Ultravox - Foxx/Ure song by song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Eleventh Earl of Mar, Jul 27, 2020.

  1. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    Alles Klar

    Nice instrumental, kind of hypnotic.
     
  2. dreambear

    dreambear Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalix, Sweden
    Alles klar: Interesting b-side . The production is so good, that you forget that it´s not much of a song. 3/5
     
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  3. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Keep Talking/Torque



    Assuming it's from the early period - as the title references the apparent original title for the album, and yeah, this is the roughest piece (and last) to cover from it. The track has a bunch of good ideas but doesn't go anywhere, that and the poor quality of the recording makes it one of those tracks that's more of a look inside the recording process than an a proper song.

    2/5

    (If I missed any Vienna material, I'll compile a post before doing a write up on Rage in Eden)
     
  4. Post-Punk Monk

    Post-Punk Monk Seeking divinity in records from '78-'85 or so…

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Keep Talking/Keep Torqe-ing

    Added to the 12" only single of "All Stood Still" as a bonus track, this rehearsal cassette showed the band developing by jamming live. A peek "under the hood" as it were. One distinctive thing here was the repetitive bass sequencer line pointing the way to what was just around the corner for the band; the sound of their next single, "The Thin Wall." In fact, one can sing the lyrics to "The Thin Wall" over this backing track quite easily. The other distinctive thing was the weird synth sound that they could not find the patch for again that sounded like strangulated articulation, or the "talking" of the title. Their reference to "Torque-ing" on one of the 12" single sleeves in the UK [the other had "Keep Talking" as the title] was another veiled reference to the original title of the "Vienna Album" in the planning stages as "Torque Point." Beyond that, there's not a whole lot to see here folks. A perfunctory 12" bonus B-side that may have been better left unheard.

    1/5
     
    negative1 likes this.
  5. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    The Best of Ultravox EMI UK released.
    This cassette sounds just like a newly pressed album. INCREDIBLE

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Wow, this one is robbing Quartet and Lament - no Visions in Blue or One Small Day

    I really have to play the album from 86... I'm just very worried is all.
     
  7. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I know man. In the other recordings they have, I have to add the missing songs and if the sound and the rest of the recording ingredients are not leveled, it feels incomplete...
    But so far it sound great. Cant even compare it to lets say tidal or spotify.
    I'm not sure if you watched the 1997 movie "contact". there is a part in the movie they were tracking the pulsing sound (like a single-stroked jackhammer sound) from a far distant star,
    Well there is a lot of that sound on different songs in this album listening through a 300b amp.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2020
    croquetlawns likes this.
  8. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    Alles Klar,

    another in the long line of experimental and instrumentals that were to come.

    since synths were new technology back then, i'm sure they have a lot more
    experiments they worked on. luckily, this is one of the better ones.

    mixing in guitars, and a steady drum beat, with moody shifting synths
    back and forth, was pretty evocative. yes, its not as epic as astradyne,
    but it forms its own place during this time.

    is repetitive, but is all ultravox when the icy synths kick in, and for me,
    that's good enough.

    found on the 7 and 12 inch:
    Ultravox ‎– All Stood Still
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– CHS 2522
    Format:
    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Clear
    Country:
    UK
    Released:
    25 May 1981
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    B Alles Klar 4:55

    Ultravox ‎– All Stood Still
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– CHS 12 2522
    Format:
    Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
    Country:
    UK
    Released:
    25 May 1981
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    B1 Alles Klar 4:55

    vienna remasters:
    Ultravox ‎– Vienna
    Label:
    EMI Gold ‎– 7243 5 25523 0 6, EMI Gold ‎– 525 5230
    Format:
    CD, Album, Enhanced, Reissue, Remastered
    Country:
    UK & Europe
    Released:
    2000
    Genre:
    Electronic, Rock
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    Bonus Tracks:
    13 Alles Klar 4:54

    Ultravox ‎– Vienna
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– 5099923436527, Chrysalis ‎– CHRX 1296
    Format:
    CD, Album, Reissue
    CD, Compilation
    All Media, Remastered, Special Edition, Definitive Edition
    Country:
    UK & Europe
    Released:
    19 Sep 2008
    Genre:
    Electronic, Rock
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop

    TracklistShow Credits
    Further Listening
    2-8 Alles Klar 4:56

    rare 1:
    Ultravox ‎– Rare 1
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    Synth-pop
    Year:
    1993

    Tracklist
    Alles Klar 4:55

    new europeans:
    Ultravox ‎– New Europeans
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop
    Year:
    1981

    Tracklist
    Alles Klar 4:55

    the new stereo version:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Ultravox ‎– Herr X / Alles Klar
    Label:
    Electronic Sound ‎– ES768
    Format:
    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Stereo, Clear
    Country:
    UK
    Released:
    11 Sep 2020
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    A Herr X (Steven Wilson Stereo Mix) 5:57
    AA Alles Klar (Steven Wilson Stereo Mix) 4:59





    rating : 3/5

    later
    -1
     
    NorthNY Mark likes this.
  9. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    keep talking,

    another early, evolving, experimental track, but without any talking,
    which is an odd name for an instrumental.

    it's very hectic, and has punctuations of keyboards throughout,
    but to me, it's not very 'ultravox' sounding. its rather generic,
    and simple. i do like how it picks up in intensity near the end.

    obviously, it's almost like a demo, not that great, but still providing insight
    into their early attempts of music development.

    one thing i liked about the 12 inch singles, was there was always something
    else interesting on the releases besides the normal b-side. so that in itself
    made it worth collecting all of them.

    ==
    found on most 12 inch versions:
    Ultravox ‎– All Stood Still
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– CHS 12 2522
    Format:
    Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
    Country:
    UK
    Released:
    25 May 1981
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    B2 Keep Talking 6:21

    Ultravox ‎– Rare 1
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– cdchr6053, Chrysalis ‎– 7243 8 27692 2 4, Chrysalis ‎– cdchr 6053
    Format:
    CD, Compilation
    Country:
    UK
    Released:
    1993
    Genre:
    Electronic
    Style:
    Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    7 Keep Talking 6:24

    vienna remasters:
    Ultravox ‎– Vienna
    Label:
    Chrysalis ‎– 5099923436527, Chrysalis ‎– CHRX 1296
    Format:
    CD, Album, Reissue
    CD, Compilation
    All Media, Remastered, Special Edition, Definitive Edition
    Country:
    UK & Europe
    Released:
    19 Sep 2008
    Genre:
    Electronic, Rock
    Style:
    New Wave, Synth-pop

    Tracklist
    Further Listening
    2-9 Keep Talking (Cassette Recording During Rehearsals) 6:23


    rating 2.5/5

    later
    -1
     
    NorthNY Mark likes this.
  10. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    songs not covered yet, i think:
    -------------------
    2-1 Sleepwalk (Early Version) 3:23
    2-7 All Stood Still (12 Inch Version) 5:07
    2-10 Sleepwalk (Recorded Live In Rehearsals At The Lyceum, 17 Aug 1980) 3:43
    2-11 All Stood Still (Recorded Live In Rehearsals At The Lyceum, 17 Aug 1980) 4:35

    later
    -1
     
    croquetlawns likes this.
  11. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    No problem talking about these, but it's best to discuss different versions of a song being covered then - I can't possibly cover all the official releases for a day each.
     
  12. vzok

    vzok Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Keep Talking 2.5
     
  13. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Rage in Eden

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    All pressings after 1981

    [​IMG]

    September 11 1981

    Produced by Conny Plank

    Track listing

    1.
    "The Voice" – 6:00
    2. "We Stand Alone" – 5:40
    3. "Rage in Eden" – 4:13
    4. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" – 4:59
    5. "The Thin Wall" – 5:41
    6. "Stranger Within" – 7:26
    7. "Accent on Youth" – 4:45
    8. "The Ascent" – 2:20
    9. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)" – 4:30

    Personnel
    Ultravox
    • Warren Cann – drums, electronic percussion, vocals
    • Chris Cross – bass, synthesizers, vocals
    • Billy Currie – synthesizers, piano, violin, viola
    • Midge Ure – lead vocals, guitars, synthesizers
    Additional personnel
    • Conny Plank – co-production, engineering
    • Peter Saville Associates – original sleeve design



    Likely their hardest album to get into from this period, this album has a rather dire tone for the majority of it's duration. A lot of lengthy pieces, extended instrumental parts, more focused than Vienna lyrically - nothing jumps out as a single save for The Voice, and it's telling there's only two on here as it is. The actual songwriting isn't horribly changed, these are still pop songs - just a lot less of the easily digestible for the most part Vienna. Maybe I'm off with saying such but where the previous albums kind of pieced together as albums from song listening separately and album listening, this one was only until I played it beginning to end before most of this worked. Side two pulls the same trick Vienna did with 3 fades, but this time with 4, and ending the album with that way. Somehow manages to not feel grandiose despite all of that. Another way to see things, less guitar, less melody, more room to breath.





     
  14. vzok

    vzok Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Another good album
     
    Putrifiers II likes this.
  15. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    The track-by-track will be interesting as, looking at the track list, I can only remember three of those songs, and of course two of those are the great singles. I might need to play it through to reacquaint myself with it.
     
  16. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    That's fine, i'm sure there will be a lot more discussion when the Deluxe boxset comes up.

    For the 'rage in eden' singles, will discuss the singles and mixes when the songs come up.

    later
    -1
     
  17. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    I have collated the votes for each track, and will be posting a chart of that.

    Since people didn't vote for the album overall. I will just take an average of all the
    main songs from the album, and leave off the b-sides.

    The b-sides are rated separately.

    Going forward, if you want to vote for the album as a whole, please do so if you
    feel like it, and I will incorporate that into the votes.

    later
    -1
     
  18. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    Ultravox Vienna:
    Song Votes
    --------------
    [​IMG]

    Song Averages:
    -----------------
    [​IMG]

    Average vote for album : 4.3
    (Calculated as average of song averages):

    Most votes : Private Lives 12
    Least votes : Sleepwalk 7

    Highest Average : Vienna 5.0
    Lowest : Mr X 4.17

    Top 3 :
    1 Vienna
    2 New Europeans
    3 (tie) Passing Strangers
    3 (tie) All Stood Still

    Up next : B-sides.

    later
    -1
     
  19. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Nice!
     
    negative1 likes this.
  20. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    Ultravox Vienna B-sides:

    Votes:
    [​IMG]
    Averages:

    [​IMG]

    Most Votes : Waiting 7
    Least Votes : Keep Talking 3

    Highest Average : Kings Lead Hat (Live) 4.20
    Lowest Average : Keep Talking 1.83

    Overall B-Side Average : 3.52

    -----------------------------------------
    As another note, some other groups and songs from 1980 era, which I also like:
    [​IMG]
    And 1981
    [​IMG]

    later
    -1
    -----------
     
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  21. Galactus2

    Galactus2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    And I will respectfully disagree with your assessment of RIE. For me, it's a natural extension of Vienna, and in some ways, those two albums represent their artistic peak. After Vienna and Rage, what follows is a bit too slick, too commercial, slightly over-produced and a bit watered down overall.

    I look forward to the discussion of the individual songs, as I didn't find it neither hard to get into, nor any less digestible than Vienna.
     
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  22. willy

    willy hooga hagga hooga

    For me, Rage In Eden is their meisterwerk, the pinnacle.
     
    Yufri, BrettyD, NorthNY Mark and 2 others like this.
  23. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    I might have wrote that slightly stilted - I suppose I meant to say, it is a step from Vienna, but it's very obviously more confident in comparison as a whole

    The part where I said it was "difficult" is in comparison to Vienna, Quartet and Lament - that kind of makes sense if the progression from Systems - Vienna was also arguably a leap in ambition.
     
  24. negative1

    negative1 80s retro fan

    Location:
    USA
    I agree with you, it's one of my least favorite albums from them, and although
    it has a coherent sound and theme across it. I don't listen to it very often.
    I do like the singles and a few songs on it.

    I did have the disadvantage of listening it much later than it was released. Since
    I started with lament, and went backwards. I though Vienna was a much stronger
    album.

    later
    -1
     
  25. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far. Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Okay, one more time.

    I'm not framing it as bad - less accessible. We'll get into it soon.
     
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