Recorded in 1994 at Laabbatts Hammersmith Apollo in
London, Live Dark Light is a double-CD set featuring many of the
spooky synth-pop artist's best-known songs, going all the way back to
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" Numan's studio work has taken on a distressing
sameness lately, but this collection is nicely varied, contrasting
rock-out material like "Listen to the Sirens" and "Friends" with slower,
more atmospheric songs such as "Desire" and "Scar." He's still up to his
electronic tricks, too, as "Stormtrooper in Drag" and "I Die: You Die"'s
electronic meanderings make clear. The inclusions of "Replicas" and the
aforementioned "Are 'Friends' Electric?" suggest that David Bowie's
influence on Numan remains undimmed, although Bowie's been more innovative
recently. Still, by sampling from just about every stage of his long
career, Numan proves with this recording that far from being just another
New Wave flash in the pan, he's grown considerably as a musician and
songwriter over the years. While Live Dark Light isn't likely to
win any new converts, it's an energetic and convincing performance.
-- Originally appeared on Gothic.net, June 2001