1998 two-on-one reissue from Beggars Banquet featuring 21 tracks recorded live on September 28, 1979 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Includes 'Every Day I Die', 'Cars', 'Down In The Park', 'Me! I Disconnect From You', ... more »'Are 'Friends' Electric?' and 'Every Day I Die'. Double slimline jewel case.« less
1998 two-on-one reissue from Beggars Banquet featuring 21 tracks recorded live on September 28, 1979 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Includes 'Every Day I Die', 'Cars', 'Down In The Park', 'Me! I Disconnect From You', 'Are 'Friends' Electric?' and 'Every Day I Die'. Double slimline jewel case.
CD Reviews
For me, the ultimate Gary Numan CD
Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 03/19/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The reason this is the ultimate Gary Numan DC for me, is because I was at the concert: September 28, 1979, Hammersmith Odeon, London. I was a 19 yr. old kid then, hanging out in London for a few days with my best friend, as we did every year because London was the ultimate for us then. We couldn't believe our luck when we saw Gary Numan was playing the famed Hammersmith Odeon. We decided to check it out, of course it was sold out, but we managed to scalp to 2 tickets in the nose-bleed scetion. We didn't care. We were there! (Incidentally, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark was the opener, before they hit it big.)When Numan hit the stage, we saw a never-to-be-forgotten stage spectacle (check out the CD cover pic to get an idea). Bombastic was the word! Numan was at the peak of his popularity, touring behind "The Pleasure Principle" that hit Number 1 in England.I had the "Living Ornaments 79" album on vinyl, and it's amazing to me it's still around after all these years, and available on CD. (Beware, stay away from the companion album "Living Ornaments 81" which is compared to this a mediocre live album.) All the fans' choice cuts are here in their glory: "Cars" of course (which I've always found to be one of the weakest tracks on "The Pleasure Principle"), the sweeping "Conversation", as well as "Are 'Friends' Electric?"and many others. The best tracks, however, are "Bombers" and the cover "On Broadway" which Numan reworks after the familiar lines and truly soars.It's been 22 years, but Numan's music as captured on this CD has aged very well. If you like Numan, you'll find him at his peak here. Buy it!"
Excellent
NORDOX (http://www.mp3.com/nordox) | London | 01/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I do not have words to describe just how important this album is. This is the first electronic album I bought, (my parents bought the JM Jarre albums before). I bought it second hand for 8 pounds, why is it 25 pounds on the site? I first heard the song Cars, in a Carling commercial for the NBC channel in Britain. I was watching NBC about 8 - 9 years ago? on a Sunday, and BAM! You hear this loud breathing synth sweep pad, and then the drums roll in, and the synths and guitars start playing. (Gary doesn't sing). I said whats this, this is amazing!. It took me another 6 years to find out what the song was called and who it was, via top of the pops 2. When I saw him, I said this is it I must buy this. I went to Reckless records in London, and asked if they had anything by Gary Numan, they had 2 CDs, I naturally chose the one with Cars, that was the only one I knew, and the only one I thought I would like. I was wrong, I got back home and quickly put it on, I could feel the energy of Gary as this was a live Album recorded in London. Most songs on this CD were very good, and I first discovered the combination of violin and synths via Billy Curry (Ultravox). ( this influenced me to use a synth violin for Moonlight on my album Kulture). This album is basically the live version of Replicas and The Pleasure Principal. But its amazing, I bought another 2 of his albums, and from there I discovered John Foxx, The Human League, Ultravox, Visage and many more."
Android Comes Alive
TM77 | nj, usa | 11/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Living Ornaments is an amazing recording. It's good to see Beggar's Banquet has reissued the entire concert.
This was Gary Numan's first tour and he wanted to make a big impression and he succeeded, musically and visually. Numan certainly proved the synthesizer was an incredibly powerful instrument if desired. I can easily imagine the floor of the Hammersmith Odeon vibrating to the opening notes of 'Conversation', 'M.E.' and of course 'Down In The Park'. The band play brilliantly. Drummer Cedric Sharpley and bassist Paul Gardiner made a great rhythm section. A good deal of the songs feature the signature synthesizer solos from Ultravox member Billy Currie who toured with Numan on the European half of the tour. One of the best synth solos I've ever heard is on the song On Broadway (the old R&B classic). Even though Numan's voice was emotionless on his studio albums, one can detect a bit more emotion in the vocals on Living Ornaments.
The visual impression Numan made you can get an idea from the cd cover. Two keyboard players on platforms, 20 foot high pillars of lights that looked as they were rotating and a huge pyramid of light over the drummer. The concert was filmed and released on video under the name Living Principle. It would be great if Beggars Banquet were to rerelease the concert video on DVD. There are bootleg versions available and well worth seeking out."
You could tell from conversations...
N. P. Stathoulopoulos | Brooklyn, NY | 10/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Living Ornaments double-disc releases are invaluable documents of Numan's early live days. This is the first one, covering a full 1979 show in London, and is an expanded edition of the original vinyl release.
First off, the quality on all three releases is excellent---79, 80, and 81. They each differ a bit, but as official live recordings they absolutely hold up and benefit from the remastering. My favorite sound would have to be the first show from the '80 version---a the mix is perfect, the sound crystal clear.
This was recorded during The Touring Principle and features tracks from the Tubeway Army album, Replicas, and The Pleasure Principle along with a few Telekon tracks snuck in as preview material. The sound is excellent: crisp, clear, with an even mix. Still very early in his career (even with two #1 hits) Numan kept the songs close to the album versions (the subsequent Living Ornaments releases feature more elaborate production for the tracks so there is a clear progression in style from the `79 to `81 releases). The trademark keyboards are fantastic--the sound holds up today far, far better than so many keyboard-driven bands that would appear in the coming decade. Numan, perhaps accidentally, really hit upon how to make good rock without up-front electric guitars. By putting the keyboards through guitar pedals, he created a unique, futuristic, and versatile group of sounds. The whole sci-fi / Phillip K. Dick-inspired material is set against a rich, unique sonic landscape. Conversation, in particular, rolls along at seven minutes without ever dragging, while shorter songs like Me! I Disconnect From You are like being stuck in a catchy, early Atari game with Kraftwerk attire, to use a trite music-review device...
For the Numan fan, all of the Living Ornaments releases are real gems and well worth buying. Fans of any artist would be lucky to get a slew of such releases. This version is one complete show, beginning to end, while 80 features parts of two shows and 81 again captures a complete show. Sound-wise, it's fantastic, hands down, rivaled only by the first portion of 80. Also, as imports, I have no idea how long these will be available or how accessible they will continue to be in the US. This is an artist who's been perfecting and mastering the live format for decades. Sadly, despite nearly 20 albums and a live album for most tours, he's still only known for `Cars'. Ridiculous."
OMIGOD--I'VE FOUND THE HOLY GRAIL--AGAIN!!!
I Don't Get Fired Up Often, But... | Alexandria, Virginia United States | 05/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"About fourteen years ago, I was stunned and amazed to find the "Living Ornaments '79 and '80" collection in a vinyl box set. I had no idea that it even existed, but snapped it up immediately. It was totally awesome! I saw both of the tours when they came through Boston on 23 Feb. and 17 Oct. 1980, and they were both unforgettable. Today, I have to admit that I didn't know the CD existed, either, and have only now stumbled across it and the reviews. I don't have it yet, but am ordering it even as you read this. I would pay GOOD money to get a DVD of THESE Gary Numan tours, but again do not know if such a thing exists!"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1