Midge Ure on an expansive double set that paves the way for more to come

With and without words

Midge Ure, former front man for Ultravox has a new album out. A double album, no less.

When I first heard about the new release, I was excited by the prospect that A Man of Two Worlds was a reference to the excellent album track of almost the same name on the dark, moody, Celtic Lament album. I imagined one ‘world’ as Ure’s solo work and the other as all of his other highly notable stuff; Ultravox, Thin Lizzy, Visage, Rich Kids, Slick, Band Aid and so on. But no, my excitement was unrequited. This is a double album of all new stuff, the title a nod to Ure’s capacity for writing music both with and without words.

Exquisite overtures

Well, OK, that’s still good news. Ure has produced or been involved in or covered some magnificent, soaring, grand instrumental tracks. Vienna opens with the exquisite Astrodyne. The live album, Monument, gets its very own overture of the same name. Ure’s solo career is littered with such gems as The Gift, from the album of the same name.

Reusing names is starting to become a bit of thing. Other instrumental tracks on that debut solo album include Antilles, Edo and The Chieftan, each one experimenting with different musical themes without the cumbersome baggage of having to make words rhyme. Even better, the spine tingling Supernatural and the breathtaking cover of Sleepwalk. Sprinkled throughout an album or setting the scene as a dramatic overture is where these wordless pieces shine best. But a whole CD of them? As good as they are, I’m not sure. It’s a disc to play on certain kinds of days.

Visual artistry

The album imagery is interesting. A mixture of abstract, Bauhaus and artsy portraits. Reminiscent of early Ultravox albums in its styling and presentation. All photos by Midge Ure who has turned to visual artistry alongside such names as Bryan Adams and Mark Fox (Haircut 100). Overlaid on said photos, the lyrics to the songs on the second disc. Speaking of which, you get eight new songs, replete with trademark ethereal harmonies, electronic distortions, guitar slides and soaring synths.

To my ear, there’s a bit too much distortion on the vocals. Ure has been much better in recent live tours at protecting his voice with lower transpositions and instrumental breaks. Almost everything on disc two is low key, moody and slow. Nothing to quite catch the upbeat energy of earlier work such as Dear God, That Certain Smile. or Cold, Cold Heart. The Man Who Stole Your Soul comes closer and would be a worthy anthem except… oh, that vocal distortion again. It sounds good occasionally but as with the instrumentals, maybe a bit too much and a bit too often? Leave them wanting more, as they say.

Let it go?

Moving beyond the musical presentation and into the content of the songs, we get stories of broken trust, political turmoil, trying to change the world, finding identity, losing love, rejection, more politics and more broken trust. Hmm. It’s not the heady optimism of The Gift, nor the joyful exuberance of Pure. It’s melancholy. Obviously, Ultravox were never particularly known for their celebratory lyrics (I Remember Death in the Afternoon, When the Scream Subsides, Dancing with Tears in My Eyes for example) but again, a change of pace would have been welcome.

If we look back over Ure’s considerable career and his influence on others, the raw electronic minimalism of Ultravox was already giving way to a more acoustic, organic sound from Lament onwards, leading into the breadth of experimentation of the early solo albums. That thread continues through this double set; overall it’s a refinement of where Ure’s stylistic choices have led him rather than something dramatically new.

It’s good stuff, but as a lifelong Midge Ure fan, I can’t help but feel that there’s something inside, still trying to get out. Something as yet unsaid or perhaps even undiscovered.

In Midge Ure’s very own words from his 1991 album track, Let It Go?, “Should I stand up, say what’s on my mind? Or let it go?” Maybe, yes. In 1985, Ure literally changed the world with a song. Maybe it’s time to just relax and enjoy it the way that it is for a while.

Here’s a release from the new album

Midge Ure: Website

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