VISAGE - FADE TO GREY THE BEST OF VISAGE

Visage is a band I'm guessing won't ring a lot of bells with American audiences although some of you might be familiar with band members who went on to have success in other groups.  Visage was a synth band formed at the start of the New Romantic movement.  The original members were Steve Strange, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure.  Of the three, the most famous is probably Midge Ure who went on to have huge success with Ultravox.  The band struggled to put music together after their initial release.  Largely due to the fact the band members were all tied up with other groups.  Visage became a side project for them.  Still, its impact on the New Wave scene can't be denied or undervalued.  They had a huge impact on shaping the sound that would dominate British music exports for the next 20 years.

But enough about the band, let's discuss the music.  The first track on the disc is probably the band's biggest hit and the one you'd know if you know anything about them.  'Fade To Grey' starts off the album and it's a remarkable tune.  I like it a lot, but I have noticed, the tempo leaves a lot to be desired.  The song appears again as the final track on the disc in a remixed form and I must say, the tempo seems to pick up a little.  The remix version is much more satisfying and worth owning.  The second song on the disc is 'Mind Of A Toy' and it's about what a toy might feel when a child outgrows it.  It's a metaphor of course for someone in a relationship where one party has outgrown the other.  On subject matter alone, I give the song the highest possible ranking.  The next track is 'Visage'...  Obviously the song the band gets its name from.  Steve Strange is the lead singer on most of the songs, with Ure singing background vocals.  Their voices blend well together, but Ure possesses the stronger voice and more vocal control.  This song is a great example of this.  Strange delivers the verses with Ure singing the chorus.  

'We Move' is next and it's listed as a remix.  It's pretty good and has some percussion playing alongside the drum track.  'Tar' is almost like an Andy Warhol painting.  It's like a work of art commenting on a social behavior rather than a traditional pop song.  'In The Year 2525' is a cover but I'm not sure who recorded the original version.  It's a rather boring track.  I think it was left off the albums and only surfaced on this release.  The next track, 'The Anvil' is probably my favorite of the entire bunch.  Titled after a gay club in New York City, the song features a punching drum track that sounds slightly industrial.  I think this song, coupled with the German industrial bands like Einsturzende Neubautin inspired bands like Depeche Mode who gained notoriety through sound engineering.  It certainly is a precursor to later industrial bands who combined these heavier sounds with lighter synth melodies.

The tracks from the second album are different from the material on the first record.  The music is obviously more fleshed out, engineered professionally and polished.  There are other elements appearing on these tracks like additional background vocalists and traditional instruments like horns and bass guitars putting in an appearance.  I'm not as impressed with this material, but it's alright.  Of the last four, two are from the second album and two are from the first.  'Night Train' is from the second and it's more heavily produced.    It's OK, but not a song I'll listen to on a regular basis.  'Pleasure Boys' is from the first but I can almost say the exact same thing as 'Night Train'.  There's not a lot happening here I find exciting.  'Damned Don't Cry' is far more interesting.  It starts off with a keyboard motif setting the tempo and rhythm.  When the beat finally kicks in, even though it's on a simple four count, it can't stop the momentum established by the keyboards.  This is an excellent tune from the 2nd album.  The last song before the 'Fade To Grey' remix is 'Love Glove'.  The first time I heard this tune I thought I was listening to something by the Psychedelic Furs or Thompson Twins.  It's not a bad tune, but not a memorable one either.

Visage never had a chance to be more than a collection of songs that would establish a direction subsequent bands would emulate for the remainder of the 80's.  It seems like everyone picked a song they liked and developed a sound based on that one tune.  You can hear the whole of British New Wave on this disc and it's fascinating to hear a sound develop.  I was too young when the album came out to know about it and I didn't even know they existed until much later.  It was during a period of time when I was researching Midge Ure that I discovered this relatively obscure band and I'm glad I did.  Although I don't get freaked out by all of their music, the songs I do like, I abso-freaking-lutely LOVE.

My final words:  A FORGOTTEN BIT OF HISTORY MORE OF US SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH.  

VISAGE - FADE TO GREY THE BEST OF VISAGE
01. Fade To Grey
02. Mind Of A Toy
03. Visage
04. We Move (Remix)
05. Tar
06. In The Year 2525
07. The Anvil
08. Night Train
09. Pleasure Boys
10. Damned Don't Cry
11. Love Glove
12. Fade To Grey (Bassheads 7" Edit)

ULTRAVOX - LAMENT

Ultravox was probably more popular in Europe than in the United States. I was really into the New Romantic scene or New Wave, and I was following everything coming out under that category. Of course, not everything was good and some stuff was better than others. In the case of Ultravox, my first exposure to them was through a guy at a record store recommending them to me. He told me the best thing about Ultravox was years from now after music styles had changed, their material would still be classic. I didn't think much about that comment. It came back to me as I listened to this disc and I realized how right he was.

Ultravox had a turbulent history. The band I actually like isn't the original group. Rather, my fascination with them begins after Midge Ure joined the band. He knew one of the members through collaboration on the Visage project and was a fan of the original Ultravox. This chance meeting paved the way for the Ultravox I grew to love.

One of the things that really strikes you when you listen to this record is the strength of the material you're hearing. Each and every one of these tracks could have been released as a single. Musically, they have aggressive, powerful builds and each one is uniquely different from the next. From the outset, 'White China' grabs you and pulls you in. I've always thought this song was about Hong Kong eventually returning to communist rule. But when it was written, that transition was still years away. I don't know how else to interpret it. Metaphorically, it's about losing individualism and free choice. 'One Small Day' on the other hand is about developing an appreciation for life and seeing yourself the way others do. A very inspirational tune. 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' has an almost apocalyptic feel to it. It seems suicidal to a certain degree. Of the songs thus far, this is the least interesting musically, but I do enjoy the authentic piano playing to the fore. It's always been an interesting staple for a new wave group to include acoustic instruments amongst the electronic.

'Lament' is a singular tune. When it first starts, you're reminded of that Phil Collins song, 'In The Air Tonight' except this was written first. Once again, that luscious piano moves to the front to play the chorus melody. I feel a sense of longing and dissatisfaction when I hear this song. It makes me think of how disappointing a failed love can be. 'Man Of Two Worlds' actually sounds like a forerunner to something Rammstein would do. I can actually hear Rammstein covering this tune. There's definitely a sense of division here. The chorus plays in abrupt juxtaposition to the verses. 'Heart Of The Country' starts with an interesting drum pattern and progresses in a march of sorts. Appropriate for a song about being manipulated and deceived by political propaganda. 'When The Time Comes' is one of my favorite tracks. It's anticipating a broken heart. You remain in a situation even though you know it's bad for you. Because you know, "when the time comes (you'll) cry." What a brilliant take on love and loss. 'A Friend I Call Desire' has the bass section of a punk song. Vocally, there's a distance in Ure's delivery that creates a sense of separation. He distances himself from his feelings. Even though he innately understands they're a part of him.

Obviously, I really like this disc. I like Midge Ure and I like Ultravox. But if you don't believe me, give this disc a fair shake and tell me what you think. Can you hear what I hear in these wonderful tunes? My final word: ENDURING.

ULTRAVOX - LAMENT
01. White China
02. One Small Day
03. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
04. Lament
05. Man Of Two Worlds
06. Heart Of The Country
07. When The Time Comes
08. A Friend I Call Desire