I Love 1981 - pt. 8Bit of a cheat this one as it's not from 1981 at all, but rather a re-issue on the crest of the chart success of the new Ultravox with Vienna and all that. The original 1978 issue had bombed completely, as had the accompanying album Systems of Romance, Foxx-Vox's third LP issue. The Island re-release of the then John Foxx-led band is not completely unjustified however, as back in 1978 the track was so ahead of it's time that it fitted more than snugly into the brand new 80's context amidst the new sounds which had since been emerging.
Although even this time around the single only just scraped into the Top 40, the influence of this music three years hence had already been felt by many, including a young Gary Numan who has oft said that Ultravox and their music were the inspiration for him to get up and do his Tubeway Army synth-rock thang.
The unique style of Slow Motion (and similar tracks such as Dislocation and The Quiet Men also featured on this EP) with it's heavy synth bass, rock steady drums, and screeching keyboards were to all intents and purposes the blueprint for the new shiny new 80's Ultravox and were duly brought forward and developed by Messrs. Currie, Cross and Cann, with Midge Ure easily imitating the innovative scratchy guitar sound pioneered by Robin Simon (with Conny Plank producing then and now). Had John Foxx (pic. right) continued with the band, an ensuing product wouldn't have been to far removed from tracks like All Stood Still and New Europeans. But then again we would never have had Metamatic....
2 comments:
In '81 I was aware of, and loved, John Foxx and the Ure incarnation of Ultravox. This EP was an education. I was surprised and amazed by it and immediately went loking for 'Ultravox!' albums - I was not to be disappointed.
Gorgeous stuff.
nice. I, on the other hand, didn't go any further than this EP with Foxx-Vox. I can barely get through Systems of Romance.
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