synth work

Extremt statiskt album som säkert lät hur coolt som helst på 70-talet. Har väl inte åldrats jättebra… Nåväl!

The only issue I have with this is that it feels like it drags on too long to keep me fully interested. 6/10

Turns out you can do a lot more with synth, bass, and drums than I originally thought

Went in with low expectations but ended up throughly enjoying it. Cars is a banger but all of Side A is excellent.

A synth masterpiece

Not bad. I see why Cars is only radio hit

Was decent until it wasn’t

It was fun but new wave just isn't for me

#399 I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did; Cars is so incredibly famous, it’s almost a bit annoying, largely because it seems like you only ever hear the same part of the song. I don’t dislike the vocals but perhaps they stop me from rating higher. Clearly, this was pioneering and there’s so much that has been sampled, perhaps that fuelled my enjoyment, I enjoyed all the tracks, particularly ‘Tracks’. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): M.E; Tracks Rating: 8/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This album asked the question, “How much do you like synthesizers?” A lot? You’ll love this album. Hate them? Don’t even think about listening to it. I fall somewhere in the middle, so this was ok until I got tired of it. Which didn’t take long. But Cars is on here, so that’s something.

Really enjoyed this, incredibly 80s sounding. A lot of the songs do sound very similar though

This album is fucking cool. For those who don't like this album, JP says "you would if you had robot ears."

I only knew Cars. The rest were good too but there was like twice when a song started and I was like oh this is Cars and it wasn’t. So I guess they sound a bit samesy sometimes.

Cars has long been one of my favorites. I think a couple more of the songs on this album could be a favorite, too. But the album as a whole is too same-y.

It's funny that as a pre-teen I didn't really care for this music but now approaching 60, I find it nostalgic.

Exceptional!

Caposaldo della new wave, alcuni pezzi iconici, tuttavia tutto insiemenè troppo

This is a true weird/outsider album for me. There's something about the blend of electronics with his weirdo voice that makes it sound really interesting. Cars in undeniable. Metal is a good jam. Complex is really surprisingly beautiful with all the weird synth combinations and that nice piano backing line. such a weird synth pop, new wave combo to me.

Much like Revenge of the Nerds, this album has not aged well, very much a product of its time. Heavy electronic sound, other than Cars pretty bland.

I love 80's electronic music and Gary's music pulled me to the genre when I was young. I'm so pleased to listen to it in it's fullness. Airlane is a great period piece where I believe we still have synth paired with live drums. I love the sound. I mourned a bit when I heard DEVO, after Gates of Steel, would no longer use live drums for most recordings. Outstanding, start to finish and I'm seriously considering buying this one.

Early 80’s

New wave at end of 70’s

A little same-y with all the synths and piano but very immersive. There’s something irresistible about the way this record ebbs and flows; it courses with brooding electronic rhythm & pairs it with Bowie-adjacent vocal inflections I’ve learned to love. I dunno, I can see why this album might not work for some people, but it did for me. Strong four! STAND-OUT SONG: “Cars” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Complex”, “Airlane”, “Oceans”

Interesting songs, but a lot of the same. And in my opinion way too long

Alguns dos sintetizadores mais saborosos e crocantes que já foram gravados. Vontade de abraçar esse disco e ficar segurando ele a noite inteira. Incalculavelmente importante para diversos gêneros, ou melhor, para música popular como um todo. Numan realmente abriu caminhos e fez isso de forma graciosa e sincera. Músicas atemporais que ainda te movimentam como se ainda estivéssemos em 1979. Essa seja talvez a melhor e mais gritante qualidade deste álbum. É claro que o que mais chama a atenção, o que de fato grita na sua cara e te abraça por trás subitamente, são as linhas de sintetizador. Já disse e repito, são saborosas e crocantes. Mas não é só isso que o disco oferece. Há nele linhas de baixo gordas e riquíssimas. Há percussão ideal, e não podemos esquecer da voz e do lirismo de Numan, ambos absurdamente lindos. 5/5

Very dated. Not much jumping out at me

Compelling and surprisingly catchy early synth pop.

Palatable Kraftwerk. Successfully pulls off the robot vibe with awesome melodies. There is a slight hissing sound on every song on the album so I kept having to pause to check if my toilet was running, but other than that perfect.

fyra för orginalskivan, men 3 med cd-bonustracks.

Prince måste inspirerats en del av det här till sitt synth-sound på 1999-skivan. Kul att höra samplen till barndomsklassikern ”Wheres your head at” med Basement Jaxx i ”m.e.” Rak 4a!

Funkade inte riktigt för mig.

Tröttnar rätt snabbt på soundet och rösten. Pipigt. Men kan rekommendera det lite senare albumet I, Assassin och i synnerhet låten Music For Chameleons. Mycket mer fretless bejs

Very bladerunner. Also very same-y. Lots of the songs had the same beat, key, and chord progression. I really like the quality of this synth stuff tho, its mysterious and exciting. Just too much on the album - literally is a song called "Random" that feels like when I would mess around in a logic session late at night.

Gary Numan's debut album is probably one of the most 80s sounding albums released before the 1980s and is alongside Tubeway Army's discography probably one of the most improtant releases for synth-pop. And there is good music on it, too: personal highlights include "Airlane", "M.E.". I want to point out the cover, too: inspired by surrealist painter Rene Magritte, it creates a kind of emotionless, clean feeling, clearly fitting the music. But once you've listened to the first two or three tracks, you'll know how the rest of the albums going to be. There is very little variation between the tracks, nothing that really stands out. And while I like the sound, I miss a certain variation in music. It's not a bad album and I recommend listening to it if you like 80s synth-pop, but I would not consider it to be a masterpiece.

Meh

Decent at first, but a whole album proved too much

Sounds like a pretty good pop-opera

This is one of the most influential albums of the late seventies. It predicts the rise of synthesiser music which came to dominate in the next decade. Although it is a full year after the Human League's Reproduction album this one captured the minds of the British public. The sound of the album is like a dystopian future and still sounds like nothing else to this day. 5 stars

Gary Numan’s expanded edition of The Pleasure Principle completely misses the mark, landing as a weak, deeply confusing, and borderline childlike effort that is impossible to recommend. While the iconic synth-pop staple "Cars" and the slightly better end of "Conversation" manage to be passable, the rest of the standard tracklist is a frustrating slog through jarring sci-fi oddities like "Airplane" and "Metal," leaving the listener entirely lost on "Complex" and "Films." The album's saving grace is ironically tucked away in the bonus material: the outtake "Random" provides a genuinely refreshing, different, and highly enjoyable vibe. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to rescue the surrounding project, which plummets right back into boring lulls on "ME" and "Engineers," before wrapping up with the genuinely creepy atmosphere of "Asylum." Save for that one standout rarity, this is an alienating and highly flawed experience you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

Pretty 80s, pretty same-y, but pretty listenable

never heard of Numan, and never heard Cars. neat songs. veers samey all too much.

This is such a great album overall. "Airlane" and "M.E." are amazing. But together is super powerful.

synthmaxxing

Some great songs but it's pretty samey

cars is a banger and M.E is a theoretical banger. rest i cba

Songs all sound similar

Fun but a little all over the place

Gary Numan is older than Gary Oldman - It's a fact... look it up.... mind blown? From the 'Robert Dimery Dictionary' Must: verb. - def a. Do something if you choose to do it. Don't do it. It doesn't matter. Context. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. - Listen to these albums or don't. Up to you. You don't need to. Strange that this album claims to have 17 songs when I only heard 3 played over and over again

Decent album that is ahead of its time 3/5

This album rocks

Ummm, I love Gary Numan and am not sure how I’ve not discovered him until now.

One of the pioneers of electronic music, especially in synth‑pop and electropop. And as a vivid fan of synthpop this album is a must-listen and I really enjoyed it

나쁘지 않았고, 꽤 괜찮은 노래도 있었다. It wasn't bad, and there were some pretty good songs, too.

Cars was the only one I knew, funny that most of the songs kind of sounded like cars outtakes. Extra point for such a crunchy synth sound so early in the 80s.

"Cars" is a catchy classic! It was cool how some other tracks shared the style and vibe of "Cars" to make a cohesive larger-scale work of the album - but the album continued on a bit too long for my taste.

(3/7) more mid synthesizer music

Hugely influential and at times excellent. High 3

While not having as many hits as the Tubeway Army debut The Pleasure Principle is just as solid a presentation. Numan does not massively change up the formula, rather tweaks and refines it. It still has those herky-jerky keys and vocals which are used to remarkably similar effect, often in unison, but there is an extra level of shine and polish. I’m delighted that Cars gave him enough of an unqualified hit to kick start his whole career.

Gary Numan just the wrong side of 4 for me, high 3 - it’s largely down to his compositions and intentions behind the tracks. Bowie did the atmospherics better already on Low and NIN take Numan’s paranoia to much greater heights but when Numan hits the sweet spot between pop and speculative sci fi (Cars, Films, M.E.) this thing comes alive

nunca había escuchado pero me gustó bastante. me hace acordar a cosas de black box recorder, depeche mode y pet shop boys, incluso también a lady gaga en sus primeros discos. sería una buena banda de sonido de alguna película

Good stuff Iwas pleasantly surprised

Solid new wave

Wow, Gary! I didn’t know there was a whole themed synth album to go with Cars. Really good stuff

Pretty much as expected here. Never been a fan, but I don't dislike it. The famous ones are ok, but that is about it.

That has aged ok! Pioneering stuff. I found him and the music a bit weird at the time, but listening to it again I really enjoyed it. The iconic ‘Cars’ has always been a favourite but I’d never bothered to much with his work. Apparently his new material is decent and different, so I’ll have to give that a try.

The Numanoid, you've got to love his synth experiments from this bygone age. Sticking Moogs through phaser pedals as such like, true genius. As I pnly ever owned his 'Exhibition' compilation, a lot of tunes were new to me. The familiar 'Metal' and 'Complex' are top tunes. The big surprise was 'M.E.' I'm not sure where my head was at with that one. Then the original 'Cars' - it still sends shivers down my spine with that haunting keyboard solo. Apart from serious image issues, which seeps into his lyrics [who really wants to be a robot?], this is a solid album, whether its his best LP I am not so sure.

Props to him.

Fun, not great, but a good darn listen.

Den naturlige arvtageren til Kraftwerk? Nå hadde de enda til gode å slippe Computer World, så de hadde ikke akkurat gitt seg enda, men likevel. Taper seg litt i andre halvdel (dog inneholder den Cars). Forøvrig, M.E. > Cars eller?

New wave-versjonen av Kraftwerk, men definitivt noe eget. Har hørt mest på Replicas, men det er små marginer mellom PP og Replicas.

I feel like I def already reviewed this, but then I went on vacation for 2 weeks and here I am listening to it again. 80s synth electronic. I almost lost it when I thought it was yet another Randy Newman album. But yeah, nothing special, all the same.

Honestly, I got bored and didn't really listen to it all. Seems a little interesting, but not enough to listen to fully.

80s sound again… but low key it was a banger. Gary Newman thank you for making the rare 80s synth pop album that doesn’t suck.

I understand this is important, but it’s not really my thing. 5/10 Decent

It's kind of amazing how this entire album sounds like Cars long before you actually get to Cars. The sound is immediately recognizable and you're like 'I know this guy' and finally track 9 hits and you realize 'Yeah! THIS song!'. Fun enough all the way through.

Fun early synth pop. Enjoyable.

Not for me

Hmm, Cars is good, the rest is pretty much filler

Gary Numan is one of the original "synth guys", alongside Jean-Michael Jarre and everyone you need to know from Kraftwerk. I would equally recommend Tubeway Army's "Replicas" (Numan's 'band' before he just released music under his name) as it's just as good as The Pleasure Principle, a very peak album. You know Cars, but you should also know Are Friends Electric and Down in the Park. If you want something more protoindustrial, Telekon is up your ally. The Pleasure Principle is a hallmark of synthesizer sound and is just a completely solid album from start to finish. Please understand this dude is more than just "Cars", he's done quite a lot for the music world.

Today I learned Basement Jaxx used one of these tunes to make their biggest hit. Really good and influential electronic soundscapes. Favorite track: M.E.

If Cars was all you ever heard from Gary Numan, he's going to make you wait for it because if there's one thing he knows about pleasure it's that anticipation is part of principle. Even sequencing the album with Airlane as the opener delays any gratification of hearing his vocals, which are a core part of the total sound. He's also going to tease some of the musical elements found in Cars (e.g. the Observer and others) before you finally arrive. A master stroke in the era before easy fast forward and skip functions. Now it's always been fairly easy, even on vinyl, to drop in on the song you want but with Cars as the penultimate track of side two I think Numan has done his best to get your attention on some of the other material and frankly I think it's worth it. I know a record is good for me when the following things happen: 1. I want to hear it again, the same day and 2. I'm inspired to listen to a bunch of other music that's stylistically similar. For me The Pleasure Principle ignites a desire for both.

Airlane klapt er lekker in! Pure instrumentale synthwave, dan ga ik wel even rechtop zitten! Jammer dat daarna het trippy synthwavey geluidje wel flink word teruggeschroefd en dat dan blijkt dat Gary Numan zelf ook gaat zingen. Wel geloof ik meteen dat dit voor 1979(!!!) ontzettend vernieuwend en vervreemdend was. Ik krijg zelf bijna beetje gothische sci-fi vibes hiervan. Weet nog niet helemaal of ik het nou vet vind of juist niet zo. M.E.... Dat klinkt als een heel bekend synth lijntje, is dit een sample? Volgens mij is het Where's your head at van de Basement Jaxx??? De muziek is wel echt lekker weird. Dit is synthpop in optima forma. Jammer dat de vocale performace van Gary niet echt matched met de muziek. Die is gewoon niet zo bijzonder. Past opzich wel bij de instrumentalen, maar had gewoon wat beter gekund denk ik. Ja... Random bevestigd het. De instrumentals zijn verreweg mijn favoriete nummers op dit album. De rest is prima, niet super bijzonder, maar instrumentaal is dit album heel dik. De laatste paar nummers zorgen voor zo'n intens filmische sfeer. Je hoeft niet eens je ogen meer dicht te doen, de duistere muziek neemt je echt mee daarin. Supervet einde, wat het des te meer zonde maakt dat eigenlijk het grootste deel van het album zo mwah is... FAVO: Airlane, Conversation, Cars, Random, Asylum

The song cars didn’t make a lot of sense to me when I first heard it back in 2003. However now I understand where it’s coming from – unfortunately.

Great album.

I knew of Gary Numan. back in the day but hadn't focused on his work (thought of it as more mainstream than I was interested in). I start listening, the tracks are somewhat minimalist (new wave arranging) but they do have lots of rich tones (chunky bass, electrosynth textures). The songs are not high impact, but have enough rhythmic content (and verse/chorus predictability) that I can imagine dancing to most of them - "almost disco" as one contemporaneous reviewer said. A bit of reading tells me there's a theme about technology and disconnection - but neither lyrics nor theme came through for me when I was just listening. (I look at some transcribed lyrics, they don't wow me.) Overall, nothing here impresses me much, but there's nothing particularly bad about it, it's Okay, 6/10.

I'm sure this hit super hard in 1979

Not for me. Listenable but I found it boring. I will give it two stars because I did the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV meme when the track sampled in “Where’s Your Head At” started playing.

Weird android music, whilst adding other elements like a bit of post-punk. This is what they listen to on the future in that one SpongeBob episode Highlights: Films, Metal, M.E.

Why is the name Gary Numan so confusing? First thought was, oh no a Randy Newman album. Then my mind went to Paul Newman but he is only making salad dressing. The suit made me think of Robert Palmer. Turns out Gary Newman is some sort of suit wearing synth guy. Album was distinctly 80s even though it came out in 79. Fat bass lines and soaring synths. Fun listen.

Really surprised by how much of this album I recognised. I genuinely didn’t think I had heard this before, but even allowing for its obvious influence on later tracks (or outright sampling by some), I felt like I knew this far more than I expected. It also surprised me quite how much I enjoyed this as the cold, detached style usually leaves me a bit cold (mission accomplished, evidently).

I got to admit it is much more musically interesting than it is lyrically. Some iconic songs but overall it wasn’t my cup of tea

I enjoyed Cars, the rest of the album is fun but it mostly sounds like "hey this sounds like Here in my Car"

The unique voice of Gary Numan is and was perfect for electronic music. The whole Numanoid thing used to freak me out a bit when I was 10 years old, but it seemed to be a bit of a synth persona thing - the odd guys on the keyboards, Ron Mael, Chris Lowe, the cast of Kraftwerk - and Numan fits the bill. The album pleasantly surprised me with the lushness of its sound. The piano and violin help, but Numan balances the hard and soft effects from the moog keyboards, giving some of the music an unexpected beauty. Highlights, outside of Cars, were Metal, Complex and M.E., used later by Basement Jaxx. I saw Gary Numan at Glastonbury a few years back, he was impressive and I listened to some of his more recent albums. I can recommend Intruders. He is a true electronic music pioneer and this was a great debut. 4 stars.

Musically really interesting. Vocally and lyrically pretty meh

Absolutely fabulous, loved the vibes and really unique vocals

“Thing is about Gary Numan—he’s amazing. Yeah, but just let me give you this little snippet, right? Not only is he a pop star—he’s got a pilots license! Imagine that!”

It all started to sound the same. Didn't love it

Great example of the birth of 80's synth pop rock. Although most of the songs sound pretty similar, they are catchy.

I guess obviously a huge influence on things that followed. But might go in the one-and-done pile for me.

This was great. Sometimes his voice annoyed me but overall i really enjoyed this. Of course Cars is still fantastic, but the album as a whole was entertaining.

Fun listen, conceptually I feel like I should like this more. I do like it as an album, I just never come back to it.

I respect its ideas, but this album was very monotonous from start to finish. The spacey, synthy sound is cool, but so much more variety could've been done. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was pretty boring. 2.5/5

Fun songs

An interesting album for sure. I can hear the soon-to-be-not-my-favorite 80s sound but it doesn't reach that annoying level yet. Will relisten!

Synth pop-took me back but has it lasted the test of time?

Give me Numan over Freud. I enjoyed listening to this after such a long.time. It was a ground-breaking album in the dying embers of punk, synths replacing guitars. It will never catch on. Lots of doom and introspection. Cars and Metal are the stand out tracks.

Cars is a stand out but a bit too much repetition for a 4*

What an innovator this guy was. Fascinating to listen to this again and always good to hear Cars. Sadly, much of the rest of it is pretty dated and forgettable these days. A Cars-driven 3.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I've heard songs like this before. And then Cars came on. That song alone bumps it up to a 3, although I'm not sure it's necessarily deserved.

I only knew the song Cars, but yet I felt like I knew so many more tracks on this album as he recycled parts and themes throughout the album. This repetition added a cohesiveness to the album experience that I enjoyed.

in the early seventies at school when played around with some electronic elements - we created similar kind of 'music'

Banger of an album. Favourites: Complex, M.E., Tracks, Conversation

I love the 80s. This album represents the worst of it. So many better choices out there.

It was repetitive, but there were some good bits

I've always hated the stupid song Cars and this album was no better. Like an 80's caricature of futuristic music. Or Elroy Jetson learns the keyboard.

Exploring the frontier of this synth stuff. Novel for its time, but a little out there also. Numan went on to do some other interesting exploration that broadened on these early experiments.

🤮

Gary Numan was clearly very influential in driving synthesiser music into the mainstream. I didn't realise Are Friends Electric? was the first synth pop song to hit No1 n the UK and his whole persona was interesting. I probably enjoyed reading about him more than listening to the album - it's decent but the layered, whiny synth sounds are a bit annoying after a while. The vocals are also not super catchy. Quite unique and cool but not one I'd play again

It's simple and odd and early electronic stuff but it's great background music for getting stuff done around the house on a Sunday as I found out. I enjoyed it as a whole pretty well. I've listen to it prior and I think the latter half of the album is stronger.

Very synth-heavy Devo/Cars-esque 80’s trance pop rock. For 3 or 4 songs, I thought “this all sounds an awful lot like that song ‘Cars.’ And then ‘Cars’ came on.

2,5

i really enjoyed this one. the sound he's getting out of these synths feels a lot more developed than i usually expect for a late 70s release, which i think is helped a lot by the decision to compliment the synth strings with real ones, minimising the cheesiness that early synth strings often bring with them. it's a smart move, and it all feels very forward-thinking. to me, the album definitely feels at its strongest in the first half, especially the opening instrumental track, "airlane", and "metal" with its stabby bass growing into an overpowering swell towards the end, but "m.e." is my favourite. it's close, i kinda do like it all more or less equally, but it's that gritty bass that wins it i think. i love that shit. basement jaxx knew what the fuck was up when they sampled it for "where's your head at". my only real gripe with this album is that most of the back half of the album is "cars". "observer" absolutely sounds like an alternate take of "cars", and "conversation" and "engineers" also share a very similar sound. perhaps i'm being a little unfair to them due to their proximity to "cars" itself, but either way the album feels like it loses steam here. it's a good song but, 4 cars is a little much. u can't drive them all at once mr numan..... the power loss at the end isn't enough to ruin the album for me, i enjoy the sound even if it does continue to the point of dragging a little. but it does make it hard for me to justify the 5 stars i think the first half deserves. still tho, it's overall a very good album, and i'm sure i'll come back to it again.

stylish and foundational but a bit dated in some aspects of sound, imo. glad i listened to it bc i never knew the sample origin of basement jaxx's "where's your head at?"

Probably the best showcase of the synthesizer on this list, for better or for worse. No doubt a pioneer in that regard too, curating a mysterious sci fi-like sound along the way. It's all just...too repetitive I guess, however. Not much was done with said synthesizers to make the non-Cars tracks stand out. Definitely a relic of its time.

# An In-Depth Review of Gary Numan's *The Pleasure Principle* (1979) Released in September 1979, *The Pleasure Principle* is the debut solo album by Gary Numan, arriving just six months after *Replicas*, his final album with the band Tubeway Army . The album was a commercial triumph, peaking at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and reaching No. 16 on the US Billboard 200, largely propelled by the worldwide synth-pop hit "Cars" . But beyond its chart success, the album represents a pivotal moment in popular music, marking "Year Zero for commercially viable, big-selling synth-pop". ## Lyrics and Themes: The Alienated Machine Lyrically, *The Pleasure Principle* is a cold, unsettling exploration of alienation, identity, and humanity's fraught relationship with technology. While not a rigid concept album like its predecessor, Numan described the songs as "more of a collection of thoughts I'd had about the way technology was evolving and where it would take us" . The lyrics are notable for their consistent use of dystopian science-fiction perspectives. Numan masterfully employs unreliable, non-human narrators to explore themes of isolation and the desire for connection. "Metal" is sung from the perspective of an android longing to be human, encapsulating the album's core ironic tragedy: a machine yearning for the very organic flaws it lacks . Similarly, "M.E." (standing for "Mechanical Engineering") is told from the viewpoint of "the last machine on Earth," a solitary and obsolete entity contemplating its own end . This focus on disconnection is not limited to future scenarios. The global hit "Cars" uses the automobile as a metaphor for a protective, isolating bubble. Numan was inspired by observing how people behave differently when shielded by metal and glass, a prescient commentary on social atomization that feels remarkably relevant to the age of social media . The song's famous lyric, "Here in my car, I feel safest of all," perfectly captures this ambivalent comfort found in mechanical solitude. The album title itself, borrowed from René Magritte's surrealist painting (which references Freud's psychoanalytic concept), is "magnificently sardonic," suggesting that the relentless pursuit of pleasure and technological efficiency has instead led to a state of emotional numbness . ## Music and Production: The Robotic Blueprint The music of *The Pleasure Principle* is as revolutionary as its lyrics. Numan's most famous and consequential decision was to **completely abandon the electric guitar** . This radical choice, coupled with the heavy use of synthetic percussion, produced the most purely electronic and robotic sound of his career. The album's sonic signature is built on two primary synthesizers: the Minimoog, which he had used before, and the Polymoog keyboard, particularly its haunting, ethereal "Vox Humana" preset . Numan's production is characterized by a distinctly cold and mechanistic aesthetic. He liberally applied studio effects like flanging, phasing, and reverb to create a vast, disorienting soundscape . The rhythmic foundation is relentlessly motorik, with drummer Cedric Sharpley's powerful and precise percussion providing a crucial human anchor to the synthetic storm. In a surprising but effective move, Numan also incorporated solo viola and violin parts (most notably played by Ultravox's Billy Currie on "Complex"), which added a layer of classical melancholy and organic warmth that contrasts sharply with the冰冷的 synthesizers . One of the most debated aspects of the album is the **similarity in its musical motifs**. Many tracks are built upon the same basic melodic and rhythmic ideas. This repetition can be interpreted as a flaw, leading to a "sameness" across the album. However, it can also be seen as a strength, reinforcing the album's thematic obsession with mechanical repetition and functioning almost like a classical suite in which themes are introduced, revisited, and re-examined . ## Track Highlights - **"Airlane"**: The instrumental opener sets the stage with its soaring, optimistic synth lines and driving rhythm, immediately establishing the album's futuristic, guitar-free sound . - **"Metal"**: A standout track that perfectly marries a chugging, industrial groove with plaintive lyrics about an android's desire for humanity. It was later covered by **Nine Inch Nails**, a testament to its enduring power . - **"Complex"**: An early electronic ballad that reached No. 6 in the UK. Its arrangement, featuring piano and poignant viola, proves that emotional depth could be achieved with synthetic means . - **"Films"**: A track later acknowledged by Afrika Bambaataa as a major influence on the early US hip-hop scene, showcasing Numan's unexpected rhythmic influence . - **"Cars"**: The undeniable centerpiece. Driven by one of the most distinctive synth riffs in history, it's a masterclass in minimalist pop songcraft—catchy, paranoid, and utterly unique. - **"Conversation"**: An ambitious, seven-and-a-half-minute deep cut that uses a robotic dialogue to explore themes of isolation and the failure of communication between humans and their machines . ## Influence: Echoes in Every Genre The influence of *The Pleasure Principle* is so vast it can be difficult to comprehend. It is the critical link between the experimental German "krautrock" of Kraftwerk and the mainstream synth-pop and new wave that would dominate the 1980s . Its DNA can be heard in countless acts that followed. - **Synth-Pop and New Wave**: Numan's template was directly adopted and adapted by a generation of artists, including Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD, who opened for him on tour), The Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, and Duran Duran . - **Hip-Hop and Electronica**: The robotic, minimal beats and basslines of tracks like "Films" and "M.E." proved foundational. Afrika Bambaataa cited "Films" as an influence, and Basement Jaxx famously sampled "M.E." for their massive hit "Where's Your Head At?" . - **Industrial Rock and Beyond**: The album's dark, mechanical atmosphere and themes of alienation made it a touchstone for later industrial and rock acts. The most famous example is **Nine Inch Nails**, whose frontman Trent Reznor is a known devotee and who covered "Metal" . Despite this massive influence, Numan's success in the US was fleeting, leading to him being unfairly tagged as a **one-hit wonder** there, a label that completely ignores the depth and impact of this album . ## Pros and Cons of The Pleasure Principle To synthesize the critical perspectives, here is a balanced list of the album's primary strengths and weaknesses. ### Pros - **Groundbreaking Production**: The complete abandonment of the guitar, use of the Polymoog's "Vox Humana," and innovative studio effects created a futuristic sound that was years ahead of its time . - **Cohesive and Powerful Themes**: The exploration of alienation, technology, and identity from the perspective of machines is executed with remarkable consistency and a prescient, chilling accuracy . - **Enormous Influence**: Its impact on synth-pop, new wave, hip-hop, and industrial rock is undeniable, making it a true landmark album . - **High Quality of Songwriting**: Beyond the hits, tracks like "Metal," "M.E.," and "Conversation" are widely considered excellent, with AllMusic stating there is "not a single weak moment on the disc" . - **"Cars"**: It features one of the most iconic and perfect synth-pop singles of all time. ### Cons - **Stylistic Monotony**: The most common criticism is that the songs sound too similar, relying on the same synth sounds, effects, and rhythmic patterns, which can lead to listener fatigue . - **Cold and Detached Vocals**: Numan's deliberately robotic, androgynous vocal delivery, while thematically appropriate, is often cited as emotionally inaccessible and cold. Record Mirror's contemporary review noted the album leaves you feeling "numbed and clogged" . - **Dated Production Elements**: While influential, some modern listeners find the extensive use of reverb, phasing, and the specific synth timbres to sound dated compared to more organic or varied electronic music . - **The "One-Hit Wonder" Shadow**: The monumental success of "Cars" has, unfairly, overshadowed the rest of the album for many casual listeners . ## Conclusion *The Pleasure Principle* is not merely a great album; it is a foundational document of modern electronic music. It is a bold, flawed, and brilliant artifact from a unique moment where post-punk experimentation collided with a pop sensibility. Its icy, robotic surfaces conceal a deeply human heart, full of anxiety and loneliness. While its production may show its age and its sonic palette can feel narrow, its consistent quality, thematic power, and vast influence are undeniable. For anyone seeking to understand where the 1980s—and much of the pop music that followed—truly began, Gary Numan's *The Pleasure Principle* is the essential starting point. As Greg Prato of AllMusic concluded, "If you had to own just one Gary Numan album, *The Pleasure Principle* would be it" .

Nonsense weird background noise

Blah. Dude looks like he is from American Pyscho.

"Hey why don't you write a bunch of songs that sound like 'Cars'?" - Actually, I listened to the whole thing so that says something. Its got interesting moments spread throughout a unique atmosphere.

mid excess album, i didn´t liked a single song in the entire record... im sorry, this is a 2 stars for me.

Absolutely huge revelation that Where’s My Head At is based around a sample and it came from this. One of my fav songs! Also Cars is awesome, which plays at the beginning of Freddy Got Fingered

always liked this guy and his weird music!! i miss the analog days

interesting, the highs are very high, but it’s too long with some song ideas that aren’t fleshed out.

I kept expecting most of these songs to turn into "Cars," because that's the one I know, and they mostly sounded similar.

Pretty cool synth pop album

Tubeway Army is still peak but I love Gary Numan this album is still very very good

great album but not for me. Maybe I'll find something better elsewhere in their discography. A 3 for me.

not tubeway army great but still great; just not as compelling of a tracklist, though i adore metal, m.e., and ofc cars

Albums #106, The Pleasure Principle, Gary Numan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I remember being in a band years and years ago. We had a MIDI keyboard and wanted to create a synth sound, but we could never decide on what sound we wanted, and we ended up falling out over it in the end. I wanted a Gary Numan synth sound. I was right. One of the great synth albums of all time. Some of the riffs and licks on this thing are so memorable. That crunching synth lead on M.E. is as good a riff as you’ll hear on any instrument. The whole thing owes a massive debt to the genius of Brian Eno, which I’m all for. That’s two albums in a row for me now that feel heavily influenced by him. But the two other elements that really make this album work are Numan’s vocals, which are perfectly robotic and emotionless for the genre and atmosphere, and the rhythm section, which gives the songs these really distinct grooves. There are hypnotic bass lines and really interesting drum patterns all over the album. The first half of this thing was cruising towards a five-star review, but after M.E., the album seriously runs out of ideas. It starts to feel like all the sounds you’re hearing have already appeared earlier on the album, just rearranged into different songs. It feels heavily recycled at times. It does pick up again for the classic Cars, but by then the damage is kind of done. Still, it’s a great sounding record.

"Cars" has been played to death, but I was surprised how much I liked the rest of the album.

It feels like there's 10 different versions of the same song on this album. Same instrumentation, same 2-3 chords, all of which sound like they are in the same key. "Cars" is the best offering, imo. It's the greatest sum of its parts.

I vaguely know Gary Numan as an early synth pop guy but apparently have not ever saved anything of his on Spotify. Kicking off, this once again sounds like the soundtrack to a cheesy 80s sci-fi movie. Or maybe the soundtrack to an 80s-futuristic ride from the early days of EPCOT Center. I don't necessarily dislike it, in the right mindset I think this would be really fun to listen to. Like maybe the fourth or fifth album on a long car ride. Ahh yes, everyone knows Cars. Classic song for sure. I knew all of this sounded more familiar than I was expecting. I ended up really liked this album, oddly enough. It's not something I would normally be in to but I think it just hit right today for some reason. I can see how this was an important record in the development of synth pop and synth music in general, lots of budding 80s music in here. And I actually really like his voice which is kind of weird. This album surprised me a bit, not with content but with how much I liked it and I do think I would play this now and again. 4/5

Beetje zagerig

How has this man only achieved the status of one hit wonder? Both this album and his album Replicas are some of the best electronic music not just from the 80s but of all time. This album is a nonstop workhorse of musical creativity. No song sounds like the one that came before it. Plus it’s a no skip album with incredible atmosphere. It even has songs that feel epic and grande in scale cause he works in more classic instruments like a classy piano. Genuinely if you have a fondness for 80s electric music or just want to dip your toe into the genre, this is literally my go to album to give people who have never really gotten into electronic music. I thought at some point it would start to be too much of the same sound over and over again, but unlike more electronic albums, this really has a sense of variety and diversity to it. (Also on a weird side note, aesthetically I like this look for Mr. Numan much more than his current look. For those not in the know, he has this emo dad look going at the moment, and it just kinda reads as “mall creep” and not dark and brooding like he probably wants it to. Just a thought).

Juste une chanson qui est bien…

I really like the punch and boldness of this record.

Most of these songs, They sound Cars, Like Cars, But not All, Like Cars, Observer certainly does, Sound Like Cars, Like cars. Why does it sound Like cars

No es mal album, tiene algunas canciones buenas, la mejor para mi Cars

Wow, Human League yesterday and Gary Numan today. I already said Human League was influential to 80s music. This one is probably more of a predecesor. Arty, synth based, ground breaking for its time. Much respect.

Decent listen.

So many funny little ideas. It often sounds like he’s just noodling around on the synth, and then this amazing Roxy music it pops up.

A pioneering record of synthpop. Taking the electronic advancements of German groups such as Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream and applying them to a pop song structure with the New Wave idiom of the time, and voilá! a new genre was created. Not to say Numan was the inventor of synthpop, but he was among the first few who did it around the same time, Kraftwerk themselves included. The synth takes the place of the guitar in these songs, with riffs providing the backbone of the whole thing. Catchy choruses abound, and this wasn't even Numan's first album of 1979 either, so the many was filled to the brim with hooks. A true classic of left-field pop music. Key tracks: Metal M.E. Observer Cars

#364/1001. A Haiku about the album, using only song titles: Metal. Conversation in Cars. Tracks. Tracks. Tracks.

Area 51-esque tunes Favourite track: M.E

Awesome

It's incredibly invariable. I've heard the song Cars hundreds of times and I thought every song was Cars at some point. He knew what he liked and stuck to it I suppose.

Rv

It's pretty cool, it's pretty nice, groovy, weird. I should have liked it more than I actually did... It's in the lane of new wave and electronic music that I really like recently, but I didn't like it as others in the genre. Maybe it's the vocals, because I did like many parts of the instrumentation. Something just didn't do it for me. Could also be the songs themselves. Though there are some bangers here. Let's go with a flat 3 because I'm generous today

Do you like the song Cars, that late 70s, early 80s classic? Well here’s an album where every song takes one of the musical elements of Cars and expands upon it in a super repetitive fashion for each individual song, some of which are seven minutes long. Once they all come together in Cars, you have the rest of the album, which can only be described as the songs that the Casio Keyboard engineers used to pull all of their weird samples from to create the sound effect button you played with as a kid.

Pretty good electronic/synth album. A little long

Great album, really pioneering in the synth pop genre. I love the sci-fi imagery and sounds. I think I've grown to appreciate this one more over the past few years - it seemed a bit quaint when I first listened to it in my teens. M.E., Cars, Engineers, and the first 3 songs are all bangers.

18/05/2026 I appreciate it was innovative for the time... it was boring and just not for me. Spotify listeners: 1.2 million

Instant nostalgia hit, 1979, fifth grade. “Cars” sounded like space-alien music to my suburban ears. Took me too long to embrace the rest of the album but I realized that “Cars” was just a gateway. Can a loud German-techno record with a robotic vocalist be considered “ambient”? Well, it works that way for me.

I lovea good synth. It was pretty good.

We got one synth sound and were gonna run with it. 3.7/5

This album was... fine. I've never been much into new wave and this album was no different. Cars is of course good, but for most of the album I found myself zoned out tapping my foot along. Not great, not terrible.

I bet this shit was awesome and super unique back in the day. Today it was just ok.

Cool synth-based instrumental to start us off, though the huge strides made by Bowie a couple years earlier really take the air away from artists like Numan who might otherwise be genre pioneers. Any prospects of that title seemingly vanish with the low-calibre tracks Metal and Complex – where we discover that Numan cannot convincingly pull off the new-wave genre. At least, not yet. The vocals are outrageously bad (I'm outraged, and you are too), none of the instruments are played particularly well, and the songwriting leaves a bitter taste on the tongue. Films and M.E. are slightly better, particularly the latter, which has some nice melodic synth lines to distract from the vocals, which continue to be embarrassingly bad. I have to say, in spite of all the "inventive" synths, the piano-based song Tracks is extremely refreshing and a nice point to mix things up mid-album. While Conversation drags on for seven and a half minutes without offering any kind of exciting progression to justify its length, Cars picks up the pace with an extremely catchy synth-and-bass combination. And the vocals aren't half bad here, either. A nice two-chord-based track in Engineers finishes off the original album on a positive note, filled with strange electronic birdsong. The three instrumental bonus tracks (Random/Oceans/Asylum) are pretty solid too, and I would've liked to have seen them replace Complex or Conversation. Many of the reviews on this website are pretty flooring. The much-upvoted one I most agreed with noted the "Unrelentingly repetitive sine-saw-synth with atonal vocals shouting disconnected lyrics. This didn't need to exist." I wouldn't be quite that harsh – the genre was still being pioneered, and Numan is nowhere near the chaff of the crop – but I agree with the general sentiment. 3/5 Key tracks: M.E., Tracks, Cars

Interesting synth pop but can be repetitive.

I was about to immediately abort after listening first song but I did skip and continued listening. It was okay in my opinion.

Standouts Airplane Cars

i like the album cover a lot. the music is pretty cool too. i bet this blew some minds back in '79, not a lot of pop music sounded like this back then. its still pretty cool in a post-synthpop world tho, the compositions are surprisingly spooky and i love the sound of those old synths. but mostly i love that album cover #mypyramid

interesting intro, like kraftwerk Actually, a pretty cool album. I think that I will definitely hear more about these artist. I saved a couple of songs. It’s pretty interesting.

I didn't expect to be awarding a comfortable 4 stars to a Synth Pop/New Wave album this year but here we are. I already knew what a banger Cars is (I bought the cassette single of its late 90s remix release), but this whole LP feels like a series of teaser trailers, dangling little bits of its infectious bassline and catchy synth lead in front of me while I wait patiently for the main event. I also love that it features a number of excellent string parts that sprinkle some organic goodness amongst the electronica. You can trace a line from Kraftwerk, through this, then Human League and end up at Daft Punk, and, as it turns out, I'd be along for the whole ride.

Incredibly cool album. Far more than a Bowie/kraftwerk acolyte — the rhythm section adds a propulsive post punk/art punk aesthetic that elevates this from having a floating down the autobahn quality into its own thing. And unlike all the new wave synth albums that followed it, it doesn’t feel tethered to that scene. It would have sounded equally as cool released in 2006 amidst wolf parade and tapes n tapes.

After countless hours pondering the mysterious glowing red pyramid that crashed through his bedroom window from the cosmos, Gary went to the studio to invent the 1980s.

most boring shit i‘ve ever heard

You can see how this led to a heavier type of industrial rock/ metal. I enjoyed this to an extent - not that I’m going to seal it out but it was somewhat pleasurable.

Actually epic where the hell have I been to not have listened to this before

Nothing pleasurable about this kraftwerk parody. A tough listen

In the beginning, you think "this is cool, Kraftwerk-esque but with acoustic drums and bass". By the third or fourth song, you think "I think I heard this before" In the latter half, you think "this is repetitive as fuck, end soon please". And then come Cars, a song that sticks in your head, making the audition a little bit less torturing. Definitely, not for me. I understand the hype and the cult, but didn't enjoy.

It can't be overstated how incredibly influential Gary Numan is. This album is a masterpiece of synthpop. Easy five stars. Favorites: Metal, M.E., Tracks Would I listen to it again: Yes

Noisy.

Ein Album das mich fraglich zurück lässt. ich höre zu aber es ist irgendwie gut nicht gut

Great sound, great album

I liked this much more than I thought I would. Some very good songs. Ultimately, I did get a little bored and could swear that I heard “Cars” more then once.

My dad has this one. I love Cars. Never understood why he's looking suspiciously at that glowing rer pyramid though. Dark moody synths. Where's your head at? Very gothic 😍

Brian had sex, with a really dumb girl…

I thought I recognized a song, then realized I was thinking of Cars from this same album when it came on. Which is also about where I was done with this album.

I want to put this album cover on my wall. It's as elegant and cryptic as the record's title. The simplicity of the lyrics and the monotony of the singing fit well together and create immersion into this dystopian vision of the future.

Forefront of the genre at the time, and has aged beautifully

Probs a big deal in its day, but didn't do much for me

didnt like it

Fine overall but the songs blended together bc they sounded so similar. Kept thinking it was a song I knew until I got to Cars and realized that was it. Liked Films and Tracks.

I really liked this album, I regret not going to the show he played recently in my hometown. it scratches an itch in such a good way in my head haha.

============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ------------------GARY NUMAN------------------ ---------------------------------------------- ------------THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE------------ ---------------------------------------------- --------------------(1979)-------------------- ============================================== ============================================== -----------------CALIFICACIÓN----------------- --------------------★★★★☆------------------ --------------------(4,1)--------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== 1. Airlane (★★★⯨☆) 2. Metal (★★★★★) 3. Complex (★★★★⯨) 4. Films (★★★⯨☆) 5. M.E. (★★★★★) -Quizás la mejor del álbum. -Apenas la escuché recordé "Where's my head" de Basement blablabla 6. Tracks (★★★⯨☆) 7. Observer (★★★⯨☆) 8. Conversation (★★★★☆) 9. Cars (★★★★★) 10. Engineers (★★★⯨☆) 11. Random (★★★⯨☆) 12. Oceans (★★⯨☆☆) 13. Asylum (★★⯨☆☆) ---LIVE--- 14. Me, I Disconnect from You - Live (★★★⯨☆) 15. Bombers - '79 Live Original Mix (★★★★☆) 16. Remember I Was Vapour - Live (★★⯨☆☆) 17. On Broadway - Live (★★⯨☆☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 3,5+5+4,5+3,5+5+3,5+3,5+4+5+3,5+4+2,5+2,5 = 50 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 50 / 17 = 2,94 ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN PARCIAL ★★★☆☆ (2,94) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ---------------------------------------------- -------------PUBLICACIÓN ORIGINAL------------- ---------------------------------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== Lado A 1. Airlane (★★★⯨☆) 2. Metal (★★★★★) 3. Complex (★★★★⯨) 4. Films (★★★⯨☆) 5. M.E. (★★★★★) Lado B 6. Tracks (★★★⯨☆) 7. Observer (★★★⯨☆) 8. Conversation (★★★★☆) 9. Cars (★★★★★) 10. Engineers (★★★⯨☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 3,5+5+4,5+3,5+5+3,5+3,5+4+5+3,5 = 41 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 41 / 10 = 4,1 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★★★★☆ (4,1) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================

One of the pioneers of synthpop. This album has aged well, and the synth textures are excellent. I love electric guitar, but even though the album has none the textures are quite engaging, and the synths were varied and never boring. Still could feel a bit samey though at times. 4/5

Pretty cool album very wierd very different, very groundbraking. I really enjoyed it

3.4 2x TPA to ATL airport and flight

Not bad. In line with his other music.

not for me

Not my thing. It wasn't horrible. I was going to give it a 1, but I like Cars.

For 1979 this had to be bold. I respect that. Overall just a bit too experimental for me

No.

don’t like it at allll it’s feels too disturbing and weird i just couldn’t finish the album

4.0 - Very Good

So funny to hear M.E. and instantly know which bit was sampled by Basement Jaxx

4.6 I think the fact that Ive gone back in the past week and listened to this whole album 15 times, should be good enough reason for a 5 star rating. Metal and Tracks were standouts, obviously Cars is what it is. The synths didnt really sound dated like depeche mode kinda does for me, there was tons going on underneath the "riffs"

Perus synapoppi, ei mitään kummempia tunteita herättävä, eikä oikeen mun makuun, 2/5 ei kuitenkaan huono albumi

the beatles with a twist, i liked it, no lo volvería a escuchar entero

Very influential album that is pretty solid. Cars was the biggest hit off of this but the others are worth a listen, too.

gap ass album

I am utterly shocked by the amount of positive reviews on this thing. I get it: I can see the influences on new wave, 80s pop, and beyond. But damn it, synth-pop is just so not interesting to me. Goofy fella, this Gary Numan. Decent but far from my fave. Fave tracks: - Metal - Complex - Tracks - Cars (why is this song so popular??) - Me, I Disconnect from You - Remember I Was Vapour Edit: Why the hell do I keep giving new-wave the benefit of the doubt? One star. Sorry, Gare-Bear.

Numan is obviously doing something new here, and like anyone pushing boundaries he doesn't get it perfect first time. Some of the synths sound pretty quaint and unconfident by modern standards. But you can just feel that this is an album dripping with influencial power. Some of the tracks like M.E. have a shockingly modern feel, from the angle of both vocals and instrumentals (leaving aside the unignorable "where's your head at?" connection. Very deserving of being on this list, and a really fun listen.

Unique sound and atmosphere, though the songs can be a little dull to listen to. But he also sounds like a library of company presentation music, which makes him cool.

5/10 Not too big into Synth pop. Didn't hate it but probably won't revisit.

Gary Numan does not oversell anything here. He does not beg for your affection, and he does not try to simulate human warmth he clearly is not interested in projecting. The vocals are stiff on purpose, the synths are sleek and ominous, the rhythms are mechanical, and the whole album feels like it was designed in a chrome room with the curtains permanently shut.

timeless and so fun

Saw him in concert in 1981 (?). Didn't really like synth pop then or now to be honest. It's clearly influential and innovative but not for me. 2.5 rounded up.

muito bom álbum não conhecia

I'll give points to the instrumentals cause I'll always be a fan of synths, and especially in this album they give off a cool spooky vibe, but wow those vocals completely ruined it for me. Usually I can look past bad vocals if the rest of the music makes up for it but not in this case unfortunately...

Very nice album

Me, I Disconnect From You - Live

I don't much like post punk, I don't like New Wave, and I've never much liked Gary Numan's voice. So this doesn't bode well. But I have nevee heard this album, so I'm going to give it a solid, 6 inch chance. This is certainly groundbreaking. But it's more evidence that groundbreaking doesn't equal good. It may well have sounded futuristic at release, but it now sounds dated AF. All it reminds me of is the synth interludes which played over animated sequences in the cheap educational TV shows they made me watch in Primary school in the 80s. And it's definitely influential, but influenced nothing better than a whole load of electronic crap which has plagued the airwaves in the decades since. Numan is not a great singer and doesn't have a great voice. While most songs have something worth hearing, that something is usully heard inside the first minute and isn't built upon. The complete songs feel like momentary experiments fraudulently stretched to radio friendly length. So yes, it should be on the list. But it isn't very good.

Quite similar , a lot of the songs but some songs , Cars , sound just as good toady

A bit too repetitive perhaps but can hear the influences this had on later artists.

Another gem of a find. Really liked this and can see the influence on modern music.

There aren’t many better at creating an other worldly dystopian vibe than yer man Numan. In this early incarnation, the detached lonely sounding vocals just haunt the bleak synth landscape painted. It’s not warm in the slightest, but somehow draws you in. I’m never sure why it’s often counted as Pop though, who’s dancing to this? Personally, I prefer his more contemporary industrial stuff (which is an interesting story in that he was a big influence on Trent Reznor, who subsequently was an influence on Numan), but this album is still strong.

Just got bored, didn't I? So it's not really 1-star-bad, in fact it isn't bad, but it's so samey that I couldn't be bothered ERGO 1 star it is.

Whilst recognizing its a pioneering album that was way ahead of its time and that Cars is a banger.... I found it quite repetitive with diminishing returns and Gary's vocals mostly jarring. The synth hook in M.E is great - sadly much prefer what Basement Jaxx did with it,.

The Pleasure Principle This is a fantastic combination of synth and nascent electronica, krautrock, Bowie and the grey, gloomy late 70s and early 80s of our imagination, all Clockwork Orange, bin men on strike, JG Ballard and a kind of depressive British futurism, where robots are everywhere and they all feel quite sad. Cars is clearly the catchiest and most immediate song, and while it's true that many of the songs follow a similar rhythmic and synth based pattern it doesn’t really matter when so many of them are so great, and when the overall feel and atmosphere of the album is so fantastically austere and beguiling. Which also makes the use of the fiddle on Complex and Conversation so striking, as well as the element of live drumming, giving the songs an edge of organic warmth amongst the cold exactingness of songs about androids and machines longing to be humans. Observer might be the only dip, it’s similarity to Cars a little too stark, but the rest of it is excellent and I particularly like the first side, from the superb Airline to the Where’s My Head At of M.E. I don’t know why, but I also love the one word song titles, with their kind of art school concept feel, matching the technological themes of the album. I would love to have heard this for the first time when it came out. Although it obviously shows the influence of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Bowie, melding them into a techno-centric electronic pop album still sounds amazing today, and must have sounded incredible back then. 5. 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗 Playlist submission: Cars, obvs, but I’ll go Conversation for the sake of it

Say what you will of Numan - derivative, a pretender, makes futuristic music that Tomorrow's World would've been proud of - he certainly has an identifiable sound. It's immediately evident here on 'Airlane', with that slightly vibratoed synth, and twisting melody, bass sounding like a synth, bright but with dark corners. All in all the album is a complete Kraftwerk vs Neu! rip-off (with it's morotik beat vs breezy melody and obsession with machines), and overlaid with Bowie vocals ('Films' and 'Complex' have particular Bowie intonations) - but it's a good rip-off, with character. He treads the line of pop melody + intriguing undercurrent, well.

Annoying. Simplistic electronica. And I can't stand that whiny voice.

Cars //

I have heard about him, it is meant to be good stuff but i found it extremely repetitive, and a bit dull. And it was over an hour which was not necessary

Though it ran a little long, I enjoyed listening to this album. Pretty solid new wave album, a genre that’s incredibly hit or miss for me. This is one of the hits.

It is not overstating to say that THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE almost singlehandedly launched the vast majority of synth pop, new wave, and industrial bands (such as Depeche Mode, Prince, Duran Duran, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Nine Inch Nails) as well as kickstarting the New Romantic era that would dominate the 1980s with its more complex, nuanced, and interesting soundscapes that covered far more subject matter than punk ever did, while still maintaining the rebellious do-it-yourself aesthetic thank punk fans valued. Hell, this album put out about 5 years before William Gibson would coin the term cyberpunk with his novel NEUROMANCER, is basically exploring all the ideas that inspired that album. Hell, this album probably helped inspire the term. This album was also 3 years before Ridley Scott would crystallize in our imaginations what cyberpunk could be with his visionary film BLADE RUNNER. Gary Numan was there before all of them, blowing our minds, using technology that did not yet include MIDI, sequencers, or samplers to achieve a very cyberpunk album. Love this album. Glad Gary Numan came along and made people take electronica more seriously. Faves: "Complex", "Metal", "Films", "M.E.", "Cars" (from the original release), and "Random" (from the Bonus tracks)

Still sounds cool, and he nailed it with Cars.

Nothing about this has aged well.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Replicas, but it was still very good. A strong four, possibly deserving of more.

Seminal and foundational for tons of music I enjoy today. Hard not to get into this nonsense.

Fun noises

I have known 'Cars' since I was a kid, and always enjoyed it, but I did not know the rest of this album at all, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was interesting to hear some motifs throughout, not a common practice, particularly for electronic music. This was definitely one of my favorites so far and I will be revisiting it and exploring more of his catalogue. 5/5

Late 70s electronica rock.Synth pop.

Great synths and harmonized melodies. Standout album for 1979 and great musicianship from an enduring artist.

Iconic original.

the benefit of this list being written by people who love the same shitty british pop sound is immeasurable

A defining album of the era. Gary Numan took the Krautrock-inspired post punk style of Bowie's Berlin years and married them with the robot fantasies of Kraftwerk. In doing so he created a bewildering album about isolationism among modernity and technology, inspiring the goth, industrial and synth pop albums to come. It's wild that Numan is often considered a one-hit wonder for "Cars" which isn't even the strongest song on the album in my opinion. The whole thing holds up incredibly well with a theme that still resonates.

5.5/10 - It’s an interesting album. It’s not my style or one I would come back to often, but it still has some pizzaz.

There are some really good songs on here and not many that I don't like. I don't really love though. 7/10

this sounds like what people thought the future would be like in the 80s, sounds good tho

I thought i would like this A Lot but i reckon i just liked it. I wish it had leaned into the weirdness a bit more (i liked the vibe of M.E.) and idk if synth heavy is my fave genre but still hit the spot in terms of engaging enough background music while reading on the bus.

4 stars for Cars alone (but also because Gary Numan was really out there doing his own thing; and it works)

So good! I can only imagine hearing this in 1979 and being blown away by all those cool little beeps and synth noises. I actually couldn't believe when M.E. started and it was the main riff from Basement Jaxx Where's Your Head At?? What an insane sample go Gary Numan

The bad thing is that a lot of these songs sound the same. The good news is that the thing these songs sound like is Cars which rocks.

not bad for synth pop