AMG Review of Church of Gary Numan: A Dark Celebration

Tom Schulte
All Music Guide

It is a testament to Gary Numan's strong songwriting that Numan tribute albums are usually a good bet. Jim Collins' The Church of Gary Numan: A Dark Celebration is no exception. This Numan fan and vocalist plays all the instruments on this electro-rock treatment of Numan's material. This might have been Numan's sound if Tubeway Army had stayed together as his band. Any tribute to Numan would not be complete without a rendition of the classic "Cars." Collins includes two versions; aside from a vocal version with a big guitar sound, there is a slick, jazzy treatment with slowed tempo and horn standing in for the attenuated vocal line. "Love Is Like Clockwork" gets a warm, more pop treatment than the robotic original. Collins' website (/www.churchofgarynuman.com) serves not only as a home for his tribute on the Internet, but a clearinghouse of current information on Numan and his music.