SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MIDGE URE – A MAN OF TWO WORLDS

MIDGE URE
A MAN OF TWO WORLDS
CHRYSALIS

It has been 12 years since Midge Ure released a studio album of new material (in 2024 he did release The Sessions (Backstage Lockdown Club) which was a studio album of him revisiting older songs recorded during the COVID lockdown). But A Man Of Two Worlds consists of all new music from Ure and it has been worth the wait. This is, to these ears, his best solo album. It is a double album featuring eight instrumentals (titled Music) and eight tracks with vocals (titled Songs). There is also a deluxe version which features the instrumental versions of the Songs album). It is introspective, melodic, melancholy and it is pure Midge Ure. Working with Ty Unwin, has allowed Ure the freedom to express himself in any way that works for him and the listener. The pair make a fantastic team.

Starting with Music, Ure has come up with some incredible melodies, some of which harken to previously released songs, but they are actually brand new and incredibly moving and lush. Opening with “A Different View,” the piano-based, sparse song takes the listener into other realms. It is beautiful and remarkably peaceful. “Hearing The Invisible” is a perfect title. Again, a sparse piano with layered echoes and subtle keyboards paves the way for a song that is the soundtrack for a nonexistent film. It is full of emotion and is simply sublime. The Music album finishes with the achingly beautiful “The Pictures You Carry With You,” which seems steeped in nostalgia and loss. It is one of his most stunning melodies of his career and the perfect way to end the instrumental album.

Music, on its own, would have made the album an essential part of any collection, but then Ure hits us with Songs. “Just Words” kicks off the program, with incredible vocals. “Where does hope go when it’s gone?’ Ure asks. It is a song full of pain and hope. It also features an absolutely searing guitar solo. Ure is one of the most underrated guitarists of the rock generation, this solo is just one example of why he should be in every top ten lists of guitarists. “Shouting To The Moon” continues with Ure examining aging and his own mortality. It is breathtaking and yet another example of Ure’s ability to say a great deal with few lyrics (“Fan The Flame” is another example of powerful but sparse lyrics). He allows the music to express the feelings throughout and combines everything. He completes the Songs album with the incredible “The Man Who Stole Your Soul”. He layers sound and vocals to such great effect. It has a strong beat and could easily be remixed into a dance hit. Lyrically, it is sheer genius. “Time to take it back from the man who stole your soul.” It is powerful without intense anger.

Ure has created a work of art with A Man Of Two Worlds. Ure has always incorporated instrumental songs throughout his albums (and B-sides) but this is his first collection of instrumental songs. But he is also wise enough to release the two albums together, no doubt in an attempt to please his fans. He needn’t have worried, these songs will be treasured, listened and explored for the foreseeable future. A Man Of Two Worlds is the sound of an artist at his best. He has written and released so much brilliant music in the past, that it is hard to comprehend how he can outdo himself, both solo or with Ultravox. But he has. A Man of Two Worlds is not just an album; this is so much more. His creativity has reached new heights with this collection. Quite simply, A Man Of Two Worlds is a stunning achievement.

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