Ultravox - Rage in Eden
#482
By Anthony DeSantis
Ultravox
Rage In Eden
Genre: How did this not end up in a John Hughes movie?
Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5
Anthony’s Overall Rating: UltraMeh
There were two Anthonys. We met at freshman orientation but we didn't click immediately. I ended up living with the two Marks instead. There were a lot of repeat names back then because Catholics had no imagination. Still don't. My first non-CLASSIC RAAWWK experiences were guided by one of the Marks but it was Anthony who took over when Mark went to Emerson after freshman year. He was smart. I wish I'd gone to RISD but I don't know if I could have gotten in now and I certainly didn't think art was an option then. Goodbye Mark.
Anthony and Anthony had similar musical tastes as time went on but if you plotted us on a musical spectrum, then I tended a bit more toward the "With Sympathy" Ministry while he definitely preferred "The Land of Rape And Honey." Though we both danced for hours on Thursdays at the Rocket to whichever version was on.
Ultravox was definitely on the "With Sympathy" end of the spectrum and I dug it. I never owned an album except for the Greatest Hits and I played it a lot. Though I did feel a bit self conscious. Even then I knew it was a bit poncy. Well, a lot poncy.
Naming your band Ultravox is pretty arrogant. Almost as bad as naming yourself "Good Voice." Just because it's in Latin doesn't mean we don't think you're a tool, Paul Hewson.
To the tunes (Well, that went downhill quickly....):
THE VOICE - STRINGS STRINGS and Synth strings. Synthyliscious!! I believe the expression is "drenched" in synths. But what is he talking about? I have no idea. He is clearly emotionally charged about whatever it is and I'm afraid that what it is might just be his own voice as we discussed above. Is it possible to vocally masturbate oneself to orgasm? Someone call Midge and find out - incidentally, if one could forgive him for the band name it would be because he'd probably suffered under the weight of being Midge for his whole life.
But I dig this. The base is driving - chugging even, at times - in a good way. The sentiment: banal nonsense. I could totally Go Go's dance to this in my army reserve jacket and eyeliner. You betcha. I waited until I was 18 to get my ears pierced. I was definitely going to dye my hair and wear the eyeliner. Nothing amount of homophobia from the college preppies could stop me. Plus, I scooped (Providence College terminology) a few of their girlfriends.
score: 6 out of 5
WE STAND ALONE: Nice of Randy Rhoads to play guitar on this one. Holy shit there're some bad lyrics here:
"Your propaganda touched my soul"
"We stand in a different light that's cast upon this gigolo and gigolette"
"We shine with profiles so strong and clear"
WHAT?!! No clue.
score: Meh out of 5 - even thought the chic, Kim, with the cooler hair and bad breath would probably have loved this - she could Go Go's dance to this but I would not.
RAGE IN EDEN: Mooooooody. My goodness this man is obsessed with himself. Is it any wonder that he was one of the writers of "Do They Know It's Christmas" from when the era when Rock was going to save the Dark Continent. He also co-organized Live Aid with Bob Geldof. Lofty goals for a man who goes by the phonetic reversal of Jim.
score: Meh minus out of 5 ('m starting to really value the fact that I never purchased a full Ultravox album. Good on me for sticking to the Greatest Hits. That's all some bands can bear.
I REMEMBER (DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON): Just from the title I think we can guess where this is going. I can only guess that he's referring to the Space Shuttle disaster. That's the "Death In The Afternoon" I remember from that era - everyone watching TV and the vertical tower of smoke that exploded in front of all of us. Aaaaaaaaaand the song is over. Moving on. Though this one was a little better.
score: Meh Plus out of 5
THE THIN WALL: Ok. This one made the greatest hits. So, I know I could Go Go's to it. But so far he's babbling about a bunch of nonsense again. Fast - and he's out of breath. "They shuffle with a bovine grace and glide in syncopation.....?" Ok. A bunch of large folks at a wedding are doing the electric slide? Or is that "on the one?" Probably. Maybe I'm imagining my deep connection with JimMidge. Maybe he's describing the junior high dance in "Can't Buy Me Love" where the dorks standing against the wall recognize that Corey Haim's doing the African Anteater Ritual. Maybe this is where the African Connection started. They needed saving. JimMidge was avail.
BUT I dig this song. Staccato synth, skanking guitar licks, poncy keys.
score: 3.5 out of 5
STRANGER WITHIN: "Let's record beating on a cigarette can in the bathroom. Cool. I'll go get a mic cable." And downhill from there. It's what I imagine, JimMidge imagines doing too many quaaludes would be like. "VOICES!! THERE ARE VOICES..........INSIDE MEEEEEEEE!!!!"
Highlight lyric: "It's closing in more amour."
score: 3.5 mehs
THE ASCENT: spooky instrumental.......but is it really? Is that a vocal effect? Or isn't it? We will never care. But get that violin in there and warm it up for "Vienna."
score: UltraMeh
YOUR NAME (HAS SLIPPED MY MIND AGAIN): Sick burn. But not really. I think this is his lyric interpretation of "A Separate Peace." Why did they make us read those maudlin "classics" at a time when our Ultra emotional pubescent hormones were likely to drive us over the edge without such schlock?!!!
I think the board operator had to drive a fork into his eye to keep from giggling on this one.
score: PoncyMeh
PATHS AND ANGLES (BONUS TRAAAAAAACK!!!!): You know from the title we're going to suffer. Oh, wait....this is a little better. Nope. Nevermind. Go on about your business.
Oh, and the album name: "Rage In Eden." Why so angry? It's the name again, isn't it, Midge?
Maybe "The Land Of Rape And Honey" were the way to go. I think I won't go back and listen to "With Sympathy" out of kindness for my youth. I'm going to go watch the African Anteater Ritual.
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