Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ultravox
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1981
Duration: 45:00
Rating: 5/5
New wave legends Ultravox got an incredible artistic rebirth and a commercial breakthrough out of the cult album “Vienna” (1980), which shot them into the stratosphere of the most exciting and creative bands of the eighties. For a feat like that, they mostly have the Scottish singer, guitarist and keyboardist Midge Ure to thank. His contribution managed to revitalize a band that was practically retired, one that in its classic lineup also included keyboardist/violinist Billy Currie, bassist Chris Cross and drummer Warren Cann.
The unexpected success triggered by the title hit single from “Vienna” was not only matched but surpassed on their fifth studio effort “Rage in Eden”, which took it a step further in terms of songwriting and arrangement and produced a timeless masterpiece that is, in many respects, even the best achievement of their career. The whole album is soaked in a nostalgic, at times downright dark new romantic atmosphere, and the production, outstanding for its time, still impresses today, managing to tailor an unusually rich sound. Although Ultravox were most often linked to synth-pop because of their synthesizer minimalism, they were far more than that, and their creativity outshone plenty of (self-declared) progressive rock bands of the day, which is kind of ironic for a band that took its first steps as a post-punk outfit.
Ultravox always had an innate feel for melodramatic refinement and experimentation, and it shows nicely right on the opening evergreen, the hit single “The Voice”. Besides a majestic, epic chorus and plenty of pomp, it’s marked by lavish synthesizer arrangements. Ure’s vocals are full of inconsolable pathos from start to finish, and the whole thing is topped off with an ‘ultrasonic’ synth solo that adds even more spice to the epic nature of this art rock-leaning classic. Unlike most of their new wave contemporaries, Ultravox, who came out of post-punk, were never overly hung up on electronic minimalism and valued symphonic subtlety just as much. It’s also worth mentioning that “The Voice” set important stylistic guidelines for quite a few neo-prog rock bands of the time.
“We Stand Alone”, also shot through with minimalist finesse, is marked by an all-pervading melancholy, a pompous rhythmic interplay and subtle layering of synthesizer textures. Ure’s outstanding vocal talent improves it all further, as the man completely immerses himself in the dystopian message of this wonderful composition. The title classic boasts a harrowingly dark atmosphere, built from an inventive combination of dissonant vocal harmonies, electronic percussion and synthesizer minimalism. No less dark and dystopian, “I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)” is soaked in electronic synth patterns, decisive guitar phrases and Ure’s melodramatic vocal expression. Here too they once again let loose with dramatic shifts into sprawling instrumental sections, a total triumph of the art rock spirit in the heart of the eighties.
“The Thin Wall” was the album’s next hit single, marked by original vocal acrobatics, subtle electronic minimalism, a quickened tempo and an epic-dystopian atmosphere with plenty of solo flourishes that still surprise picky music gourmets today. The seven-plus-minute “Stranger Within” is an unusually complex piece with richly branching instrumental sections and a nearly spine-chilling sense of confinement in the middle of a robotized, uniformed society, which easily ‘sucks the listener in’ thanks to its mighty synthesizer textures. Next come three compositions that were originally conceived as an epic suite but were chopped into three parts anyway, so the critics of the day wouldn’t start comparing them to Genesis. The fast-paced “Accent on Youth” is marked by a playful-obscure atmosphere, while Ure’s rebellious vocals, teamed up with a dynamic synth backdrop, successfully deliver the melodrama. Suddenly, unexpectedly, it spills over into the short instrumental “The Ascent”, marked by an electronic rhythmic pulse and lavish symphonic curtains. Together with the violin, the latter create an epic mood. The closing requiem “Your Name Has Slipped My Name Again” is a first-rate demonstration of minimalism, with a subdued, almost spoken vocal turn, muffled percussion hits and crystal-fragile piano flourishes.
The new wave masterpiece “Rage in Eden” is, in every respect, a timeless showcase of outstanding artistic creativity, the kind that defined Ultravox at the peak of their creative powers. These masters of their musical craft managed to create a brilliant studio document that, with its obscure, dark ambient nature, successfully breaks through the bars of the chilling dystopia of a seemingly created paradise.
Line-up
Midge Ure – vocals, guitar, synthesizer
Billy Currie – synthesizer, piano, violin, viola
Chris Cross – bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
Warren Cann – drums, electronic percussion, backing vocals
Production
Conny Plank, Ultravox
Track list
1. The Voice
2. We Stand Alone
3. Rage in Eden
4. I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)
5. The Thin Wall
6. Stranger Within
7. Accent on Youth
8. The Ascent
9. Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)
