Disco de Ultravox: “Island Years”

My introduction to Ultravox was with the album Vienna which I thought was great! Heavy synth with heavy guitar. I bought a few more Midge Ure fronted Ultravox albums after that but then one day at the record shop, I saw an Ultravox! album fronted by John Foxx called "Three Into One". I bought it.

WHOA! This stuff blew all those other albums away in a heartbeat. It collected songs from the groups first three albums fronted by Foxx. I never viewed the Midge Ure fronted Ultravox in such high regard again although I still like them.

This collection contains all the great songs from "Three Into One" but throws in a few more songs from the first album and 3 songs I've never heard before. This incarnation of Ultravox! is hard to classify musically but that's a good thing. My favorite song, "I Want To Be A Machine" sounds like a fusion of David Bowie and Nick Cave while other songs have a reggae/punk/techno sound.

I've been searching for their second album "Ha Ha Ha" for years now without any success. Maybe I'll find it soon. Wish me luck.

This incarnation of Ultravox never enjoyed commercial success to the extant their Midge Ure lineup achieved. This was largely due to John Foxx who wanted to experiment - as opposed to Ure who wanted to be a pop star.

The only way to hear the first three albums (Foxx left before the fourth) is to buy each of them individually. However, if you're not up to that then this one will do nicely.

It's a little raw and of it's time - and since I'm a huge fan of the original records I can certainly find some tracks that were missed for some reason (Where's Dislocation?) but that's not to say this CD doesn't have it's great moments. A big bonus is the inclusion of Young Savage which never made it onto any of the first three albums. It was a standalone single and might very well be the best track here.

But, every track here is worthy - but to name a few standouts - I want to be a machine (a great track along the lines of Bowie's Space oddity stylewise) and Slipaway as just brilliant from the first album. Hiroshima Mon Amour and Rock Wrok are a couple of gems from "ha ha ha" and Slow Motion and Just for a moment are wonderful from Systems of Romance.

Seek out the original albums in their entirety. But if not - well this one is a nice compilation.

Finally, most of the John Foxx-era Ultravox tunes are available on one CD. The Island Years features all the great, long-unavailable early tunes.

Like the other reviewers here, I too, counted THREE INTO ONE as one of the best anthologies by the pre-Ure Ultravox. That is, until this set came along. This generous anthology serves up all the key tracks - from the Eno-produced "The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned" to "My Sex" and "Hiroshima Mon Amour", this version of Ultravox was the missing link between Roxy Music and Adam Ant, punk and new wave, glam and art-rock. Its influence on everything that came out of the U.K. in the eighties can't be measured. You certainly don't need all three Island albums; this set is absolutely all you require and you should do so without guilt or remorse. Recommended.

...pre-Ure CD's, then for GOD SAKES get this immediately!

John Foxx, the original (and as far as I'm concerned, only) vocalist completely MADE this band. Otherwise, Ultravox was just another Roxy Music clone. This stuff however...

Almost took off half a point for not including "The Artificial Life" and "Dislocation", then realized that after buying this gem, most of the smartest of ya will get all three complete albums and void my point.

All right, there ya go.