5 reasons why Numb could be a big hit

[gareth]

1. It's not a Tennant/ Lowe composition
How ironic and typically PSB for their biggest hit in a long time to be written by someone else?

2. Melancholia
The record buying public love sad music. See Coldplay/ Blunt

3. A different kind of PSB
They don't release many slowies and they've never released anything even like Numb before. Jealousy had the big orchestral moment but Numb is really the first release of its kind from PSB

4. It's big, but its not clever
Chavvy record buying folk either don't get or can't stand PSB humour and perceived 'cleverness'. Numb is just a meat & 2 veg big dumb ballad. People dig that shit.

5. Football approval
When MOTD used Numb for their England heartache montage I had 2 thoughts. One was that it was great for PSB to get that level of exposure. The other was concern that an already suspicious towards PSB public would have even more reason to associate something bad with two middle-aged gays. However, on reflection, the use of Numb was a good thing both for the exposure and the fact that it connects PSB with something that unites a lot of the (English) population.

Deep down I have a feeling Numb will do nothing but crash & burn but maybe, just maybe, it'll turn things around for the guys and for Fundamental.

Very valid points here - and it is of course the most radio friendly track for the current local commercial radio station environment.

G

PS I get what you were saying in point 1 - makes complete sense to me!

[kimphilby]

PS I get what you were saying in point 1 - makes complete sense to me!

Thank you Gareth.

[Eldritch]

You can argue all you want. It's been said that this song has more appeal than anything else on the album. Get over it.

Now, where exactly has it been said? Please point it out to me. On the other PSB forum there was a poll in which people had to vote for their favourite song – Numb was the only song (God Willing wasn't included) that received 0 votes. Most reviews have either not mentioned it or pointed it out as one of the weakest links.

I don't mind bit that it's released as the third single, because no other track on the album would be a hit either. Fundamental is a very good album, but it has had its chance to succeed sommercially already. The failure of Minimal to even bring it back to top 150 shows that it's all over for it, since third singles always get less attention than the earlier ones. I will be buying the Numb singles anyway and I will buy them gladly, if the b-sides are of the I'm with stupid singles quality.

[kimphilby]

Fundamental is a very good album, but it has had its chance to succeed sommercially already. The failure of Minimal to even bring it back to top 150 shows that it's all over for it, since third singles always get less attention than the earlier ones

Are there zero examples of acts/ 3rd singles/ albums bucking this seemingly set in stone rule?
Wasn't Robbie Williams' first album rescued by a power ballad, released 3 (or even 4) singles in, long after the album had charted poorly and plummeted down the hit parade?
I know Robbie was/ is a "sexy young man of the people guy", whilst N & C simply aren't, but surely Fundamental isn't doomed already?

[NorthernLad]

I actually think Numb could do quite well.... but then I was optimistic about "Minimal", as well.



---
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[!]

You can argue all you want. It's been said that this song has more appeal than anything else on the album. Get over it.

Now, where exactly has it been said? Please point it out to me. On the other PSB forum there was a poll in which people had to vote for their favourite song – Numb was the only song (God Willing wasn't included) that received 0 votes. Most reviews have either not mentioned it or pointed it out as one of the weakest links.

I don't mind bit that it's released as the third single, because no other track on the album would be a hit either. Fundamental is a very good album, but it has had its chance to succeed sommercially already. The failure of Minimal to even bring it back to top 150 shows that it's all over for it, since third singles always get less attention than the earlier ones. I will be buying the Numb singles anyway and I will buy them gladly, if the b-sides are of the I'm with stupid singles quality.

Somebody posted, can't remember who or what thread, they played the album to a local radio station or something like that and they said Numb would be the only song they'd consider playlisting. A few people have said this. It was also said in the very first post of this thread and the first post on this page "and it is of course the most radio friendly track for the current local commercial radio station environment".

Anyway, it hasn't officialy been confirmed by the site yet so who knows?...If there is a third single I think they need to release a slower song and Numb is the only one that is single material. ILTR is another one they should consider but that might be a bit too British for other markets so Numb is still the best choice for third single.

For a fourth single, ideally it should be TSAGS but that won't happen so Integral

[Eldritch]

Are there zero examples of acts/ 3rd singles/ albums bucking this seemingly set in stone rule?
Wasn't Robbie Williams' first album rescued by a power ballad, released 3 (or even 4) singles in, long after the album had charted poorly and plummeted down the hit parade?
I know Robbie was/ is a "sexy young man of the people guy", whilst N & C simply aren't, but surely Fundamental isn't doomed already?

No rules are set in stone. The success of Angels is an example of that and I'm sure there are other exceptions too. However, for each one of those examples one can present hundreds of cases in which nothing of the kind happened. It's great that EMI are still persevering with a third single, but realistically I can't hear anything as universal on it as Angels – a song that would get ithe album back on track.

Fundamental dropped out of top 100 in four weeks and Minimal, a brilliant song, didn't bring it back in despite proper radio play, so personally I'm convinced Fundamental is dead in the water, despite wanting to be wrong about it.

[gomorrah]

FWIW, I've said it a few times before and I'll say it again (and yes, I'm a PSB newbie but NOT a music newbie).. both I'm with stupid and Minimal were the wrong tracks to release as singles in today's (music industry) atmosphere. obvious as they may have seemed, they're NOTHING NEW. I'm with stupid, apart from its political cleverness, basically had the newly-released album on its side -- hence the top ten spot. and, well, the less said about Minimal's performance by me, the better.

IMO, TSAGS, Integral, Numb, or even Excuses would have been much better choices if even just for a certain shock factor. Integral, dated as it does sound to me, has a certain appeal for the masses and a massively hooky singalong chorus that, unlike Minimal, means something.

anyway, I like Numb (so sue me, I do like weepy ballads) and think it could work as a single. and yes, it'd be wierdly PSB for them to (again) have a big hit written by someone else. the song's got a certain something musically. it's simple, yet powerful. the repetitive verses/lines thing seems to go over well with mass appeal. it's eminently singalong in the best ballad tradition. the only reservation I have is with Neil's voice singing it. while we and I love his voice, I think it's been proven that the general public might not (although blunt's higher voice seemed to go over really well. then again, he's in his 30s, straight, and considered hot, so to speak). so neil's delicate (read, gay -- I'm talking about public perception here) voice singing the ultimate, obviously hetero, power ballad... dunno. although there's something to be said for the sheer contrast. and he sings it beautifully.

anyway, methinks the best thing would be if something bad happened in the UK just before the release. sorry, sorry, couldn't help that one

[Rent]

Well i'm pretty sure the british public hasn't forgotten the football debacle... yet!

[gomorrah]

maybe! or is there a test series sometime then that the UK can lose badly? what about the Ashes? I've not been following cricket much since I left India so... oh well.

[Rent]

Oh, surely they'll lose anyway

[kimphilby]

anyway, methinks the best thing would be if something bad happened in the UK just before the release. sorry, sorry, couldn't help that one

You're so right. Or for some cheesy ITV drama to use it.

[jules]

We can discuss hours and hours, but EMI will do nothing to promote psb, and with no ad, no success
well i might be nasty and wrong , but what i know it is that the single won't be heard in france anyway...

[kimphilby]

but EMI will do nothing to promote psb, and with no ad, no success

There have been ads on tv this week.
Plus a big billboard in one of the busiest parts of London.

Probably won't make much difference

[BlueSwan]

Yet again, I agree with everything Eldritch has written in this thread. It's getting tedious.