Thanks for reading and taking time to comment, Steve. I do like the debut album best of the three, but there's certainly nothing lacking on the other two. Ha!-Ha!-Ha! is notably ferocious, both more electronic and more punk, which is a bit novel. I feel like 'Systems of Romance' could have gotten them to a better place with a wider audience, but on the other hand it is just as possible that it took someone new coming in (Ure) to kind of focus in on this idea of classicism with a drum machine and synths to break through.
I really like the Vienna album and some of the others that followed. I had a friend who bought their 12 inch singles as they were released and played them for me loud on his nice stereo system, and they sounded so good.
Excellent piece, Marshall. I came to Ultravox (no exclamation) first, as I imagine many did, when Midge Ure joined. It took me a bit to appreciate the early John Foxx stuff, mainly due to his vocals, which were not lush like Midge's. I did really like the music, though, and wished Foxx could sing like Ferry.
It was great to get the deep dive song-by-song treatment here. I had been meaning to give their first 3 albums (though it sounds like you like the debut best) more attention. I have the perspective to appreciate Foxx for what he brought to them at the time now.
It might have been MTV where I discovered them. Probably "Reap the Wild Wind" but it was the Vienna album that made me a huge fan.
Thanks for reading and taking time to comment, Steve. I do like the debut album best of the three, but there's certainly nothing lacking on the other two. Ha!-Ha!-Ha! is notably ferocious, both more electronic and more punk, which is a bit novel. I feel like 'Systems of Romance' could have gotten them to a better place with a wider audience, but on the other hand it is just as possible that it took someone new coming in (Ure) to kind of focus in on this idea of classicism with a drum machine and synths to break through.
I really like the Vienna album and some of the others that followed. I had a friend who bought their 12 inch singles as they were released and played them for me loud on his nice stereo system, and they sounded so good.
Excellent piece, Marshall. I came to Ultravox (no exclamation) first, as I imagine many did, when Midge Ure joined. It took me a bit to appreciate the early John Foxx stuff, mainly due to his vocals, which were not lush like Midge's. I did really like the music, though, and wished Foxx could sing like Ferry.
It was great to get the deep dive song-by-song treatment here. I had been meaning to give their first 3 albums (though it sounds like you like the debut best) more attention. I have the perspective to appreciate Foxx for what he brought to them at the time now.
It might have been MTV where I discovered them. Probably "Reap the Wild Wind" but it was the Vienna album that made me a huge fan.