U-Vox
Occupation
- Vocals / Guitar / Keyboard: Midge Ure
- Bass / Keyboard / Vocals: Chris Cross
- Drums: Mark Brzezicki
- Keyboard / Violin: Billy Currie
U- Vox is the eighth studio album by British band Ultravox. The album was released in October 1986 on Chrysalis Records and is the genre New Wave attributed. It also marks the first production without the previous drummer Warren Cann and the last collaboration of the remaining three band members for a period of 23 years. Mid -1990s reactivated keyboardist Billy Currie the band name for two more albums with changing musicians. In 2009, the original cast together for the comeback tour Return to Eden and published three years later, the eleventh studio album Brilliant.
In 2000, a rare remastered edition was published as part of the EMI Gold series with five bonus tracks. On 4 September 2009 came out as a double album Remastered Definitive Edition. In addition to a re -mastered version of the original album on the first CD, it contains a second CD with some B- sides of single releases, live recordings and previously unreleased songs.
Genesis
After the set Movements World Tour for the promotion of the previous album Lament the band dating a six-month break, which was bridged by Chrysalis Records with the release of the United Kingdom awarded three platinum records compilation album The Collection and the single Love's Great Adventure.
Singer and guitarist Midge Ure devoted firstly to other projects. In November 1984, he co-wrote with Bob Geldof the hit single Do They Know It 's Christmas? in the first half of 1985 busy for Band Aid, and was preparing for the charity concert Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, which also Ultravox occurred. Later in the year the production of his first solo album The Gift with the subsequent world tour of the same name left no room for further activities. Keyboardist and violinist Billy Currie and bassist Chris Cross taught a home studio. During the absence of their front man, the two band members and drummer Warren Cann began in curries Hot Food Studio in January 1986 to work on the new album.
After Ures return latent tensions within the band came out into the open. Different views about the musical direction resulted in Ures attempt to embark on a path back to the roots of songwriting and the associated type of instrumentation, who had their first joint album Vienna helped to success. Cann had, however, his interest is increasingly focused on the possibilities of artificial sound generation. During rehearsals he used a as Iron Lung (German iron lung) designated electronic console, consisting of drum machines, mixers, triggers and sequencers. The technology-driven shift away from the ( analog ) drums made Ures opinion ultimately the trigger for the separation of Cann. Looking back, Ure kicking the founding member just as the culmination of a development, which the person was a " scapegoat " is no longer anyway to stop and at the Cann only. The heterogeneous and his opinion little inspirational compilation of songs - exception was the Ure -written and arranged All Fall Down - cast doubt him given his successful solo projects at the future prospects of the band.
Conny Plank, who died about a year after the release of U- Vox was the first time committed by Rage in Eden as co-producer. The recordings for the album took place in curries and Ures London studios as well as in Planks Studio near Cologne. In All Fall Down also worked with the Irish musical group The Chieftains, whose contribution was recorded in Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios. With the blend began first in the branch office of the AIR Studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. However Plank was not satisfied with the automation settings of the local mixing console manufacturer Solid State Logic. The mix was then completed in London with participation of Ures house engineer Rik Walton and the engineer John Hudson in the Mayfair Studios. Mark Brzezicki by the Scottish rock band Big Country replaced Cann on drums. With its military -colored style of play he helped the compositions, although more vitality, simultaneously lost Ultravox but an important part of the distinctive sounds.
Before the samples for subsequent world tour gave both Ure and bassist Chris Cross of Ultravox their planned departure after completion of the concert tour known internally. Although musicians and management never officially spoke of resolution, the band members proposed in 1987 a separate ways. After a few solo albums Currie took the band's name in the 1990s for two more productions with moderate success.
Cover design
The company of the British graphic designer Michael Nash was responsible for the artistic design of album and single covers. With the exception of the third single from the leitmotif consists of the lettering U- Vox in which the letters have been similarly designed a bar code in the form of parallel strips. For the album cover, a striking red as the background color and font silver was used, while the later CD editions have a lighter shade ( white text on a pink background). Color variations came in the singles Same Old Story (orange and black letters on a blue background) All Fall Down (yellow and black letters on a green background ) are used. On the cover of the single All in One Day, however, more than 500 faces of famous personalities are depicted.
Originally surrounded the album cover of cardboard an additional plastic bag, which had also been provided with horizontal stripes. Superposition Placed took the writing on the background color, so the album title only came to light after it was the outer shell removed. However, during the packaging process, one of the shells was systematically rotated by 90 degrees; the album came as a result, with checkered pattern as lettering in the sale.
Instrumentation
In addition to the well-known from previous albums combination of rock and synth sounds Ultravox trod through the use of real brass instruments and bonds of folk and classical music in new directions. The second single All Fall Down and the accompanying music video was created in collaboration with the folk band The Chieftains. The last song on the album All in One Day was designed as an arranger and conductor of the producer George Martin and recorded with orchestral accompaniment.
In Same Old Story Beggar & Co horn appeared as Brass in appearance. Among the guest musicians in The Prize were Gary Barnacle, John Thirkell, Pete Thoms and Derek Watkins. The Barnacle saxophonist and trumpeter and flugelhorn player Thirkell had worked in her career, among other things for Level 42. Barnacle was also involved in the third and final album Visage Beat Boy, the Trombonist Thoms at the 1989 released album Read My Lips by Jimmy Somerville. Watkins was especially known in Germany as a member of the orchestra at James Last.
Carol Kenyon contributed backing vocals for Same Old Story and The Prize. The bassist Kevin Powell gave support in Sweet Surrender.
Title list
The Definitive Remastered Edition contains on the second CD:
Publications and chart success
The album debuted in the UK at number nine in the charts and stayed a total of six weeks in the standings. In Germany it reached rank 49, the worst maximum placement of all represented in the charts the band's albums, while in Switzerland a chart position an album ( 29 ) was recorded for the first time. Other charts in Sweden ( 16 ) and New Zealand ( 49 ) were added.
A total of three singles were released from the album:. Same Old Story on September 26, 1986 ( before the album's release ), All Fall Down on November 19, 1986 All in One Day on June 8, 1987 The first two singles, also the music videos have been produced, recorded only in Poland digit chart ranks and were not in the UK over medium placements also. The most successful position with 30 single All Fall Down survey was part of the then popular series politically colored songs that thematized the arms race in the final stages of the Cold War.
Tour
Shortly after the release of the album began in late October 1986, the U- Vox tour in Poland. After concerts in the UK and Italy followed from late November to mid-December, two stations in Austria and nine appearances in Germany. About Scandinavia and France led the world tour in the early months of the following year finally to Japan, Australasia and North America.
During the concert series Pat Ahern sat - from 1989 to 1993 also at Big Country - instead of Mark Brzezicki on drums. In addition, the band has received support from the Swedish guitarist Max Abbey, keyboardist and violinist Craig Armstrong and Colin King of the Messengers for the background vocals. Ure had Abbey met in his role as a music producer for the band road. Armstrong had in 1985 accompanied the tour Ure to The Gift.
Reception
Alex Ogg of Allmusic rated the album 2 out of 5 points. In contrast to detailed reviews of earlier works by Dave Thompson Ogg limited to designate the synthesizer - dominated musical style as outdated. Ingenuity, he confirms that only the single All Fall Down, while the other two extractions are criticized as " superficial echo " of earlier publications.
In fandom the album, referring to the cover also pejoratively ( Dreaded ) Pink Thing ( dt ( dreaded ) pink thing ) is called. Following the departure of Warren Cann, the sound helped to shape crucial for many musical trailer, the album does not bear the character of a typical Ultravox production in itself.
Midge Ure and Billy Currie himself described the musical legacy in the form of the last studio album not as successful in the 1980s in interviews from the years 2009 and 2010. The Critical Review is one of the reasons for their recording another studio album after the comeback of the band.