Gary Numan's follow-up to the flawless The Pleasure
Principle was 1980's Telekon. Although it was another mega-hit back home in Blighty (his third consecutive number one album), Numan could not follow up his
massive new wave hit "Cars" in the United States, where he was
unjustly slapped with the one-hit-wonder tag. Telekon would also turn out to be
the last true classic Numan album, as monetary problems and an unfocused
attempt to try different musical forms (as well as a short-lived retirement)
would steer him away from his original vision. Although Telekon was indeed a
strong album, it could have been even stronger if it included the U.K. Top Ten
singles "I Die: You Die" and "We Are Glass" (both were
recorded during the Telekon sessions). Numan experimented with funk for the
first time in his career ("Remind Me to Smile"), but there were still
plenty of chilling synth excursions to keep the Numan faithful satisfied;
"This Wreckage," "The Aircrash Bureau," "I'm an
Agent," and "I Dream of Wires" are all choice cuts. The 1998
Beggars Banquet re-release eventually did include both the U.K. singles, as
well as several other rarities, including a bare "piano version" of
"Down in the Park."
