Review: This limited edition neon-yellow LP captures the power of U2's historic performance at the RDS Arena, Dublin in August 1993, a highlight of their groundbreaking ZOO TV Tour. Pressed on vinyl for the first time, this release should be a coveted collectible for both fans and collectors. Opening with the dramatic 'Zoo Station,' the track sets a powerful tone, showcasing U2's innovative approach to live performance at the time. The energetic 'Mysterious Ways' follows, a standout hit from the Achtung Baby album, its infectious rhythm exemplifying the band's dynamic range. 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World' adds depth to the EP with its reflective and expansive feel, highlighting the band's ability to blend introspection with grandeur. 'Stay (Faraway, So Close!)' offers a poignant and often underrated ballad from the era, providing a softer contrast to the more intense tracks. Finally, 'Love Is Blindness,' a cult favorite also from Achtung Baby, brings a haunting and intense conclusion to the set. The 12" heavyweight vinyl is adorned with a gloss UV varnish on the outer sleeve, enhancing its visual appeal and making this release a striking addition to any collection.
Review: U2 are back with a brand new single, the single-sided record edition of 'Atomic City', produced by Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite. Pre-empting the band's upcoming residency at Sphere in Las Vegas - a venue fit for the band's stature - the track is a hip-shaking, knee-slapping call into the unknown, hearing lead singer and public favourite Bono singing of lamented lost futures and calls for the city of Las Vegas to reckon with itself, referencing its status as a hotbed of 1950s nuclear tourism. This limited edition vinyl copy comes on alabaster transparent 7" vinyl, and the B-side features an exclusive etching.
Review: Ultraista put out a highly acclaimed album in March and now it gets remixed by some superb underground electronic artists. Floating Points ditches his intricate prog and synth work of recent times to turn in a nice glitchy garage mix. American FaltyDL then soars up to the heavens on nice soulful vocal and shimmering drums and Zero 7 goes for a slower, more downtempo vibe for chilled home sessions. After a flurry of jungle percussion and drums from Crate Classics, Leifur James closes things down with intricate electronics and pensive synths. No two tunes here are alike, and all are essential.
Review: U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb gets a lavish 20th-anniversary treatment with this limited edition 8xLP super deluxe boxset. The collection revisits the Grammy-winning album and is newly remastered. The original album, featuring massive hits like Vertigo and City of Blinding Lights, is now paired with a fascinating companion piece titled How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb. This piece was a second album that was recorded at the same time as the main album with exclusive remixes by collaborators such as Hot Chip and Trent Reznor adding fresh perspectives on familiar tracks, while live enthusiasts can rejoice with the inclusion of the full Vertigo 2005: Live From Chicago performanceinow available on vinyl for the first time. The package's extras elevate this release into collector's territory. A stunning photography book by Anton Corbijn, complete with handwritten notes, captures the visual essence of the band, while special edition prints provide a tactile, artistic flourish.
B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition
White China (3:49)
One Small Day (4:23)
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (4:37)
Lament (4:35)
Man Of The Two Worlds (4:25)
Heart Of The Country (5:07)
When The Time Comes (4:57)
A Friend I Call Desire (5:11)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***
The 40th Anniversary Edition of Ultravox's Lament offers a fresh perspective on a seminal album from 1984. The album, produced by Ultravox ithe preceding year, is a defining moment in their career, marked by the UK Top 10 hit 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes' and notable singles like 'One Small Day' and the title track 'Lament.' Musically, Lament stands as a sophisticated blend of new wave and synth-pop with a darker, introspective edge, the tracks exhibiting a polished yet emotionally charged sound, driven by Midge Ure's poignant vocals and the band's intricate arrangements and the album's themes of emotional turmoil and societal commentary are given new life through this comprehensive reissue.
Review: This refreshed edition of the standout album from Ultravox comes as part of Record Store Day Black Friday 2024 and has been mixed in majestic stereo by Steven Wilson. It arrives on a double CD and pays tribute to one of the band's most influential works and in the process highlights the groundbreaking sound that defined their era. The album retains its timeless appeal all these years on and mixes up the innovative essence of the original with a modern touch. Alongside the original tracks, this edition includes instrumental versions that serve up a deeper exploration of the music and make it a must-own piece for fans old or new.
Review: The sixth studio album by British synth pop legends Ultravox landed in 1982, and peaked at an impressive number six in an albums chart that was still highly competitive. By December that year, the record had clocked up more than 100,000 copies, earning a Gold certificate from the BPI, while also ranking in US and German hit lists around the same time. Notable as it saw George Martin (affectionally known to some as The Fifth Beatle) stepping up to the helm, this veteran apparently claimed the band were "the most musical" he'd worked with in years. Agree or not, the record is bold and theatrical, at times taking us out on the town in bleep-happy Sheffield (or some such synth domain), in other moments inviting us to partake in a strange electronic cabaret.
Review: This Ultravox classic gets a special release for Record Store Day Black Friday 2024 on double vinyl complete with a stunning stereo mix by Steven Wilson. This version offers a refreshed take on the iconic album and is a fine homage to one of the band's most defining works. It reminds just how groundbreaking their sound was at the time and it still has a modern twist that makes it feel relevant now. Instrumentals are all included next to the originals for added depth.
Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again) (instrumental) (4:23)
Review: First released in 1981, and garnering the 100,000-plus sales needed to hit Gold certification pretty quickly after arrival - a feat which, back in the glory days of charts, was still only enough for you to peak at #4 in the albums league - at the time this was a case of Ultravox, here in the height of the Midge Ure years, taking the electronic explorations that defined the previous two full-length records, Systems of Romance and Vienna, even further, returning to the same Cologne studio to achieve that quality and feeling.
Of course, there are still shades of the band as they were in formative, mid-1970s years, which many still forget was a far (far) rockier beast. Nevertheless, the synths make the most lasting impression here, with the LP somehow sounding kind of stark, a little cold and distant, perhaps even enigmatic, yet full and in many ways fun.
Review: Four piece outfit The Umbrellas call themselves "renegade romantics" and they are adept at making irresistible indie pop hymns. 2021 marked the year they dropped their successful breakout debut album and in the wake of that they went on national tours and got plenty of critical acclaim. Fairweather Friend is the difficult second album that didn't prove so and brought yet more lush and candied melodies with confident guitar, great vocals and plenty of studio finesse. Not bad for a group that met at San Francisco record emporium Amoeba Music.
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