Visage – Visage

New wave New Romantic commercial mainstream crap. This was the beginning of post punk crossover to dance bullshit. I'll give you an example. Human League Being Boiled to Human League Don't You Want Me. Look at what happened to Ultravox after John Foxx left

I picked up this LP in a haul of 3 for £5 in record shop yesterday along with Pretenders II and Abba Arrival and so glad I did. As an Ultravox mega fan I'm embarrassed to say that I've reached the age of 52 and never heard the album before. What an absolute treat, I can't believe how good it is! I'm now on the hunt for their second album...

this album is practically immortal the music of this record will live eternally a masterpiece of absolute sonic emotion this record will remain forever engraved in my mind an emotion without end that will last forever even the cover is absolutely magnificent this is the music I like the most the more you listen to this record and the more you get caught by a vortex of endless emotions I would have liked to be there in 80s London and experience the new romantic movement firsthand visage remain by far one of the most magnificent bands at least for me I am firmly convinced that all the first three albums are simply wonderful I would like one day to meet all the of visage in person and express my total gratitude for the music they made and I hope that when I too have to leave this life I can meet the great steve strange and be able to hug him rest in peace steve strange

What an album...very underrated in of 80s new wave/synth stuff.

Visage...basically a combination of Magazine and Ultravox! With Steve Strange thrown in for good measure!

Neglected in favour of "Fade To Grey", Visage's work in general remains somewhat overlooked - of the first batch of group's studio records, the 1980 s/t debut album and its follower "The Anvil" remain the most stunning, now deserved timeless classics that cemented Visage's status of a supergroup.

Hedonistic lifestyle, the arrogance and mental crisis that sadly followed aside, Visage wasn't just session work done for Steve Strange pushed upfront in the New Romantics' heyday as "the face" of the band (literally though, but it also turned out a bit of a curse).

Each member contributed - while the trademark sound remains as if Ultravox made "Vienna pt. II" (Billy Currie and Midge Ure respectively), Rusty Egan, Steve Strange, Dave Formula, John McGeoch and Barry Adamson all contributed with their own ideas, paying inmost attention to detail. For the year 1980, the resulting album still sounds amazingly fresh - from a 2015 time distance, it kept the aroma of a fine old wine and now may singlehandedly be considered the ultimate 80s sound blueprint tailored, not just in of - or for - fashion victims of the time.

"New size, new shapes" is a daring opening line, directing a trend and a flavour, a sort-of "innocent" vision of the future that is forever lost in decadence and self-indulgent lifestyle theatrics. The albatross around Visage's neck is undoubtedly the aforementioned metahit - a strong chart-topping champion to be sure, but the remaining part of the album holds far bigger surprises. Considering the perverse impact of "Fade To Grey" alone, it seems as if the other 9 songs all form the actual "b-side", patiently waiting in the shadows until being discovered a "Pandora's Box".

Think of it as a diary - that kicks off enthusiastically (with "Visage"), taking upon a road without knowing where the day (or night, in this case) will take you and then throughout the record, you find yourself going through the shifts - desolation ("Blocks On Blocks"), nightlife ("The Dancer"), cheap thrills ("Tar"), heroics ("Malpaso Man", a funny ode to Clint Eastwood), decline ("Mind of a Toy"), escapism ("Moon Over Moscow"), travel ("Visa-Age")... In between, some of the tracks feature hidden rotating synthdrum-fuelled snippets that add to uncertainty and tension, giving the entire album a bit more experimental feel.

The record alone depicts the ultimate rise and fall of the New Romantics - exposing some of the movements' darker secrets, which are given a perfect reflection in the closing number, "The Steps". With its simplistic pounding beat, howling sounds and dramatic crescendos on top, the instrumental piece depicts an ending scene in which the masks have fallen off, revealing the sheer grotesque of a party over.

Hence, "Visage" may be the 80s' real-life answer to "Phantom of the Opera" or "Dorian Gray"... A perfect pop-study on narcissism, the image that tends to last forever but is all too fragile to keep up with the temptations that creep up around it. And it ain't like in the movies at all. Never was. Only legends. R. I. P. Steve.

One of the highlights on this masterpiece of New Romanticism is Visa-Age.

Combining the best of Midge Ure's songwriting & production with an awesome electro vocodered-vocal backing, the track is a great testament to the New Romantic sound.

So many good songs on this album, of course.

A stone-cold classic!

Incredible production/sound design on this LP.
Shame 'Frequency 7' didn't make the cut...
Great vocoder on 'Blocks on Blocks' : )

No one has written a review about this album yet, how strange is it ! I'll be the first one, and I'll take it as an honor.
Is there something more to say about the megahit "Fade to grey" ? (used by plenty of poor sharks to reach fame).
But about the rest of the album ?

All the tracks are inspired, marked by the talent of Ultravox.
Visage was the first "super group" of the new wave current. The real cream of the synthetic new wave musicians was involved in it : a part of Steve Strange. This reunion of strong personalities could have given a terrible brew, but it was anything else : the result is a reference album with ten catchy pop songs, often danceable (listen to the ultra groovy "Malpaso man" or "Moon over Moscow") and sometimes more romantic ("Mind of a toy" or "The steps" [in a Ultravox' Vienna mood])).

If you love new wave, this one is a must-have, even 30 years later.