Rage in Eden

Rage in Eden is the fifth studio album by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 11 September 1981 through Chrysalis Records. The album reached #4 in the UK album charts and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies.

Rage in Eden
Studio album by
Ultravox
Released11 September 1981
Recorded1981
StudioConny's Studio (Cologne)
Genre
Length45:34
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Ultravox chronology
Vienna
(1980)		 Rage in Eden
(1981)		 Quartet
(1982)
Singles from Rage in Eden
  1. "The Thin Wall"
    Released: 14 August 1981
  2. "The Voice"
    Released: 29 October 1981
Alternative cover
Used for later releases
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Release Magazine[2]
Smash Hits[3]

Content

The album continues the electronic new wave style the band had developed on their previous two albums Systems of Romance and Vienna, but has a more complex and introspective sound. The album includes several lengthy tracks and the last three tracks are interconnected to one long sequence. The lyrics to the songs feature obscure and surreal imagery. The chorus of the title track "Rage in Eden" is the chorus of "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" played backwards.[4]

Background

Like the band's previous two albums, Rage in Eden was co-produced by Conny Plank. It was recorded at his studio in Cologne, West Germany. It took Ultravox three months to record the album, and unlike the Vienna album, the members had not written any material before they went into the studio.

Cann said about the recording 2009: "We used the success to give us the opportunity. We knew it was a great position to be in – to have a hit record behind us giving us a bit of clout, so we decided to really stick our necks out and do something we always wanted to do, which was to not be well prepared before we went in the studio, but use the studio fully as an instrument to make ‘Rage In Eden’. "One day we were working on 'Death in the Afternoon' and during the course of doing something backwards, we heard some backing vocals for the chorus in reverse. Backwards it sounded fantastic, like another language or a chant or whatever. It gave us an idea - we copied the backwards sound to a fresh reel of multitrack running the right way. From there we built up the song 'Rage in Eden'.[5]

The abstract album artwork was designed by Peter Saville, known for his collaborations with New Order. All re-issues of the album since 1981, however, have different artwork, due to licensing problems concerning the original cover.

The remastered definitive edition, released on 22 September 2008, features a second disc containing rare and previously unreleased material. In addition to this, the original front cover artwork has been reinstated. The licensing of the original artwork currently only extends as far as the initial run of the physical release of the album (set at ten thousand copies worldwide). Future editions feature the same artwork as used on the previous CD re-issue.

Midge Ure said about the album: "I think 'Rage in Eden' was always one of my favourite albums. There's a starkness about it, an austre, mystical distance, a coldness to it but a coldness that kind of works."[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie, and Midge Ure.

Original release: CHR 1338 Side A:

  1. "The Voice" – 6:01
  2. "We Stand Alone" – 5:39
  3. "Rage in Eden" – 4:12
  4. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" – 4:57

Side B:

  1. "The Thin Wall" – 5:39
  2. "Stranger Within" – 7:26
  3. "Accent on Youth" – 5:57
  4. "The Ascent" – 1:10
  5. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)" – 4:29

Original CD release: 253 958

  1. "The Voice" – 6:00
  2. "We Stand Alone" – 5:40
  3. "Rage in Eden" – 4:13
  4. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" – 4:59
  5. "The Thin Wall" – 5:41
  6. "Stranger Within" – 7:26
  7. "Accent on Youth" – 5:57
  8. "The Ascent" – 1:07
  9. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)" – 4:30

CD re-release: 7243 8 57409 2 3

  1. "The Voice" – 6:01
  2. "We Stand Alone" – 5:39
  3. "Rage in Eden" – 4:12
  4. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" – 4:57
  5. "The Thin Wall" – 5:39
  6. "Stranger Within" – 7:26
  7. "Accent on Youth" – 4:45
  8. "The Ascent" – 2:19
  9. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)" – 4:29

Bonus tracks:

  1. "I Never Wanted to Begin" – 3:31
  2. "Paths and Angles" – 4:19
  3. "I Never Wanted to Begin (Extended Version)" – 6:17

Remastered Definitive Edition

Disc One

  1. "The Voice" – 6:01
  2. "We Stand Alone" – 5:39
  3. "Rage in Eden" – 4:12
  4. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)" – 4:57
  5. "The Thin Wall" – 5:39
  6. "Stranger Within" – 7:26
  7. "Accent on Youth" – 4:45
  8. "The Ascent" – 2:19
  9. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)" – 4:29

Disc Two

  1. "I Never Wanted to Begin" (B-side of The Thin Wall) – 3:31
  2. "Paths and Angles" (B-side of The Voice) – 4:19
  3. "I Never Wanted to Begin (Extended Version)" – 6:17
  4. "Private Lives (Live)" – 4:51
  5. "All Stood Still (Live)" – 4:19
  6. "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon) (Live)" – 5:47
  7. "Stranger Within (Live)" – 8:02
  8. "Rage in Eden (Live)" – 4:26
  9. "Accent on Youth (Live)" – 4:45
  10. "The Ascent (Live)" – 2:27
  11. "Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again) (Live)" – 4:45
  12. "Stranger Within (Work in Progress Mix)" – 7:11
  13. "The Thin Wall (Work in Progress Mix)" – 5:16
  • Tracks 4–5 recorded live at Crystal Palace, 13 June 1981.
  • Tracks 4–5 originally released as B-sides to the 12" version of "The Voice".
  • Tracks 6–11 recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, 17 October 1981.
  • Tracks 6–13 previously unreleased.

Chart positions

Album

Chart Position
UK 4
Australia[7] 20
Sweden 5
Norway 20
Germany 48
US 144

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[8] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel
Ultravox
  • Warren Cann – drums, electronic percussion, vocals, (lead vocals on "Paths and Angles")
  • Chris Cross – bass, synthesizers, vocals, (guitar on "Paths and Angles")
  • Billy Currie – synthesizers, piano, violin, viola
  • Midge Ure – lead vocals, guitars, synthesizers (except "Paths and Angles")
Additional personnel

References
  1. Thompson, Dave. Rage in Eden at AllMusic
  2. Eliasson, Tobias (6 November 2008). "Ultravox: Rage in Eden". Release Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  3. Black, Johnny (19 September 1981). "Album Reviews (Ultravox - "Rage In Eden")". Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 19. EMAP Metro. p. 29.
  4. Ultravox Rage in Eden Diffuser.fm
  5. "Classic Pop Magazine presents 1981". Classic Pop Magazine 2021: 49. 1 July 2021.
  6. "Classic Pop presents 1981". Classic Pop Magazine 2021: 47. 1 July 2021.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "New Zealand album certifications – Ultravox – rage In Eden". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  9. "British album certifications – Ultravox – Rage In Eden". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 November 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Rage In Eden in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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