Top tracks — play these first
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I Want to Be a Machine — This track embodies the band's experimental ethos, fusing mechanical rhythms with existential lyrics about identity and technology, which became central themes in their later work.
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Saturday Night in the City of the Dead — Opening the album with an infectious energy, this track sets a tone of urban desolation and nightlife that encapsulates the band's aesthetic vision.
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My Sex — With its provocative title and bold lyrics, this song explores themes of desire and sexuality through a starkly modern lens, showcasing the band's edgy approach.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases innovative synth work and jagged guitar riffs, marking an important step in new wave music.
What we noticed
- The opening track features a driving beat with layered synths and guitar, establishing a high-energy atmosphere that persists through the first half.
- Several tracks incorporate abrupt tempo changes, such as 'I Want to Be a Machine', which shifts from a steady pulse to frenetic bursts of sound.
- The album closes with 'My Sex', which combines spoken word elements with a pulsating rhythm, creating a stark contrast to earlier tracks.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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5/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo listening experience
- urgent synth lines energize sessions
- explorative themes of urban life
- engaging narrative through track progression
Maybe skip if you
- prefer instant gratification tracks
- seek purely upbeat party vibes
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in January 1977, 'Ultravox!' is Ultravox's debut album, marking the band's arrival on the British music scene. At this point, they were experimenting with electronic sounds and a distinct visual aesthetic, laying the groundwork for their future influence in the new wave genre.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Gary Numan· Kraftwerk· Depeche Mode
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Saturday Night in the City of the Dead 2:36
- 2 Life at Rainbow’s End (For All the Tax Exiles on Main Street) 3:44
- 3 Slip Away 4:18
- 4 I Want to Be a Machine 7:24
- 5 Wide Boys 3:17
- 6 Dangerous Rhythm 4:18
- 7 The Lonely Hunter 3:45
- 8 The Wild, the Beautiful & The Damned 5:51
- 9 My Sex 3:02
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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