Beggars Banquet label compilations

"Random (02) mixes of Gary Numan" (Album, 1998)

Beggars Banquet

Taking inspiration from the former Tubeway Army singer and private pilot Gary Numan is fair enough. And although released on Beggars Banquet (former home to Mr Numan), this compilation homage does little to celebrate the alien one's unique talent. For starters, the subtitle is misleading: "mixes of..." implies remixes when these are largely covers. Immediately, the interest level drops. What's more, the standard, with very few exceptions, is generally substandard.

Out of the eleven efforts included, only DJ Hell's Dans Le Parc, a suitably dreamy and oblique version of one Numan's finest songs, and Peter Lazonby's treatment of The Iceman Cometh, which at least demonstrates some understanding of the source material, are worth a second look.

Mike Dearborn's take on the seminal Cars adds absolutely nothing, whilst Dave Clarke's tackling of Cars, only produces a marginally more worthwhile result but only because he uses more of the original recording. Greenhaus' I Die, You Die is more firmly in remix territory but it's a pretty uninspired effort. The overwhelming impression is one of amateurish DJs taking on way more than either their talents or imaginations can handle. 3/10

Rob Dyer (February 2006)