from the LP Vienna, Chrysalis Records, 1980
It must have been awfully gratifying for the remaining members of Ultravox when the first record they released, following the near band-ending departure of frontman John Foxx, was the group’s first to break into the UK Top Ten charts; like, “piss off then John, we didn’t need you anyways…” His departure marked a musical shift in the band as well, with guitarist Midge Ure taking over the lead spot and driving things in a notably more pop-friendly direction, albeit still very distinctive & full of character. The lyrics here include a tad more thought & nuance than your standard new romantic single, “…we were talking, passing strangers, moments caught across an empty room; wasted whispers, faded secrets, quickly passes, time goes, time goes by too soon…” It’s all driven along nicely by Warren Cann’s metronomic drumming and produced by none other than krautrock’s guru of engineering Conny Plank, the entire LP having been recorded inside his legendary Cologne studio.
