Gary Numan has been releasing music for over 30 years, but the synth pop pioneer is still best known for his first string of releases. Now, Vinyl 180 is getting set to revisit those early classics with a four-LP box set, bringing together his two albums with Tubeway Army, his first solo album and a compilation of demos and rarities.
Functionally titled 78/79 Box Set, the collection will be limited to 500 copies and include Tubeway Army (1978), Replicas (1979), The Pleasure Principle (1979) and rarities comp The Plan. Tubeway Army will be pressed on blue vinyl to mimic the original release.
While this isn't the first time Numan and Tubeway Army have issued a rarities compilation called The Plan, this release's 15-song tracklist is different from the original release (although many of the songs are the same). See contents below.
Of his early releases, Numan recently told Rolling Stone, "I had very little experience with synthesizers. We would rent them for one or two days at the time and everything had to be done as quickly as possible, because the studios were expensive. I think that gave my music a sense of urgency and excitement, which, in some respects, was arguably a good thing. If you didn't get the first take, you got grumpy. And you can hear mistakes - there's mistakes all over it. There was no time to get it perfect, but it felt exciting and I really enjoyed it."
The set is out today (July 26) in the UK and on August 10 on this side of the Atlantic. The three albums (not including The Plan) are also available individually as vinyl reissues.
As previously reported, Numan will be hitting the road this fall, with one Canadian date at Toronto's Opera House.
Thanks to Slicing Up Eyeballs for the heads-up.
78/79 Box Set:
Tubeway Army:
1. "Listen to the Sirens"
2. "My Shadow in Vain"
3. "Life Machine"
4. "Friends"
5. "Something's in the House"
6. "Everyday I Die"
7. "Steel and You"
8. "My Love Is a Liquid"
9. "Are You Real?"
10. "Dream Police"
11. "Jo the Waiter"
12. "Zero Bars (Mr. Smith)"
Replicas:
1. "Replicas Me! I Disconnect from You"
2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?"
3. "Machman"
4. "Praying to the Aliens"
5. "Down in the Park"
6. "You Are in My Vision"
7. "Replicas"
8. "It Must Have Been Years"
9. "When the Machines Rock"
10. "I Nearly Married a Human"
The Pleasure Principle:
1. "The Pleasure Principle Airplane"
2. "Metal"
3. "Complex"
4. "Films"
5. "M.E."
6. "Tracks"
7. "Observer"
8. "Conversation"
9. "Cars"
10. "Engineers"
The Plan:
1. "The Plan Bombers"
2. "My Shadow In Vain"
3. "This Machine"
4. "Thoughts No. 2″
5. "Something's In The House"
6. "Check It"
7. "The Monday Troop"
8. "This Is My Life"
9. "Mean Street"
10. "Ice"
11. "Crime of Passion"
12. "The Life Machine"
13. "Critics"
14. "Do Your Best"
15. "Basic J"
Functionally titled 78/79 Box Set, the collection will be limited to 500 copies and include Tubeway Army (1978), Replicas (1979), The Pleasure Principle (1979) and rarities comp The Plan. Tubeway Army will be pressed on blue vinyl to mimic the original release.
While this isn't the first time Numan and Tubeway Army have issued a rarities compilation called The Plan, this release's 15-song tracklist is different from the original release (although many of the songs are the same). See contents below.
Of his early releases, Numan recently told Rolling Stone, "I had very little experience with synthesizers. We would rent them for one or two days at the time and everything had to be done as quickly as possible, because the studios were expensive. I think that gave my music a sense of urgency and excitement, which, in some respects, was arguably a good thing. If you didn't get the first take, you got grumpy. And you can hear mistakes - there's mistakes all over it. There was no time to get it perfect, but it felt exciting and I really enjoyed it."
The set is out today (July 26) in the UK and on August 10 on this side of the Atlantic. The three albums (not including The Plan) are also available individually as vinyl reissues.
As previously reported, Numan will be hitting the road this fall, with one Canadian date at Toronto's Opera House.
Thanks to Slicing Up Eyeballs for the heads-up.
78/79 Box Set:
Tubeway Army:
1. "Listen to the Sirens"
2. "My Shadow in Vain"
3. "Life Machine"
4. "Friends"
5. "Something's in the House"
6. "Everyday I Die"
7. "Steel and You"
8. "My Love Is a Liquid"
9. "Are You Real?"
10. "Dream Police"
11. "Jo the Waiter"
12. "Zero Bars (Mr. Smith)"
Replicas:
1. "Replicas Me! I Disconnect from You"
2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?"
3. "Machman"
4. "Praying to the Aliens"
5. "Down in the Park"
6. "You Are in My Vision"
7. "Replicas"
8. "It Must Have Been Years"
9. "When the Machines Rock"
10. "I Nearly Married a Human"
The Pleasure Principle:
1. "The Pleasure Principle Airplane"
2. "Metal"
3. "Complex"
4. "Films"
5. "M.E."
6. "Tracks"
7. "Observer"
8. "Conversation"
9. "Cars"
10. "Engineers"
The Plan:
1. "The Plan Bombers"
2. "My Shadow In Vain"
3. "This Machine"
4. "Thoughts No. 2″
5. "Something's In The House"
6. "Check It"
7. "The Monday Troop"
8. "This Is My Life"
9. "Mean Street"
10. "Ice"
11. "Crime of Passion"
12. "The Life Machine"
13. "Critics"
14. "Do Your Best"
15. "Basic J"