Gary Numan: Telekon Promo Poster Beggars Banquet-1980

Description

Gary Numan’s follow-up to the flawless The Pleasure Principle was 1980’s Telekon. Although it was another mega-hit back home in England (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.