Bleed

After Pure, Gary's next release was Hybrid. This double album featured a few new tracks, but it was mostly reinterpretations of previous tracks with a glittering host of guest producers. Many Numanoids say that one of Numan's failings is that he does not work enough with different producers, instead producing most of his material by himself. Judging by the quality of the reinterpretations on Hybrid, I think they could have a valid point. There are some truly stunning new versions of old tracks on this album, particularly of Cars, This Wreckage and M.E. However, the track which I have chosen is Bleed from Sacrifice. As I said on my review of that album, the quality of the song writing on Sacrifice made up for poor production. On Sacrifice, Bleed evokes a haunting presence whispering ominous threats in your ear; on Hybrid, it cracks your skull open with a crowbar and then gnaws on your liver. Probably not the most enticing recommendation for a song, I know, but I was pleased to hear Bleed in the way I think it should have sounded originally. Anyway, I'll link to both versions so you can judge for yourself which one you prefer. 

By the way, the reason why Gary looks so happy in the live video is because he heard while on stage that his wife, Gemma, had just given birth to their first baby, Raven. Throughout the whole Hope Bleeds concert, which I have on DVD, he utterly fails to look mean, moody or menacing and smiles like a loon. Lovely to see, because of course we all know that the whole sinister thing is an act and he really is a sweet and humble gentleman.

Bleed (Hybrid version)

Bleed (Sacrifice version)

Someone is talking
But it's not conversation,
Sounds more like a voice in my head.
It says
'I live in nightmares
I'm the new god of panic
And I'm waiting for you to come home to me.

'So boy, welcome to sleep
I'm gonna make you, make you, make you bleed.'

I could be dreaming
But then maybe that's fatal.
There's nowhere to hide in your dreams.
I'm so uneasy
I'm shaking and nervous.
I'm alone in my room and I'm scared of it.

So, don't let me sleep
It's gonna make me, make me, make me bleed.

My mother told me
'Don't believe in ghost stories.
There's nothing to hurt you in here.'
But she was wrong
And now it's come back to haunt me.
It says it won't leave me alive for long.

I don't want to sleep.

It's gonna make me, make me, make me bleed.