Ultravox - Brilliant
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It would be trivial to mention in the first sentence of this review that I’ve been waiting for a very long time for this album to be released. That I had impatiently put the disc into the player and that the first tens seconds of the opening track "Live" already made me jump up from the chair would be another. Unfortunately, writing a review of the latest Ultravox album "Brilliant" had seemed to me somehow impossible without these banalities. After all, it is all plain truth and then again a definite benchmark on which the newest Ultravox album should be evaluated. After doing this, yet another triviality comes to mind that the only, genuine and unique Ultravox line-up is Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann. Let’s draw a veil over any other configuration. The "real" Ultravox sound is one and only and let’s finally end with the banalities and cut to the chase, because the content of this record is definitely not banal. It is just another successful return of "rock music romantics" after OMD and Duran Duran. Listening to "Brilliant" is like talking to a person that were once close to you, and that you haven’t heard of for several years – you have no way of knowing what had happened throughout all these years. Even though it takes some time to overcome the initial distance, the sensation under your skin tells you that these old fluids we’re not lost but simply waiting for a right time to burst out again. I seems as if we were parted yesterday and the same words reclaim their meaning again.
Ultravox does not develop a new trend with this album, doesn’t breach any barriers, but sincerely - has anyone expected it to do so? I doubt it. However, in emotional dimension it is beyond words. Marvelous, simply breathtaking serenade plucked on the heart strings. "Live" can’t aspire to be a hit in terms of "Dancing with tears in my eyes" and "Brilliant" won’t become a new "We came to dance", however references to the latter are clearly audible and such associations inevitable. Who cares anyway? There is absolutely no point in that, because new songs of Ultravox are new, not old. By the way, searching for old patterns and quotes can bring about a lot of enjoyment, especially that they can often be found in some of the songs. Listen closely to "Rise" or "Satellite" for instance. Undoubtedly, the band has still got a lot of potential to exploit and holds all the trump cards as it did in the past. It can be excellently heard on "Brilliant".
As much as I don’t like rankings and comparing, this time I am just unable to resist listing "Brilliant" among my favourite three albums of the year, and as for now it occupies the highest place on the podium. Hopefully it’s not a one-off feat and on the following releases we can expect equally good, if not better songs. I wish it wholeheartedly for You and myself.
Tracklist:
01. Live
02. Flow
03. Brilliant
04. Change
05. Rise
06. Remembering
07. Hello
08. One
09. Fall
10. Lie
11. Satellite
12. Contact
Ultravox does not develop a new trend with this album, doesn’t breach any barriers, but sincerely - has anyone expected it to do so? I doubt it. However, in emotional dimension it is beyond words. Marvelous, simply breathtaking serenade plucked on the heart strings. "Live" can’t aspire to be a hit in terms of "Dancing with tears in my eyes" and "Brilliant" won’t become a new "We came to dance", however references to the latter are clearly audible and such associations inevitable. Who cares anyway? There is absolutely no point in that, because new songs of Ultravox are new, not old. By the way, searching for old patterns and quotes can bring about a lot of enjoyment, especially that they can often be found in some of the songs. Listen closely to "Rise" or "Satellite" for instance. Undoubtedly, the band has still got a lot of potential to exploit and holds all the trump cards as it did in the past. It can be excellently heard on "Brilliant".
As much as I don’t like rankings and comparing, this time I am just unable to resist listing "Brilliant" among my favourite three albums of the year, and as for now it occupies the highest place on the podium. Hopefully it’s not a one-off feat and on the following releases we can expect equally good, if not better songs. I wish it wholeheartedly for You and myself.
Tracklist:
01. Live
02. Flow
03. Brilliant
04. Change
05. Rise
06. Remembering
07. Hello
08. One
09. Fall
10. Lie
11. Satellite
12. Contact
