As a massive Numan fan it's very hard for me to pick fave Numan albums,but Telekon,Pleasure principle,Replicas,and yes PURE would be in there,Pure for me was a significant step forward for Numan after the bad "middle years" to a style of music he was more and more listening to himself.
What I can say is DON'T but Machine and soul!! bloody awfull album

It was buying Hybrid at a cheap price in HMV that got me looking back at Numans career. I tended to like his early albums a lot. Jagged took a long time to grow on me. I love the instrumental albums Humam and Radial pair. Pure is excellent. I've always like Dance some really nice tracks on it.

Also thanks to Alex for the inspiration to look at Numan again.
Peter

Thank you all for your replies to my post. I think I'll definitely start with "Tubeway Army", I think I'm going to like it a lot.

Last week I saw the three of them in a second-hand shop in Milan, so I think I'll definitely buy them.

I have a funny memory related to Gary Numan. Sometime in the 90's I was clearing my room and found a 1981 music mag with the title "Numan is going to leave music". And I thought "Who the heck is Gary Numan? And why did he want to leave music?"

p.s. of course I knew who he was, but had nearly forgotten about him, until recently, when I re-discovered his music.

Well you cant better the early ones IMO

Tubeway Army
Replicas
The Pleasure Principle
The John Peel Sessions
Living Ornaments '79
Telekon
Living Ornaments '80
Living Ornaments '81
Dance

Although ive stuck with Numans albums to the latest one 'Jagged'.

Ok - go for the second live CDs definitely! There's a fairly good mix of the early albums.

yes, he was supposed to leave music, or at least touring live, after Telekon; but he soon changed his mind

Replicas, Pleasure Principle and Telekon are his masterpieces. Some interesting stuff on Tubeway Army, Dance and I Assassin. Berserker is one of my favourites too and a return to form at the time.

Also his live albums are pretty good: Living Ornaments 79 and 80 and the White Noise album.

You would also need the Premier Hits to complete your collection.

His recent stuff Sacrifice onwards is very original but a completely different sound to his late 70s/early 80s stuff.

For his recent material start on Jagged. It's a grower and very epic.

Enjoy!
Chris C

As a fan an an avid collector I havent bought premier hits,I have it in soooo many other formats!!
I don't really like the re-master of Telekon as it uses some "alternative" takes on some of the songs,ok the version of I die:you die is a better,'sparklier' version,possibly the much lauded 'US' version that was "supposed" to be on one of the many Cars re-mix projects but turned out to be just the normal version., but the vesion of things like Please push no more were the lead synth solo has been totaly ommitted is nothing short of criminal!
Get the Japannese collection "Asylum" for the REAL re-masters imho

In a recent interview with Steve Malins, he admitted the Please Push... missing synth solo was a complete accident.

I've also got a really bizarre compilation CD with a strange variety of tracks - thinks it's called the Document series or something .. haven't got it with me. It's also got a really funny picture on the back - looks like our Gazza's suddenly become a used car salesman or something.

ah .. here it is: http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?what=R&obid=586189

Must Have:
Replicas
The Pleasure Principle

Good stuff:
Anything up to and including I Assassin.
Telekon , Dance , I Assassin .
Everything from Sacrifice onwards.
Sacrifice , Exile , Pure , Hybrid , Jagged , Artificial Perfect (Ade Fenton, but featuring Numan on four tracks)

Avoid:
Anything between I assassin and Sacrifice!
Numan himself doesn't play any of this junk at concerts..

Of course, this is just my opinion..