Ultravox Album: “Vienna”

Purists may disagree, especially if they started out with the Foxx Ultravox, which I also like but less so.

Vienna convinced this Hard & Prog Rock listener to appreciate New Wave, due to its stylistic depth and non-mainstream pop approach. Conny Plank has a golden touch on whatever he produces, and this is no exception.

With Conny's guidance, they break from their punk-ish, rawer side to a more refined and modern sound. It is probably one of the most underrated New Wave albums that helped defined the genre.

In this album Ultravox are fringe-pop while remaining artistically unique. It lacks (with the exception of the title track) their trademark overly melodramatic tendencies, which came out more on later albums. I like Ultravox in spite of what some fans appreciate Ethat syrupy, over-dramatic quality, and what I think prevented them from becoming bigger than they were, which was a shame because I felt they were underrated and under-played on the radio.

The original album's song order gave it a certain character, an almost Prog-rock concept feel to it. The album is supposed to lead with the easily-accessible "Sleepwalk", which opens perfectly with that anticipatory drum hit and synth phasing), an almost Prog-rock concept feel to it, with the two hits, "Sleepwalk" and "All Stood Still" at the start and end of the album.

Leading off with "Astradyne" is strange. A great instrumental break from the rest of an otherwise vocal-driven album, it worked better in the original set at track 5, and led nicely into Mr. X. If they only did more instrumentals. Astradyne showcases a side of Ultravox which we never got enough of.

This will be the fifth time I've bought Vienna; vinyl and cassette way back in the Summer of 1980 (yes, I am that old), the original CD release in the 90's, the recent(ish) expanded version and now this, the "Remastered Definitive Edition".

Well, there's not a lot to say about Disc One apart from: it's the best post-Foxx album by miles. Not only do you get the classic (and that term really is apt here) single "Vienna", you get a couple of `should have beens' in "Sleepwalk" and "Passing Strangers" and one `why choose this as a single?' in "All Stood Still" . The album starts off in fine fettle with the absolutely fantastic instrumental "Astradyne", an immense seven-minute synth extravaganza. Apart from the throwaway "Mr X" there really isn't a bad track on here, with "New Europeans" being a particular highlight. So, if you've never heard this album before you'll in for a real treat.

If, like me, you bought this CD purely for the bonus disc then, as I was, you maybe a tad disappointed. Why? Well, we've been here before haven't we? The b-sides have already appeared on the excellent but long-deleted "Rare" CDs AND on the previous expanded incarnation of this album. In fact, the only unreleased material you get is a couple of rehearsal recordings of "Sleepwalk and "All Stood Still". Historically interesting perhaps, but hardly essential and certainly not worth the price of buying this CD.

Another disappointment is the booklet; some nice photos maybe, but extremely thin with no insight or comment from any of the band. Compared to other remastered releases (particularly the excellent Thompson Twins releases on Edsel) this is a real let-down. OK, so if material doesn't exist in the archives then you can't add it to anything, but this smacks of a cash-in, rather than being a truly essential release. It's nice to have the b-sides on one CD, but still...

Now, before you have a pop, I'm certainly NOT having a go at the music, Ultravox were truly magnificent on this album, it's just that the overall package smacks of bandwagoning, which is a real shame - Ultravox deserve better.

I spent my most formative years listening to Ultravox, and the vinyl album Vienna has been my most listened to memory of those days. (Although I now have the enhanced CD).

In an area where everyone else was into Pub bands (country Australia) I was deeply concentrating on the cutting edge synthesis of Ultravox with their new line up featuring Midge Ure.

Vienna was just so different to everything available back then, and while other reviewers critique the production of the Vienna album, and pretty much slam it, I on the other hand (as a mere mortal consumer) would not change anything of the album. At the time, it fitted in with the early 80s, and effectivly is part of the 80s experience.

What can I say, I have every CD produced by Ultravox and Midge Ure since.

My wife and I danced to Midge Ure's "BREATHE" as our wedding song, and I would'nt have changed the memory for anything.(Dancing to an Ultravox song would involve some very heavy drugs indeed!)

Ure has produced a song recently called "You Move Me" a song about the experience of good music, and the best recommendation I can give to the reader, is that almost everything by Ultravox (and especially Ure) has done so. I dont think you can say that of too many bands.

Thanks for the memories Ultravox.

What a fantastic album! People who are only familiar with the title track are only skimming the surface of Midge Ure's impressive songwriting skills. The production is superb, with some meaty, pounding drums adding real power to the dark synth lines and heavy guitar parts on offer here. Whilst most early 80's bands have a somewhat weak, tinny sound, this album really packs a punch. 'Passing Strangers' is a haunting almost evil sounding minor chord rocker, in fact most of the songs within possess a dark glamour severly lacking in modern music.

With the parting of Ultravox's! lead man and guitarist, enter Midge Ure. With Midge at the helm a new Ultravox was born...

This album is difinitive Ultravox, version 2.0. This is so different than the first incarnation with John Foxx and Steve Shears. On this album you hear an awesome marriage of warbling/screaching synthesizers, operatic-styled pop vocals, crunchy punk/pop guitar and a driving rhythm section backing it up. Ever since I heard Reap the Wild Wind (from the album Quartet) I fell in love with their sound, only to find that the previous version had their merits, too.

Vienna isn't your typical album. The song selection is varied, yet refined. It's like looking at a restaurants new seasonal menu, hesitantly ordering a new dish, and finding the recipie and execution of it to be divine. THAT'S HOW THIS IS AND WAS! Even for it's time it didn't reflect anything churning out of the new wave mechanoid, as well as never being reproduced in its simple complexity currently. It alone stands as a testament to what imaginative and ingenious arts came about in the 80's.

I love every song on this CD, but my favorite of all time will be the track 'Western Promise'. Its lyrics and musical intensity always moves me to want to slamdance and then sway to its mismatch of music styles.

To sum it up: WOW! Get a copy. This is music history, although very overlooked by us Yanks in the USA.