We deep dive into The Human League’s The Virgin Years LP boxset featuring best-selling albums like Dare, Romantic? and more. Here’s what we think…

The Human League: The Virgin Years LP boxset

Something of a misnomer, this vinyl boxset omits The Human League’s first two albums, although they too were on Virgin. The Chart Years or Ian Craig Who? presumably being too close to home as titles, The Virgin Years compiles the four albums from Dare to Romantic?.

It also houses the fabulous Japanese mini-album Fascination!, featuring standalone singles (Keep Feeling), Fascination, and Mirror Man as well as their three superb B-sides. Dare is one of the greatest albums ever made and surely one Classic Pop readers own by now.

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After overthinking matters and failing to include those standalone classics, Hysteria inevitably remains in Dare’s shadow but is still a terrific pop blast by 99% of other bands’ standards.

The disputes between band and producers Jam & Lewis can overshadow what a bold and thrilling experiment Crash was.

Songs with THL’s homespun magic colliding with Jam & Lewis’ polish generally pay off, with Love On The Run and Money neglected classics.

Romantic? is where the band realise they’re best as straight-up pop titans. The hardest to find of the four albums, The Virgin Years is a chance to get reacquainted with the League falling in love with pop again.

The League Unlimited Orchestra side-project LP is absent, but that’s just been reissued, too. As if you didn’t know already: what a band.

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What’s included in The Virgin Years LP box set?

The Human League’s The Virgin Years LP boxset includes 5 LP colourful vinyl. Albums include:

  • Dare
  • Fascination!
  • Hysteria
  • Crash
  • Romantic?

Human League The Virgin Years LP boxset tracklist

Dare:

  1. The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
  2. Open Your Heart
  3. The Sound of the Crowd
  4. Darkness
  5. Do Or Die
  6. Get Carter
  7. I Am the Law
  8. Seconds
  9. Love Action (I Believe in Love)
  10. Don’t You Want Me

Fascination!:

  1. (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Extended Version)
  2. Mirror Man
  3. Hard Times
  4. I Love You Too Much
  5. You Remind Me of Gold
  6. (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Improvisation)

Hysteria:

  1. I’m Coming Back
  2. I Love You Too Much
  3. Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Six Times)
  4. Louise
  5. The Lebanon
  6. Betrayed
  7. The Sign
  8. So Hurt
  9. Life On Your Own
  10. Don’t You Know I Want You?

Crash:

  1. Money
  2. Swang
  3. Human
  4. Jam
  5. Are You Ever Coming Back?
  6. I Need Your Loving
  7. Party
  8. Love On the Run
  9. The Real Thing
  10. Love Is All That Matters

Romantic?:

  1. Kiss the Future
  2. A Doorway?
  3. Heart Like a Wheel
  4. Men Are Dreamers
  5. Mister Moon and Mister Sun
  6. Soundtrack to a Generation
  7. Rebound
  8. The Stars Are Going Out
  9. Let’s Get Together Again
  10. Get It Right This Time

Want more from The Human League? Read our complete album guide to the Human League next…