STUDIO ALBUMS
BERSERKER (1984)
Additional information :
Berserker
'I think you should use synths like a steamroller, they should be big and powerful to get your heart pumping.' - Gary Numan
There is not a dull moment on the 1984 release 'Berserker', the album fusing funky electronic bass lines, extraordinary thick layers of synthesizers, chilling violas, sax and percussion. It marked the end of a form Gary Numan, arguably, are yet to fully return to. The vocal parts are really the only weak components in this mix, Mr. Numan's input occasionally gets shoved way back in the mix and will never really stand out because of that, which is a shame as Numan's voice is a strong selling point for all of his albums.
A far worse concern is the horrid screeching owls disguised as backing singers plaguing some songs, 'Pump it Up' being the best example. Ok, it does work to some extent on the title track but Tessa Niles & co still seem misplaced on this album. So what do the tracklist have to offer? A magnificent 'This is New Love', the powerful title track, and rememberable viola performance signed Chris Payne on 'Cold Warning' all spring to mind.
Another standout track is 'A Child with the Ghost', dedicated to the deceased bass player Paul Gardiner who got his bell tolled a short time before the sessions began. As he had been playing with Numan for many years as well as being a good friend, that clearly had more effect on the album than just being the subject of this remarkable piece. The UK cd reissue's bonus material are made up of a bunch of B-sides from the period, while the US release had extended versions of 'Berserker' & 'My Dying Machine' replacing a crackly 'Rumour', 'She Cries' - a track reminiscent of the earlier album 'Dance' and 'This Ship Comes Apart'.
To me, it has aged fairly well and still does it tingle my tympanic membrane as it did the first time I heard it. It's really hard trying to do the 'feel' of this album justice in a review, many of its songs just have to be heard. And it's well demonstrated on the Berserker tour live recording 'White Noise' .