Here’s a line from Underneath It All: “All I do I can still feel you…kill my brain yet you still remain, crucified after all I’ve died after all I’ve tried you are still inside”

Here’s a part from Even Deeper: “I woke up today, to find myself in the other place, with a trail of footprints, from where I ran away, it seems everything I’ve heard just might be true, you know me (well you think you do)…and in a dream I’m a different me, with a perfect you, we fit perfectly, and for once in my life I feel complete, and I still want to ruin it”

And here’s the last lyric I’ll sample, from Into The Void: “Talking to myself all the way to the station, pictures in my head of the final destination, all lined up (all the ones that aren’t allowed to stay), tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away”

The themes of loss of self (“myself keeps slipping away”). being compelled to ruin oneself, and the presence of another entity (internally possibly?) certainly seem to point to dissociative identity disorder being a lyrical theme of The Fragile’s story.

1. Dead Babies – Alice Cooper.

The driving force in this song is definitely the ominous sounding bass line, supported in the verses by the ringing guitarwork. Defnite proof here that Alice Cooper weren’t all about creepy crawlies and such – this is a song of a very serious nature, about mothers not watching after their babies as well as they should, as shown with this lyric:

“Little Betty ate a pound of aspirin. She got them from the shelf up on the wall. Betty’s mommy wasn’t there to save her. She didn’t hear her baby call. Dead babies can’t take care of themselves”

The guitars kick the song into gear after the first lyric and continues to pop up during the chorus. This song certainly makes good use of atmosphere, lyrically and musically. The guitarwork throughout this song, plus the bass line, certainly lend a dark atmosphere to it. Cooper himself delivers the vocals in his usual style – the song, as most of their songs, wouldn’t be the same without his delivery. Interestingly enough, towards the end of the song there are some horns and keyboards that are thrown in (I don’t know, I suppose it was producer Bob Ezrin’s style to throw everything and the kitchen sink too). The ending is a bit odd with the rowdy courtroom sounds (the band members rambling and making noise with “the judge” shouting out “Order in this court!” and banging his gavel).

2. Megalomania – Black Sabbath

Starts off with acoustic guitar and a creepy sounding organ. Some great guitar provided by Tony Iommi here, ranging from the acoustic guitar in the verses to the meaty riffs in the chorus. Some great lyrics here:

“Obsessed with fantasy posessed with my schemes. I mixed reality with pseudogod dreams. The ghost of violence was something I’d seen. I sold my soul be the human obscene. How could this poison be the dream of my soul? How did my fantasies take complete control?”

Maybe the song’s about a power crazy person losing his mind on his way to the top too? Hard to really say, but I would have a great time in trying to analyze these lyrics. Ozzy Osbourne performs pretty well on this song, he certainly gives it at all without managing to go over the time. The initial, grinding riff in the chorus escalates and gets more distorted each time as the song progresses; perhaps imitating the mental state of the narrator of the lyrics. The real stars here are the guitar, vocals, and atmosphere-adding keyboards but the drums and bass keep the song together pretty well. Quite a lengthy song – probably Black Sabbath’s longest – at 9:46, but no problem there; this is how metal should be done, with deep, thought provoking lyrics, driving riffs, and structured passages.

Anywho, here’s a couple of ideas I have in mind:

• Album comparison: Disturbed’s The Sickness and Ten Thousand Fists
• Song analyzation of my iTunes playlist, Ethereal erratic eros, (84 songs currently) that reminds me of the night or are just dark in general subject matter/atmosphere.

For at least a year or so now I’ve had and listened to the more familiar and more commercial Scorpions albums – “Lovedrive”, “Animal Magnetism”, “Blackout”, and “Love At First Sting” – but a week ago I got their “In Trance” and “Virgin Killer” albums, with their second lead guitarist/sometimes vocalist Uli Jon Roth. I had gotten their fifth and final album with Roth, “Taken By Force” prior to this, and loved it, so I figured I’d get the other Roth era Scorpions albums. I really lucked out in getting this Axe Killer mini-box set on Amazon – it’s got “In Trance” and “Virgin Killer” (with the latter having the controversial original album cover) with the bonus tracks on each being the songs from their second album “Fly to the Rainbow”.

Uli Jon Roth is a really great guitarist, combining both speed and emotion into his playing style, and his presence and songwriting give the whole band this experimental almost metal sound. Comparing the two albums, I feel that Roth’s solos are a tad better on “In Trance” than “Virgin Killer” (mostly “Sun In My Hand”), with the exception of the solo on “Polar Nights”, while the riffs on “Virgin Killer” are better than those on “In Trance”. “In Trance” has a more hard rock with a slight Gothic feel to it, whereas “Virgin Killer” has killer riffs that are close to metal, namely the title song and “Pictured Life”. At this point, I feel that I like “In Trance” a tad better due to the overall songwriting being a better imo.

On to some select songs…

First on the list is the opener of “In Trance” – Dark Lady

Great opening song here – the beginning is explosive, then the main riff comes in and carries the song. Lyrics are traded off between Roth and the lead singer, Klaus Meine (Meine does the screams and sings the title of the song, to great effect too), and although Roth isn’t the greatest singer, this song suits his vocals well and he doesn’t overdo it. The solo in the middle is brief but executed very well, and the ending speeds up to a finale (using the guitar part that follows Meine singing “Dark lady”, but faster) that ultimately sounds like the beginning .

The title song is another one of the best songs on the album, although it’s more simple compared to the rest of the songs. Nice, slow beginning with some gentle guitar before Meine’s excellent falsetto kicks in, before jumping to a heavy riff complete with some nice vibrato by Meine when singing “I’m in a trance”. Great use of the loud-soft-loud song dynamic here – the heavy chorus and light verses repeat throughout the song, but it’s quite catchy and doesn’t bore. Another sweet solo by Roth in the middle of the song, followed by a different riff than the one used during the chorus. This is one of the songs that makes use of some keyboards, which suits this song perfectly.

“Top of The Bill”, one of the rockers on the album, is definitely worth mentioning. Plodding, heavy riff kicks it off, with some great lead guitar lines thrown in before the lyrics kick in. Roth adds in some frantic, mini lead breaks at the beginning and end of some of verses, to good effect. Meine performs well here again, breaking out some screaming about halfway through, which leads into the song breaking down to some frantic drumming and a drawn out Roth guitar solo to finish the song (with some noises that sound like a dying animal or something)

This Roth-sung number, “Sun In My Hand” kicks off with some quick guitar work before the drums kick in, then the song throws on a blues influence. The great bass and drum work carries this song along, with Roth throwing in some sweet lead guitar lines during the verses, and Roth’s singing style suits the song quite well. About halfway through the song, the guitar solo kicks off with a slow start that turns into a frenzied race to the end about 3:15, reaching its peak about 3:32-3:36. In my opinion, “Sun In My Hand” has the best guitar solo on the album.

The title song is definitely the most 80′s sounding song on the album, though that’s not necessarily bad – I will say that it’s left in the dust by the other offerings on the album. The drum beats are really great in this song, there’s some good synth present as well, and some minimal, but still good, guitar work – the trumpet part’s really killer too. Visually, it’s a pretty unique and cohesive video, albeit a confusing one – Matt Johnson’s strapped in a chair throughout, the part with him in the hospital goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics. Lyrically, I like the metaphor of love being an infection – it is a feeling that’s really all consuming, and it can be as harmful as it is great. Good lead-off song imo.

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One of my favorites of the album. More guitar in this one than the title song, and that’s a welcome addition, the synth work is good too and adds well to the atmosphere of the song. Lyrically, it’s all about lust and how it’s easy to quell one’s loneliness by seeking sex and the sort, and Johnson really shows off his voice well on this song. Visually, it matches up well with the lyrics, showing Johnson go off seeking the company of a girl or two, and possibly tries to show the dangers of letting the sexual side of a relationship take too much of a hold (with how Johnson just gives up at the end and is “going through the motions, faking the emotions” ).

Pretty good song, nice piano intro and the catchy guitar line drives the song along, while the piano pops up again while strings add atmosphere to the song. Some sweet harmonica work in there too. Definitely one of the political songs on the album, with Johnson talking about the problems of Great Britain, with the images being shown behind Johnson demonstrating these problems visually. It’s certainly a song that remains true even today, with the problems America has been facing recently.

Nice introductory guitar riff and strings/synthesizer kick things off in the song, paired nicely with the desert images and the vulture flying in the video, which also goes well with the stand-up bass line that comes in. Lyrically, it’s a very political song, as the second one on the album so far, with lines like

“I can’t see for the tear gas, & the dollar signs in my eyes.
Well, whats a man got left to fight for
when he’s bought his freedom
by the look of this human jungle
It aint just the poor who’ll be bleeding!”

and has some social commentary with lines like:

“Down by the river, I’ve been washing out my mouth,
cuz deep in the heart of me
there’s a frightened man breaking out.
Oh I was just looking for paradise
anywhere in this world
While they’re gunning for heaven
from this man made hell!!!”

About 2:40 into the song, the music changes, with a ringing guitar line that leads into a epic-sounding finale with the chanted vocals, catchy guitar line, pounding drums, and the half-sweetly and harshly sung line “Angels of destruction”. Visually, this musical change is signaled with an explosion (likely the fake city in the music video), leading into images of an earthquake, the sun setting with a strange color scheme, interspersed between Matt Johnson singing with goggles on, ultimately ending with the image of Johnson’s head on a stake in the desert.

On the other hand, I’m finding it hard to juggle those two facets of my life – work and my girlfriend – with spending time with my family as well. I don’t quite know how to balance everything out; I’m feeling all rushed around most of the time, running from work to my gf’s place, back to home to get ready, back to work. I’d like to figure out a way to make all this work with time – to not be in such a hurry to get to work on time, to have adequate time with my gf AND my family, and also squeeze in some job applications or just plain form a plan to save up for graduate school.

• Infected (1986) – all 8 songs from the album; interestingly enough, in a sort of mini-movie project, there were music videos made for all of the songs.
• Mind Bomb (1989) – Armageddon Days are Here (Again), The Beat(en) Generation, Violence of Truth, Gravitate to Me
• Soul Mining (1983) – This Is the Day, The Sinking Feeling, Uncertain Smile, Giant
• Dusk (1993) – Dogs of Lust, Slow Emotion Replay, Sodium Light Baby

One of the singles off of I, Assassin, this songs is “White Boys and Heroes”. A funky, fretless bassline, courtesy of Pino Palladino, and frantic drumwork by Chris Slade of Uriah Heep drive this song while analog synths (mostly at the beginning, the chorus, and throughout the song as electronic percussion) and electric guitar pop up throughout (with the guitar sequestered to the chorus and the end). Some nice saxophone work by Dick Morrissey at the end, with the lyrics propping up the figure of a macho 1930s gangster, such as the type that Numan himself is depicted as on the cover of the album, dressed in a trenchcoat and trilby/fedora. Some of the lyrics include lines like “We’re in the movies, we heroes, we sparkle at night” and “Heroes are tough, and have no time, for women and boys”. The music video depicts Numan as a movie star (most likely) dressed as a military man (or possibly just a gangster, as there is a shot of his guns on a table), and then shows him relaxing at the pool in a villa, where he pushes a couple of topless women into said pool. Fun music video overall, I feel it serves well in reinforcing the general concept of the album, as well as displaying a bit more of a fun side of Numan. The bleach blond hair likely indicates that this was the last video (and likely single) for I, Assassin, seeing as Numan displays the same color hair on the cover of his next album, Warriors, as well as the video for the title song of said album.

Another single from the album, this song’s called “Music for Chameleons”. Another great fretless bassline drives this song with the drumwork this time being obscured by the electronic percussion (for the most part, though they are more audible during the chorus), while atmospheric synthesizers are used throughout to provide the melody. Love the slow musical introduction, with the synth leading into the bassline. Lyrics like “A dream of Siam, we could leave in the morning, old friends and shy, we need to win, like you need to breathe, I’ve an interest in games” definitely fit in with the gangsterous lifestyle shown in the music video as well as supporting the album’s concept all on its own. Also, I have a feeling that the title could be somewhat autobiographical for Numan in a way, since he is very chamelonesque with him constantly changing personas/image during the 80s. The music video is another enjoyable one, imo, with Numan dressed in a blue and white suit with him and his gang frequenting a strip club or night club (called Chameleons none the less), and the gang kills the people inside the place before they exit.

This is the third single of the album, “We Take Mystery (To Bed)”. Great drum intro opens the song, while the keyboards are probably the most at the forefront in this song, though they definitely lend the song a great melody. Yet another funky fretless bassline drives this song while the drumwork is again drowned out by the electronic percussion (though is much more audible than in the above mentioned songs), and there’s some jangly guitarwork present during the chorus. The lyrics are different than the other two singles, with a much more personal tone, here dealing with a break-up and betrayal as his ex-lover sold her story about Numan to the press. Lines like “Confiscate letters like D.E.B., no natural course of things for her to expect, withdraw the feelings ‘You can, you can’t', I called your number as you told the world” and “There is no longer any normal to me, you’re my assassin but you can’t see the crime, pointless possessions of me & you & greed, I looked at you mistaking needles for eyes” display the scathing tone of Numan, though his voice isn’t very aggressive or angry sounding. The music video shows Numan in a suit with his fedora/trilby at various points, and it consists of him either dancing, driving, smashing glass with poles and his body (via jumping through a glass door), spinning in a chair, and dancing in front of the logo for the self-titled Tubeway Army album. The music video seems to have the intent of establishing the 1930s setting again.

Final verdict: Both albums have much to offer – the atmospheric and a thinking man’s lyrical quality on Dance, and a more funky, dance-style sound with less focus on personal lyrics (in general) on I, Assassin. Personally, I like the tone of I, Assassin slightly over that of Dance, though this is only by a smidge, since I enjoy both albums a great deal.

Hope this was all informative enough to anyone that’s interested in Gary Numan.

Really cool song here (that is, if you’re into that 80′s sound) – it’s “She’s Got Claws”. Great saxophone “riff” throughout the song, and the funky, fretless bass weaves its way throughout the song to great effect – both of these sorta give it a jazzy tone to me. The drums sound like they could be drum machines, and if so, I’ve heard far worse sounding drum machines. The piano that follows the sax lines adds a nice touch, and the synths are used sparingly but do spruce up the sound of the song. The lyrics are sung in the typical Gary Numan style, though I feel he does give his all on this one vocally, and lyrically the song is about a girl that ripped him off (by selling the story about dating him to the tabloids, but I only know of that through liner notes); tends to sound a bit anxious here, but that’s nothing unusual. The video demonstrates this betrayal on Numan through a woman that metamorphoses into a black panther (thus the girl with claws), love the background in the video reflecting the look of the 1930s. Love the line of “I don’t like guys”, heh – is it that bad that he has to defend his sexuality so openly like that? Is it just me or does it seem like the video for The Stranglers’ “European Female” is a bit of a rip off of this video (this one probably came out first – Dance was released in 1981, The Stranglers Feline, which “European Female” is off of, was released in 1982).

Too bad there wasn’t a video made for this song, “A Subway Called ‘You’ “.  Nice fretless bass opening with atmospheric synths open this song up, gives this song a dark sound that I like; *snicker* at the fake cowbell sound just before the lyrics kick in. The song continues this way musically with some real drums kicking in once the lyrics do, and it’s generally a bass driven number, with some good saxophone being used later on. Lyrically, the song seems to be about a male gigolo with lines like “Here the ladies always ring twice, Thought you’d slip away tonight with me” and “Hello you, no more this talk of ‘My boys will be yours’ ” – that last line sorta confuses me. Overall, this is one of the best songs on this album.

Non-album single around the Dance era (that appears on the remastered Beggars Banquet CD edition) – this one’s called “Stormtrooper in Drag”. Meaty beat provided by drums and the bassline (with the bass being played by Gary Numan) with echoey-sounding guitar (played by Paul Gardiner, bass player in The Tubeway Army and on Numan’s solo effort The Pleasure Principle, Telekon, and Night Talk on Dance). Lyrically, the song appears to be about sex, with lyrics like “I could call and make you crawl into bed” and “I’ll just speak in slow motion, About obsessions with boys on the floor”, but the lyric “It’s so disgusting I’m so tired of rhythm, And needles in arms, I don’t want your point of view” sounds like a stab at Paul Gardiner’s drug habits (which would eventually take his life three years later in 1984).

Soon, I’ll be posting up select songs and videos from I, Assassin and analyzing the lyrics and musical elements of them.