Ultravox/London,UK 12.13.1980

ULTRAVOX made their breakthrough in 1980 with their masterpiece “VIENNA”. A newly discovered original cassette of the famous Kinney that captures them shining as the standard-bearers of the New Romantic movement. What was blown into such a Kinney master was “London performance on December 13, 1980”. This is a superb audience recording recorded at the traditional venue “Hammersmith Odeon”. At that time, they were in the predicament of losing their founder John Fox, but they opened up a new world with “VIENNA”, which featured Midge Ure. It had just become a huge success. This work is a live album that conveys the scene of such a turning point with the finest sound. First of all, let’s look back at the progress made since joining Midge and confirm Shaw’s position. 1979《April: Midge Ure joins》・November 2: Liverpool performance・November 19-December 30: North America #1 (5 performances) 1980・January 4: San Francisco performance・February 1st: London performance ・February 23rd-March 20th: North America #2 (38 performances) ・July 5th: Liverpool performance [“VIENNA” released on July 11th] ・August 1st-27th: UK #1 (22 performances) / September 15th – November 8th: North America #3 (15 performances) / December 4th – 13th: UK #2 (9 performances) ←★Here★ This is 1980 since Midge joined ULTRAVOX up to the year. While doing one-off gigs and touring with THIN LIZZY, they produced “VIENNA” and released it 1 year and 3 months after joining. We have embarked on our long-awaited world tour. The Hammersmith performance of this work was also the final performance to conclude such a turbulent “1980”. This work, which is vacuum-packed from the scene 39 years ago, is a truly exquisite audience recording. Anyway, neat and beautiful. The clearness that pursues the beauty of Kinney’s unique customer records continues to live on, and this work is as on as ever. The audience’s proof is engraved in the tone and the sound of the vocals, but that doesn’t mean there’s a sense of distance. Although it is a little different from the close contact feeling of a sound board, the core is strong and dense. And freshness. This recording was released as part of the 3-disc LP “ECHOES OF PLEASURE” in the analog era, but this work is exceptionally fresh because it is the original cassette. From the rise of each note to the moment of silence, even the smallest detail is preserved without distortion, and the presence of not only the members but also the instrument itself dwells. In fact, it’s not perfect as there are sound breaks in the encore songs “Astradyne” and “Kings Lead Hat” that seem to be missing recordings (an uncharacteristic mistake from Kinney), but even with that, the basic quality is still great. It is. What is depicted with such a sound is a fresh show that has just been reborn. Speaking of them in the early 80’s, the official excavation live album “BBC RADIO 1 LIVE IN CONCERT” is also famous, so let’s organize the set while comparing. John Fox era (3 songs)・HA!-HA!-HA!: Hiroshima Mon Amour (★)・SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE: Quiet Men (★)/Slow Motion (★) VIENNA (9 songs)・Passing Strangers/Mr . ★” marks are songs that are not on “BBC RADIO 1 LIVE IN CONCERT”. …and it looks like this. As a matter of fact, this work was a show just one month before “LIVE IN CONCERT”, but the official BBC edition only included the “VIENNA” number, probably because it was in line with the broadcasting frame. However, this work is Kinney’s recording all at once. Therefore, numbers from the John Fox era and single songs from that time are also included. Even in “VIENNA”, all nine songs of the album are played. After that, just Midge’s participation in the early songs that disappear makes me dizzy, but the performance that runs through the show is also wonderful. Even though it has changed to a commercial, the techno rhythm and cool synths still exude a European romanticism, and you can still feel the lingering scent of the Fox era. Although it is new, it is a full show unique to “1980” that also inherited the legacy of Fox. What also gives a sense of the times is the breath of the audience. This work is typical of Kinney, and the audience noise while playing is minimal, but there are applause between songs. And you can clearly see that it gets bigger and bigger as the songs pile up one by one. The song that explodes is “Vienna” in the middle. It wasn’t until the following January, 1981, that the single rose to No. 2 on the UK charts, but its seeds were already showing. It is a live album that allows you to witness the breakthrough scene with the best sound. Although ULTRAVOX was feeling the wind of great success, they did not “change completely”. This is an extremely exquisite piece that has been reprinted from the prestigious Kinney’s original cassette of such a full show only in 1980. The latest work from Kinney Master, who has released a series of live albums that have become cultural heritage. Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK 13th December 1980 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) (77:47) 01. Intro. 02. Quiet Men 03. Passing Strangers 04. Face To Face 05. Mr. X 06. Western Promise 07. Vienna 08. Slow Motion 09. Hiroshima Mon Amour 10. Private Lives 11. New Europeans 12. All Stood Still 13. Sleepwalk 14. Astradine 15. Kings Lead Hat Midge Ure – Vocal, Guitar, Keyboards Chris Cross – Bass Warren Cann – Drums, Electronic Percussion Billy Currie – Keyboards, Violin, Viola