Customer Reviews

If I Was: Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great album to add to your collection if you grew up as a big fan of 80's new-wave pop. Ultravox songs like "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" and "Reap The Wild Wind" were standards on stations like KROQ and 91X. Midge Ure's solo releases like "Dear God" and "Cold, Cold Heart" display his talent as a songwriter and performer. This compilation features high points like "Vienna" and low points like some bad cover songs, but in general this album is worth purchasing.

An essential CD for all fans of '80's techno. Ultravox is one of the best bands that no one seems to have heard of since they received little or no airplay here in the states. Midge Ure leaves a distinct mark on all of the songs that he worked on with Ultravox and he continues to produce moving song compositions to this day. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

it will be a sad day when he stops making music.its even sadder how he receives little to no attention from the masses.the saddest part is that hardly any store carries his cds(unless you look in the absurdly priced ''import'' section).this man has been creating music for decades and when i mention his name and the bands hes been in i get blank stares.his voice knows no bounds,his skill as a musician is top shelf.its not often you get those qualities in an artist.like bob dylan.been around before noah but his voice is as awefull now as it was in day 1.but he has incredible lyrics,so you have to deal with it.with midge,you get the whole package.great voice,very good lyrics,great music.i had the chance to see him live for his answers to nothing tour in nyc.he blew me and my friends away.the same friends that never heard of him.some concert-goers say the vibe makes it better than the cd product.maybe.but here,midge is even better live.his voice/music doesnt need the gimmicks of a studio or a dozen producers to make it work.that is true talent.he doesnt have to(i dont think he can)dance in hoochiewear or overwhelm his audience with fireworks or more background singers to help his voice(janet,britney,all the preteen junk thats out now,can you make that claim?)in his pre ultravox days(visage,the rich kids,and his short stint with phil lynotts group)he was more of a new waver and didnt really explore other genres.that was also the case with ultravox to an extent.on the cd''U-VOX''(which is my least midge ure led fave)he tried to take them out of the new wave trappings and into something different.it didnt work and therefore the band had to end.but who can forget the anthemes like''vienna'',''dancing with tears in my eyes'',''loves great adventure'',and 1 of my favorites''a friend i call desire''.when ultravox preformed for the LIVE AIDS concert,they received a rousing ovation and did an amazing encore on the strength of midges voice.singing''vienna'' live and not whimping out on the hard notes is a feat not easily pulled off.i would compare his voice to steve perrys of journey.but on his own he is able to escape that mold and let his brilliant array of stylings take over.be it ballads(the gift,the leaving-so long,let it go)or the uptempo songs(if i was,wasteland,that certain smile,lied,dear god,breathe,cold cold heart)he never fails to impress.his voice never disappoints,music never becomes stale.for those of you who havent given midge a listen to,i suggest you do.he may change your idea of what music should sound like.close your eyes and let your ears take over.

We have been moving a few times and somehow I misplaced my previous copy of this cd.. So.. I ordered it again.. I love it.. What's not to love about this great selection of songs and guy as a whole.. He is awesome.. Such a genius..!!!

I loved this CD enough to buy it again.. That should say it all!!!!

This CD is definitely the very best of Midge Ure & ULtravox. This compilation covers the best songs of Midge Ure's solo career as well as his work with Visage and Band Aid... and of course Ultravox. I mainly purchased this CD because I loved the song "If I was" which I consider Midge Ure's finest solo hit... and a great love song. Yes, this compilation is missing other great hits of Ultravox like "Hymn" or "Love's Great Adventure" but I still highly recommend this CD. Every time I listen to this CD, it definitely brings back a lot of memories of the 80s. A must have for fans of British New Wave/synth pop music.

Bought it thanks to hearing their Xmas tune about Africa/Fedding the world. Loved all the songs over time, but took me a bit to appreciate them as they are eclectic. An old band worth your ears.

Midge urr is the king of synth. I love all his stuff. I like his ultravox music alot. Standout song for me is breath I love it.

If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox~ Midge Ure is a good compilation of Midge Ures best tracks. However, it is a bit odd as it is lacking some major tracks like the thin wall, the hymn. Yet this seems to be a more a compilation of all the bands that he has been in (like Ultravox, Visage and others). The cover is fair enough, but he does look a bit haggard and quite old. Still and all this a fair compilation that gets the 4 stars that it deserves.

This "hit & miss" collection should have been called, "If I Was: An Awkward Collection of Songs by Midge Ure, Ultravox, Visage, Rich Kids and Feed The World". Ultravox had a number of good songs without Midge (when John Foxx sung). The best song on here might be the new wave synth classic "Fade To Grey" by Visage (neither Midge Ure solo nor Ultravox). That song alone plus the Ultravox staples "Vienna" and "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" makes the CD worth owning and ensures a decent rating at least. The disc doesn't quite give the listener enough material to fully appreciate what Ultravox was all about. You get a couple of great ones, but you never are fully aware that they were at the height of late 70's/early 80's style pop in the same milieu as Roxy Music and the more esoteric moments or Bowie. There is a smattering of Ure's solo works, but none really match up to the aforementioned. His covers never were very good as he loses the purpose of the originals and never claims them as him own either. Basically he just ruins a couple of songs done better by the original artists. These were done at the point where he was trying to rival Bryan Ferry as a legendary crooner. Needless to say, he failed miserably. Ferry could sing the McDonald's menu and make it unforgettable; Midge Ure doesn't have such powers. Furthermore, why would anyone put "Do They Know It's Christmas?" on their comp? Disastrous to say the least. In sum though, this album has enough decent material to make it worthwhile. However I've got to imagine there's a better way to get to know Ultravox and Visage.

If you haven't heard Vienna and Fade to Grey, then you haven't really heard Ultravox, which was one of the better British electropop bands. On the other hand, this isn't the album to buy, since the Midge Ure covers of No Regrets and Bowie's Man Who Sold the World are terrible.