Visage (album)

Visage
Studio album by Visage
Released	10 November 1980
Recorded	1979–1980 at Genetic Sound Studios, Reading, Berkshire, England
Genre	Synthpop, New Wave, post-punk.
Length	38:27
Label	Polydor
Producer	Midge Ure, Visage
Visage studio album chronology
Visage (1980) The Anvil (1982)
Singles from Visage
"Tar" Released: September 1979 "Fade to Grey" Released: November 1980 "Mind of a Toy" Released: March 1981 "Visage" Released: June 1981

Visage is the eponymous debut studio album by English New Wave band Visage. It was recorded at Genetic Sound Studios in Reading, Berkshire and released by Polydor Records on 10 November 1980. The album reached No. 13 in the UK and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry in March 1981. It features the hit single "Fade to Grey", which reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Visage, except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Visage"		3:53
2.	"Blocks on Blocks"		4:00
3.	"The Dancer"	Midge Ure, Rusty Egan	3:40
4.	"Tar"	Barry Adamson, Billy Currie, Egan, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, Steve Strange, Ure	3:32
5.	"Fade to Grey"	Currie, Ure, Chris Payne	4:02

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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

One Way Records CD reissue bonus track
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Fade to Grey (Dance Mix)"	6:41

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

In their retrospective review, Allmusic called the album "the music that best represents the short-lived but always underrated new romantic movement" and "a consistently fine creation, alternating between tunes that share the eerie ambience of "Fade to Grey" ("Mind of a Toy," "Blocks on Blocks") and others that show off a more muscular brand of dance-rock (the title track, filled with thundering electronic tom-tom fills, and the sax-packed instrumental "The Dancer")."

Personnel

Visage

• Steve Strange – lead vocals
• Midge Ure – guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
• John McGeoch – guitar, saxophone, backing vocals
• Dave Formula – synthesizer
• Billy Currie – electric violin, synthesizer
• Rusty Egan – drums, electronic percussion, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Barry Adamson – bass guitar (on "Visage", "Blocks on Blocks", and "Tar"), composing credits on "Tar"
• Chris Payne – synthesizer and composing credits on "Fade to Grey"
• Cedric Sharpley – drums, electronic drums programming on "Fade to Grey"
• Brigitte Arens – woman's voice on "Fade to Grey"

Production

• Visage – production, arrangement
• John Hudson – recording, engineering, mixing

External links

• Visage at Discogs (list of releases)