Ultravox - Brilliant flac mp3 download

The more that I listened to this album, the more angry I became as the horror unfolded. I was incredulous that Ultravox had the poor judgement to let this one out of the basement, especially after the career-killing “UVOX” debacle. What’s ultimately even more annoying about this album is that while the lows are even worse than that album, the three tracks here that I actually like annoy me all the more for their presence! It’s the sense of squandered opportunity that this album delivers in spades. While objectively, this is a slightly better album than “UVOX,” it actually feels worse to listen to because the numerous low points are cataclysmically bad in ways that leave the “UVOX” material very much in the shade.To make a point of comparison, the last time I heard an album with a comparable blend of good points to bad by an artist who had really needed to overcome the enormous badwill generated by two stinker albums in a row to rekindle my fandom, it was “Never Let Me Down” by David Bowie. For every good idea there were a dozen bad ones to simultaneously remind you that you were a fool to think he could pull his artistic fat out of the fire as well as why you may have ever liked his work to begin with! This was definitely that kind of shattering artistic failure. One that, frankly, put a headstone on my Ultravox fandom. As with Midge Ure’s solo career, I have reached the point of no return and will no longer be buying any new recordings of Ultravox. There’s only so much abuse my ears and mind can take.Speaking of ear abuse, it is my displeasure to report that the brickwall mastering on this CD is the very worst I have ever heard. It has snatched the dreaded Tin Ears Cup from Duran Duran for their “Red Carpet Massacre” album. There is almost no dynamic range at all here. This album sounds absolutely ghastly. The drums in particular sound painful to hear; like firecrackers exploding and the cymbal crashes are unbelievably harsh to the ear. Headphone listening was like a form of torture. It added a level of injury to insult in the playing of this disc. Ultimately, one is saddled with an album by a band you used to like filled with poor songwriting [for the most part], even worse singing, a life-sapping production that’s over reliant on gimmicks in the face of no ideas or anything to say, and ultimately given just the sort of mastering that frankly, it deserves, but we deserved better.

Personally, I love that synth pop bands from the 80’s are still getting back together and releasing new albums. There’s always the fear that they’ll try and avoid their past and release some strange genre-de-jour themed album, but I like to hope that they’ll continue to do what they do best and make new synth pop.Ultravox deliver on this album. The classic line up returns and shows us that they can still make great synth pop. Midge’s voice has matured, so he doesn’t quite sound as powerfully energetic as back in ’81, but he still delivers some great crooning, especially on “Rise”, while the rest of the band brush the dust off their instruments and create an authentic Ultravox album that’s sure to please fans.

A bit dark, a bit melancholic, a bit epic: This is pure, absolutely 'uresque' Ultravox.Not help from Conny Plank nor from George Martin or even Eno needed the quartet to produce a first-class album.Midge's whispering voice in some tracks might sound strange at first but it adds something new to play with today's mixing arsenal without changing their styled sound. However, to enjoy this beautiful piece of art, a 3dB bass attenuation in the playback system is needed due to the almost irritating (mobile-phone oriented?) mastering credited to Mazen Murad. Here's a good example about current mastering men ruining the artists work. Don't touch your EQ and you will miss a lot of details including Billy's pianos and lead lines.

Very good point regarding the mastering. The delay in the vinyl release was attributed to issues with the bass (apparently Chris Cross had a 'wobbly bottom' that needed sorting out, converting to mono and remixing as a result) and this is possibly connected to the issue you mention.

I've not had this album too long but already it's transported me right back to my 1981 youth. Although this record is an amalgam of styles that makes comparisons with previous releases difficult, the overall impression is of Ultravox drawing on their past to make something new but with that same 'feel' of the best of their '80s output.Without a shadow of doubt the 2nd best 'comeback' of recent times, only beaten by Magazine's "No Thyself". Give it a couple of listens... if Rage In Eden was your personal high-point for the band, this gets pretty close.

A Vinyl will be out in the end of October.

It's Like they never left they sound just as good as they did in their prime,a welcome comeback