Rage in Eden [Import]
Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Part of the EMI Gold series. Reissue of the Midge Ure fronted new wave act's 1981 album. Nine tracks including the hits, 'The Thin Wall', 'The Voice' and an extended version of 'I Never Wanted To Begin'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Rage in Eden, Music, Ultravox, Pop, Rock, Rock/Pop
Average customer rating:
- A great haunt
- Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox
- **** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****
- Oh I Remember....
- SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA
|
Rage in Eden
Ultravox
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
 General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
New Wave
| New Wave & Post-Punk
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Dance Pop
| Compilations
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Vienna
- Quartet
- Lament
- Ultravox!
- Systems of Romance
ASIN: B000024S8U
Release Date: 2000-03-21 |
Tracks:
- The Voice
- We Stand Alone
- Rage In Eden
- I Remember (Death In The Afternoon)
- The Thin Wall
- Stranger Within
- Accent On Youth
- The Ascent
- Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)
- I Never Wanted To Begin
- Paths And Angles
- I Never Wanted To Begin (Extended Version)
Album Description
Part of the EMI Gold series. Reissue of the Midge Ure fronted new wave act's 1981 album. Nine tracks including the hits, 'The Thin Wall', 'The Voice' and an extended version of 'I Never Wanted To Begin'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case.
Album Details
Reissue of their 1981 Classic with B-side Bonus Tracks. Produced by Conny Plank.
Customer Reviews:
A great haunt.......2006-12-31
This is easily Ultravox' most haunting cd, and it contains the most underrated track by the group, Rage In Eden. Listening to this album, you are quickly whisked into an ethereal dreamscape, full of haunting, atmospheric synth and layered guitars to match. Nobody could blend synth and guitars like Ultravox. Too bad modern music lacks the same flavor. At some point somebody decided that synth was not the way to go in rock. They didn't bother asking me. Oh, well. At least we have the old stuff.
Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox.......2005-07-29
Listening now to Ultravox I have no idea why I did not listen to them during the 80's. I also wish that I could have seen them live since Midge Ures vocals are amazing and he is also a brilliant lyricist. This being the second album with Ure as the vocalist is just as good as the previous album, i.e., Vienna and contains amazing tracks such as the thin wall, the voice and proves that they are not some flash in the pan. This is a brillaint album.
**** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****.......2004-11-04
WOW ... When I heard 'Rage In Eden' in the early 80's it knocked me out!!
What a sound... new, powerful, beautiful, rich and unique.
Ultravox (and its off-shoots Visage / and the New Romantics in general) represented the essence of the word 'Euro'.
Clearly influnenced by the cold machinery of Kraftwerk and the cool boldness of Bowie, Ultravox carved out a style of their own.
Midge Ure is a master of the hook. The song constructions and melodies are of first-class attraction. He sings with the concentrated power of a Gene Pitney and deliveres a song with 'heart-felt' soul sincerity like Scott Walker.
Just as the 60's sound sculptures were The Beatles, Stones and Motown; the 70's Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and Bowie; the 80's belonged to U2, Tears for Fears and Ultravox.
I just wish Ultravox stayed around a little longer and that Americans would have embraced them more.
Oh I Remember...........2003-08-20
Just recently had the urge to pull this out of my CD collection and listen to it for the first time in a while. I agree with other reviewers who say that this is the best offering from their "quartet" of early 80s releases (in order, "Vienna", "Rage in Eden", "Quartet" and "Lament"). This CD is the strongest from beginning to end and flows seemlessly.
Back in the 80s, I discovered Ultravox with "Vienna", coming from a steady diet of overblown 70s prog rock. What attracted me to Ultravox, was the intelligence of their music. There was nothing light and fluffy about this band. The keyboard arrangements are well thought out and almost classically inspired (Billy Currie after all was classically trained), and the way they used the guitars and violins/violas really was different for the era. Another thing I liked about them was how drastically they could change their sound from song to song, but without disturbing the flow or continuity of the album.. one song will be triggered synth bass and drum machines and all keyboards, the next will be live bass, drums, guitars, piano, etc... and all kinds of different variations thereof. Regardless of the instrumentation, Ultravox had an incredible way of making highly emotionally charged music... They were masters of making machines have feelings... Alot of this had to do with Midge Ure's incredible voice and his emotional guitar playing. The piano and violin/viola helped with this alot too... Basically, against the trends that were popular in the day, Ultravox had talent and weren't afraid to use it... Now for a song by song breakdown:
The Voice: For some reason, Ultravox had a way of starting off an album with (in my opinion) one of its weakest songs (i.e. sleepwalk, the voice, reap the wild wind). This song is good, but only a glimpse of what is to come... (Live Drums, Live Bass, Lots of Keyboards, Piano)
We Stand Alone: This song haunts me constantly... I love the keyboards, and the chorus... Midge's guitars are also used very tastefully to add to the tension... (Live Drums, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
Rage In Eden: Nice title track.... mysterious, haunting, moody... I like the backwards chorus ("Oh I remember death in the afternoon" - as someone else said.. a great lead in to the next song... very clever). Again, the guitars add lots of interesting effects and tension to this one... (Drum Machines, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
I Remember (Death in the Afternoon): Excellent song... beautiful piano, powerful drums, great melodies. (Live Drums, triggered synth bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano)
The Thin Wall: Always one of my favorties from this CD. I love the pulsing synth bass, and the funky rhythm guitar, and Midge's vocals, but this song is really a showcase for Billy Currie... his multi tracked violins, keyboard solo and violin or viola solo... (Drum Machine, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Violin, Viola)
The Stranger Within: I agree with others... this is a very disturbing and paranoid song... not to be listened to in a dark house by yourself... I love the way the synth and guitar noises pop in and out to add to the eerieness... Funky Bass by Chriss Cross over very rigid machine drums. I also like how Billy Currie added real strings to the synth strings to give it a nice full texture. (Drum Machines, Real Bass, Guitar, Violin/Viola, Keyboards)
Accent on Youth: Maybe a slight step down from the last few tracks... the chorus and the lead-in to the chorus are great, but the verses don't really do alot for me. (Live and Electronic Drums,Triggered Synth Bass, Keyboards, Guitar)
The Ascent: Instrumental Coda to Accent on Youth... Nice transition from Live Drums in the previous track to the drum machine here. This is another showcase for Billy Currie's talent. (Drum Machine, Synth Bass, Violin, Viola, Keyboards)
Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again: I think this song is a perfect ending to this release... it strips away everything down to a stark backdrop for Midge Ure's haunting vocals. This song kind of reminds me of Queen a little... (Percussion, Piano, Processed Piano, Guitar)
I Never Wanted to Begin: I love this song.. this is probably my all time favorite Ultravox B-Side. Tribal Drumming (machine and real/electronic drums), Violins/Violas, Nice keyboards, cool guitar solo, and the trademark Ultravox enigmatic lyrics.
Paths and Angles: Another cool B-side.. this time with Warren Cann handling the Vocals (ala Mr X). Again.. very machine-like, but brought to life by the piano, guitar and violin/viola.
I'm not sure why they included the extended version of "I never wanted to begin", it doesn't really add much to the CD, but it's cool nonetheless.
Anyways... enough rambling for now... This is an amazing CD... I wish someone would wake up and release some live recordings from this era... I went to see them on the Quartet Tour and they were amazing live...
SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA.......2003-07-11
THIS IS (IN MY OPINION) ULTRAVOX BEST AND MOST COHESIVE ALBUM. AS THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL 'VIENNA', 'RAGE IN EDEN' HAD MUCH TO LIVE UP TO, AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO SINGLES LIFTED FROM THE ALBUM; 'THE THIN WALL' AND 'THE VOICE' NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON THE UK TOP TEN, THE ALBUM CHARTED TO NUMBER FOUR. BOASTING SOME OF THE MOST ARTY/PRETENIOUS LYRICS EVER COMMITED TO VINYL (SAMPLE: 'DISCIPLES OF THE NEW WAY, PORTRAITS IN THE SAND, SEE WHEN THEY RUN THEIR LONGEST MILE, HOLDING CAPS IN WET HANDS'), THE BOMBASTIC SYNTH-WORK, EXEMPLIFIED BY MUCH OF ULTRAVOX TYPICALLY BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRATION, EASILY OVERCAME THE OCCASIONAL LYRICAL 'EXCESSES.'
KICKING OFF WITH THE EXTENDED VERSION OF 'THE VOICE', AN ANTHEMIC OPENING BEST ILLUSTRATED BY IT'S 'NO EXPENSE SPARED' PROMOTIONAL VIDEO (IT WAS 1981 AFTER ALL), THE MOOD SHIFTS DOWN A GEAR ON THE EXCELLENT 'WE STAND ALONE', MOVING SMOOTHLY INTO THE 'RAGE IN EDEN-DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON' SUITE, A BLISSFUL FESTIVAL OF ELECTRONICA UNRIVALLED BEFORE OR SINCE. 'THE THIN WALL', HERE IN EXTENDED FORM, WAS THE LEAD-OFF SINGLE, PERHAPS A SLIGHTLY STRANGE CHOICE IN VIEW OF THE STRENGTH OF 'THE VOICE' BUT A CLASSIC NONETHELESS. 'THE STRANGER WITHIN', A THINLY VEILED PAEAN TO PARANOIA, HAS PERHAPS NOT DATED QUITE AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE ALBUM, COMING ACROSS TODAY AS BEING A LITTLE LONG & OVERBLOWN. 'ACCENT ON YOUTH', A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO THE AGONIES OF ADOLESENCE STILL SOUNDS FRESH, AS DOES THE INSTRUMENTAL 'ASCENT', BEFORE THE NOSE-DIVE INTO THE ALMOST ACOUSTIC 'YOUR NAME', A TRACK YOU EITHER LOVE OR DON'T. I'M THE LATTER I'M AFRAID, BUT I KNOW IT HAS IT'S ADMIRERS.
THE EMI GOLD ISSUE OF THE ALBUM FEATURES THREE BONUS TRACKS: 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN', THE EXCELLENT B-SIDE OF 'THE THIN WALL' (SUPERIOR TO THE A-SIDE IN MY OPINION), AND THE EQUALLY EXCELLENT 'PATHS & ANGLES', THE FLIPSIDE OF 'THE VOICE'. A FAIRLY POINTLESS, BUT HISTORICALLY INTETRESTING EXTENDED VERSION OF 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN'COMPLETES ALMOST AN HOUR OF PURE 1981 NOSTALGIA. I THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ALL ELECTRONICA BUFFS--GO FOR IT!
Average customer rating:
- A great haunt
- Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox
- **** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****
- Oh I Remember....
- SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA
|
Rage in Eden
Ultravox
Manufacturer: Disky Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
New Wave
| New Wave & Post-Punk
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Dance Pop
| Compilations
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
General
| Alternative Rock
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
New Wave
| Alternative Rock
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Alternative Rock
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Rock
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Vienna
- Quartet
- Lament
- Ultravox!
- Systems of Romance
ASIN: B000007VRX
Release Date: 1999-01-12 |
Tracks:
- Voice
- We Stand Alone
- Rage in Eden
- I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)
- Thin Wall
- Stranger Within
- Accent on Youth
- Ascent
- Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)
- I Never Wanted to Begin
- Paths and Angels
- I Never Wanted to Begin [12" Version]
Album Description
Part of the EMI Gold series. Reissue of the Midge Ure fronted new wave act's 1981 album. Nine tracks including the hits, 'The Thin Wall', 'The Voice' and an extended version of 'I Never Wanted To Begin'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case.
Album Details
Reissue of their 1981 Classic with B-side Bonus Tracks. Produced by Conny Plank.
Customer Reviews:
A great haunt.......2006-12-31
This is easily Ultravox' most haunting cd, and it contains the most underrated track by the group, Rage In Eden. Listening to this album, you are quickly whisked into an ethereal dreamscape, full of haunting, atmospheric synth and layered guitars to match. Nobody could blend synth and guitars like Ultravox. Too bad modern music lacks the same flavor. At some point somebody decided that synth was not the way to go in rock. They didn't bother asking me. Oh, well. At least we have the old stuff.
Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox.......2005-07-29
Listening now to Ultravox I have no idea why I did not listen to them during the 80's. I also wish that I could have seen them live since Midge Ures vocals are amazing and he is also a brilliant lyricist. This being the second album with Ure as the vocalist is just as good as the previous album, i.e., Vienna and contains amazing tracks such as the thin wall, the voice and proves that they are not some flash in the pan. This is a brillaint album.
**** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****.......2004-11-04
WOW ... When I heard 'Rage In Eden' in the early 80's it knocked me out!!
What a sound... new, powerful, beautiful, rich and unique.
Ultravox (and its off-shoots Visage / and the New Romantics in general) represented the essence of the word 'Euro'.
Clearly influnenced by the cold machinery of Kraftwerk and the cool boldness of Bowie, Ultravox carved out a style of their own.
Midge Ure is a master of the hook. The song constructions and melodies are of first-class attraction. He sings with the concentrated power of a Gene Pitney and deliveres a song with 'heart-felt' soul sincerity like Scott Walker.
Just as the 60's sound sculptures were The Beatles, Stones and Motown; the 70's Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and Bowie; the 80's belonged to U2, Tears for Fears and Ultravox.
I just wish Ultravox stayed around a little longer and that Americans would have embraced them more.
Oh I Remember...........2003-08-20
Just recently had the urge to pull this out of my CD collection and listen to it for the first time in a while. I agree with other reviewers who say that this is the best offering from their "quartet" of early 80s releases (in order, "Vienna", "Rage in Eden", "Quartet" and "Lament"). This CD is the strongest from beginning to end and flows seemlessly.
Back in the 80s, I discovered Ultravox with "Vienna", coming from a steady diet of overblown 70s prog rock. What attracted me to Ultravox, was the intelligence of their music. There was nothing light and fluffy about this band. The keyboard arrangements are well thought out and almost classically inspired (Billy Currie after all was classically trained), and the way they used the guitars and violins/violas really was different for the era. Another thing I liked about them was how drastically they could change their sound from song to song, but without disturbing the flow or continuity of the album.. one song will be triggered synth bass and drum machines and all keyboards, the next will be live bass, drums, guitars, piano, etc... and all kinds of different variations thereof. Regardless of the instrumentation, Ultravox had an incredible way of making highly emotionally charged music... They were masters of making machines have feelings... Alot of this had to do with Midge Ure's incredible voice and his emotional guitar playing. The piano and violin/viola helped with this alot too... Basically, against the trends that were popular in the day, Ultravox had talent and weren't afraid to use it... Now for a song by song breakdown:
The Voice: For some reason, Ultravox had a way of starting off an album with (in my opinion) one of its weakest songs (i.e. sleepwalk, the voice, reap the wild wind). This song is good, but only a glimpse of what is to come... (Live Drums, Live Bass, Lots of Keyboards, Piano)
We Stand Alone: This song haunts me constantly... I love the keyboards, and the chorus... Midge's guitars are also used very tastefully to add to the tension... (Live Drums, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
Rage In Eden: Nice title track.... mysterious, haunting, moody... I like the backwards chorus ("Oh I remember death in the afternoon" - as someone else said.. a great lead in to the next song... very clever). Again, the guitars add lots of interesting effects and tension to this one... (Drum Machines, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
I Remember (Death in the Afternoon): Excellent song... beautiful piano, powerful drums, great melodies. (Live Drums, triggered synth bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano)
The Thin Wall: Always one of my favorties from this CD. I love the pulsing synth bass, and the funky rhythm guitar, and Midge's vocals, but this song is really a showcase for Billy Currie... his multi tracked violins, keyboard solo and violin or viola solo... (Drum Machine, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Violin, Viola)
The Stranger Within: I agree with others... this is a very disturbing and paranoid song... not to be listened to in a dark house by yourself... I love the way the synth and guitar noises pop in and out to add to the eerieness... Funky Bass by Chriss Cross over very rigid machine drums. I also like how Billy Currie added real strings to the synth strings to give it a nice full texture. (Drum Machines, Real Bass, Guitar, Violin/Viola, Keyboards)
Accent on Youth: Maybe a slight step down from the last few tracks... the chorus and the lead-in to the chorus are great, but the verses don't really do alot for me. (Live and Electronic Drums,Triggered Synth Bass, Keyboards, Guitar)
The Ascent: Instrumental Coda to Accent on Youth... Nice transition from Live Drums in the previous track to the drum machine here. This is another showcase for Billy Currie's talent. (Drum Machine, Synth Bass, Violin, Viola, Keyboards)
Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again: I think this song is a perfect ending to this release... it strips away everything down to a stark backdrop for Midge Ure's haunting vocals. This song kind of reminds me of Queen a little... (Percussion, Piano, Processed Piano, Guitar)
I Never Wanted to Begin: I love this song.. this is probably my all time favorite Ultravox B-Side. Tribal Drumming (machine and real/electronic drums), Violins/Violas, Nice keyboards, cool guitar solo, and the trademark Ultravox enigmatic lyrics.
Paths and Angles: Another cool B-side.. this time with Warren Cann handling the Vocals (ala Mr X). Again.. very machine-like, but brought to life by the piano, guitar and violin/viola.
I'm not sure why they included the extended version of "I never wanted to begin", it doesn't really add much to the CD, but it's cool nonetheless.
Anyways... enough rambling for now... This is an amazing CD... I wish someone would wake up and release some live recordings from this era... I went to see them on the Quartet Tour and they were amazing live...
SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA.......2003-07-11
THIS IS (IN MY OPINION) ULTRAVOX BEST AND MOST COHESIVE ALBUM. AS THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL 'VIENNA', 'RAGE IN EDEN' HAD MUCH TO LIVE UP TO, AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO SINGLES LIFTED FROM THE ALBUM; 'THE THIN WALL' AND 'THE VOICE' NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON THE UK TOP TEN, THE ALBUM CHARTED TO NUMBER FOUR. BOASTING SOME OF THE MOST ARTY/PRETENIOUS LYRICS EVER COMMITED TO VINYL (SAMPLE: 'DISCIPLES OF THE NEW WAY, PORTRAITS IN THE SAND, SEE WHEN THEY RUN THEIR LONGEST MILE, HOLDING CAPS IN WET HANDS'), THE BOMBASTIC SYNTH-WORK, EXEMPLIFIED BY MUCH OF ULTRAVOX TYPICALLY BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRATION, EASILY OVERCAME THE OCCASIONAL LYRICAL 'EXCESSES.'
KICKING OFF WITH THE EXTENDED VERSION OF 'THE VOICE', AN ANTHEMIC OPENING BEST ILLUSTRATED BY IT'S 'NO EXPENSE SPARED' PROMOTIONAL VIDEO (IT WAS 1981 AFTER ALL), THE MOOD SHIFTS DOWN A GEAR ON THE EXCELLENT 'WE STAND ALONE', MOVING SMOOTHLY INTO THE 'RAGE IN EDEN-DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON' SUITE, A BLISSFUL FESTIVAL OF ELECTRONICA UNRIVALLED BEFORE OR SINCE. 'THE THIN WALL', HERE IN EXTENDED FORM, WAS THE LEAD-OFF SINGLE, PERHAPS A SLIGHTLY STRANGE CHOICE IN VIEW OF THE STRENGTH OF 'THE VOICE' BUT A CLASSIC NONETHELESS. 'THE STRANGER WITHIN', A THINLY VEILED PAEAN TO PARANOIA, HAS PERHAPS NOT DATED QUITE AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE ALBUM, COMING ACROSS TODAY AS BEING A LITTLE LONG & OVERBLOWN. 'ACCENT ON YOUTH', A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO THE AGONIES OF ADOLESENCE STILL SOUNDS FRESH, AS DOES THE INSTRUMENTAL 'ASCENT', BEFORE THE NOSE-DIVE INTO THE ALMOST ACOUSTIC 'YOUR NAME', A TRACK YOU EITHER LOVE OR DON'T. I'M THE LATTER I'M AFRAID, BUT I KNOW IT HAS IT'S ADMIRERS.
THE EMI GOLD ISSUE OF THE ALBUM FEATURES THREE BONUS TRACKS: 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN', THE EXCELLENT B-SIDE OF 'THE THIN WALL' (SUPERIOR TO THE A-SIDE IN MY OPINION), AND THE EQUALLY EXCELLENT 'PATHS & ANGLES', THE FLIPSIDE OF 'THE VOICE'. A FAIRLY POINTLESS, BUT HISTORICALLY INTETRESTING EXTENDED VERSION OF 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN'COMPLETES ALMOST AN HOUR OF PURE 1981 NOSTALGIA. I THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ALL ELECTRONICA BUFFS--GO FOR IT!
Average customer rating:
|
Rage In Eden
Ultravox
Manufacturer: Chrysalis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
New Wave
| New Wave & Post-Punk
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B000JTH2E4 |
Product Description
Songs: The Voice * We Stand Alone * Rage In Eden * I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) * The Thin Wall * Stranger Within * Accent On Youth * The Ascent * Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again
Average customer rating:
- A great haunt
- Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox
- **** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****
- Oh I Remember....
- SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA
|
Rage in Eden
Ultravox
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
New Wave
| New Wave & Post-Punk
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Dance Pop
| Compilations
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Vienna
- Quartet
- Lament
- Ultravox!
- Systems of Romance
ASIN: B000008LVE
Release Date: 1989-07-20 |
Tracks:
- Voice
- We Stand Alone
- Rage in Eden
- I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)
- Thin Wall
- Stranger Within
- Accent on Youth
- Ascent
- Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)
- I Never Wanted to Begin
- Paths and Angels
- I Never Wanted to Begin [12" Version]
Album Description
Part of the EMI Gold series. Reissue of the Midge Ure fronted new wave act's 1981 album. Nine tracks including the hits, 'The Thin Wall', 'The Voice' and an extended version of 'I Never Wanted To Begin'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case.
Album Details
Reissue of their 1981 Classic with B-side Bonus Tracks. Produced by Conny Plank.
Customer Reviews:
A great haunt.......2006-12-31
This is easily Ultravox' most haunting cd, and it contains the most underrated track by the group, Rage In Eden. Listening to this album, you are quickly whisked into an ethereal dreamscape, full of haunting, atmospheric synth and layered guitars to match. Nobody could blend synth and guitars like Ultravox. Too bad modern music lacks the same flavor. At some point somebody decided that synth was not the way to go in rock. They didn't bother asking me. Oh, well. At least we have the old stuff.
Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox.......2005-07-29
Listening now to Ultravox I have no idea why I did not listen to them during the 80's. I also wish that I could have seen them live since Midge Ures vocals are amazing and he is also a brilliant lyricist. This being the second album with Ure as the vocalist is just as good as the previous album, i.e., Vienna and contains amazing tracks such as the thin wall, the voice and proves that they are not some flash in the pan. This is a brillaint album.
**** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****.......2004-11-04
WOW ... When I heard 'Rage In Eden' in the early 80's it knocked me out!!
What a sound... new, powerful, beautiful, rich and unique.
Ultravox (and its off-shoots Visage / and the New Romantics in general) represented the essence of the word 'Euro'.
Clearly influnenced by the cold machinery of Kraftwerk and the cool boldness of Bowie, Ultravox carved out a style of their own.
Midge Ure is a master of the hook. The song constructions and melodies are of first-class attraction. He sings with the concentrated power of a Gene Pitney and deliveres a song with 'heart-felt' soul sincerity like Scott Walker.
Just as the 60's sound sculptures were The Beatles, Stones and Motown; the 70's Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and Bowie; the 80's belonged to U2, Tears for Fears and Ultravox.
I just wish Ultravox stayed around a little longer and that Americans would have embraced them more.
Oh I Remember...........2003-08-20
Just recently had the urge to pull this out of my CD collection and listen to it for the first time in a while. I agree with other reviewers who say that this is the best offering from their "quartet" of early 80s releases (in order, "Vienna", "Rage in Eden", "Quartet" and "Lament"). This CD is the strongest from beginning to end and flows seemlessly.
Back in the 80s, I discovered Ultravox with "Vienna", coming from a steady diet of overblown 70s prog rock. What attracted me to Ultravox, was the intelligence of their music. There was nothing light and fluffy about this band. The keyboard arrangements are well thought out and almost classically inspired (Billy Currie after all was classically trained), and the way they used the guitars and violins/violas really was different for the era. Another thing I liked about them was how drastically they could change their sound from song to song, but without disturbing the flow or continuity of the album.. one song will be triggered synth bass and drum machines and all keyboards, the next will be live bass, drums, guitars, piano, etc... and all kinds of different variations thereof. Regardless of the instrumentation, Ultravox had an incredible way of making highly emotionally charged music... They were masters of making machines have feelings... Alot of this had to do with Midge Ure's incredible voice and his emotional guitar playing. The piano and violin/viola helped with this alot too... Basically, against the trends that were popular in the day, Ultravox had talent and weren't afraid to use it... Now for a song by song breakdown:
The Voice: For some reason, Ultravox had a way of starting off an album with (in my opinion) one of its weakest songs (i.e. sleepwalk, the voice, reap the wild wind). This song is good, but only a glimpse of what is to come... (Live Drums, Live Bass, Lots of Keyboards, Piano)
We Stand Alone: This song haunts me constantly... I love the keyboards, and the chorus... Midge's guitars are also used very tastefully to add to the tension... (Live Drums, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
Rage In Eden: Nice title track.... mysterious, haunting, moody... I like the backwards chorus ("Oh I remember death in the afternoon" - as someone else said.. a great lead in to the next song... very clever). Again, the guitars add lots of interesting effects and tension to this one... (Drum Machines, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)
I Remember (Death in the Afternoon): Excellent song... beautiful piano, powerful drums, great melodies. (Live Drums, triggered synth bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano)
The Thin Wall: Always one of my favorties from this CD. I love the pulsing synth bass, and the funky rhythm guitar, and Midge's vocals, but this song is really a showcase for Billy Currie... his multi tracked violins, keyboard solo and violin or viola solo... (Drum Machine, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Violin, Viola)
The Stranger Within: I agree with others... this is a very disturbing and paranoid song... not to be listened to in a dark house by yourself... I love the way the synth and guitar noises pop in and out to add to the eerieness... Funky Bass by Chriss Cross over very rigid machine drums. I also like how Billy Currie added real strings to the synth strings to give it a nice full texture. (Drum Machines, Real Bass, Guitar, Violin/Viola, Keyboards)
Accent on Youth: Maybe a slight step down from the last few tracks... the chorus and the lead-in to the chorus are great, but the verses don't really do alot for me. (Live and Electronic Drums,Triggered Synth Bass, Keyboards, Guitar)
The Ascent: Instrumental Coda to Accent on Youth... Nice transition from Live Drums in the previous track to the drum machine here. This is another showcase for Billy Currie's talent. (Drum Machine, Synth Bass, Violin, Viola, Keyboards)
Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again: I think this song is a perfect ending to this release... it strips away everything down to a stark backdrop for Midge Ure's haunting vocals. This song kind of reminds me of Queen a little... (Percussion, Piano, Processed Piano, Guitar)
I Never Wanted to Begin: I love this song.. this is probably my all time favorite Ultravox B-Side. Tribal Drumming (machine and real/electronic drums), Violins/Violas, Nice keyboards, cool guitar solo, and the trademark Ultravox enigmatic lyrics.
Paths and Angles: Another cool B-side.. this time with Warren Cann handling the Vocals (ala Mr X). Again.. very machine-like, but brought to life by the piano, guitar and violin/viola.
I'm not sure why they included the extended version of "I never wanted to begin", it doesn't really add much to the CD, but it's cool nonetheless.
Anyways... enough rambling for now... This is an amazing CD... I wish someone would wake up and release some live recordings from this era... I went to see them on the Quartet Tour and they were amazing live...
SUPERB EARLY 80s ELECTRONICA.......2003-07-11
THIS IS (IN MY OPINION) ULTRAVOX BEST AND MOST COHESIVE ALBUM. AS THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL 'VIENNA', 'RAGE IN EDEN' HAD MUCH TO LIVE UP TO, AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO SINGLES LIFTED FROM THE ALBUM; 'THE THIN WALL' AND 'THE VOICE' NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON THE UK TOP TEN, THE ALBUM CHARTED TO NUMBER FOUR. BOASTING SOME OF THE MOST ARTY/PRETENIOUS LYRICS EVER COMMITED TO VINYL (SAMPLE: 'DISCIPLES OF THE NEW WAY, PORTRAITS IN THE SAND, SEE WHEN THEY RUN THEIR LONGEST MILE, HOLDING CAPS IN WET HANDS'), THE BOMBASTIC SYNTH-WORK, EXEMPLIFIED BY MUCH OF ULTRAVOX TYPICALLY BEAUTIFUL ORCHESTRATION, EASILY OVERCAME THE OCCASIONAL LYRICAL 'EXCESSES.'
KICKING OFF WITH THE EXTENDED VERSION OF 'THE VOICE', AN ANTHEMIC OPENING BEST ILLUSTRATED BY IT'S 'NO EXPENSE SPARED' PROMOTIONAL VIDEO (IT WAS 1981 AFTER ALL), THE MOOD SHIFTS DOWN A GEAR ON THE EXCELLENT 'WE STAND ALONE', MOVING SMOOTHLY INTO THE 'RAGE IN EDEN-DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON' SUITE, A BLISSFUL FESTIVAL OF ELECTRONICA UNRIVALLED BEFORE OR SINCE. 'THE THIN WALL', HERE IN EXTENDED FORM, WAS THE LEAD-OFF SINGLE, PERHAPS A SLIGHTLY STRANGE CHOICE IN VIEW OF THE STRENGTH OF 'THE VOICE' BUT A CLASSIC NONETHELESS. 'THE STRANGER WITHIN', A THINLY VEILED PAEAN TO PARANOIA, HAS PERHAPS NOT DATED QUITE AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE ALBUM, COMING ACROSS TODAY AS BEING A LITTLE LONG & OVERBLOWN. 'ACCENT ON YOUTH', A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO THE AGONIES OF ADOLESENCE STILL SOUNDS FRESH, AS DOES THE INSTRUMENTAL 'ASCENT', BEFORE THE NOSE-DIVE INTO THE ALMOST ACOUSTIC 'YOUR NAME', A TRACK YOU EITHER LOVE OR DON'T. I'M THE LATTER I'M AFRAID, BUT I KNOW IT HAS IT'S ADMIRERS.
THE EMI GOLD ISSUE OF THE ALBUM FEATURES THREE BONUS TRACKS: 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN', THE EXCELLENT B-SIDE OF 'THE THIN WALL' (SUPERIOR TO THE A-SIDE IN MY OPINION), AND THE EQUALLY EXCELLENT 'PATHS & ANGLES', THE FLIPSIDE OF 'THE VOICE'. A FAIRLY POINTLESS, BUT HISTORICALLY INTETRESTING EXTENDED VERSION OF 'I NEVER WANTED TO BEGIN'COMPLETES ALMOST AN HOUR OF PURE 1981 NOSTALGIA. I THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ALL ELECTRONICA BUFFS--GO FOR IT!
Music:
- Rainy Day Sunshine
- Romeo's Bones
- Roxy Especial
- Scarecrowes
- Sex Cells
- Shapeshifter (Enhanced)
- Shine, Shine, Shine
- Start Again Pt.1 [CD-single]
- Stay [CD-single] [EP]
- Straight On Till Morning
Music
music
Music
Seeds of the Dream
Vasilenko: Indian Suite Op42; Chinese Suite Op60/1
These You Have Loved 3
About a Girl [CD-single]
World Depraved [Import]
Voulez-Vous [Extra tracks] [Original recording remastered]
We Are Better Together (Bobby Susser Songs For Children)
Toccatas
We're Country So We Can
The Last Don: Live [Enhanced] [Live]
War Against Intelligence: The Fontana Years [Import]
Vielleicht Ein Leben Lang [Import]
World of Trance V.12 [Import]
I Remember You
Neu!