Ultravox - Lament

I remember driving home during rush hour when all of a sudden this song comes on the radio, and it just blew my mind. Thankfully the disc jockey had the good manners to identify the band and the song. "That was "Dancing with Tears in my Eyes" by Ultravox." Thank you I said to myself, and filed it away as something I needed to remember.

Good lord that was a good song. I particularly loved the guitar work with the dive bombs and string growls interwoven with the very prominent keyboards. As enamoured as I was I never did get the record. In the mid '90s I picked up their best of collection The Voice: The Best of Ultravox and boy howdy that had the bits and pieces I had heard over the years.

Of course as fate would have it I'd start consuming vinyl again, admittedly at a rather shocking rate. I'm still adhering, for the most part, to my don't buy what you already have, rule. Rules are meant to be broken and there are exceptions of course, but the reverse has happened more than a few times now where I've found records I really like that I do not have on CD, and dang it if I've not gone to iTunes and bought them. I suppose I should just get in step with the kids and get spotify and have the entire world at my fingertips.

Nah.

This is more fun.

Nowadays Ultravox is probably best remembered as the band Midge Ure was in back in the '80s. He was also the guy who co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas" and along with Bob Geldof organized Live Aid, and also Live 8 ... Bob would be named Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) and Midge would be remembered as the guy who once toured with Thin Lizzy as a lead guitar player when Gary Moore had a hissy fit and left the band mid tour back in 1979 before he joined Ultravox.

Seems fair.

I also honestly have no idea if this irked Mister Ure or not. Besides, this isn't about slagging Bob Geldof, he earned his stripes, and for crying out loud is an honourary Canadian having lived in Vancouver and was the music editor of the infamous Georgia Strait back in the '70s. I just wish it didn't take until after the Live 8 concert in 2005 for Mr. Ure's efforts to be recognized when he finally received his Order of the British Empire (OBE). 

But, holy bananas he played lead guitar in Thin Lizzy! Then, he joined Ultravox.

Ultravox had been around for a while, but when Midge joined the band they entered their golden (amber) age. Each member was an integral part of the band's sound, and the songs were credited to the entire band. I found vinyl copies of the book ends from the classic line-up, first with 1980's Vienna, and closing out with 1984's Lament.

• Warren Cann – drums, electronic percussion, backing vocals
• Chris Cross – bass, synthesizer, backing vocals
• Billy Currie – keyboards, violin
• Midge Ure – guitar, lead vocals

This was a band who helped define the '80s and for better or worse would remain there, trapped in amber. The songs on Lament are all mini time capsules and while I have my favourites I've been really impressed with the entire album. Their blend of electronic and actual instruments is to me the perfect blend that helps to ensure a level of longevity you don't get with things that appear cutting edge one moment, and laughable the next. It's hard to underscore the influence they must have had on a whole crop of young acts coming out of Europe. I don't know if they ever caught on it the US, but they were a bona fide big deal to a lot of people.

I think the funniest thing I read about Lament was relayed by Midge when he said the band discussed just having a plain black cover. It would create a sense of mystery and people would wonder what was this strange black album? Then Spinal Tap did their reference to Smell the Glove, with their all black cover ... good thing they didn't, that would have been, lamentable.