Rocktrospectiva: The Fine And Recommended "Vienna" Turns 45

Released on 11 July 1980 "Vienna" was the fourth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, it was the band's first album with their best-known line-up, after Midge Ure had taken over as lead vocalist and guitarist following the departures of John Foxx and Robin Simon, as well as the group's first release for Chrysalis. The album peaked at number 3 in the UK Albums Chart. and reached the top ten in Australia, New Zealand and several European countries. The album spawned four singles "Sleepwalk", "Passing Strangers", "Vienna" & "All Stood Still". 

Vienna was produced by German producer Conny Plank who had also produced Ultravox's previous album Systems of Romance, and mixed at Plank's studio near Cologne, Germany. Ultravox changed pace, style and audience with the arrival of Ure, who had already participated in the formation of Visage with Ultravox's keyboard and viola player Billy Currie. Many different styles are in use on the album; "Astradyne" is a long instrumental featuring sweeping, majestic synthesizer arrangements throughout, while "Mr. X" is a simpler, much sparser Kraftwerk pastiche. The lyrics to the album's songs were mainly written by Ure and drummer Warren Cann, who also takes a rare lead vocal on "Mr. X".

Writing and rehearsing the songs for the album began in autumn 1979, shortly after Midge Ure had joined the band. Among the first tracks written were "Astradyne", "Mr. X" and "New Europeans". As opposed to the band's previous albums, the music was written collectively by the four members by throwing ideas back and forth between them and then working on the ideas and turning them into song structures. Warren Cann contributed to the lyric writing as Ure, who would later write more of the band's lyrics, was still settling in as a new member. Cann wrote the bulk of the lyrics to "Sleepwalk", "Mr. X", "Private Lives", "All Stood Still" and "New Europeans". Following a live gig in London in February 1980 Chrysalis Records had become interested in the band and gave them studio time to record some demos. The band decided to concentrate on one song and record it properly. They recorded "Sleepwalk" and were offered a contract by Chrysalis.

The tracks for the album were then recorded at RAK Studios in London and later mixed in Conny Plank's studio in Germany. The song and later one of the most recognizable tracks by the band "Vienna", which had been written quickly in early 1980, was seen by the band as the musical high point of the album and the song that best represented what they wanted to do, so they decided to make it the title track of the album. 

The album had a slow start, but the release in January 1981 of the title track as the third single from the album heralded the band's commercial breakthrough worldwide and led to healthy sales throughout 1981. Reviews for Vienna were mixed, with Ure's introduction and the move towards mainstream pop dividing critics. Some critices praised the album considered enthusiastic and emotive music for all the cleverness of the arrangements and the technical skill that has gone into the playing and production... Synthesizer music with backbone and muscle. Others were divided and althought felt the album was good felt it contained weak moments,  the album was also full of conventional electronic rock songs which are beautifully executed but never inspiring. Perhaps its legacy was the winning formula of cold futurism and big rock textures, that took Ultravox out of the margins and into the big-haired '80s mainstream.

 

Vienna Track List:  

 

1. Astradyne

2. New Europeans

3. Private Lives

4. Passing Strangers

5. Sleepwalk

6. Mr. X

7. Western Promise

8. Vienna

9. All Stood Still