Collecting B-sides from the
Vienna to the
Quartet era,
Rare, Vol. 1 is a much better prospect than
Vol 2. which comes from
Ultravox's later, less interesting years. Here the band was still full of life and as many of the less formal tracks display, willing to experiment. The rickety "Keep Talking" is the strange sound of
Ultravox jamming and if you've never been able to connect this cold band to member
Midge Ure's earlier, more glam outfit
the Rich Kids then you haven't heard their aggressive cover of
Brian Eno's "King's Lead Hat" (and you really should). There's also the German language version of
Vienna's "Mr. X" along with the fan favorite "Passionate Reply," plus a handful live cuts. While
Rare, Vol. 1 was a godsend for fans when it was released in 1994, anyone who purchased the expanded reissues that later appeared have received many of these tracks as bonus cuts and should take duplication into consideration. ~ David Jeffries