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Customer Reviews of Vienna

Intriguing If Inconsistent
Vienna Is Ultravox's most interesting, if not their most accessible album. Style wise, it lies directly between the pretentious art-rock of its earlier incarnation and the luscious moody pop that was to characterise their later offerings. With their motives somewhat confused and insecure at this stage, the results show up on the album. It is a jerky, incongruent album without a clearly defined direction. However faults aside, Vienna is still an alluring innovative record that holds a place of its own in the realm of early 80s new wave.

Side one begins with the synth instramental 'Astradyne' that sounds like a more commercialised rehash from something off David Bowie's 'Low.' 'New Europeans' is a rough, post-punk tune based around the changing European culture. The song could have been a potential hit single had it not being for the shocking, half baked production. Production is also a problem in 'Private Lives' and 'Passing Strangers.' Fundamentally broody new wave songs peppered with eerie, sparse analogue synthesizers, the production makes them sound somewhat distant and hazy. 'Sleepwalker' is a much more likeable offering, a catchy refrain, eerily seductive synth backing and an infectious pulsing beat which is a precursor to Ultravox's growing dance direction.

Side 2 is a much more accomplished, stronger work. 'Mr X' is the best track on the whole album. It is dark, broody, and paranoid, and conveys a tale straight from a horror/suspense novel. The sparse, sterile synthetic sounds and the wailing banshee violin howls REALLY work wonders here. 'Vienna' is the band's best known song and this is no surprise. A sweeping grandoise ballad that not unlike 'New Europeans' romanticizes the modern european culutre, it is both catchy and evoacative. 'All Stood Still' is a jagged, bouncy rock song with warped synth effects about the end of the world of all things.

The enhanced eddition includes bonus tracks like 'Waiting' and 'Kerr X' a German rehash of 'Mr X.' While these songs are decent in quality, the neither improve or downgrade the album as a whole.

This album is great in places, but suffers at times from incohesion and bad production. It still manages to be eerie, mechanical and evocative in the best of Ultravox tradition, although a better album that realises the group's full potential would have to be the wonderful 'Rage In Eden' which is the closest thing one can come to 7th Heaven. 'Vienna' is still a great example of the early 80s New Romantic movement and of things to come.

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The last Listenable ULTRAVOX CD
VIENNA was Ultravox's most anticipated, if not their most ambitious album. Orignal lead singer John Foxx had left ('artistic differences', amid rampant rumors of some gay spat between Foxx and other band members), to be replaced by Midge Ure. Stylistically and conceptually, it is a retreat from the art-rock and early techno work done with John Foxx & Brian Eno. Musically, it sounds more like The Cars 'Panorama' CD, and features some of the over-lush synthesizer mush that sank most of their subsequent output.

If someone would remix the songs here, there's lots of untapped potential.

It appears that Ultravox was trying to determine which direction to go after john Foxx, and without Brian Eno, so the results here somewhat muddled and incoherent; there seem to be two different musical themes that keep clashing. Ultimately, the less interesting one seems to have taken over the band's direction ... quickly consigning them to obscurity and near-oblivion.

VIENNA begins with 'Astradyne' an instrumental piece that sounds more like filler; not a strong opener. Second song, "New Europeans" has all the makings of a hit (a strong beat, good hooks, and good lyrics), but falls flat due to a lame mix and listless production. The same for 'Private Lives' and 'Passing Strangers'.

Things begin to pick up with 'SleepWalk', but even here, one gets the sense that production was rushed, and a potentially great song was turned into one that's just pretty good. "Mr X" follows, and it's arguably one of Ultravox' best songs (up with 'Slow Motion', and 'Quiet Men'). It's unquestionably the best song on this CD. Unfotunately, the next (title) cut, "Vienna" comes off as just another ensemble piece; flat and uninspired, with botched production (perfectly in keeping with so much of this CD). The last song from the original CD, "All Stood Still", sounded great in concert with it's driving rhythms, but comes off as just plain silly here--the vocals are so far out in front and the polyrhythms are so buried that it simply doesn't work on CD (REMIX needed!).

Of the new songs, it's only the German version of Mr. X ("Herr X") that really works [it appears that great songs translate well across languages]. The video version of 'Vienna' only serves to higlight the lack of imagination and vision that characterized Ultravox' disintegration from a top art-rock contender (along with Roxy Music or Genesis) to a forgettable synthesizer act ... but without the cute boys needed to hold the interest of fans.

On reflection, VIENNA, the CD that appeared to promise a new direction for a talented band, instead only documents the abrupt end to the creativity and vision that characterized the initial Ultravox CD's. Check out ULTRAVOX! or SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE (if you can locate them), but leave this one for the fans only.

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New Wave Electronic At It's Best!
Ultravox were one of Britain's best and most creative electronic groups to emerge from the "New Wave" scene in the late seventies. "Vienna" is in my opinion, their best album, and includes such great songs as "Passing Strangers", "All Stood Still", "Sleepwalk", "New Europeans", "Astradyne" and "Private Lives", to name a few. Headed by guitarist/vocalist Midge Ure, Ultravox produced electronic music that was unique, danceable and melodic. This edition of "Vienna" is remastered and includes four bonus tracks ("Waiting", "Passionate Reply", "Herr X", and "Alles Klar") as well as the video of the song "Vienna". If you enjoy listening to artists such as O.M.D., The Human League, Soft Cell and Visage then you'll love "Vienna".