Rarities (3)

Ultravox/Damned split LP. De Agostini IGDA 1145/46, 1990.
Tracklisting:
Ultravox: My Sex, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Slow Motion, Maximum Acceleration, Man Who Dies Every Day.
Damned: Love Song (live), Machine Gun Etiquette, Smash It Up Pts 1&2 (live), Wait For The Blackout, Therapy.

Now here's a strange one; not necessarily rare, but a real curiosity. Apparently this is part 72 (!) of an ongoing series entitled Il Rock that was sold at newspaperstands throughout Italy, even tho' all copies state that this disc is "Non in Vendita" (not for sale)... As with so many Italian releases there's plenty to ponder upon. Look at those pictures! That's Midge Ure, who had absolutely nothing to do with these earlier (and frankly much more preferable) Ultravox recordings from their days at Island. Likewise the Damned pic stems from their stint at Stiff with Brian James still aboard, and predates these Chiswick recordings by about two years. The track selection seems almost random; why the live takes instead of the real deal? and, come on, Therapy? probably the least representative Damned tune to pick from their Chiswick material...