The Pleasure Principle

Wild that this came out in '79! Ahead of it's time for sure. I knew Cars, but crazily I don't think I'd ever listened to this whole album before. Or if I had, it was absolute ages ago. Anyway, this album fuckin' kicks IMHO. Feels like New Wave by way of Kraftwerk, which is very much up my alley. Sweet bass lines, hella Moogs, random viola to spice things up... Hard to call this anything but pure synth-pop deliciousness. Just gonna go ahead and call this a 5 because I feel like it.

REALLY enjoyed this album. Had only heard a handful of Gary Numan’s songs, will be looking into his discography!

PREFS : TOUT MOINS PREF : RIEN

There were a lot of influences to be sure (Electronic and Glam) but Gary took it to another realm. Tbh this is really a continuation from Tubeway Army. Really got me into Synth and I'm still listening today. It's about the whole pose as well as the music. Good to see a lot of Retro bands too. You can catch taglines here and there from other records where they've pinched a synth scale.

After absolutely amazing opening 'Airlane' everything else is bound to be a little disappointing - but what a beautiful disappointment it was! Dark, uneasy and totally captivating.

I had strong Kraftwerk vibes from the beggining. Nothing suprising considering release date. Classic synthpop sound. Some tracks were a bit new wave/post punk and I like that little bit of diversity

9/10 awesome album! a little repetitive at times but still a fantastic experience!

yeah yeah yeah

Gary Numan was clearly a genius. Still sampled to this day, he created some groundbreaking sounds. He is the sound of the 80's

Honestly shocked at how much I enjoyed this album. The whole album has a very specific sound with the synthesizers often using the same voice, and I think put through effects pedals. I love that he uses a real drummer as it really adds a different sound to the usually synthpop sounds. Complete banger.

I LOVE GARY NUMAN HERE IN MY CAR I FEEL SAFEST OF ALL

This came as somewhat of a surprise. I only knew Cars but the other songs ive heard in one way or the other, mostly through samples. That makes it a very influential album, not just because of its early use of digital instruments. Loved it a lot.

I can’t think of an album that had a bigger influence on 80s new wave than this one. Metal, M.E., and Cars are all classics that still go hard, the latter propping up the weaker back half after the overly long Conversation and weak ending of Engineers. Despite the album as a whole maybe over staying it’s welcome, there’s some days I just replay songs like Metal over and over again because it won’t leave my head.

Gary Numan breaks off from the Tubeway Army and predicts the future. The Pleasure Principle is a masterwork of synthpop, setting a precedent for the coming decade, robotic and alien but somehow not overwhelmingly cold…it’s pure genius.

This didn't capture me at first but the back half, and the last four tracks in particular, grabbed me more. I'll likely give it another listen sometime.

Oh yeah

Liked it.

Loved this album from start to finish. How have I never heard this before? Not a duff track to be heard. I think this will quickly become a favourite!

Oye, este es un clásico inmediato

Still sounds like the future.

Precursor to hyper pop!

I have no complaints here. This album delivered...it was everything that I expected that it would be.

The only two songs off this I have heard before was "Cars" and "Engineers." I have always loved both songs, so it was a real pleasure to listen to this whole album. I'm a sucker for a Moog synth, and this Moogtastic!

FUCK yeah. didn’t know shit about this outside of Cars, which I found annoying when my dad would play it one million times in the car. One of like sixty-eighty songs that he’d play over and over. But this album Jesus Christ dude. 1979 it had to be way ahead of its time. Zero electric guitar and it fucking ROCKS. I love 80s synth pop. This is the exact 80s synth pop that I like. One hour and nouns minutes of super layered and delicately produced utter bops. I love his aesthetic too. That androgynous robot shit. Screams David Bowie but less of a rockstar and more of a clone. This dude had to have been some kind of musical savant. This was really impressive and I almost have no words. I’m gonna listen again.

This record reminds me of the life I used to have. During the late 70s - early 80s, I worked as a pole dancer in a bar in Soho. Every morning I would cover myself in glitter and wait for my shift to begin. I was like a prowling lion, ready for action, ready for hot, glittery, pole dancing action. The amount of money I made was obscene and the things I'd do to my adoring public would bring a tear to the eye of even the most alpha male in the prison yard. Gary Glitter stole my act and went on to have more success than me as a prolific paedophile. The life I could have had.

This must have inspired lots of my favourite artists

Hell yea gary

A new wave masterpiece!

Classic electronic album. If you have not listened to the album for a while, then the songs all sound a bit the same perhaps. But another reason for that is just that they are all of high quality and very consistent: the two singles Cars and Complex do not stand out at all.

GOTH SYNTH

I try not to let my friends reviews influence mine but this was a 5 already and I totally agree with the faves. --- Fave track - "M.E." maybe - source of that badass sample the Basement Jaxx used for "Where's Your Head At?". "Cars" is obviously an absolute tune. "Metal" was a stand out. The bonus track "Bombers" was excellent too...

Awww yes! This really illuminated my pentahedron, if you know what I mean! Properly brought a cheery pink glow to my pyramid! I don't think there's any Vangelis on this list, so Gary Numan is the main source of synthesizer soundtracks of the future, from the past on here. Fave track - "M.E." maybe - source of that badass sample the Basement Jaxx used for "Where's Your Head At?". "Cars" is obviously an absolute tune. "Metal" was a stand out. The bonus track "Bombers" was excellent too...

literally so good thank u for the music gary, numan (complimentary)

Loved it.

maravilhoso

Exquisite. Superb.

This is how music lovers in the 80s believed the future would sound like. This is how the best of 80s sounds like for us today!

Wow! Que excelente disco. Parece una película del futuro. De los mejores que he escuchado

11/10. Classic. Can’t wait to see him live later this year!

It's Gary Numan, top man

Except for one song from this album I was unfamiliar. Despite that every song made me think of another song I have heard but couldn't name. That tells me that perhaps a lot of people have sampled from this album? Anyway, I liked it.

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

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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?"

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Great sound, great album

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

============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ------------------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

4.0 - Very Good

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

muito bom álbum não conhecia

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.

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.

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.

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

Fun noises

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

Iconic original.

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.

I really like Tubeway Army’s Are Friends Electric. I like Gary Numan’s Cars. So yeah, this is nice. None of the songs hits those levels, though, so 4/5 is the most I can do.

Absolutely rules. Synth rock at its finest.

Catchy robot music!

From this 1979 perspective, the 80s sound like an isolated dystopian of rudimentary robotics with no Rubik's Cube, Pac-Man, or DeLorean time machine.

not bad, I enjoy instrumentals like these. favorite track was Metal. would recommend only to synth lovers; I enjoyed listening to this while writing a small excerpt for characters to a story.

Threw this on while I was playing a map game for an hour and it blended right in. Lot of fun.

Beautiful synths, worthy topics of discussion lyrically, 1979 must have seriously broke some ground. Still sounds fresh and powerful.

what a different style wow very cooll

Overall: 8/10 I listened to this with my 4 year old and we both had a blast. The tunes are catchy and the synths are suprisingly not terrible for a late 70s album. Cars has always been such a fun song and I'm glad the rest of the album was enjoyable as well. Fav Song: Cars

An ode to synth and eyeliner. Cars is a banger.

What a nice mash up between new wave and the early Kraftwerk-y synth sound. "Cars" and "Films" are standout tracks, but pretty much all of the tracks are quite good. Still sounds timeless even using late 70s electronic sounds.

7/10 – Good

Fun whilst shopping at Kroger

Already liked this one! Cars is obviously the biggest hit, and while the rest of album blends together it's all very good. 7/10

This album is so much more than CARS, the only song that most Americans know from Gary Numan. Listening to this album years ago make me want to hear more from Gary Numan, and now I have most of his other albums. 4/5

It’s a fun album with a couple of iconic songs on there

I really enjoyed these odd robotic like nosies, very futuristic and fun to read along to.

Who knew there were many other things to be named and run through the synthesized and transmogrified reality of Gary Numan's mind other than Cars? Not this listener. But I am pleasantly surprised to be enlightened by this erstwhile view of the future from 1979. Fascinating, he says in his best Spock voice. A scintillating gamut of sonic textures and analyses. Full marks.

8/10

--Airlane...head-bopping instrumental --Metal...good low end groove --Complex...something a little more laid back --Films..."burn it all down". I feel that, Gary --M.E....despite being labeled electropop/new wave, Gary knows how to rock --Tracks...soaring synth time --Observer...very similar to "Cars" --Conversation...a little long but another fine bass groove --Cars...fun --Engineers...like the synths but this one is a bit boring

Debut new age album....nope. Except "Cars" that's a cool song.

This is pretty incredible. Electro pioneer really. More warmth than kraftwork.

Stripped of guitars and grounded in analog synth textures, the album commits fully to its mechanical aesthetic. The emotional distance in the vocals mirrors the rigid precision of the instrumentation, creating a unified tone that never feels accidental. While the sonic palette is intentionally limited, that limitation becomes a strength, it sharpens the focus rather than narrowing it too much. It may not overwhelm with variety, but its consistency and clarity make it compelling from start to finish.

nasti

funky

“Cars” und einige weiter Songs die Ihrer Zeit voraus waren aber auch nicht immer ganz ausgereift waren.

how did i not know this existed

Repetitive

Very of its time, and mostly in a good way! Worth listening to.

Vaikka en oo mikään kauhee New Wave fani tää miellytti yllättävän paljon. Ehkä tää on vielä vähän elektronisempaa kuin perus new wave. Where's Your Head At on samplattu M.E. biisistä :D Cars on myöa tuttu. Parhaat: M.E. , Cars, Conversation

Very good album. Easy to see how this would go on to influence a huge amount of people. I had never listened to Gary before and could only name one song if you had asked me to: "Cars", which I was pleased to find on this album. Would certainly listen again.

👍👍👍 Seen as a father of synth-pop, I'm totally down for this.

Bold of Gary Numan to pay homage to the greatest film of all time Freddy Got Fingered in the tracklist As good as recall it being from middle school. Eerie, but still has sort of a danceable quality. The synthesizers both carry the melody and contribute to a cold, anxious atmosphere. His odd lyrics and vocal delivery make the thing still sound futuristic today.

This is a good album to showcase what synth pop would become. There’s a cheerfulness and a darkness to a lot of the songs. It’s a fun listen that’s very engaging and upbeat. Cars is clearly the standout on the album, and it’s obvious why, because it’s so dang catchy. I don’t know that I would reach for the whole album again, but I will keep a couple on rotation.

really good album. The foundation of synth pop and just electric music in general. Really good storytelling

This album is the reason I got into this project in the first place. Finding pieces that are exciting and change your perspective of music and taste of music. Such a strong and revolutionary album. I’m appalled that I waited until I was 25 to hear this. This was amazing a very STRONG 4 — 4.5 for me. The back end is where I think it lost some points but hard to tell because the top half is that strong.

I only heard Cars before this. Who hasn't heard Cars? This album is coherent, beautiful, haunting, and I believe re-listenable.

Review - This is a really good album - even though I'd only heard a song or two before, so many songs had hooks I knew either because they'd been sampled or they'd been ripped off by later bands. Rating - 7/10 Need to hear? YES

I really like this. Loads of influence on other bands I like. Didn't know that basement jaxx used M.E. as a sample for Where's Your Head At either. Highly innovative considering it was released in 79.

Only one listen so shooting from the hip but I really liked this. M.E. stands out, that deep synth throughout sounds great.

Where has this been all my life? 😂 Love these tracks and recognize some stuff thats been sampled (M.E.). In my opinion, this is close to what Brian Eno and the gang were trying, but this delivers a better end, poppier product. Loved Airlane, Cars and M.E.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I was pretty into this album. From the first moment of the first song my ears told me "this is def this guy who sang Cars" and I was right - but he makes you wait like 14 tracks for the hit! And I was into all the synth the whole time. I'm a sucker for an 80s (ok 1979) period piece and this really tickled me. It's so campy I fkn loved it

- I love synths and I had fun listening! - Standout: M.E., Cars

Surprinsingly good synthpop

Pas mauvais en soi, je dirais même que le combo synth/bass groove pas mal, mais je trouve le tout assez répétitif. Il semble avoir des atomes crochus avec Bowie!

Cars löytyy jopa omalta spotifyn suosikkilistalta! GTA:ssa joskus tuli iltahämärällä huristeltua ja "radiosta" tuli numanin karia niin kyllä iski. Noin muuten jäi vähän fiilis, että keksitty yksi synasaundi ja sillä ratsastettu koko levy.. Mutta hyvin ratsastettu!

Viehkoo tavaraa! Hauskoja ratkasuja ja mahottoman mukavaa tunnelmaa.

Jollain erikoisella tavalla ihan tykkäsin tästä! Oli kyllä ihan neverheard-äijä. Niputetaanko tämä sitten uuteen aaltoon vai mihin genreen, sitä en osaa sanoa. Ekan biisin kohdalla ajattelin että tulee kyllä tylsä reilu tunti tämän parissa jos on vastaavaa instrumentaalia koko levy, mutta sieltähän tuli sitten kakkosbiisistä eteenpäin ihan laulukin mukaan. Näyttäisi olevan 70-luvun lopusta tämä levy, mutta kuulostaa kyllä niin kasarilta kun vaan kasari voi kuulostaa. Kovaa synapianon ajoa kautta linjan, niin keskellä levyä tullut pianointro pääsi yllättämään. Tavallaan ihan kiva että tämä on niin aikaansa sidottu soundeiltaan, mutta ehkä olisi ihan mielenkiintoista kuunnella tästä joku nykypäivän kultasormen tekemä remixaus. En tiedä tuleeko tähän välttämättä ihan heti palattua, ei tuolta mitään yksittäistä helmeä löytynyt mitä viitsisi vaikka soittolistoille lisätä. Toisaalta kokonaisuus vakuutti niin paljon, että koko levyä voisi kyllä ihan hyvin luukuttaa napeista vaikka lenkillä.

First off, Cars is a hell of a tune. This album has enough to it that it could have come from a number of different decades and you can understand how influential this sound was on artists to come. The use of some viola (or violin) at one point was a nice touch and change up. But at times some of the songs felt like they hadn't been quite flushed out and a few songs were almost indistinguishable from each other. But overall, a great album id happily put on again while lazing around the house

Really nice synth album. No electric guitars never sounded so good.

This is absolutely ace! Vocals can get a bit robotic but then that’s the point isn’t it? This has made me appreciate Numan in a whole new way.

needs a bit more sauce on the songs I like the base but its not enough

gary!

I generally don’t love albums that lean this hard on synthesizers, but this one worked for me. It has a clean, moody sound that stays interesting instead of feeling overdone. Cars is obviously an all-time classic and still sounds great. Asylum really stood out too. It has that spooky, eerie vibe that feels like it could slide right into a Michael Myers movie soundtrack. This would otherwise be three stars but bonus star for Cars.

7/10

4.5 stars

4 cos it’s revolutionary and for cars

Surprisingly cool

I have heard the name Gary Numan before, but was not familiar with his music. It was not what I was expecting. Had a early techno, Kraftwerk type vibe. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great album! Good boops! Awesome intersection of rock and electronica, and an early one at that!

I see why but not my thing. 3.4

7/10

Synth heavy new wave. Very good album, but the synths could wear you out over time. Favorite tracks include Complex, M.E., Conversation, Cars, Me I Disconnect From You.

I’ve heard this quite a few times before. It’s good, especially the tracks metal and cars. The album is a little bit repetitive in terms of synth tones, but I still really enjoy listening to it.

Here is one that really fits the bill, a unique and truly influential record that most folks have never heard outside of the single. I enjoyed this more than I expected to but it does get a bit repetitive. There are three other tracks that are Cars adjacent. The synths get pretty repetitive, probably because they were still figuring out what could be done. All in all, an enjoyable listen to a record that launched a new genre of pop music

When I started this project, I was most looking forward to hearing albums by artists that I knew due to 1-2 songs but I had not listened to their entire catalog. A lot of this music was 70's R&B, punk and late 70's/early 80's synth-pop. Gary Numan falls under the last category, of course. I have an affinity for synth-pop such as this. I only knew Gary Numan from Cars and the very weird video he did for the song. While I think this album falls off towards the end, it's really good and entertaining. Could I go without instrumentals? Of course I could. Numan is known as a one-hit wonder, and while that may be true in some ways, I enjoyed a lot of this music. The lyrics are somewhat non-sensical to me, but the synth sounds are an interesting listen. I also find it interesting one of the singers in Wolf Parade sound a bit like Gary Numan. Their voices are somewhat similar, especially on the song Films. My favorite tracks were: Airlane Metal Complex Tracks Cars Engineers

Gary takes on a creepy, emotionless, androidian persona as he searched for the Pleasure Principle on this album. It's great and lays down some early electronica foundations. "Cars" will remain the best track but the album is full of other great ones. "Metal" and "M.E." are surprises that I have known more for the covers but like these originals a lot. Numan is a bit of weirdo and I'm in for his synthy, exotic robotic beats...3.8 stars.

Here in my car...

One his three best albums. Always thought it would have been better with some guitar on it but still a good listen

A one trick album, but damn it's a good trick

So forward-thinking that it still sounds futuristic today. Gary Numan had just discovered a Minimoog synthesizer sitting around in the studio before making this album, and his fascination with his shiny new toy creates a record like no other. Every track is thoroughly coated in the warm, spacey sound of the synth, while the limited composition and songwriting trap each song in a claustrophobic atmosphere. These two conflicting forces paint a picture of an advanced, futuristic fantasy world hiding a somber note of isolation and paranoia. Of course, with every song containing similar textures and structures, it can often feel like the whole project bleeds together, and no particular track stands out (except, of course, for the hit single "Cars"). Despite this, the album comes together into a mesmerizing proto-New Wave classic that convinced me to check out the rest of this man's catalogue. Standout Tracks: Airlane, Metal, M.E., Conversation, Cars Score: A-

I conflated Gary Numan and Randy Newman, which made this an interesting listening experience. Not bad though, and feels extremely influential.

This album helped bring the synth heavy sound to the massesin the US, becauise people just didn't get artists Kraftwerk (we Americans blew it there.). Anyway, very good, solid album. The songs do sometimes sound similar , but Cars is one of the greatest songs of the 80s and still sounds great today to these ears. Best songs: Cars, Complex, Metal, M.E., Films Oh, and all the songs titles are basically one word...

This is a great album (coming from a Kraftwerk fan) I'd only previously heard Cars which I've always enjoyed. It sounds like the music I loved as a teen in the 2010s. Come to find out, those artists I thought were being so revolutionary were just ripping off Gary Numan (I'm talking about you, LCD Soundsystem) Jokes aside, I really enjoyed this one and will be returning to it. I didn't find much fault in any track. That can also be translated as "I didn't find myself very bored while listening to this album". Strangely, just about every track sounded the same. Likewise, I'd argue each track was different in its own similar way. A very interesting album for sure.

I actually liked this more than I thought when I first heard and it grew on me as it went along. A little repetitive but interesting new wave sound. Worth the listen.

It’s so dope to hear an iconic sound at its infancy. This brother was responsible for pioneering one of my favorite sounds of all time and he did it with flair and emotion. It did kinda get repetitive towards the middle of the album but when something is so new I guess there is only so many ways to differentiate it. All in all, I enjoyed the listen and I can only knock off one star for my “critique”

Genre: Synthpop Crazy to just invent a whole genre. Gary Numan’s debut album is forward-thinking, totally eccentric, and absolutely great. The synthesizer is doing a large chunk of all the work here. Big heavy, metallic sounds, with Numan’s new wave chants overtop make for a very distinct and interesting sound. It’s pretty impressive what kind of music has come after this, maybe not because of this album directly, but certainly tangentially. Cheers to Gary. Cars rules. 4/5

Listening to Observer thinking it sounds so much like another synth pop hit that I don't know the name of. I now know that song is Cars which came two tracks later. Sounds like Kraftwerk a lot at times. Really nice album to round out 1,000 albums!

Not the worst of the synth-pop we've gotten so far. Weird I literally was singing "Where's Your Head At?" to Lauren last week, and M.E. is def used as a sample in that if I'm not mistaken. Also feel like I've heard the Observer. Cars is a classic one I know! Had no clue it was by this dude though. One of the more fun synth-pop albums we had. Was lamenting it going in but that was fun! Low 4.

What does the red pyramid on the album cover do? Why is the man that I assume is Gary Numan staring at it? I'm very curious now. Anyway, this album's pretty good. I'd say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The genres are listed as new-wave and synth-pop, but The Pleasure Principle is pretty different from the other bajillion new-wave and synth-pop albums on this list. It kinda reminds me of Kraftwerk at times, which is not an insult in any sense. In fact, I'd argue that this album is more of an electronic album than anything else. I like it. The style is pretty fun. The album has interesting sounds that work together to form good music. Gary Numan's vocals are a bit different from how I thought they'd be, but they're not bad either. The writing is where this album really gets interesting. This album has a lot of songs about machines, and its messages still ring true to this day. The album's kind of ahead of its time in that sense. All of these things come together to make an album that I found to be pretty enjoyable and not particularly redundant for the list. I liked it quite a bit. 4/5.

I really liked this! Became a little samey, but vocals and production are great, and the songs were far less dated than expected.

A weird one, definitely did like, but nothing in this album stood out, however that is a weirdly positive thing here. I feel like to really get a grip and an opinion I'd have to listen to it at least 5 more times, and I just might.

This album, with its dark electronic riffs, great rhythm, machine like vocal ambience. Never been much into electronica, until doing this list funnily, but always had a soft spot for Numan and this sounds just as fresh and apt today. 4 Star

140/1001 :: Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Listen before you die: Yes Albums just don’t sound like this and the influence this album has had on industrial and electric music should not be understated. These songs are just so damn cool. But also have pop appeal in some robotic kinda way. The repetition here is apart of the charm but also can make it predictable and lastly Gary is certainly no Adele it works for the vibe but you also kinda have to wonder how a better singer would have approached this. I recently listened to the whole thing for the first time when M.E. went viral on TikTok. Today was a welcome return. The songs grow increasingly catchier with each listen

This album is worth it just for Cars.

The musicality of the synthesizers is plain to see, the songs are sonically cohesive without feelings particularly same-y. Very enjoyable listen.

Deliciously synthy. You can hear the entire rest of the 80s in this album.

Great synth-pop record that really holds up. Cars is obviously a banger, but the rest of the album also holds its own. Enjoyed this!

Love me some 1979 synth-pop.

Местами интересно, можно иногда послушать, когда хочется чего-то электронного. 6 из 10. (4 звезды с небольшой натяжкой)

I knew Gary Newman from when I was a kid and I know of this album, but never listened to it, just the single. I'm guessing that he was influenced by Kraftwerk and that he was a huge influence on electronic music of the 80s, if not pop in general. Overall, I found The Pleasure Principle a pleasure! Liked Songs Added

Very good, really love the electronic guitar-like instrument

Gary Numan shifted from punk rock to electronic music, right when the (new) wave was ready to break. I originally thought this entire album was simply a vehicle for “Cars,” but actually there is more here to appreciate - songs like “Metal,” “Films,” and “M.E.” share with “Cars” the edgy and ominous tones of a future that’s about to hit you head on. It makes me nostalgic for the days when this was merely imagined…and not yet realized… Hat tip to Brian Eno…not involved that I know of but his influence seems pervasive!

An excellent, influential album. I listen to this a lot and while there's better synth stuff that came out later, this is still a great fun album

This is a great album I love the use of single word titles and the apparent cold aesthetic. You have to search for the hidden humanity that is there below the surface.

I'd never listened to this album. Some basic tracks, some iconic tracks -- some real sick ones. A real treasure.

Cars and M.E. are great. A lot of the rest of the album sort of blends together - specifically I feel like riffs and moments from Cars kinda show up in many of the other songs - but I like this album. Been getting into new wavey stuff and listening pretty often in the last few years. Solid listen.

He was so far ahead of his time, I never appreciated this album properly. Speed forward to now and with hindsight you can see all the music that Numan inspired and led the way on.

I actually liked this a lot more than I expected. I’d somehow forgotten that “Cars” was Gary Numan, and it’s just as cool in the context of the full record. The synth tones are fantastic—icy, futuristic, and surprisingly varied across the album. He’s not winning any vocal awards, but that’s not really the point here. This feels like the blueprint for a whole era of electronic music, and it still holds up.

I usually end up mixed on new wave albums because I like the style of music but sometimes the vocals just don’t work for me, this time because the vocals were limited (and even then I did think there was a charm to them) and the music was just as good or better than other albums in the genre I have to go this a 4 stars I think

Significant!

Het is iets wat eigenlijk te vaak wordt genoemd in de muziek, waardoor de opmerking gelijk kracht verliest: 'ahead of its time'. Als je dit bij te veel artiesten zegt van eind jaren 70, dan is de kans aanwezig dat ze precies 'on time' waren, als je begrijpt wat ik bedoel. Maar anyway, Gary Numan is een artiest waar we met zekerheid kunnen zeggen dat hij een voorloper was. Wat heet, ik denk dat weinig muziek wat na 'The Pleasure Principle' en zijn werk bij Tubeway Army kwam zo futuristisch en inhumaan klinkt als wat we hier horen. Robotisch, alien, noem het hoe je het wil noemen, maar vooruitstrevend is een understatement. Waar hij begeleid wordt door machinaire geluiden en kille synths, maakt zijn stem net zo goed deel uit van dat artificiële arsenaal. En dan heb je het nog niet eens over z'n 'uncanny' uiterlijk. En als je zijn optreden bij top of the pops ziet, dan moet het een schok zijn geweest dat er iemand nog zo veel bovennatuurlijker leek dan David Bowie. Het verbaasd ook weinig dat er uiteindelijk autisme bij hem werd gediagnositeerd, want hij is moeilijk in een 'normaal' hokje te beschrijven. Los van het fascineerde karakter, en baanbrekende bijbehorende sound, is het ook gewoon een lekker album. Kantje één is subliem: spannend, ijskoud (óf gewoon erg cool), en hypnotiserend. Maar verrassend genoeg ook bij vlagen energiek, zoals in 'M.E.'. Kant twee is een herhaling van zetten, maar dan een stukje minder energiek, minder spannend en minder cool. 'Cars' beurt het niveau behoorlijk op. Overall gewoon een wonderlijk album, en een fundamentele pilaar voor de synthpop van vandaag de dag. 8/10 Highlights: Metal Complex M.E. Cars

The nuest of waves

1979 Somehow I've managed not to hear this album before, yet so many of the tracks are familiar to my ears. It's about time I delved a littled deeper into GN's work, because there's little here that I don't like. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Yep ★★★★☆ (7/10)

I always assumed Gary Numan was just a one hit wonder, but this was a pleasant surprise of an album. Solid all the way through. Although Cars still clears every other song here by a lot

A solo British Kraftwerk, but way better. Groundbreaking. Although John Foxx era Ultravox eclipse both.

This was the right kind of out there for me - I really enjoyed the futuristic sounds used throughout.

das isch no cool? airlane chlii langs intrumentals intro zum album aber. metal huere cool sehr groovy new wave irgendwie. au robotisch. bi glaub gad chli z wenig ufnahmefähig für das album. m.e. isch recht cool d drums sind super. tracks seehr spacey seehr cool. ich find alles eaasy geil aber vergiss dasi am lose bin chli hahha conversation suuuper coole bass. das isch weirdo shit do. conversation isch seehr geil. es het mich dezue brocht zum giarre neh und mitspiele das isch sehr guet. cars gad au. random slappt etz auno. i glaub da isch e vieri.

hahaha also s albumcover findi reeecht geil hahaha weiss nöd wie ready ich bin für so vill synthi find er het na e cooli stimm, es passt zum ganze synthi züg grundsätzlich gaht jz aber alles chli ah mier verbii omg observer slappt iwie easy CONVERSATION AU SLAPPPPTTTT ok jz hets mi voll gno, cars macht au so spass hahaha me muess zwar scho auchli ide stimmig sii und d lieder gönd scho auchli ah eim verbii, aber es het würkli eifach easy spass gmacht. knapps 4i

Quite eerie and a tad frightening. Yet this is a worthy listen from an under appreciated artist. Cars is a flat out banger. Solid album throughout.

I remember seeing Numan fly at an air display when I was a kid. He achieved some great things in his life, kudos!! I like some of the songs on this album, but I admit not all are that good and it does get repetitive, I guess that's the nature of this music. You can't fault Gary's breakthrough electronic synth techniques and sound though. The blend of electronica with electric guitar is truly very well done.

This sounds so much like Gary Numan. Iconic

Props for opening with an instrumental. I can hear influences in this for sure, Nine Inch Nails comes to mind. I hear some Cars too but obviously they were coming to fruition at the same time. I really like the texture in this album, it doesn't try to be overtly pop. I agree the same techniques are frequently used, I guess I just like those techniques lol. This one surprised me. Actually like this a good deal. Reminds me a lot of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile. Was expecting corny 80s pop, got something a lot better.

I like this a lot; obviously Cars is the standout, but M.E is also great (as recognized by Basement Jaxx), and the general vibe is very much to my taste. Maybe one or two slightly filler-y tracks, if I had to find a criticism.

I listened to this one fairly recently and had a mild reaction to it, but on revisit I'm just kicking myself because this is so fun. Gary was truly the missing link between Kraftwerk and Synthpop and it shows with how mechanical his synths sound like it does in The Man Machine or Trans Europe Express but here the rock and pop influences are so much more pronounced, it's synthpop made by robots instead of colorful, 80s-MTV people and I think that's what made it click for me more on second listen. That and also so many classics, I underrated Cars in the past but on this listen the vibes are undeniable. If Kraftwerk were the shape of pop to come then this album is the first hurrah of that era of pop.

There was nothing else quite like this in the late 1970s. There still isn't really. It is very much 'of its time' but 4/5 for a mix of nostalgia and being surprisingly enjoyable even today.

Not my thing

Really enjoyed the whole thing. First time listening to all the songs in order.

Classic cover, instantly recognizable, he's the epitome of a one hit wonder who was better than his single hit. His unique heavy synth sound paved the way for so many bands who followed him in the new wave era of the early 80's. Solid listener counts on nearly every song with "Metal" (9M), "M.E." (26M) and of course "Cars" (116M) leading the way. The opening track "Airlane" defines his sound and is a great intro to this album. The intro of "M.E." was ripped off big time by the Smashing Pumpkins and was sampled in the classic late 90's track "Where's Your Head At" by the Basement Jaxx as well as NIN using it for "Metal". Influence across decades! It's an easy album to listen to if you can lean into his unique vocals. It's just got a vibe and it holds up well today, it doesn't sound super dated. I would give this 4 stars since there wasn't a single track I needed to skip and nothing to dislike. It's an overlooked classic at this point.

This guy looks like JD Vance's Sims avatar and I think I judged this too harshly because of it. Suh-leek new wave sounds, new fan.

Gotta love a bit of Gazza. Some of these songs do sound quite similar though, I couldn’t believe that Observer didn’t transition directly into Cars they are almost identical. Cars is a bit of a standout but I love what this albums about and crucial to the 1001. Fave Tracks: Metal, M.E., Conversation, Cars 3.9/5

Amazing first record, it seems conceptual, but it feels like a compilation of themes trying to be tied together, it accomplishes it seldomly, and it's easy to listen to. Always recommended.

A great early progenitor of synthpop. Disaffected vocals, sci-fi vibes, robotic precision. I like it a lot but I wish there was just a bit more to differentiate the tracks.

Consistently good throughout, without veering off in odd directions at any point. Cars is still a pop classic.

Favorite Track: M.E.

I loved the likes of Keith Emerson who was one of the early pioneers of using the Moog Synthesiser in his music and which enhanced traditional instruments. So I was always receptive to electronic music. It must be said that when Gary Numan came along he was truly groundbreaking because of his use of purely electronic instruments. Debatable though if this album should be regarded as the most important example of this genre. More inclined towards the his previous two albums released under the guise of Tubeway Army. In particular Replicas which contained the track Are Friends Electric which had a strong electronic riff and introduced me to electronica and I suspect the rest of the world. So if this album is not on the list for being the first of its type then it must be judged for its musical value. Cars is the standout tract with an equally good enticing riff and which makes this album good. But the rest to me is just more of the same. The arrival of electronic music made a tremendous first impact but then just went a bit static. Gary Numan will always be regarded as the pioneer of this type of music so his place in musical history is assured. Personally after being enticed into electronica I quickly tired of the sort on this album. I am now more inclined towards its use in ambient music made by the likes of Brian Eno. For me guitars rule but can also sound better and can be complimented by the use of electric instruments and for that I thank Gary Numan. 4/5 31/8/25

Great. The singing is awkward, but it's perfect for the music. Favorite song: cars.

Kendte det ikke rigtig men den her var fed! Føles som om han bruger synths på en helt ny måde her!

Best New Wave album out of the 600 we've had so far

Exakt vad jag tänker på när jag tänker på synth pop. Sjukt mycket samplat från detta album Oväntad banger

Better Electronica than the album I had yesterday!

Good, original, synth music.

Well it's quite nice. Synthpop is always welcome.

After one of our of judge team members gave 2 to the perfect album I started to question myself, maybe I do something wrong or do need change the way I perceive life and measure things differently be more grateful and smile more. Well, at least I need to try. But this album is very good maybe not perfectly-five but almost five

One of the most underrated artists in modern music. He has a handful of better records, in my mind, but I’m glad to see he’s represented.

Highlight Song/s: Complex, Films and M.E. Very very mechanical sounding album, mainly due to the beat which chugs pretty hard on most of the songs. Some other stuff that makes it sound like that, is that the songs on this one are extremely repetitive. I do wish Gary made the album less repetitive, this is easy 5 star material. There is a certain charm to the repetitiveness, no doubt about that. But I believe for it to be a 5 star to me, it would've had to been far less monotonous. Something that I noticed on a second listen to this album, is that it seems like the synths sometimes sounds like it responds to the lead vocals; like a call-and-response sort of thing. I for some reason with this album personify the synths as like a computer or a robot, and the sounds that it makes is it talking or a representation of an emotion. It really does help the futuristic sound that this album has going for it. When I think about it that way, it makes me feel like the synths have so much emotion on this album, its a nice contrast between the singing which is devoid of any emotion (on most songs.)

boppin 4

Sometimes I have a tendency to think of the boilerplate "'80s" sound as having just emerged from a vacuum somewhere, and this listen served as a helpful reminder that that sort of thing is rooted in some very cool ideas. After freeing his brand of new wave from the tyranny of the electric guitar, Gary Numan ventured out into The Pleasure Principle. The music here is chilly, groovy synth pop/New Wave that, miraculously, doesn't sound dated. Gary Numan's vision of futuristic groovin' robot music is internally consistent enough, and well produced enough that it pretty effortlessly sucked me, as a listener, into its world, even 45 years later. The synth work's clunkiness even works, the songwriting incorporates enough post punk angularity that it manages to sound pretty natural and intentional in this context. His vocals also help sell it, Gary Numan is remarkably expressive for how deadpan he is playing it, and he slots wonderfully into the space he has created. On top of this, we have a pretty great tracklist here, really consistent honestly. Some favorites are Metal, Films, M.E., Conversation, Engineers, and ultra-hit Cars (which for a long time made me associate Gary Numan with the band The Cars, which is brain poison that I have only *just* escaped). This is absolutely worth a listen, some really sick, unique new wave, with a great palette and really consistent songs.

Sunday is a tough listening day for me and this needs more listens to make a final call, but digging it quite a bit. Rating based on the OG album => ending on Engineers.

In my limited knowledge, this sure sounds like a precursor to a lot of music that followed in the 80s. Fun stuff here, well composed and produced. Based on the timeline, very influential to the decade of music that followed.

Highly enjoyable. I was always aware of Gary Numan through “Cars” and its appearance on the GTA Vice City soundtrack, but this expanded my knowledge of him nicely. Just a dude having fun with synths. It gets a bit noodly toward the end, but great overall. Low 4.

Incredibly, this album still sounds like the future of music while simultaneously retaining its 80’s charm. (Having checked the release, I’m stunned to see this was actually 1979). Numan is clearly owed a lot for his contributions to the genre here. While the palette of synths Numan works with is so distinct and well-realised, it can begin to blend together after a time. That being said, upon checking the track listing at release I noticed the album was originally a lot tighter. Whatever - it sounds brilliant, and I think it holds up tremendously. Easy 4. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

actaullya apretty impressive nice to listen to album. kinda rock kinda electronic. 80s vibe tho

vibey

Interesting and very forward thinking album

Gary Numan my beloved Edit Apr 15 2026: 5 --> 4. It hasn't stuck with me that much since I got it. Maybe I just need to listen to it again

Spacey and quite decent. The big hit on the album that gets the most airtime did not end up being my favorite on the album.

He nice with the synths love it. I need that synth preset that sounds like a electric guitar bad. He abuses it on here and i get why i would too

A classic !

Really fun listen. Goofy voice definitely adds to the album

Great

This is awesome Favourite song: M.E

7/10

Het hele album heb ik het nummer Cars van Fear Factory in mijn hoofd. De associatie wordt hoe langer, hoe sterker. Het nummer Observer mist enkel nog de tekst. Totdat ik opeens "Here in my car..." voorbij hoor komen. Even kijken. Yep dit nummer heet 'Cars'. Blijkbaar een dikke cover van Fear Factory. Ik lag blijkbaar onder een steen. Want het nummer van Gary is ruim 110 miljoen maal geluisterd en dus niet iets onbekends... Dat ik het hele album al die associatie heb, zegt wel iets. Gary past voor het hele album één muzikaal concept toe. Negatiever geformuleerd. Het is wel een wat eentonig album. Vanuit het gezin komt de opmerking dat déze techno nog wel leuk is. Techno lijkt mij niet het juiste genre. Maar het zegt wederom iets over het repeterende, eentonige karakter. Nou heb ik zelf vaak weinig moeite met een eentonige basis, als er maar andere elementen zijn, die voldoende variatie brengen. En die zijn er voldoende. Waarbij de Kraftwerkachtige synth zelden zo'n grote toegevoegde waarde heeft gehad. Ik had dus ook geen moeite dit album af te luisteren. Maar kan ik de eentonigheid nog eens opzetten? Een paar dagen later maar eens testen. Ja hoor, geen punt. 4 sterren dus!

Vooraf denk ik bij het zien van Gary Numan, dit is niet mijn ding. Jaren 80 electro. Ik ken Cars, wat in principe wel de hele sound van dit album samenvat. M.E. doet me denken aan Basement Jaxx, sterker nog, die sample komt daarvandaan lijkt me. Wiki bevestigt dit. Toffe ontdekkingen zijn dat altijd. Verder horen we voornamelijk de gekke stem van Gary Numan en heel veel electronische cq robotgeluidjes, drumcomputers en synths. Gek genoeg vind ik dit vanaf het eerste moment stiekem heel gaaf. Het heeft iets weg van Kraftwerk en die jaren 80 interesse in oude films als Metropolis. Andere albums die dit wilden nabootsen kwamen daar voor mij niet mee weg. Te vaag en te wazig, ze dwaalden teveel af. Ik heb zelfs Autobahn volkomen terecht een 1 gegeven. Gary Numan komt er bij mij allemaal mee weg. Ik heb het album meerdere keren geluisterd en ik vind het supertof om te luisteren. De sfeer die hij neerzet met de synths komt misschien wel overeen met een muur van gitaargeluid. Daar overeen maken de hoge synths lekkere catchy melodietjes. Het klopt allemaal. Ik vind het zeker genoeg voor een hele dikke 4. Aangezien het niet in me opkwam om dit uberhaupt mee te nemen naar een onbewoond eiland, schiet het net tekort voor 5 sterren. Ik vermoed dat ik het in de toekomst ook niet per se heel vaak op zal zetten. Daarom stokt het, wellicht onterecht, bij die dikke 4.

YES 4.5

3 stars overall but an extra half star/round-up for Cars

Pleasant surprise! New wave from 1979? I’m in! Not a bad song on the album.

always loved this album, but never really delved too deeply into any of the songs. They all sound quite similar, but really what's to complain about, because the synth patches and types of melodies and rhythms which are used are really great. The pitch modulated saw lead always evokes some sort of nostalgia for me, and I love the wishy washy flanger effects and stuff, they feel quite dated but in a good ''someone had to do it'' kind of way somehow. Vocals are emotive and still quite 'blank' somehow, which I guess plays into the synthetic robot thing. This overall feels different from stuff like Kraftwerk I think because it has real drums and bass mostly, which make it feel more loose and human than Kraftwerk which is by design very robotic. I think its probably a bit too long, especially as there's quite a lot of instrumental songs toward the end, which feel like they should have vocals, because instrumentally they're just the same as the ones with. Favourite songs: all until engineers and some of the live ones. Overall around 8/10

I didn’t know what to expect with this album and surprisingly didn’t put two and two together until getting to Cars lol. A great album though!

Pretty cool

Gary Numan is underrated.

Futuristic retro synth-pop/rock bangers about alienation, technology, paranoia, distrust of humanity, the increasingly blurred relationship between man and machine, and general existential paranoia. Gary Numan swaps guitars for synths, and emotion for eerie precision. Ahead of its time in 1979 and still unnervingly relevant today.

Modern but repetitive

Super

ahead of its time

Love his sound. Here and there still sounds like another remix of Cars, but that doesn't annoy much. M.E. was a discovery for a Basement Jaxx devotee

This is an excellent album. Really cool early synth goes well with Numan's singing style. Great listen.

Very cool.

I enjoyed this album listen! I loved the new wave and space age elements of the songs. I bet this album was fun to dance and vibe to back in the day. Many of the songs sounded similar or had similar vibes so it was hard to distinguish them. Overall, I had a good time with this album and I would listen to it again in the future!

Early dark synthpop with layers of inorganic sounds that just scratch an itch in the brain. Numan manages to create a surprisingly optimistic atmosphere at times (Complex), but doesn't stray from the sci-fi formula. And doesn't need to. Then he goes more foreboding (Films) with excellent drumming. M.E. starts with an evil sounding synth melody before building into something of an anthem. The low end on Conversation is super thick and full sounding. And we didn't even talk about Cars, which is slotted in near the end. It's not perfect, but this is ahead of its time in more ways than one. Falls just short of 5* for me.

Numan often sounds ahead of his time, and we do have to admit that although he's had a lot of inspiration from his contemporaries, he created something quintessential with The Pleasure Principle

all the songs sound liek cars, but cars is a great song so...

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 🔺🤵‍♂️💄 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🤖🎹⚙️ Rating: 🚗🚗🚗🚗/5

This was interesting. I initially thought I would hate it. Listened to it twice. Probably 3 stars, but bumping it up a bit because of its influence.

Proto electronic at its best no real blue print. Some of it sounds like electronic death metal. Foundational work

Good 80s synth i saw samples from other songs I had heard like basement jax which was a suprise. good voice and vibe

I wasn't expecting this to be so good. This needs relistening though, which will probably happen soon. This album gave me this darkish new wave sound, kinda old Duran Duran vibe. Great record.

Good ol' Gary Numan

De la pop grinçante et robotique, une œuvre et un univers parfaitement cohérent. J’adore.

A pleasant surprise

There’s an irony and pop sensibility to this. The robot persona is a certainly more fun than the whole Daft Punk shtick. Plus this is a great record to listen to in Cars.

Interesting. Reminds me a bit of Kraftwerk but also Devo and other new wave bands like the Buggles. Overall I liked it.

Way better than expected. Will listen again.

Really fun new wave sound. I'd never heard this before, other than 'Cars'. I was drumming along all the way through.

Acho que o Kraftwerk e o DEVO já estavam fazendo coisas mais interessantes nesse mesmo período, mas tem uns synths bem gostosos aqui. Num sei como não me importei tanto anteriormente

I thought this was a lot of fun. Obviously got the big hit with Cars, but honestly thought the whole thing was a great listen. Definitely could see this being a big influence on the 80s scene.

Really pretty solid. Very much influenced by Berlin-era Bowie, from the dark synth instrumentals to the Heroes-lite cover art. He doesn't pull it off as smoothly, but there's a lot here to like, and it's far more than just "Cars."

Absolutely wild that the British Musicians' Union tried to expel Numan for putting "real musicians out of work" with all those synths.

New wave quirkiness. I prefer the "I, Assassin" album, but this one has "Cars".

I owned the 45 single of Cars with Metal as the B-side, and I played that thing to death when this was released in 1979. In some ways, Gary Numan might have been one of those artists I had no time for, but not so. I loved his strange robotic sense of music and lyric, I loved that in the midst of this very unique sound he was using a real drummer, and I always considered him a real innovator. Nothing sounded like this back in 1979 — at least nothing I've ever heard — and it's still easy to identify who you're listening to in just a few notes. I guess it all boils down to interesting songwriting on top of the oddball sensibilities that make this sound both dated and futuristic all at the same time to my 2025 ears. This is a great pick.

Yeah, I dug this. I knew Cars, of course, but this was my first time hearing this album. Not sure why I avoided it all these years, other than I'm not typically a fan of electronic music. Shame on me, because this thing is pretty awesome. The decision to use a human drummer was crucial to the project's success. Had he used a drum machine, I think this would have been insufferable. As it is, though, this thing rocks. Docking it one star only because two of the songs sounded too much like Cars for my liking, but the rest of it was killer.

Nu Cool

Heard it before. Cars is one of the songs of all time, for sure 4/5

Pre-listening thoughts: had no idea who this was but was reminded he did the song Cars. But also the album cover is lowkey unsettling lol Post/during listening thoughts: this is like if the Cars and Kraftwerk had a love child. Very brashly metallic/robotic/retro-futuristic sounding at times, super 80s, but it’s a vibe. I cut my hair to this album. This was a fun listen, low 4. 7/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: Complex, Observer, Cars, Engineer Least fav tracks: ME

Very good. Some absolute threads of modern music here. Even if he was just reinventing Kraftwerk.

absoluter synth klassiker!

Listening to this makes me imagine the context in which it was created, the brand new sound of synth pop, so fresh and unique. With the defining sound that prevailed over the next decade and more. Genius, however, I will say that because it's a pioneering album, there were some blemishes, but it certainly has quality.

Cars was a minor hit when I was in high school but I had never heard the album. It’s very good, to a point. The first half was fantastic electronic pop but two things happened. First, the songs all began to sound like Cars and secondly, it was a bit too long, excessively long. Cut it by a third and it’s a five star album.

It's synths. It's quite an ominous singer. It's songs about technology. It's good stuff. I was fairly ready to hate this, because I group him, unfairly, with the sort of new romantic dross that I'd cross the M6 to avoid, but this was really very good indeed. Cars could easily have been my pick of the pops, but I think Metal hit even harder on this listen.

I'm not sure if I like it or love it, but I think I land on four stars here.

You’re alright, robot man.

Some new wave. First intro to it pretty neat would rate 3.9

This was better than i remembered. My memory had it as a pioneering 80's synth album and thats true, but id forgotten the breadth and depth of the instrumentation and the quality of the pop music. Great hooks, great production and the synths are a welcome addition rather than a one trick pony.

impressive stuff, but not as memorable as works like replica's. Gary Numans feel for the synthesizer and making electronic music that has a soul is unmatched though, which you can see in the highlights of this record. Favorite track: Cars. Overall score: 7.5/10

Unashamedly love this album, even if it’s a little same-same and Asylum could be skipped.

Excellent album, can hear quite a few songs that have sampled this album. Cars is iconic and Random is great too

Straddles the line between being poppy and avant-garde really well. It's a regular new wave album at heart, but the wacky noises used for instrumentation throughout keep it from being stale and boring. Cars is an all time classic and I found myself enjoying a lot of the tracks here. Maybe not quite the greatest album ever made but it's a fun listen nonetheless.

Day473 - he’s so weird and cool i wish he was my grandpa