''Brilliant'' (stylised as ''Brill!ant'') is the eleventh and final studio album by British
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
band
Ultravox, released on 25 May 2012 by
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright Ag ...
. It is the group's first studio album in 18 years, and the first in 28 years from the "classic" Ultravox line-up of
Midge Ure
James Ure (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s ...
, consisting of
,
Warren Cann and
Chris Cross (the last being 1984's ''
Lament''). The title track was released as its lead single, and premiered on 17 April 2012 on
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
.
''Brilliant'' debuted at number 21 on the
UK Albums Chart, selling 6,100 copies in its first week. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Background
Ure said in 2012: "We did get along on the reunion tour brilliantly and decided to make an album. It is such a weird thing to do what we did, to lock yourself away like we did in Canada, with no one else around. It was just Billy, Chris and I. Warren had commitments in Los Angeles and he didn't have to be part of it until later on. We were in the middle of the woods, in a cabin by the lake, it is freezing cold and there is no one there to talk to other than the band. But it worked out brilliantly mainly because we got along so well and the creativity was there. So the process of recording this was easy, it was great, it was very vibrant and exciting."
Currie said in 2012: "I discussed it with Midge and Chris as early as May 2009. They were not very interested then. We all got more serious about it while doing the 2010 'Return To Eden Part 2 tour' and in Sweden for the festivals, we spent the travelling time discussing how we would go about it. When we went over to Canada the first time in September 2010, we did not bring ideas with us to work on. I thought that was good. We all felt the same way. We had to start from scratch."
Cann's drums were recorded at
Studio City Sound in Los Angeles.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Brilliant''.
Ultravox
*
Warren Cann – drums
*
Chris Cross – bass, synthesiser
*
– piano, synthesiser, violin
*
Midge Ure
James Ure (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s ...
– vocals, guitar, synthesiser
Technical
*
Stephen Lipson – production, mixing
*
Ultravox – production, mixing
* Tom Weir – drum engineering
* Mazen Murad – mastering at
Metropolis Mastering (London)
* Darren Evans – sleeve design
Charts
Release history
Notes
References
{{Authority control
2012 albums
Albums produced by Stephen Lipson
Chrysalis Records albums
Ultravox albums