2012 studio album in the reunited '80s quartet featuring the band's classic hit-making line-up: Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann. Recorded in Canada, Los Angeles and the UK, Brilliant sees Ultravox expanding their classic sonic template and reminding us with their strength as songwriters in the highest caliber. Dramatic, passionate and truly epic in scale and sound, Brilliant is not just a prescient reminder of how great this reborn band are, but an exilerating and vital addition for an extraordinary catalog of music which today sounds more current and influential than previously. EMI.

Brilliant is a lot better than I thought it will be. Songs like Lie and Satellite are as good as their best work, with all the current classic Ultravox elements present and correct, so that it is mystifying that they should be hidden away near the end of the album. Mind you, the very first three songs will also be good, with Midge employing a sort of whispery vocal around the title track take a different slant. The synth sounds can also be a good mix with the familiar plus more up to date sounds that produce this a distinctly modern-day Ultravox. You know instantly who it really is but songs like Rise ensure it is more than just a rehash of past glories. Overall, I think this is a better album than Lament, or any situation that followed it, and is also right on the websites for with Rage in Eden and Vienna (Quartet is my favourite Ure-era album). With a harder edge it might have been as effective as either but songs like Change and Remembering are pretty soft along with the production might be a too slick for my taste. It helps to show it up but the guitars are mixed excessively far back.

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I've also heard that this quieter album and his subsequent solo acoustic tour have to do with his current hearing problems from playing with Whiskeytown and the Cardinals electric for all these years. That said, I find the melodies to be strong and reminiscent of the Gram Parsons reference he's been trying to shake for all these years with his different adopted personae but has outlived. I think Glyn Johns definitely brings a decidedly classic-rock, California country-rock vibe to this album with his production. It reminds me of Neil Young's "After the Goldrush" quite a bit actually. "Dirty Rain", the title track and "Do I Wait" are definitely standouts but I also found myself drawn to the more laid-back "Rocks", "Save Me", "Kindness" and "Lucky Now". A very, very solid albeit laid-back record. I actually think a big loud rocker would have ruined this record for me, I'm sure he has those to come and I love that side of him also, but not on this album. I'm perfectly happy with a laid-back record with good melodies and the acoustic vibe.

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Ashes & Fire 2011

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