Underworld's "Juanita" on <i>Everything, Everything</i>

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Sure, I know this observation is ridiculously dated, but when Karl Hyde strikes those two shimmering chords on his guitar five minutes deep into "Juanita" over what sounds like a celestial choir of frantic, chirping calculators, it's positively euphoric in a manner normally reserved for Spielbergian encounters with extraterrestrials. Put simply, it rocks furiously and makes me oh so happy.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 1 August 2003 06:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

i could've sworn there was already a thread about this but i guess not. i just hope Dan Perry doesn't turn up with his SO-VERY-WRONG hatred of the album version ;)

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 1 August 2003 08:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

resonator... resonator...

is everyone rediscovering Underworld all of a sudden? I was listening to my Dirty Epic/Cowgirl single last night. top stuff.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 1 August 2003 11:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

Someone doesn't like the album version? "Tin There" aside, I don't think there's an Underworld track I like better.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 1 August 2003 11:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

interesting...i was listening to the album version of cowgirl this morning...i love it, but Rez/Cowgirl on Everything Everything trumps it. i remember them opening with that when i saw them at the Point Depot - brilliant! ronan to thread, obv.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 1 August 2003 12:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

I acquired "Second Toughest..." whilst driving from NYC to Chicago, and listened to it while blazing past Gary IN steel mills and while driving through Chicago at night. I thought it was the best album I'd ever heard! Not sure I'm wrong.

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Friday, 1 August 2003 15:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

that album was written as Hyde was planning his own road trip across the States i think, he made a short film about the experience with Tomato and i suppose a lot of ideas from that ended up on the third album.

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 1 August 2003 15:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

www.freakytrigger.co.uk/underworld.html

these are my intentions.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 1 August 2003 16:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

i'd like to see them at Somerset House

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 1 August 2003 16:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I still love this track oh so very, very much. I have no fuckin' idea what the lyrics are, what they mean or if their meaning even matters, but I was nearly MOVED TO TEARS listening to it on a flight from NYC to Houston, TX last week. "THERE IS A SOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WALL, A BIRD IS SINGING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS GLASS.....

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 September 2004 00:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

I saw an unbelievably awesome Underworld live performance on TV once. Is there any kickass live Underworld albums?

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 24 September 2004 00:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yes! it's the album i'm talking about upthread. Everything, Everything, which is also a DVD (and probably the program you saw). Seek it out.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 September 2004 00:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

Holy Shit! Thanks so much. I've actually been looking for that years (somewhat unconciously). Will seek it out soon!

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 24 September 2004 00:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

You just made my day!

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 24 September 2004 00:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

My pleasure. At your service. Looks like this:

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 September 2004 01:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

HMMM. I wonder where I can get that in Vancouver.

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 24 September 2004 01:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

MAybe I'll check e-bay.

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 24 September 2004 01:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

also, there are plenty of amazing bootlegs

look for bootleg babies... at like www.rtsr.org i believe.

its like a best of live, all mixed together by some crazy fans... its excellent

― todd swiss (eliti), Friday, 24 September 2004 05:51 (8 years ago) Permalink

This album is available for a fiver from Fopp, I saw the other day. Also 36 Chambers! If you wanted two albums to sum up the '90s (obviously that would be completely impossible) for a tenner, that's a pretty good attempt.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 24 September 2004 10:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

if u have MUSIC ZONE or HMV, both stores (and possibly their online equivalents) are selling the DVD for about a fiver.

― piscesboy, Friday, 24 September 2004 10:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

Dudes - you are so, so not with it.
Everything Everything is an inferior version of this free download mentioned above, which blows it so far out of the water it's not funny: http://www.dirty.org/underworld/fan.html
You also want the CD called 'European Club Gig'.
(I've been re-discovering Underworld again this week too, strangely)

Last time I posted on here someone accused me of being a street team and then ended up looking silly. I wonder if that will happen again?

― Debord (Debord), Friday, 24 September 2004 14:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

Everything, Everything is one of the most amazing pieces of work ever. highs, lows, tracky techno, captivating lyrics, ace vocal delivery, crowd noises, amazingly mixed, it's just a fucking amazing record, probably my favourite of all time.

Do whatever you have to to get a copy, it's just amazingly emotional music.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 26 September 2004 18:38 (8 years ago) Permalink

Underworld live is seriously one of the greatest things on Earth.

― Dan Perry '08 (Dan Perry), Sunday, 26 September 2004 18:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

I am getting my copy right now actually, for a quick listen.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 26 September 2004 19:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

Amen, Ronan.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 26 September 2004 20:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

whoa how did I let this album get buried in the cupboard for a few months! major flashback of seeing them live and writing that FT piece and all of summer/autumn 2002 actually.

it's enough to make you want all dance music to have vocals and lyrics, if they could all be as good as Underworld's.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 26 September 2004 20:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

my brother has the dvd, it's great.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 26 September 2004 20:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

the dvd is one of my favourite things ever. i remember being really excited when it came out, being in woolworths at 9am on the monday morning.

― toby (tsg20), Sunday, 26 September 2004 20:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

I found this (the record as a whole, not particularly the one track discussed here) fairly dissapointing actually.

― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gah. wandered onto this thread and bumped it from 2004. That was dumb.
Think I need a cup of tea.

― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Speaking of Underworld, here's a live recording from their gig at the EXIT festival in Serbia last friday. (47 MB)

I think I heard a couple of new tracks in there. (that one around 13:00 - anyone know it?)

Great listen, anyway. Starts off with a 5-minute interview w/Karl.

― Guy Incognito (Guy Incognito), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 21:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

The one @ 13 and the one following it are definitely new and exciting and awesome.

― Cheek0 (Cheek0), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 21:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I just actually listened to the interview where he says the tracks are new.

So, any info on the new album?

― Guy Incognito (Guy Incognito), Thursday, 14 July 2005 02:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's great!
Juanita live at fuji rock 99 is a great version. And they did this track "Please Help Me/Cappe Ffuno " - my favorite Underworld track ever.

I am going to see them at benicassim.
Will check the new tracks first... Exciting...

― Arnault (arc73hk), Thursday, 14 July 2005 04:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

i just hope Dan Perry doesn't turn up with his SO-VERY-WRONG hatred of the album version ;)

:-(

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 July 2005 14:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Good times.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 14 July 2005 14:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

I tried to enjoy the album version again this weekend and it's still coming across as tired, flat and uninspiring. The seeds of fantastic songs are scattered throughout the whole album, as evidenced by how pretty much everything on the album that I've heard live has kicked ass, but only "Pearl's Girl" works for me.

I also been listening to dubnobass... a lot and it's really not a surprise that the only song there I dislike is the one that sounds the most like a Second Toughest... track in terms of structure and development ("Spoonman"; for fuck's sake DO SOMETHING WITH THE BEAT).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 July 2005 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

wrong

― gear (gear), Monday, 24 October 2005 05:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

This track still rocks my world.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 8 July 2006 22:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

Yes the opener to this album is amazing. Actually the whole thing is. I love this album so much.

― Jews Newton (van smack), Sunday, 6 June 2010 04:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

relapse. so so good. best "album dance act" ever, by miles and miles. "everything, everything" just stands so tall.

― Know how Roo feel (LocalGarda), Thursday, 6 September 2012 22:20 (8 months ago) Permalink

"I acquired "Second Toughest..." whilst driving from NYC to Chicago, and listened to it while blazing past Gary IN steel mills and while driving through Chicago at night. I thought it was the best album I'd ever heard!"

So yes, responding to a nine year old post - but Second Toughest really is the greatest travelling music. Even better for trains than Kraftwerk. I remember Second Toughest used to go so, so well with my high speed train journeys through industrial Yorkshire, into the countryside and down into the low, flat terrain of Merseyside. Especially at night. A magical record.

I've er, never heard Everything, Everything. Listening to it now for the first time.

― kraudive, Thursday, 6 September 2012 23:03 (8 months ago) Permalink

One of the things that I think is really remarkable about Everything, Everything is the way the modifications to the tunes work so well - e.g. the new keyboard pattern throughout "Juanita", the additional sections of "Push Upstairs" and "King of Snake".

This is a product of both circumstance and skill. Underworld are unusual, I think, in that (Hyde's vocals aside) even their big anthems tended toward the tracky and stretched out, which conversely means that they're some of the most well-known, recognisable techno tracks around. So these adjustments and additions are way more noticeable and startling than they would be in a dance artist live set comprising renditions of equally great but less well known material.

Yet at the same time you'd think there'd be this risk that messing with the proven formula would make these versions lesser than the original, but they never do (give or take whether you think "Cups" requires its deep house section) - instead they retain everything great in the originals while building on them, offering a wider lens, covering more ground while never losing focus.

― Tim F, Thursday, 6 September 2012 23:16 (8 months ago) Permalink

^^^^

that nails what I really love about this album. When it comes to building up a big techno epic, UW are second to none. The way Juanita builds up on Second Toughest is excellent, almost a clinic in how it's done, but the EE version is all for the benefit of the listener, every single section in its right place, and the guitar chords come in at the perfect time. I used to bring this album to parties and it always had this great communal vibe to it; the audience is really a part of the whole thing, and every time they erupt, it feels like you should too. "Cups" is more of a segway; outside of that I do agree that everything is expanded on and just feels natural. If I had started this thread I'd make it about "Rez/Cowgirl" which always gives me chills. This has got to be electronic's finest live album, IMO it's the best live album of any genre.

― frogbs, Thursday, 6 September 2012 23:30 (8 months ago) Permalink

This thread where Tuomas refuses to countenance the possibility of a techno live album being better than the original material is pretty funny.

― Tim F, Thursday, 6 September 2012 23:36 (8 months ago) Permalink

the modifications to the tunes work so well

see also the preset (i say that because it sounds just like the choir voice and swoosh on GC's '14:31') they attached to Pearl's Girl towards the end just to give it that extra element of transcension. i saw them twice not long before the release of EE but don't remember ever hearing that :(

― nashwan, Friday, 7 September 2012 10:29 (8 months ago) Permalink

I've er, never heard Everything, Everything. Listening to it now for the first time.

Second Toughest was always my go-to album for long car journeys when I was younger, such a great record. I've never heard E,E either - I'm not a huge live album fan in general - but this thread makes me want to give it a go.

― Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 7 September 2012 11:50 (8 months ago) Permalink

"Juanita" is definitely their finest moment.

(Album version, not the Everything, Everything version.)

― Eric H., Friday, 7 September 2012 12:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

― Eric H., Friday, 7 September 2012 12:18 (8 months ago) Permalink

Finding his accent (on the live version) v v strange and disconcerting. A bit American, a bit Manc even, but mostly oo-ar I am a zider-drinking farmer from zumerzet.

― ledge, Friday, 7 September 2012 14:01 (8 months ago) Permalink

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Underworld's "Juanita" on Everything, Everything