What is the best number on "Vienna"?

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Ultravox-Vienna-album.jpg

What I am currently listening to in my car, either that or Immartal's "Sons of Northern Darkness", anyway.

I think this is an outstanding album, still. Ultravox's best, with "Systems of Romance", "Ha! Ha! Ha!" and "Rage in Eden" close behind. Those 4 albums are a pretty good run? I think "Astradyne" and "Western Promise" are pretty weak, but the rest of the album is consistently great, enough so that I have a hard time choosing. I'm torn between "Mr X", and "Private Lives".

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Private Lives 2
Vienna 2
New Europeans 1
Passing Strangers 1
Sleepwalk 1
Astradyne 0
Mr X 0
Western Promise 0
All Stood Still 0


kr0p3r0m:a9ff (Pashmina), Saturday, 23 May 2009 18:42 (seventeen years ago)

I voted for New Europeans - I love Ure's crunchy rhythm guitar because it really helps move the track along. Although second place goes to Astradyne for the sheer balls (or maybe arrogance) of opening an album with a 7 min+ instrumental.

snoball, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:07 (seventeen years ago)

This means nothing to me.

Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:07 (seventeen years ago)

Although come to think of it, best riff goes to Western Promise

snoball, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:09 (seventeen years ago)

sleepwalk is fun

velko, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:15 (seventeen years ago)

I remember playing a videogame back then that used the bassline from All Stood Still as the background music

snoball, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:16 (seventeen years ago)

Lots of great songs, but the title track is still in a league of its own.

Geir Hongro, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:27 (seventeen years ago)

^^ This.

TAT THY SAD EAGLE (ENBB), Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:32 (seventeen years ago)

answer's in the question

μ-Fish (Whiney G. Weingarten), Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:33 (seventeen years ago)

I always think that it should be the closing track, not least because the heartbeats at the end mirror the "tink-tink" sound at the beginning of Astradyne.

snoball, Saturday, 23 May 2009 19:43 (seventeen years ago)

I have always loved Passing Strangers, so that.

dada wouldn't buy me a bauhaus (aldo), Saturday, 23 May 2009 22:27 (seventeen years ago)

"Passing Strangers" has those awful verses: "Running through memories/Like fields in the night."

Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 23 May 2009 22:50 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Wednesday, 27 May 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Thursday, 28 May 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

lol ppl have no idea what they are talking about

worm? lol (J0hn D.), Thursday, 28 May 2009 23:40 (seventeen years ago)

I didn't get to vote on this one. Feel bad about it now. It's certainly their best album.

"But didn't MBV come from a nasty goth background?" (Bimble), Friday, 29 May 2009 00:12 (seventeen years ago)

Oh come on, only 8 people on ILM give a shit about this album?

snoball, Friday, 29 May 2009 09:47 (seventeen years ago)

"All Stood Still" could have been a foxxy track.

Mark G, Friday, 29 May 2009 09:48 (seventeen years ago)

Like a faster shoutier version of "Burning Car"?

snoball, Friday, 29 May 2009 09:58 (seventeen years ago)

What is with people saying this is better than Systems of Romance. Do you lack taste?

If I got around to voting, I would have voted "Vienna" but "New Europeans", "Mr. X" and "Sleepwalk" would have got a run.

"too worldly to compete on /b/" (King Boy Pato), Friday, 29 May 2009 11:07 (seventeen years ago)

What's with people saying this is better than 'Ultravox!' even.

Midge Ure sounds like the guy from your office who is in charge of the stationary cupboard accidentally allowed to join a pretty good group.

Doran, Friday, 29 May 2009 11:25 (seventeen years ago)

His mustache may have been the most laughable in rock. He probably used a booster seat at restaurants too.

Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 29 May 2009 11:52 (seventeen years ago)

Oh man, my friend never shuts up about that moustache. He thinks it looks so cool. I beg to differ.

"But didn't MBV come from a nasty goth background?" (Bimble), Friday, 29 May 2009 20:41 (seventeen years ago)

It looks like a typical 14 year old's "hey I'm growing a 'tache" bumfluff 'tache

snoball, Friday, 29 May 2009 20:42 (seventeen years ago)

I would say this is better than Ultravox!. On the other hand, the two first John Foxx solo albums from 80-81 were also better than Ultravox!.

Geir Hongro, Friday, 29 May 2009 22:51 (seventeen years ago)

"Vienna" is fine, but "Sons of Northern Darkness" is better.

glenn mcdonald, Saturday, 30 May 2009 02:01 (seventeen years ago)

New Europeans lyrics are a nonsensical, barely grammatical gem:

In a quiet street washed by the rain, the room within the home.
A lonely man sits cheek to cheek, with unique designs in chrome.
The mellow years have long gone by, but now he sits alone.
He has a brand new radio, but never turns it on.

A photograph of lovers lost, lies pressed in magazines.
Her eyes belong to a thousand girls, she's the wife who's never seen.
Their educated son has left, in search of borrowed dreams.
His television's in his bed, he's frozen to the screen.

Zelda Zonk, Saturday, 30 May 2009 07:07 (seventeen years ago)

Ure's lyrics, at the very least, are far far better than Foxx's!

7 votes, yikes.

f1f0 (Pashmina), Saturday, 30 May 2009 08:50 (seventeen years ago)


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