Gary Numan – The Fury

It seems like the first track is played a little slower for some reason, but other than that everything sounds fine to me.

This print sounds really good. However my clean/mint copy of this Teldec print has a noticeable rumble when played on two different desks, not sure why. The record is completely clean and flat.

The Pleasure Skin should've been a single. Simply one of the greatest songs he's ever done.

The start of Numan loosing all creativity and loosing his Numan identity. At the time, I had rated this over Berserker, as it is slightly more accessible and upbeat, however however the years, Berseker stands ahead of The Fury in each and every way.
Stand out tracks, Your Fascination, Call out the Dogs and Creatures.

The Pleasure Skin - say no more - this is an awsome electro funk album. From the opening track 'Call Out the Dogs' to the slow sleaze of 'Creatures' this album is so of it's time. 'This Disease & Tricks' is Numan funking his arse off : )~ and don't get me started on his backing vocalists <3

A major embarrassment in Numan's back catalogue, this album is dire and poor, texture having won over content. There are a couple of passable tracks like "I Still Remember", but except for the Numan diehards avoid at all costs.

As a big Numan fan, I own allmost all vinyls and original CD's. I bought this CD because I thought it was a good chance to have many of my vinyl b-sides issued on pristine digital quality. Bonus tracks were taken from original tapes issued on the 1995 Babylon Series which suffered from novice tape transfer skills. Compared to the original vinyls and well-done CD's from "NUMA", tracks 10 & 12 are played at slightly different speeds. Also I found stereo and phase invertions when compared to the originals. This badly-made release directly attempts with the artist legacy.

As a big Numan fan, I own allmost all vinyls and original CD's. I bought this CD because I thought it was a good chance to have many of my vinyl b-sides issued on pristine digital quality. Bonus tracks were taken from original tapes issued on the 1995 Babylon Series which suffered from novice tape transfer skills. Compared to the original vinyls and well-done CD's from "NUMA", "Receiver Records" and "Castle Music", tracks 1, 3, 5 & 10 to 14 are played at slightly different speeds. Also I found stereo and phase invertions when compared to the originals. This badly-made release directly attempts with the artist legacy.

I recommend to collect the 'Eagle'-version, I find the sleeve on this re-issue poorly made + in some copies the sleeve is 'punctured' (nothing wrong with the media). Also I find the extra bonustracks on the 'Eagle'-version more interesting. The choice is yours...

Thee Fury is one of those albums that may require many listenings to appreciate these days. Since you need to conduct a small research project to fully review Numan's catalog (20 studio albums or so), something like The Fury can go unnoticed while one gets through the classic early discs or the re-charged later material. In fact, The Fury and its surrounding albums often get hated on.
Please ignore the atrocious cover art, which has absolutely nothing to do with the material inside. In fact, Numan himself stated what a bad choice it was to have him in a white tux, dickey and red bowtie on the cover.
The sound is still electronic, with a heavier focus on [gasp] female backing vocals and saxophones. The Fury goes for a poppier and dancier sound than Berserker. The synths are still there, though showing signs of being buried in other production. As usual, though, the album has at least a few gems and (also-as-usual) it's either 'horrible' or 'Numan's best'. The opener Call Out The Dogs, Miracles, The Pleasure Skin, and God Only Knows are my faves here. GOK is often cited as one of the most underrated Numan songs, a very cool and icy number with massive synths in a dark song about...a close call the singer had in his 'other' job, namely flying airplanes and nearly killing himself in the process.

The Fury sees Numan fully consumed by the PPG Wave synthesizer, which was heavily used on Berserker. Apparently, this album was totally written in the studio, with perhaps an overreliance on the technology...a practice that Numan would later regret (following his career plummet). The sound is a bit cold, hard, and 'shiny'...only the deep synth riffs that accent some tracks like God Only Knows provide any warmth. Still, where there are tunes, meaning the effortless hooks Numan pulls off with his unique voice, they are good ones.
Again, ignore the ludicrous cover art. Instead, imagine a mid-80s sci-fi flick in the mold of Blade Runner...one with very dated elements but with some timelessly dark ones. This is a good album that takes time to grow on one.