Ultravox emerged from the punk scene of the mid/late 70’s in the UK at the vanguard of the new wave movement, using the punk aesthetic of ‘do-it-youself’ or ‘have-a-go’, substituting synthesizers for the punk rock favourite guitars. Ultravox had started their evolution into punks with synthesizers.
Their debut release Ultravox! is an album of futuristic and science fiction-tinged songs dealing in the popular topics of the time, alienation, Ballardian dystopias and disintegration, reflecting contemporary Britain of the late 70’s.
Ultarvox! resembles a punkier edged Roxy Music, and Brian Eno leant his considerable producing powers to this release infusing it with plenty of glitter and dark gloss in equal measure. John Foxx sounds raw and urgent on tracks such as ‘Saturday Night In The City Of The Dead’ and ‘Wide Boys’ reflecting topics such as the destruction of Western civilisation.
Guitar is still king on this album and the synths take more of a back seat being used as texture and filler rather than the lead instrument it would eventually become on later releases. However when employed the synth is harsh and counter-melodic reflecting the stark and futurist theme of the album.
More about the message than the music, this is an album from a band leaving the ashes of a previous incarnation, Tiger Lily, behind and establishing a new path. They were trying something new, experimenting with a conventional setup of drums, bass, guitar and overlaying something new to subvert the form. Just as cheap electric guitars allowed the 60’s to happen, synthesizers in the 70’s enabled the New Wave movement to grow and expand, and bands like Ultravox to flourish along with the likes of The Human League, Tubeway Army and Japan.
This album is one of those moments of crossover being caught, when punk started to morph into post-punk and then new wave.
