Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric (Live at Brixton Academy).

Recorded as part of the 2000 Pure tour, Scarred marks Gary Numan's 25th year as a recording artist. He's certainly been through a lot since Tubeway Army put out That's Too Bad in 1978. Initially hailed as the king of electro, he fell spectacularly from grace then, years later, having been cited as an influence by everyone from Afrika Bambaataa to Trent Reznor, managed to claw his way back up the ladder. Like Pure, Scarred is heavier than Numan's early material; clattering drums, pounding dance beats, grinding samples, filthy guitar, and menacing bass lend it an industrial roar. But Numan isn't limited to an all-out attack. "Little Invitro" is fraught and delicate before rising to its grungy crescendo, while "Dance" is sweet and forlorn. Of course, the hits are here, too, though "Cars" is delivered so jauntily it loses its sense of melancholic isolation. But that's a minor disappointment given the otherwise high quality of this electro feast. --Dominic Wills