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 on 10 November 1980 by Polydor Records.

Visage
Studio album by
Visage
Released10 November 1980
Recorded1979–1980
StudioGenetic Studios, Reading, Berkshire, England
GenreSynthpop, new wave
Length38:27
LabelPolydor
ProducerMidge Ure, Visage
Visage chronology
Visage
(1980)		 Visage EP
(1981)
Singles from Visage
  1. "Tar"
    Released: 7 September 1979
  2. "Fade to Grey"
    Released: 10 November 1980
  3. "Mind of a Toy"
    Released: 2 March 1981
  4. "Visage"
    Released: 29 June 1981

Release

Visage was released on 10 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.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert ChristgauB–[4]
Smash Hits5/10[5]

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.[6]

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".[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Visage (Billy Currie, Rusty Egan, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, Steve Strange and Midge Ure), except where noted.

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Visage" 3:53
2."Blocks on Blocks" 4:00
3."The Dancer"Egan, Ure3:40
4."Tar"Barry Adamson, Currie, Egan, Formula, McGeoch, Strange, Ure3:32
5."Fade to Grey"Currie, Chris Payne, Ure4:02
Side B
No.TitleLength
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
CD reissue bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Fade to Grey (Dance Mix)"6:41

Personnel
Visage
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)

Chart performance
Chart Peak
position		 Certification
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 17 -
Austria[8] 11 -
France[9] 2 Gold[10]
Germany[11] 1 Gold[12]
New Zealand[13] 14 -
Sweden[14] 22 -
United Kingdom[1] 13 Silver (60,000)[2]

References
  1. "Visage | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  2. "Certified Awards". BPI. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  3. LeRoy, Dan. "Visage – Visage | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  4. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Visage". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  5. Hillier, Beverly (11–24 December 1980). "Albums". Smash Hits: 33.
  6. Krehbiel, Aaron (September 1984). "Visage". Digital Audio. 1 (1): 80. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Discographie Visage". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 26 June 2009.
  9. "Tous les Albums classés par Artiste". www.infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  10. "Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (Bilan par Artiste)". www.infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  11. "Suche nach "visage"". www.officialcharts.de (in German). Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  12. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". www.musikindustrie.de (in German). Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  13. "Discography Visage". charts.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  14. "Discography Visage". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
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