U-Vox

Released in 1986 on the Chrysalis label, U-Vox stands as the eighth studio album by the British new wave band Ultravox. This record marked a pivotal transition for the group, serving as the final project to feature Midge Ure, whose departure shortly thereafter brought an end to the band's most commercially successful lineup. Produced by Conny Plank alongside the band, the album reflects the shifting landscape of mid-eighties pop, moving away from the stark, cold synth-pop of their earlier work toward a more polished, orchestrated, and at times cinematic sound that mirrored the prevailing production trends of the era.

The design of the album's packaging reflects the departure from the minimalist, stark aesthetics of the band's earlier releases like Vienna or Rage in Eden. While the record was met with mixed reviews from critics who felt the band had drifted too far from the darker, experimental roots that defined their cult status, it remains a significant artifact for its attempt to integrate full string sections and traditional song structures into a rock framework. The catalog number cdl 1545-1 identifies the standard LP pressing, which stands today as a document of the internal creative pressures and stylistic evolution Ultravox navigated during the closing chapters of the eighties synth-pop movement.