Visage were essentially a Post Punk supergroup put together for New Romantic kingpin Steve Strange to "sing" in front of. Look at the line up, Midge Ure and Rusty Egan (Rich Kids), Dave Formula, Barry Adamson and John McGeoch (Magazine), Billy Currie (Ultravox!). That band, fronted by John Foxx or Howard Devoto, could really have done some damage. Sadly they were fronted by Steve Strange a man who made a superb clothes horse and club promoter but was not much of anything as a singer.

That’s not to say I don’t like this album, I absolutely do, but while it’s highs are great, its lows are very low. Let’s start with the highs, everyone knows “Fade To Grey” right ? One of the great singles of that early synth-pop era. “Visage” was another single from this album and is also great, Strange mostly talks through the verses and his limited voice is backed up by others on the chorus. My favourite track on here is “The Dancer”, an instrumental written by Ure and Egan, led by crunching guitars and a wailing saxophone courtesy of John McGeoch.

The lows, well, whoever thought “Tar” was a good idea, never mind a good idea as the albums lead single needs a good pummelling. It is a bloody awful song about the dangers of smoking (sample lyric “Taking one out of the packet, It’s just a force of habit”) with a chorus that consists of the earth shattering lyric “Low tar, High tar”, errrrrr…OK !

Visage begat the 2nd line-up of Ultravox as this is where Midge Ure met Billy Currie and received his invitation to replace John Foxx. Steve Strange was allowed to make 2 more albums (it was the 80’s, your ability to wear an outrageous outfit was as important as any musical ability you may, or in this case may not, have had !) before Visage faded to grey.

The Dancer - https://youtu.be/hw9IH9YdP4k?si=xO8uzQyH3k7FWikT