Переиздание альбома британской нью-вэйв группы.
Whenever I begin to champion this album, I always commence with an apologetic disclaimer and this review will not diverge from that well-trodden path. It must be stated, that the original Ultravox line-up, fronted by John Foxx, bore no resemblance to the later, `Slick' - Viennese-rollers fronted by that chameleon of popular culture - Midge Ure.
When `Systems of Romance' was released in the late summer of 1978, Ultravox had already released two previous albums. The first being; `Ultravox!' (1977) released at the height of punk. This Eno produced, Bowie influenced record saw the band slated for their unfashionable cyber-punk stance. The follow up `Ha! Ha! Ha!' released in the latter end of the same year was a harder, `punkier' affair, but the final track `Hiroshima mon Amour', revealed a new, romantic element to the band, out went the pseudo-goth lyrics, and in came European, mechanic sensibility.
I had loved the cover of `Ha! Ha! Ha!' the misaligned, 3D starkness of the band, reeked of un-Romanised punk imagery, but yet it contained a psychedelic aloofness that was despised by the music press. John Foxx had planted a seed in my head at the end of Ultravox's last album and I anticipated, what I hoped would be the greatest album ever recorded. My wish that this new album would follow the direction of `Hiroshima mon Amour', was fuelled by the fact that Stevie Shears, the `punk' guitarist had been replaced by a - `long-hair' Robin Simon. On the day of its release, I was not disappointed.
`Systems of Romance' was recorded by Conrad Plank at the legendary Krautrock producer's own studio near Cologne. At the time of recording (1978), no one was producing music like this for it was considered pretentious and unfashionable in the post-punk rock climate.
