70s Cup Round 1 Match 4 *Darkness_Fish 17- Goat Boy 24*

[Darkness_Fish]

Nothing wrong with liking Vienna, it's a cracking pop song, unlike anything else they did with Mr Ure on vocals. I'm not sure if "Artificial Life" is quite my favourite Ultravox! track, when there's the likes of "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and "My Sex", but it's up there, and this is a track that properly splices the energy of punk with the experimental synth-pop sound. There's something about the Peel Session production that's got much more attack in the sound than in the rather flat production of the Ha! Ha! Ha! version. I loves it. The best thing to come out of Chorley since the A6 to Freddie's Ice-Cream Parlour.

No doubting that "Oliver's Army" is one of Costello's few big hitters, but I'm going to sulk and play the 'obvious choice' card, and hope that you all pick on Goat Boy for that reason alone.

A

[The Modernist]

I like early Ultravox a lot but I'm afraid this sounds like second rate Magazine - overly mannered and dirge-like. They did so much better.

B is overplayed but pretty undeniable. Costello's best moment.

B

[pcqgod]

I love the synthesizer drones on the Ultravox! track, and the electric violin rave-up is interesting. Seems like the singer is trying too hard to be Bowie, and furthermore, it's no "Oliver's Army."

B.

[Ranking Ted]

Out of a sense of fair play, I listened to A and found it surprisingly agreeable - you can hear the likes of Magazine and Psychedelic Furs and others echoing around there. I may investigate further.

It was out of sense of fair play though because OA is one of the best singles ever. As I’ve said already, this format forgives the ‘obvious’ picks because, well, you need to listen to them again - and isn’t that just a perfect thing.

B

[Count Machuki]

B by a lot

I've never understood the fuss over Ultravox

[echolalia]

I loathe Oliver’s Army. It’s a plonking snotty sub-Eurovision monstrosity and I fucking refuse to listen to it. The worst track from an otherwise good album. Urgh. Ultravox walk this – well you couldn’t imagine them running after all – it’s a good track and an imaginative pick so go on

A

[fange]

I really like 'OA' still, but the spikyness is more what i'm after these days. I love some synth.

A

[Diamond Dog]

Personally, I woulda picked a handful of other John Foxx era Ultravox songs before this.

And I'd pick tens of other Costello tracks before this one too.

I like A well enough but, despite it not being close to his best for that era, I'm picking B

[trans-chigley express]

I'm in the minority in preferring Midge-era Ultravox over Foxx-era and would happily take Vienna or The Voice over anything they did in the 70s including this track.


I'm not much of a Costello fan but this is a corker.

B

[Loki]

WOW. I expected Ultravox to kill this. WTF do I BCB know.

[Polishgirl]

Unfortunately, given that I'm married to a massive fan, I can't abide Elvis Costello ( with the exception of Pump It Up ). He always sounds so nasally and weaselly and out of tune.

A would be great without the vocal.

A

[Nick Danger]

B

[C]

B, although I love Foxx era Ultravox!

I love the Ure era too!





.

[Jumper K]

A. B is canonical fodder.

[Hightea]

I like the middle section of the Ultravox song which has a nice feel to it. If it got rid of the begining and the end maybe I would vote for it.
However this is one of Elvis's better tunes. Although its no where as great as some here thinks it is.

B

[Moleskin]

A

[The Red Heifer]

A was a pleasant discovery but B is one of the greatest songs ever. My mum could've put a song up with the lyrics being the combination to the desk safe and I'd still struggle to vote for her against "Oliver's Army"

[Neige]

Fuck that's hard!

B is of course undeniable, but I feel I must reward A for picking this little gem from Foxx-era Ultravox

[Sneelock]

always liked the UltraFOXX but gotta go with EC.
B by virtue of how "Dad Rock" it sounds to me these days.

[toomanyhatz]

B is great, but a bit of a gimme - one of the few Costello songs that's true of here.

A has enough charm to deserve more votes than it's getting. Nice Urban Blitz imitation by Mr. Currie.