Ultravox - Brilliant

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GlynRichards
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Ultravox - Brilliant

Post by GlynRichards »

I've just bought this and had it playing quite a bit recently. I'm sure there's going to be many people who don't like it. But, I honestly think it's really, really good. There's more stand out tracks on here than on any of the last 3 U2 albums and Ultravox have had a break of 2.5 decades!

No, there's no Vienna 2. But they're never going to do that. What they have managed to put together is well worth the investment in money and time.

There's songs that you could place on many of their previous albums, Rage, Quartert, Vienna. Some do sound a little bit "Midge solo", but that's a hard one to avoid I guess. But then, there's others where you can hear Billy, Warren and Chris all doing their thing!!!! And Midge's guitar works really well on this album.

I wasn't going to say it...

... but it's Brilliant!!!!!
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sparrow
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Post by sparrow »

Aye tis a very good album Glyn..I was surprised by just how many great songs are on there. Some bands who have a long lay off sometimes can't deliver but Ultravox have.
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Post by Marc M »

I do agree with you.

The album do deserve its title. There are 12 tracks and most of them are really very strong. OK, there's no "Visions in Blue" nor "Vienna". but overall the songs are fairly varied. I'm glad it's got a lot of nice piano and synths. The sound us warmer than in the early 80's where it was pretty cold.


I'm just a little bit surprised that they didn't do a more lush package, a special edition with a "making of", for instance ;
because for something called "Brilliant", it's all grey and dark, all printed in black and white...
But it's a minor complaint.
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Post by GlynRichards »

Marc M wrote:I do agree with you.

The album do deserve its title. There are 12 tracks and most of them are really very strong. OK, there's no "Visions in Blue" nor "Vienna". but overall the songs are fairly varied. I'm glad it's got a lot of nice piano and synths. The sound us warmer than in the early 80's where it was pretty cold.


I'm just a little bit surprised that they didn't do a more lush package, a special edition with a "making of", for instance ;
because for something called "Brilliant", it's all grey and dark, all printed in black and white...
But it's a minor complaint.
Yes, actually, I was really disappointed with the packaging. Could at least been some information about the gear they used and maybe a couple of photos.
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Post by Schulze »

Couldn't agree more, it's a great album, full of strong lyrics, modern sounds, but still with that classic Ultravox sound all over it.

I've lost count of the number of times I've played it since it arrived.

One thing I did notice though, and it's a real shame, is that it's been largely ignored on the radio in favour of the usual cr*p... oops I mean chart music.... :wink:
Be at one with the sequencing.....
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Post by GlynRichards »

Schulze wrote:Couldn't agree more, it's a great album, full of strong lyrics, modern sounds, but still with that classic Ultravox sound all over it.

I've lost count of the number of times I've played it since it arrived.

One thing I did notice though, and it's a real shame, is that it's been largely ignored on the radio in favour of the usual cr*p... oops I mean chart music.... :wink:
Yes, I've heard one intervierw and one play. But then I don't really listen to the wireless any more.
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Post by Marc M »

There was a little interview and one excerpt today, in the afternoon, on BBC 6, that I followed through the Internet. Well it was partly not serious.... It's quite frustrating.
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Post by GlynRichards »

To be on the EMI label must be frustrating for the band as well, because you'd think they'd have some sort of backing or push from the label.
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Post by Marc M »

GlynRichards wrote:To be on the EMI label must be frustrating for the band as well, because you'd think they'd have some sort of backing or push from the label.
Well they might get some support... After all, there's a big tour in preparation.. maybe they helped financially... don't you think?
I think the tour that gave this double CD and DVD might well have been fairly sucessful.... Hence the creation of this new album, by the way.
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Post by TD Eye »

"Listening With Tears In My Eyes."

What a brilliant come back! Never thought this would happen yet. Thanks very much Glyn for posting this, because I did not know about this release.:oops: Have listened to it numerous times so far, honestly there is not a single track I don't like. It's a very powerful and rhythmic album. And very worth listening over the headphones.8)
As said before there's some very fine piano here (makes me remember the early Triumvirat - albums Illusions ... and Spartacus). The violin in Satellite has even a touch of Hawkwind. Do I hear fragments of The Alarm in Rise? A Flock of Seagulls? But there's no mistake, overall it's clearly Ultravox. I think it's their best album so far. Would surprise me if Brilliant is not going to be my album of 2012.
Eye and the Witness are ordering tickets to see this great band once again this autumn.

Highly recommended. :!:

Not heard yet? You might start with these 2 (audio) clips.

Opening track Live :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umi9pNZ ... re=related

Official lyric video for Ultravox's new single Brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqZKyqmvKE
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Post by GlynRichards »

TD Eye wrote:"Listening With Tears In My Eyes."

What a brilliant come back! Never thought this would happen yet. Thanks very much Glyn for posting this, because I did not know about this release.:oops: Have listened to it numerous times so far, honestly there is not a single track I don't like. It's a very powerful and rhythmic album. And very worth listening over the headphones.8)
As said before there's some very fine piano here (makes me remember the early Triumvirat - albums Illusions ... and Spartacus). The violin in Satellite has even a touch of Hawkwind. Do I hear fragments of The Alarm in Rise? A Flock of Seagulls? But there's no mistake, overall it's clearly Ultravox. I think it's their best album so far. Would surprise me if Brilliant is not going to be my album of 2012.
Eye and the Witness are ordering tickets to see this great band once again this autumn.

Highly recommended. :!:

Not heard yet? You might start with these 2 (audio) clips.

Opening track Live :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umi9pNZ ... re=related

Official lyric video for Ultravox's new single Brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqZKyqmvKE
I get goosebumps at 30s in everytime I listen to that first track!!!!
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epsilon75
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Post by epsilon75 »

This is a very nice album, I really enjoyed listening to it. They can certainly still come up with high quality music. 8)
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Post by Hyperboreauk »

Ultravox - Brilliant is Simply Brilliant :)

Got my ticket's for Birmingham in September.
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Post by trekky and smurfy »

the eighties, we were in our twenties then, started to lose faith a bit with the way music was heading :?

YES headed down the 90125 route, genesis released 'invisible touch' (oh dear) even our beloved TD slid towards the le parc route :?: (what was that all about)

we headed towards bands like THE MISSION, NEW MODEL ARMY, etc

but there was one artist and one band, that made us listen twice in the charts, one was GARY NUMAN, the other was ULTRAVOX.

JUST HEARD THE 20+ YEAR LATER LP BRILLIANT and really enjoyed it, a great lp, this will grow on you with further plays, bless 'em
stand on hills' of long forgotten yesterdays'
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