Nice one. I did a review of 'Vienna' recently on my channel - but enough self-promotion here. This was a fun ride, JP!

Midge Ure and a couple of the other Ultravox guys had also recorded the first _Visage_ album together with Steve Strange and some others (including the late, great John McGeoch on guitar) around the same time, from which came the hit song 'Fade To Grey', hence a lot of that album too sounds a lot like the _Vienna_ one.

@kh1056

Жыл бұрын

Midge Ure performed Fade to Grey while touring the states this last summer! It was amazing!

@mightyV444

Жыл бұрын

@@kh1056 - Yeah, I'd heard about that also from some of my friends in other countries and was quite bummed out when I missed his show here in Wellington/NZ! 😏

I never felt that Mr. X was too long, i really felt the cinematic and pulp fiction Euro dank darkness of it, atmosphere and mystery, yes!

You're in for a real treat JP. A great album , only bettered in Midge Ure's reign by the next album 'Rage in Eden . Both superb though. 😍

@mickdarcy3063

Жыл бұрын

I still remember buying A Rage in Eden and being enthralled!

Yes, yes, yes!! One of my favorite albums of all time (#45 on my Top 100)! Both times I saw them, once in '81 and once in 2009 (I think), "Astradyne" was their opening song. 'Vienna', for me at least, is the most important synthpop album ever put out. It shows you what can be done with this new genre without being saccharine. Billy Currie's violin adds such a cool depth to the sound. And Midge Ure's voice . . . holy shit! Absolutely NO filler on this album. It's perfect! edit: If you're ever looking for a movie to react to, check out 'Return To Eden', their concert movie from their reunion tour in the late 2000s. Phenomenal.

Thanks for considering a recommendation from me. Ultravox was a different kind of inspiring when I was young. Not prog or classic rock, I wanted to make my guitar sound like violins and synth leads.

Tubeway Army and now Ultravox - gives me hope for seeing a reaction to either (or both!) of the first 2 Human League albums - dry, sardonic and analog. Sample lyric: "Dehumanization is such a big word, it's been around since Richard the Third".

@a.k.1740

Жыл бұрын

From "Blind Youth" on The Human League debut studio album Reproduction ! 😉 I agree, Reproduction and Travelogue as well as the first single "Being Boiled"/"Circus of Death" in their original versions are what should be done for The Human League !

Stellar new wave album by a stellar group! Ultravox are one of the most important and groundbreaking bands in the new wave/synthpop scene. I’m not sure if you’ve already had a ton of requests from these guys, but Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (OMD) is absolutely superb and just as important as Ultravox. I highly recommend you dive into their first 4 albums before they blew up with “If You Leave” from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. This group is head over heels in love and inspired by Kraftwerk. Incredibly underrated in the U.S. but beloved in the U.K.

And I was 11 when the song 'Vienna' was a hit, and I loved it straight away. And so did also my Son when _he_ was 11 and heard it for the first time, 5 years ago 😀

'Reap the Wild Wind' is my favorite Ultravox song. I love their sound but only know their hits like 'Vienna'. Now I want to listen more.

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed Mari :)

@patrick3926

Жыл бұрын

The bass line on that song is 🔥

Can't go wrong with this stuff, or the next 2-3 albums.

Interesting factoid: Rigsby's cat in Rising Damp was named Vienna.

One of the first records that ever bought. I was 14 in 1980 and it blew me away. Thanks for the great review!

Excellent stuff; their earlier stuff with John Foxx also kicks butt (Systems of Romance; hahaha!)

I saw Midge Ure this summer while he was touring with Howard Jones. His performance was stellar! They played a random small venue in Arizona and it was like I was 18 again! Both of them were perfection!

Ultravox was one of my favorites from the early 80s. I still listen to Astradyne (especially when I want to a hot shower into a cold one), the first side of Lament, and the track I Remember (Death in the Afternoon).

Hi Justin. Splendid album but their next one Rage in Eden is their creative peak during the Midge Ure era. When Rage in Eden came out I listened to it at least once every day for the next 12 months. I was also very fascinated by the album artwork. A very special album for me up to this day.

Why in the name of all holy spirit in the world would an album with Ultravox from 1980 be so copyright protected. It isn’t like the new generation know who Ultravox are? Ridiculous to the degree of ridiculousness

Dude, I was 20 when this came out and I wore the hell out of the cassette, 8-track and lp versions of this album, along with OMD and Human League albums that came out around then. Great breakdown! Thanks.

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Appreciated Mick!

Ultravox is in my top 5 bands... Their whole catalog is fantastic 😁

Great album and review. Enjoyed the deep listening experience with you. I got the deluxe remastered version with a 5.1 mix on bluray mixed by Steven Wilson. A trip and a treasure!

And to think that Joe Dolce kept Vienna off the No.1 spot. Sacrilege.

I discovered this album 10 years ago being too young for first time around. I was always surprised this was from 1980 and not 1982 or 1983

The whole album is a masterpiece !

This whole album has been quite good. I rec'd it to one of my kids this morning. I hope he gives it a listen and tells me what he thought (If he can stop playing Dwarf Fortress). I now have a couple of dozen that I have heard on this channel that I want to buy when I finally pick up some new music. Great recs by the community (as well as great reviews by OGH).

I love JP's analogies, always amusing , lol. My favorite album of the eighties. To me, I saw this as an extension of progessive rock in an era where it was VERBOOTEN to call it progressive. But it was.

Loved it - thanks JP

Such a great voice.

Great choice JP. It's far too many years since I sat down and listened to this album so thanks for taking me back a few decades!!

Watched on Patreon or wherever... Still glad you enjoyed 😊 Still can't wait to see your next Ultravox reaction!

Great review that takes me back to my youth. Ultravox were among my favourites around age 14-17, and I listened to this album a lot back then, and once in a while still. I think Rage in Eden is their best album though.

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Ole!

Utterly splendid! Loved all of it. Throughout the album, I could hear many moments that would later make up key elements of Trans-Am's sound. I'm curious about how much direct influence is there.

Great album, their best one next to Rage in Eden and Systems of Romance.

Love this album

Great review Ultravox one of my favourite bands Its a pity the never got more popular in USA perhaps because they never toured the States much and maybe their sound to European for most Americans to enjoy?

I much prefer these Full Album Reaction & Reviews to your staggered ones over protracted periods. A suggestion I made quite a few months ago, if you can remember? Glad you've finally taken my advice, or maybe you were going to do it anyway?

Vienna is a classic. My favorite drifts between Quartet/Rage and Vienna. Lament is pretty good too. And the comeback album in 2012 called Brilliant was great especially after the disaster which was U-Vox aka the pink album. nice review. By the way...no Midi in those days. so technically challenging and all done by hand. Keyboards then could play repeated notes but they had to cue in time manually. Primitive sequencing etc

Ultra Vox-- Monument (live)

REALLY enjoyed this! knew the singles but actually loved "europeans". midge ure (pronounced Yer) was one of the most under appreciated vocalists from the '80s. his matinee-idol looks compliment the sound and image of the band. thanks for the journey today! 😊

I'd never listened to this album in its entirety before, although I was familiar with the singles. Didn't find Mr X over long; in fact it was one of the more interesting tracks because it departed from their typical sound. Is Mr X a ghost? Ultravox were one of quite a number of synth pop groups around at the time and I didn't pay them a lot of attention. I notice that they used a lot of pitch bending on their synth sounds. Was this a characteristic of theirs on previous albums or a new synth effect they'd just got hold of? Certainly one of the defining sounds of this album.

Another great reaction to a favorite album.

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Ty Kev!

I remember my physics prac partner at university in '81 absolutely loved New Wave and used to rave about it. Back then, the big bands were Spandau Ballet, Ultravox, ABC, Visage, Boomtown Rats, etc. New Wave was such a powerful musical movement, it influenced great 70s bands like Jethro Tull and King Crimson to change their style for a while. Later bands in the genre were Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones. Nik Kershaw is well worth a listen and analysis. By about 1985, New Wave was no more being knocked off its perch by the likes of Madonna. Once the ice was broken, hard rock made a comeback with Gary Moore and SRV, in particular. Australian bands like Hoodoo Gurus were going great guns too.

Farewell Chris Cross. Thank you for the music.

Interesting shit about Midge Ure. Started mid 70s in a pop boy band called Slick. You mentioned punk and was partially right. Head another band called Rich Kids, check out a track called Ghosts of Princes in Towers. After Ultravox he a bit of a solo career with hits like If I Was. Then of course he was influential in working on Band Aid with Bob Geldof in 85.

Yes, Ultravox is like marrying chocolate with peanut butter, in other words, mixing the craftsmanship and sophistication of progressive rock with the spontaneity and urgency of new wave, so you get the best of both worlds. Justin, I think you made the right choice by choosing Vienna to debut with Ultravox, because it's an album that makes the transition from Ultravox from the John Foxx era because it's still produced by Conny Plank like on his great predecessor Systems of Romance (1978) and its excellent successor Rage in Eden (1981) and that it keeps some elements in common. Either way, for the next Ultravox album you'll have to either look a step back (Systems of Romance) or a step forward (Rage in Eden) and later you'll just have to choose as you please.....😉 Oh! I forgot to add that "Mr. X" was a track originally titled "Touch and Go" when John Foxx was still in the band and they played it live before Foxx left them. Foxx saved "Touch and Go" for his debut album Metamatic, without anyone from Ultravox being credited. When "Touch and Go" became "Mr. X" on Vienna, of course ultravox did not credit John Foxx, each part having kept the paternity of the song.

@lilaelsi5766

Жыл бұрын

Yes, and I think that Mr. X is simply John Foxx.

@a.k.1740

Жыл бұрын

@@lilaelsi5766 Maybe so and that's what I thought too but in the end it's just a guess....🤔

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Appreciated AK🙏 Not sure which album will be next; we'll see :)

Brilliant review Brilliant album again. Bought this before the Vienna single was released in 1980, they were the best live band of the early 80s worth checking a live video. For me this LP has stood the test of time & your analysis has given me an extra perspective, many thanks. If you haven't already I would check out Visage which has Ure & Curry and more great analogue synth work....(also Formula & McGeoch from Magazine) talking of which John Foxx's Metamatic is must with it's CR78 & ARP etc. Thanks again, peace...ps if nothing else check out Underpass... serotonin synth 😂 ok you have already listened....how about Metal Beat...pick up a flip Top box from a vinyl seat...& He's A Liquid...👍

Great album the lead singer has been bands since 1967 had his first big single watching them live on the USA for Africa

Re: Mr X, seek out the Twilight Zone episode where William Shatner is a passenger on an airplane. Btw, there is a Genesis song that relates to your photo nostalgia theme. It's called Uncertain Weather. One of the highpoints in their swansong album.

Love these full album dives! Would love you to do The Changeling by Toyah. It’s a dark deep dive!

My favourite album from ultravox and had listened to it a few weeks ago

Think you're loving the ARP there man, don't blame you...Billie a master of it

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

Thats for sure Zac :)

conny plank studio. a lot of good music goes thru this studio. check out some documentation about this guy and all the artists who wanted to work with him. to some of them you reacted already. unknowingly, perhaps. and in respect to ultravox: midge ure made a real difference.

Astradyne is my Happy Place.

Yes love this album ,try ,HA ,HA , HA , by JOHN FOXX'S ULTRAVOX , OR SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE . both brilliant in their own different ways .

Gary numan uses violins or something similar in some of his songs

@a.k.1740

Жыл бұрын

Indeed, similar sounds, and moreover Billy Currie (from Ultravox) plays violin on "Tracks" and "Conversation" on the Gary Numan album The Pleasure Principle !

Great song and great band!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

@JustJP

Жыл бұрын

🤘

There is guitar but a lot of the guitar sounds are actually synths with copious use of the pitch bend wheel.

Astradyne is a masterpiece :)

…and we all fall down. That’s their best.

One for the algorithm: On the plus side... a) Vienna (the track), did spawn frank sidebottom's song/cover-ette 'Oh Timperley'. I say cover-ette, his version's only 55 seconds long. And b) Mention of the album reminds me of my time in Vienna, an outstandingly beautiful city.

@lemming9984

Жыл бұрын

...or Rigsby's cat in Rising Damp?

Forceful and twisting again Wasting the perfect remains I've felt it once before Slipping over me (pure poetry)

Find in 1980 an album who could be so technical for pop music ? It's a masterpiece, same level as E=mc2 from MORODER (1979 producing but sold in january 1980). Depeche Mode were too young and too basic, Gary Numan was a bit less better. The 2 bass lines (guitar and synth) on ASTRADYNE, The mysterious Mr X. Never forget that at the ULTRAVOX begining it was punk music. They have changed their line up, and to continue their music they turn to the synths. In Engalnd between 1980 to 1985 nobody can be compared to them. A top band

This ia great album which had commercial success, and brought them media attention but imho,both HA HA HA and Systems of romance were far better. They had a more edgy honest feel and Jon Foxx was an incredible songwriter.

LOVE Ultravox - but helps to go with the vibe not the lyrics - lol

Great song but my neighbour used to play every day so cant really listen anymore.

In my humble opinion Ultravox were much, much better when John Foxx was the vocalist and songwriter. The first album (self titled), produced by Brian Eno was the standout.

Ultra-who??? Check your head. John Foxx rules!!!

This song means nothing to me, it means nothing to me... although I was surprised at how vertically challenged Midge(t) Ure was. This song is a manifestaion of everything that was wrong with the Heighties.