Ultravox (John Foxx Era) - Island Years 4CD Box Set with rarities

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by vzok, Apr 15, 2016.

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  1. vzok

    vzok Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
  2. vzok

    vzok Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
  3. DesertChaos

    DesertChaos Forum Resident

    Hmm, I might be conned into getting this one, but I'll have to see what the extra stuff is, and what the price comes down to. For me anyway, the first album is so-so but Ha Ha Ha and Systems are both great. Glad I got to see them with J Foxx when they toured over here.
     
    CBC likes this.
  4. Scott Davies

    Scott Davies Forum Resident

    I'm very excited about this, though still none of the well known album outtakes are included. I guess those will never surface. But the OGWT version of Hiroshima Mon Amour is definitely my favorite version of the song:

    The Island Years is a four CD box set featuring the band's three classic albums released by Island Records in 1977 and 1978, plus a bonus disc featuring twenty non-album singles, remixes and some previously unreleased recordings from the BBC.

    The four discs are housed in a clam shell box and each have their own wallet, together with a twenty page booklet featuring a brand new essay by respected writer and music journalist David Buckley (David Bowie / Kraftwerk / Mojo).

    Disc One is a newly remastered version of the band's debut album, Ultravox! from 1977 which was produced by Brian Eno and Steve Lillywhite.

    Disc Two is a newly remastered version of the band's second album, Ha! Ha! Ha! from 1977 which was produced by Steve Lillywhite and Ultravox!.

    Disc Three is the newly remastered version of the band's seminal third album, Systems Of Romance from 1978 which was produced by legendary German producer Conny Plank (Kraftwerk / Neu! / Cluster / Killing Joke).

    Disc Four - Rare Retro - features twenty songs including four songs recorded in session for the Radio One John Peel show and two songs recorded live on the BBC television programme The Old Grey Whistle Test.

    [​IMG]

    The full track-listing is as follows...

    Disc One : Ultravox!

    01. Satday Night In The City Of The Dead
    02. Life At Rainbow's End (For All The Tax Exiles On Main Street)
    03. Slip Away
    04. I Want To Be A Machine
    05. Wide Boys
    06. Dangerous Rhythm
    07. The Lonely Hunter
    08. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned
    09. My Sex

    Disc Two : Ha! Ha! Ha!

    01. ROckWrok
    02. The Frozen Ones
    03. Fear In The Western World
    04. Distant Smile
    05. The Man Who Dies Every Day
    06. Artificial Life
    07. While I'm Still Alive
    08. Hiroshima Mon Amour

    Disc Three : Systems Of Romance

    01. Slow Motion
    02. I Can't Stay Long
    03. Someone Else's Clothes
    04. Blue Light
    05. Some Of Them
    06. Quiet Men
    07. Dislocation
    08. Maximum Acceleration
    09. When You Walk Through Me
    10. Just For A Moment

    Disc Four : Rare Retro

    01. Young Savage
    02. Slip Away (Live)
    03. The Man Who Dies Every Day (Recorded Live At Huddersfield Polytechnic)
    04. Young Savage (Recorded Live At The Marquee)
    05. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned (Recorded Live At The Rainbow)
    06. My Sex (Recorded Live At Huddersfield Polytechnic)
    07. Young Savage (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    08. The Man Who Dies Every Day (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    09. My Sex (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    10. Artificial Life (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    11. ROckWrok (Seven Inch Version)
    12. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alternate Version)
    13. Quirks
    14. Modern Love (Live)
    15. The Man Who Dies Every Day (Remix)
    16. Slow Motion (Old Grey Whistle Test Version 05/12/1978)
    17. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Old Grey Whistle Test Version 05/12/1978)
    18. Quiet Men (Seven Inch Version)
    19. Cross Fade
    20. Quiet Men (Twelve Inch Version)

    Pre-order it from Amazon : The Island Years: Amazon.co.uk: Music ».

    Label : Island Records / Caroline Records
    Catalogue Number : CAROLR037CD
    Release Date : 20 May 2016
     
  5. Funny that a set like this apparently hasn't been put together before. Hopefully they won't bollix it all up at the mastering stage.
     
  6. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    If the sound quality is there, you'll have no complaints from me. I got into John Foxx's solo stuff and I've heard Ultravox without him, but these albums are unexplored terrain for me. I've been meaning to pick them up and this set wraps up that problem pretty neatly!
     
  7. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    I didn't like the mastering on the 2006 CDs - even with a graphic equaliser it was impossible to get them to sound good. This has got to be better. (Crosses fingers behind back). I also bought the loud mastered Ha! Ha! Ha! from last year in the mini LP sleeve, just because I love it. Will probably end up getting this too.
     
  8. richard a

    richard a Forum Resident

    Location:
    borley, essex, uk
    This looks good - hopefully what I've been waiting for, as I've only got old vinyl of these, and never got around to upgrading with cds - aren't most of the tracks on disc four already on the expanded CD versions of the three albums?
    Could someone please let me know which tracks are previously unreleased?
     
  9. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    Don't quote me, but I think it's just the BBC sessions.
     
  10. richard a

    richard a Forum Resident

    Location:
    borley, essex, uk
    Yeah, that's what I thought too.

    Oh, bugger. I've quoted you... :D
     
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  11. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    The recent set of Foxx's solo albums had pretty decent sound, though I have no idea at all of the mastering lineage, so they may have already been sitting around and just got a (competent) repackaging job.
     
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  12. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    I agree - the Foxx cds have a good sound, but there was something wrong with the 06 Ultravox remasters imo, I ended up ripping my vinyl of Ha!x3.
     
  13. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Fingers crossed that this set is being handled by the same folks responsible for Foxx's solo work then. If so, we're in for a treat!
     
    richard a likes this.
  14. vzok

    vzok Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Credit to Rob Harris at Ultravox.org for this info

    The Island Years is a four CD box set featuring the band's three classic albums released by Island Records in 1977 and 1978, plus a bonus disc featuring twenty non-album singles, remixes and some previously unreleased recordings from the BBC.

    The four discs are housed in a clam shell box and each have their own wallet, together with a twenty page booklet featuring a brand new essay by respected writer and music journalist David Buckley (David Bowie / Kraftwerk / Mojo).

    Disc One is a newly remastered version of the band's debut album, Ultravox! from 1977 which was produced by Brian Eno andSteve Lillywhite.

    Disc Two is a newly remastered version of the band's second album, Ha! Ha! Ha! from 1977 which was produced by Steve Lillywhite and Ultravox!.

    Disc Three is the newly remastered version of the band's seminal third album, Systems Of Romance from 1978 which was produced by legendary German producer Conny Plank (Kraftwerk / Neu! / Cluster / Killing Joke).

    Disc Four - Rare Retro - features twenty songs including four songs recorded in session for the Radio One John Peel show and two songs recorded live on the BBC television programme The Old Grey Whistle Test.

    [​IMG]

    The full track-listing is as follows...

    Disc One : Ultravox!

    01. Satday Night In The City Of The Dead
    02. Life At Rainbow's End (For All The Tax Exiles On Main Street)
    03. Slip Away
    04. I Want To Be A Machine
    05. Wide Boys
    06. Dangerous Rhythm
    07. The Lonely Hunter
    08. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned
    09. My Sex

    Disc Two : Ha! Ha! Ha!

    01. ROckWrok
    02. The Frozen Ones
    03. Fear In The Western World
    04. Distant Smile
    05. The Man Who Dies Every Day
    06. Artificial Life
    07. While I'm Still Alive
    08. Hiroshima Mon Amour

    Disc Three : Systems Of Romance

    01. Slow Motion
    02. I Can't Stay Long
    03. Someone Else's Clothes
    04. Blue Light
    05. Some Of Them
    06. Quiet Men
    07. Dislocation
    08. Maximum Acceleration
    09. When You Walk Through Me
    10. Just For A Moment

    Disc Four : Rare Retro

    01. Young Savage
    02. Slip Away (Live)
    03. The Man Who Dies Every Day (Recorded Live At Huddersfield Polytechnic)
    04. Young Savage (Recorded Live At The Marquee)
    05. The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned (Recorded Live At The Rainbow)
    06. My Sex (Recorded Live At Huddersfield Polytechnic)
    07. Young Savage (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    08. The Man Who Dies Every Day (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    09. My Sex (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    10. Artificial Life (John Peel Session Version 28/11/1977)
    11. ROckWrok (Seven Inch Version)
    12. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alternate Version)
    13. Quirks
    14. Modern Love (Live)
    15. The Man Who Dies Every Day (Remix)
    16. Slow Motion (Old Grey Whistle Test Version 05/12/1978)
    17. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Old Grey Whistle Test Version 05/12/1978)
    18. Quiet Men (Seven Inch Version)
    19. Cross Fade
    20. Quiet Men (Twelve Inch Version)

    Pre-order it from Amazon : The Island Years: Amazon.co.uk: Music ».

    Label : Island Records / Caroline Records
    Catalogue Number : CAROLR037CD
    Release Date : 20 May 2016
     
  15. Numanx

    Numanx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Hmmm...
    So basically, what you get if you have the 2006 remasters is the Peel Session & the Whistle Test tracks.
    Oh, and two 7" versions.

    Surely they could have made this one a bit more tempting.
     
  16. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

  17. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    It will be tempting if it sounds like the original vinyl and is low priced but I am wary.
     
    Numanx likes this.
  18. BigManRestless

    BigManRestless Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Yes I'm very underwhelmed - 98% of this is available already. I'm more than happy with the 2006 versions. Had they put in the first album outtakes, the OGWT footage on DVD, plus other Foxx era video then I'd be in, irrespective of the CD content. A wasted opportunity in my eyes.
     
    Numanx likes this.
  19. Numanx

    Numanx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Ahh, yes, if it is a new remaster, then maybe.
     
  20. Riccardo2

    Riccardo2 Forum Resident

    I have some reggae remasters (Jimmy Cliff, Toots, The Heptones) from Caroline/Island from last year. They all are mastered very well and sound great.
     
  21. Lucidae

    Lucidae AAD

    Location:
    Australia
    I wasn't happy with the previous remaster so I'm hoping this will be an improvement.
     
    oldturkey likes this.
  22. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    Do outtakes exist?
    I agree that any artist releasing a boxset of old recordings should make every effort to include previously unavailable stuff and round up everything else from the period if they want fans to buy the same lps over again. It just makes sense to me, that's why I don't understand Bowie's 5Years format.
     
  23. BigManRestless

    BigManRestless Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Yes there are at least two from Ultravox! - 'City Doesn't Care' and 'Car Crash Flashback'. Don't know about any from Ha! Ha! Ha! or Systems of Romance. But in 1979 (post-Island) the band were playing some songs live that John Foxx later recorded on Metamatic so they may exist as demos, but out of scope of this box.

    Interview with Warren Cann
     
    iainbaker likes this.
  24. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    Then I agree that it's yet another screw up.
     
  25. oldturkey

    oldturkey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gone away.
    What do you think of this? - I just pre-ordered it on Amazon because the DVD looks good. Does it look like a good comp ? (I don't have much JF after The Golden Section, just Omnidelic Exotour, Exponentialism and Rhapsody).

    I think £24 for the Ultravox! box is too expensive when I've already got the three albums two or three times. If it's not a big improvement over the 2006 cds I'll pass on it and play my vinyl rips in the car.
     
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