British synth/sci-fi pop artist
Gary Numan was little more than a cult footnote to the early
MTV era in the States, but in his home country he was a full-fledged superstar, charting regularly and achieving a status near that of national treasure with his always odd, often catchy compositions. This five-album box set collects
Numan's work in the early '80s, following his stint under the name
Tubeway Army and critically acclaimed early albums
Pleasure Principle and
Telekon. Albums included are both volumes of
Living Ornaments, a concert album documenting a farewell performance of what ended up being a short-lived retirement from live gigging, 1981's bleak and atmospheric
Dance, the funked-up electro-pop of 1982's
I, Assassin, and 1983's similarly minded
Warriors. ~ Fred Thomas
