Visage (Visage album)
Visage is the debut studio album by the British new wave band Visage. It was recorded at Genetic Sound Studios in Reading, Berkshire and released in November 1980 by Polydor Records.
Visage | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1979–1980 | |||
Studio | Genetic Studios, Reading, Berkshire, England | |||
Genre | Synthpop, new wave | |||
Length | 38:27 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | Visage, Martin Rushent | |||
Visage chronology | ||||
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Singles from Visage | ||||
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Release
Visage was released in November 1980. It reached No. 13 in the UK and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry in March 1981.[1][2] "Fade to Grey" was released as a single and became a hit, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and Top 10 positions in Europe, including No. 1 in Germany and Switzerland. Further singles, "Mind of a Toy" and the title track "Visage" were also UK Top 30 hits. The album was reissued as an expanded CD edition remastered from the original master tapes by Rubellan Remasters in the US in 2018.[3]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | B−[5] |
Smash Hits | 5/10[6] |
Aaron Krehbie of Digital Audio commented that "Moon over Moscow" and "Blocks on Blocks" are "perfect examples of Visage at its best". However, Krehbie also opined that the album was not "the group's best effort", preferring the group's next album, The Anvil.[7]
In his retrospective review, Dan LeRoy of AllMusic wrote "this is the music that best represents the short-lived but always underrated new romantic movement", calling it "a consistently fine creation".[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Visage (Billy Currie, Rusty Egan, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, Steve Strange and Midge Ure), except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Visage" | 3:53 | |
2. | "Blocks on Blocks" | 4:00 | |
3. | "The Dancer" | Egan, Ure | 3:40 |
4. | "Tar" | Barry Adamson, Currie, Egan, Formula, McGeoch, Strange, Ure | 3:32 |
5. | "Fade to Grey" | Currie, Chris Payne, Ure | 4:02 |
No. | Title | Length |
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6. | "Malpaso Man" | 4:14 |
7. | "Mind of a Toy" | 4:28 |
8. | "Moon Over Moscow" | 4:00 |
9. | "Visa-age" | 4:20 |
10. | "The Steps" | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
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11. | "Fade to Grey (Dance Mix)" | 6:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
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11. | "We Move" | 4.00 |
12. | "Fade to Grey (Dance Mix)" | 6.43 |
13. | "Mind of a Toy (Dance Mix)" | 5.15 |
14. | "Visage (Dance Mix)" | 6.03 |
15. | "We Move (Dance Mix)" | 6.29 |
16. | "Frequency 7 (Dance Mix)" | 5.03 |
17. | "Second Steps" | 5.27 [8] |
Personnel
- Visage
- Steve Strange – lead vocals
- Midge Ure – guitar, backing vocals, synthesizers
- John McGeoch – guitar, backing vocals, saxophone
- Dave Formula – synthesizer
- Billy Currie – electric violin, synthesizer
- Rusty Egan – drums, backing vocals, electronic percussion
- Additional personnel
- Barry Adamson – bass guitar (1, 2, 4)
- Chris Payne – synthesizer (5)
- Cedric Sharpley – drums, electronic drums programming (5)
- Brigitte Arens – voice (5)
- Technical
- John Hudson – recording, engineering, mixing
- Iain Gillies — sleeve artwork, a blue/grey tinted monochrome original painting, (based on a b/w photograph by Peter Ashworth)
- Peter Ashworth – original sleeve photography (redrawn for publication)
- Martin Rushent - Co Production and mixing
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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France (SNEP)[18] | Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[19] | Gold | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 60,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- "Visage | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- "Certified Awards". BPI. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- https://www.rubellanremasters.com/visage1
- LeRoy, Dan. "Visage – Visage | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Visage". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- Hillier, Beverly (11–24 December 1980). "Albums". Smash Hits: 33.
- Krehbiel, Aaron (September 1984). "Visage". Digital Audio. 1 (1): 80. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- https://www.discogs.com/release/12583229-Visage-Visage
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 330. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Austriancharts.at – Visage – Visage" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Visage – Visage" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Charts.nz – Visage – Visage". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Visage – Visage". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Visage | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1981" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 LPs: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 50–53. ISBN 0-906154-03-0.
- "French album certifications – Visage – Visage" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 17 November 2021. Select VISAGE and click OK.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Visage; 'Visage')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- "British album certifications – Visage – Visage". British Phonographic Industry. 4 March 1981. Retrieved 17 November 2021.