Gary Numan – I, Assassin

Classic era Numan records seem to come in twos, beginning with the cold electro rock duo of Tubeway Army platters, followed by superstar sci-fi deuce Pleasure Principle and Telekon. A left turn is taken on sister discs Dance and I, Assassin - practically daring us to continue praying to the alien (couldn't resist). Lo and behold: the third pair make a strong case for Numan the (somewhat) human. Song craft, musicianship, and studio quality are top notch on this spread. "White Boys and Heroes", "Music for Chameleons", and "We Take Mystery (To Bed)" are stone classics, and a worthy defense for the dismissal of his beloved Tubeway Army band (goodwill largely squandered come next LP). I, Assassin offers up a strange blend of chilly futurism and white groove that is almost perplexing in its utter playability. I mean, who else is brave - or foolish - enough to make an album like this? Folly or genius, almost every track exceeds the five minute mark yet never come close to wearing out their welcome. Deep cuts like "A Dream of Siam" and the evocative title track may even have you wondering if there's still an android lurking beneath the man's uncomfortable new gangster-player persona. More so than its sprawling partner Dance, I, Assassin hangs together as a single statement, with only oddball track "The 1930's Rust" feeling out of place. Excellent B-side "The Image Is" would have worked better for this otherwise near-perfect, somewhat neglected release. Be sure to check out bonus tracks "Noise Noise" and the early version of "We Take Mystery" as well.

Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, etched : BEGA 40 A2 ƱTOPIA F|2 7-M W-38KD
Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, etched : BEGA 40 B2 ƱTOPIA F|2 7-M W-33

The synth funk of Dance taken to the next level, raw and refined, this album is as perfect as it gets, to dare is to do, the self indulgence of the title track sums it up in a nutshell, a raw Linn Drum machine playing to the room, so simple, so pure, but total genius!