Rare, Vol. 1 – Ultravox

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 than 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, All Music Guide