Metal

"We're in the building where they make us grow, and I'm frightened by the liquid engineers, like you."For this episode, I look back at one of Gary Numan's best-known and best-loved songs, 'Metal', from 1979's The Pleasure Principle.The track was the first song on the album with lyrics, and was inspired by the writings of Philip K Dick, about a machine with a desire to be human.The perfect synthpop track was never a single, but it became one of Gary Numan's most-performed songs, and was later covered and sampled by a number of artists, most notably by Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails.The episode looks at:What 'Metal' is all aboutIts somewhat forgotten music videoWhy it was never released as a singleThe various live versionsWhen Gary performed it with Nine Inch Nails in 2009Clips used:Gary Numan - MetalThe Beach Boys - Do It AgainGary Numan - Metal (live, 1979)Gary Numan - Metal (live, 1986)Gary Numan - Metal (live, 2018)Gary Numan - Metal 98Gary Numan - MoralGary Numan - Revolution (audiobook)Tubeway Army - The CraziesTubeway Army - We Have a TechnicalNine Inch Nails - MetalNine Inch Nails - Metal (live, 2009)Planet Funk - Who SaidAfrika Bambaataa - MetalNouvelle Vague - MetalPoppy - MetalPlease get in touch on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, or email at [email protected].