Underworld - Classic or Dud?

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I've always been under the impression that, a few slammin' singles aside, Underworld was the epitome of style over substance. However, hearing "King Of Snake" for the first time and going gaga over their live album is forcing me to reevaluate.

Therefore, I turn to my peers. What say you - is Underworld fab or foul? Beauty or booty? Wonderful or worthless?

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 17 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Eh? Style over substance? Weren't you one of the people who heartily recommended _dubnobasswithmyheadman_ to me a month ago? :)

― Josh, Tuesday, 17 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Um, yes. This was after spending THREE YEARS trying to get into the damn thing. I now like it a good bit, but I'm not nearly as passionate about that album as I am about many of their singles, such as "Dirty Epic", "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You", "Born Slippy (original)", "Pearl's Girl", "Cups", and "King Of Snake".

I recommmend _dubnobass..._ because that's the best Underworld album and it's a genuinely good album. _Second Toughest..._ isn't nearly as strong and hearing "Push Upstairs" and "Jumbo" put me off of getting _Beaucoup Fish_, which I'll admit might have been a mistake because "King Of Snake" and "Cups" both rank up there among the best songs they've ever done. (But is it another case where the single is stormin' and the album is limpid? I don't know.)

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 17 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Dan, the thing with Underworld is that they have very consistent production and arrangement skills, which means that really you're gonna like each song based on how strong the tune is. Hence the singles seem fab, and everything else comparatively drab.

But "Beaucoup Fish" is worth getting. Both "Push Upstairs" improve the more familiar you are with them - both seem insanely repetitive to begin with, but I found both grew on me enormously once I went walking around the city with them on my headphones. Plus, you're missing out on "Cups" (deep house par excellence), "Bruce Lee" (hip hop meets Detroit techno), "Kittens" (a storming epic), "Something Like A Mama" (jungle-inflected track like "Pearl's Girl" with its tongue in its cheek) and of course "King Of Snake". It's a strong album.

― Tim, Tuesday, 17 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I never really had a problem with Underworld being style over substance--more power to people and bands who can pull that off as consistently as they have. So, finding out (via numerous listens and re-evaluations and re-re-evaluations--I'm thinking of "Second Toughest..." here, an album I literally didn't listen to for over a year because it seemed to be such an unworthy follow-up to "Dubnobass...") that "Hey, there might be something more here than just a storming tune or some nice atmospherics" has just been the icing on the cake (or maybe the lovely dense cake hiding under the sweet and pretty batter?). The live album has certainly helped in this assessment, but it has also made me wonder lately why so many folks slag off "Jumbo," which is really a beautiful and (I think) quite emotional song (despite the standard Hyde lyrical meanderings, which I wouldn't have any other way, of course). So many reviews of "Everything Everything" have inexplicably picked on my dear "Jumbo" as the dud track, and I have to wonder if it's because it simply lessens the momentum of the album (albeit briefly) or if I have been hoodwinked into liking a song that might, upon further reflection, just be a cute little toss-off ditty that will eventually fade in comparison to the admitted genius of "Cowgirl" or "...Skyscraper..." Whatever the case, "Jumbo" is what elevated "Beaucoup Fish" from good to great for me, and served more than any other recent track (yes, even more than the overrated "Born Slippy") to reaffirm my belief that Underworld are fab, beauty, and most assuredly wonderful.

― Max Jones, Wednesday, 18 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Underworld for me have always fallen down due to Karl Hyde's lyrics - back-of-a-fag-packet undergraduate cut-up nonsense which at best just distracts and at worst actively spoils the music, turning it from wide-ranging and danceable into a nasty urban noir mess. And his wannabeatnik delivery nobs me off, too.

― Tom, Thursday, 19 October 2000 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I kinda fall between the stools here...there albums are slightly dissapointing (with the exception of Beaucoup Fish)...a fair amount of their output is wank...but stuff like "Rez" and "Jumbo" are those moments when dance music just transcends itself...stunning......probably because Karl Hyde cuts out that annoying gibberish

― Michael Bourke, Monday, 4 December 2000 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

*Underworld*? Mmm...yes, well, Josh was kind enough to send it to me but I haven't read the damned thing yet. Well, actually, I read the opening section yclept "The Triumph of Death" when it appeared in Harper's (see, there's Harper's and death again...that's why the mag's so goth), and I liked *White Noise* quite a bit as you all know so I can't imagine any recent Delillo not being any good, you know?

― Michael Daddino, Monday, 4 December 2000 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I thought underworld was just crap cause of the lyrics. but man, after hearing Jumbo, i beleive these guys to be masters of the art thaat is music, if not Gods. So much can be said for a single track to cause such revelation. by the way as cryptic as these lyrics are, why do all songs have references to "the city"? am i the only one that's noticed that.

― Keyur Patel, Saturday, 23 December 2000 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Because they are like so urban and hip.

― Josh, Saturday, 23 December 2000 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Underworld, very tricky proposition. When they're good they are well amazing (Rez, Skyscraper, Cups, Juanita), and it doesn't depend on the vocals/no-vocals division of tracks, see for instance Cups which has lovely vocals. The long-players have all been patchy, usually the first 3 or 4 tracks are storming and then anything can happen. The 2nd half of Dubnobass...has some great stuff (Dirty Epic, Cowgirl), Secondthoughts never recovers and Beacoup Fish has Kittens, which is...is...the sound of taking lots of drugs and feeling very expansive :) So between classic and dud, leaning on the classic side.

― o.munoz, Thursday, 18 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

After "Rez" I could just about forgive them anything.

― Stevo, Thursday, 18 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"Kittens". I heard a RealAudio excerpt of this when _BF_ came out and was suitably staggered. I was all set to run to the store to buy the album when I heard "Push Upstairs"... ew. (I've since grown used to that song, but I don't see anything overly special about it.)

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 18 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Underworld have never struck me as self-consciously hip. When I listen to their music, I hear genuine angst, not posturing. Of course, if you don't *like* angst...

― Snow Dog, Thursday, 18 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Well, okay. Having had an opportunity to at least listen to the first half of _Beaucoup Fish_, I'm somewhat staggered by how much I actually LIKE it! Granted, it's all stuff I've heard before, but if the rest of the album holds up, I'm going to have to temper many of the negative things I've said about them.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 19 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

So, after that initial euphoric burst, I've come down somewhat on encountering "Winjer", although I note that as far as vaguely-ambient Underworld nonsense goes, it's pretty damn cool. So, we're still in the plus column...

― Dan Perry, Friday, 19 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

It's obvious none of you were there in their 80s days, nor early 90s. Unfortunately, there are a lot of new fans of theirs with the release of BF, many of which don't understand them. You need to listen to an album fully (especially the 2 earlier ones), and repeatedly, and definitely see them live a couple of times. I find Karl's lyrics to be soothing oftentimes, and can sit around interpreting them for hours (even though they are, self admittedly, nonsense). There are other commercialized techno bands/groups/DJs where the lyrics distract a LOT more (Fatboy Slim? Daft Punk?) - and many are more repetitive than much of U/w's stuff. If you're listening to them to find dance music, find something else. Much of their stuff has been, and still is, ambient & moody, with the occasional club anthem strewn in. I find them a unique and rare band (well 2 of them, now), one which actually tries to innovate & mix their own stuff (look actual guitars).

Admittedly, I am biased (met them live several times) and I am more of an ambient/idm fan (ala FSOL & AFX) & some trance (Juno Reactor), and have been for over a decade, so there's your caveat and explanation of my fangirl-ishness.

― UW_fangirl, Friday, 25 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

They're great live and they're great to dance to when you're off your nuts. What more do you want?

― Dirty Dirty Dirty Dirty Vicar, Friday, 25 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

LAGER LAGER LAGER LAGER LAGER LAGER....etc.

I could listen to that all day. Or at least for about 4 minutes, when I'd get really irritated and want to bust up something. Still.

For the most part I find Underworld a bit boring but I still have their CDs because I like some of the songs. They're really not a classic or a dud, to be honest. They're more an existance.

― Ally, Tuesday, 29 May 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez rez

― rhamnose, Monday, 18 February 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Underworld for me have always fallen down due to Karl Hyde's lyrics - back-of-a-fag-packet undergraduate cut-up nonsense which at best just distracts and at worst actively spoils the music, turning it from wide-ranging and danceable into a nasty urban noir mess. And his wannabeatnik delivery nobs me off, too.

Strange - that's what initially attracted me to Underworld; and was the first step I took towards electronic/dance music - I hadn't heard any interesting throwaway cutup soundbytes-strung-together fractured- narrative stuff before, and the music seemed to be the perfect accompaniment to this - I couldn't imagine Karl Hyde-isms succeeding over a guitar backdrop etc. And as someone a very long way away indeed from Underworld's BritCity; it seemed oh so very exotic&mysterious&sexy. Inauthenticity of musical tourism, and all that guff; but Underworld were something I could be palpably excited by; and a doorway to a whole new world of music, apologies for RAGING CLICHES.

― Ess Kay, Friday, 12 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

one of the things I like about Underworld is the different moods on the albums. Cowgirl vs. Tongue. Pearls girl vs. Blueski. they do both the rock-out and the chill out pretty well

― Ron, Saturday, 13 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Classic, classic and more classic. As classic as they get. Once in a while I feel compelled to go back and play everything I have by them: all the albums, seven bootlegs, ten singles. I sometimes have to dig out their remixes too. There's nobody else where I do this.

And I love Karl Hyde's lyrics.

― Martin Skidmore, Saturday, 13 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

curiously enoght it was through underworld that i found this site. i frequently post on the foums at [url]http://www.dirty.org[/url] and fellow poster [b]girlthursday[/b] (minna) posted a link to this site.

i like all of their albums but [i]dubnobass..[/i] is defintely my favourite. i love the fact that the albums contain pure dance floor killers next to more downtempo tracks like [i]dirty epic[/i] and [i] m.e[/i]

they are also jaw-droppingly fantastic live - i've seen them seven times - and they were really the pioneers of taking dance music into the live arena and in so doing paved the way for bands like [b] orbital, chemical brothers[/b] and [/b]the prodigy[/b] to follow in their footsteps.

there's plenty of their live gigs available on audiogalaxy including the superb european club gig. fans should also check out [url] http://www.underworldlive.com[/url] which is an official site where you can download soundboard recordings of some of their gigs as well as some recent studio stuff such as the blue mountain sessions.

― matt, Saturday, 13 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

NOONE HAS MENTIONED "DARK AND LONG", NOONE. Well maybe someone, but it's a classic too.

― Ronan, Saturday, 13 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

does anyone else hear the chords to Brian & Roger Eno's "Always Returning" in "Born Slippy"?
since "Deep Blue Day" (also from Apollo) was in the movie, is this a connection/(not so)hidden-reference?

― Paul, Saturday, 13 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

'luetin' was playing on the radio as i drove home, and afterwards the dj said "Hardcore electronica from Underworld!" which i thought was funny

― ron (ron), Friday, 20 September 2002 00:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

Has anyone listened to "Tiny Clicks" and "Headset", the two "vaguely-ambient Underworld nonsense" (as Dan puts it) b-sides on the "Two Months Off" single? Both excellent - "Headsets" in particular is pretty fabulous - and they'd be about the first time I've really warmed to Underworld's non-dancefloor biznizz. Will have to think about getting "A Hundred Days Off" now.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 20 September 2002 03:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

The hilarious thing is that "Winjer" is now one of my favorite songs off of _Beaucoup Fish_!

Those two tracks are great. I think I need to live with them a little more before they really sink in, but so far they're much better than, say, the ambient tracks on the "Pearl's Girl" single. (None of them can touch "Tongue", though.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 20 September 2002 12:06 (10 years ago) Permalink

CLASSIC of course, Karl's lyrics and delivery an' all but again i urge you to seek out Underworld's early material if you like a larf...'change the weather', 'underneath the radar' esp. - i can almost see them supporting Talk Talk with It Bites on tour in 1987 hahahaha

― blueski, Friday, 20 September 2002 12:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ronan, Dark & Long dropped into their live sets gets me going.

― Alan (Alan), Friday, 20 September 2002 12:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

maybe we should do a Taking Sides - 'Dark & Long' vs 'Dark & Long (Dark Train)'

― blueski, Friday, 20 September 2002 15:42 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Dark & Long" any day. That bass line is to DIE FOR.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 20 September 2002 16:21 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hmmmm they played Dark Train last time and it was pretty amazing.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 21 September 2002 09:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

they never played Dark Train or Dark & Long the times i saw them - bastads

― blueski, Saturday, 21 September 2002 13:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

can anybody give me an explanation over the song born slippy? Tell me what is behind the lyrics... thnx

― bart, Saturday, 18 January 2003 16:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Born Slippy is about placentas.

now, on to my ancedote, which is about how the promo vinyl we got for 'King of Snake' was a 12" and os I put it on at 33 and it was SUPER FUNKY like WOW until Karl's vox came in and it sounded like he was a dying robot from planet Opium. So I put it on 45 and it turned into house music, which while quite good was not nearly as enjoyable as the 33 version.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Saturday, 18 January 2003 17:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

Dubnobasswithmyheadman- is tHe bEST underworld album. Fav track: Dirty Epic. anyone that don't like that song's gotta be heartless.

― whoever (whoever), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 07:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

My fav one is Beaucoup Fish. Jumbo sounds more like Wire than Elastica ever did.

echo...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 09:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I thought "Spoonman" off "Dubnobass..." was flippin' ace!!! No one I know seems to like it!!!!! Mind you, I like repetitive techno bollox!!!!!!

I also went to one of the concerts (Broadcast on Radio 1!!!!!) at around the time of "Dubnobass...", (The same night as they found the body of Kurt Cobain!!!!) and it was grebt/GRATE/etc!!!!! Unlike the recent "live" album, it was one big long DJ mix style jam, mixing in various bits of their songs. The track on the live album which mixes "Cowgirl" and "Rez" is nearest equivalent- imagine a whole concert like that with most of the tracks from "Dubnobass..." and an early version "Born Slippy"!!!! (I've actually got a tape of it somewhere, taped of the radio...)

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 10:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

OMG! I did the same 33-45 mistake with the "Kittens" promo, with the same effect: the slow version easily trumped the "right" version.

Anyways, Underworld is still classic because did I mention that "Tin There" is basically my favorite techno barnburner ever?

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 17:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

I don't care how much everybody hates it, I think "Underneath the Radar" is a fucking GREAT 80s pop song.

The kickass house/blues romp "Big Mouth" (with some guy named Philadelphia Slim whom I've never heard of on harmonica!!) is another awesome underrated early Underworld song. Underworld kicks ass.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 17:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

total classic. however, i was one of those american kids who was rather impressionable when trainspotting came out and when record labels were trying to push 'electronica' down everyone's throats.. but stuff like dubnobassman, second toughest and the pearl's girl maxi single kept me around for good. second toughest is one of the albums ive played more consistantly than anything else over the last 5-6 years.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 18:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

www.freakytrigger.co.uk/underworld.html

(I'm sorry I won't pimp out that article ever again, this is the millionth time, prob haven't written anything decent for free since, it was 18 months ago)

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 20:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

Classic. They're one of the only bands my brother ever turned me on to. Second Toughest, I have to agree, is killer.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 8 January 2004 06:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

I am listening to _Beaucoup Fish_ right now and realizing that the only song on it that I dislike is "Bruce Lee".

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

the thread about electronic music that moves you reminded me of this band.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

DUD ^

― 24 hours with the King of Snake. (SNAKE!) (ex machina), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

i love Bruce Lee, where does that female monologue come from?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 16:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hyde's lyrics are starting to annoy me more here and there these days, particularly on Luetin tho that is a fantastic track (a classic case of a track you are just casually listening to, a few minutes pass and then you just hit a moment and realise where you are who you are what's going on etc.)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 16:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 371 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

not as much as the two releases I mentioned; it's a little too much "background" for me, though some of the tracks ("Happy Toast" in particular) are real stunning

― frogbs, Thursday, 24 January 2013 15:54 (4 months ago) Permalink

Track sounds lovely.

That book is awful, by the way.

― djh, Thursday, 24 January 2013 19:34 (4 months ago) Permalink

The album is very nice.

― djh, Saturday, 2 February 2013 13:26 (3 months ago) Permalink

great to see them (among very few other dance/electronic type bands) in BBC6's Best 100 Songs Of The Last 10 Years poll yesterday, keeping their end up at number 77 with Two Months Off amid the nu-folk and skinny indie kids.

― piscesx, Saturday, 2 February 2013 15:17 (3 months ago) Permalink

For a moment I thought one track sampled Hans Appelqvist.

― djh, Sunday, 3 February 2013 10:42 (3 months ago) Permalink

don't know if this was covered but barking is still pretty awesome

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 3 February 2013 16:58 (3 months ago) Permalink

djh, what album are you talking about? breaking and entering or the new Karl Hyde?

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 4 February 2013 07:58 (3 months ago) Permalink

i'm a little relieved at how well Barking has held up for me over 15+ listens. it's crazy that as a 14-year old my favorite groups were Underworld, the Chems, and Orbital. and now those three are responsible for some of my favorite albums of the last couple years. I figured they were all cooked!

again though let me stress how fucking incredible Oblivion With Bells is; it sinks in the way AHDO never quite did.

― frogbs, Monday, 4 February 2013 15:02 (3 months ago) Permalink

I will never understand how people underrate AHDO the same way I will never understand how people underrate Come With Us.

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Monday, 4 February 2013 15:09 (3 months ago) Permalink

what do you like so much about it? i love the first two tracks and the last two - the middle section is what gets me. I like parts of it such as the wobbly off-beat rhythm on "Little Speaker" or the ambience of "Twist" (the live versions blow this out of the water by the way) but a lot of it feels uninspired for this band...particularly "Dinosaur Adventure" which seems like an analgam of past UW successes constructed just for single purposes; "Sola Sistim" doesn't really go places and much of "Little Speaker" is kinda lame, especially as the bass drowns out everything else. I still like the album and think it's actually quite good for a post-2000 release from an electronic act but it was definitely a drop off from the first three. Come With Us I'd rate on the same level - not as good as the first three, does have some great tracks, just not enough substance for me

― frogbs, Monday, 4 February 2013 15:18 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Twist" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, right behind "Luetin" and "Two Months Off"

Basically techno samba is one of my favorite things in the world

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Monday, 4 February 2013 15:29 (3 months ago) Permalink

Luetin and Trim are the two sleeper-keepers for me. Their Peel versions are great too. Mo Move is also killer. Frogbs OTM re: live version of Twist being superior to the album version. DA3D is a track I never play but I think Chicken Lips did a decent remix.

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 4 February 2013 15:35 (3 months ago) Permalink

Yes on all of that. Plus, "Sola Sistem" is maybe my very favorite of their atmospheric downtempo mood setters.

Sure "Dino Adventure" is sort of epic-on-autopilot, but most of the remaining album is good to great. Even at their best, almost everything they've done since is adequate to good.

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Monday, 4 February 2013 15:42 (3 months ago) Permalink

And Come With Us doesn't remotely flag until Side B. Genuflect before "Star Guitar" or gtfo.

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Monday, 4 February 2013 15:43 (3 months ago) Permalink

I like "Trim" as well. But it's kind of a minor track. I dunno, maybe not liking "Sola Sistem" much is why I don't really see it as being that great an album. Seems like a pretty key piece. As for Come With Us - you said it, I like "The Test" a lot but the second half really seems low on ideas.

― frogbs, Monday, 4 February 2013 16:09 (3 months ago) Permalink

Brotherlovesdub: apologies for slow reply. The Karl Hyde album.

― djh, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 21:18 (3 months ago) Permalink

Is it in the vein of Louisiana from Barking? Mostly downtempo?

― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 13 February 2013 18:50 (3 months ago) Permalink

Not a million miles from that. Not bangin'. But very good.

― djh, Wednesday, 13 February 2013 19:56 (3 months ago) Permalink

(Haven't got Barking and had never heard Louisiana before - glad to have heard it - Thanks)

― djh, Wednesday, 13 February 2013 22:22 (3 months ago) Permalink

DUDE GET BARKING, IT RULES

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Wednesday, 13 February 2013 22:27 (3 months ago) Permalink

I have done as you instructed.

― djh, Thursday, 14 February 2013 18:56 (3 months ago) Permalink

djh, if you like that vibe from UW, you should check out their remix of Manic Street Preachers. took a few plays for me but this is one of my favorite tracks they've done recently (and I like most of what they do).

― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 14 February 2013 22:43 (3 months ago) Permalink

mildly OT (totally different vibe) but you just inspired me to search "underworld remix" on youtube and, damn, i haven't heard this drum club remix for a long time, it is amazing

― eris bueller (lukas), Thursday, 14 February 2013 23:18 (3 months ago) Permalink

That Soundsystem remix is great. The remixes UW did between 93-95 were really incredible. Zion Train, St. Etienne - Cool Kids of Death, Orbital - Lush, Spooky Schmoo etc etc.

― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 14 February 2013 23:51 (3 months ago) Permalink

No love for 8 Ball in this thread makes me sad.

― Turkey, Friday, 15 February 2013 10:25 (3 months ago) Permalink

Granted, a lot of my love for 8 Ball comes from how I still perceive it as the last truly great Underworld track. They've released some decent material since, but nothing that compares to their '90s output.

If they'd ended their run with 8 Ball, I wouldn't have minded at all.

― Turkey, Friday, 15 February 2013 10:36 (3 months ago) Permalink

Completely agree on 8 Ball. Loved that song, and then A Hundred Days Off came out and I was hugely disappointed. I've enjoyed some of their stuff since then, but it all feels really flat compared to their 90s stuff.

― silverfish, Friday, 15 February 2013 14:10 (3 months ago) Permalink

I dont really agree with that but it's a case where their 90's output was so good that you can't really blame them for not living up to it. Underworld from 1993-1999 was such an insane run. As for 8 Ball it's disappointing that it's going to remain kind of an obscurity, I would have loved it on AHDO. But they've definitely done great stuff since - most of OWB is incredible, Barking is very very good, the second and third Riverrun EPs...not to mention a lot of the stuff that's gone unreleased (thinking mostly of Silver Boots and Bamboo...)

― frogbs, Friday, 15 February 2013 14:40 (3 months ago) Permalink

I listened to OWB again for the first time in years a few months ago and was startled by how great it was right up until "Ring Road" started, at which point I went "oh yeah, I forgot what a horrible momentum killer this song is" and turned it off

I don't know that I've played the second half of the album more than three times

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Friday, 15 February 2013 14:42 (3 months ago) Permalink

that's definitely a mistake - the three tunes that end the album are ace. I love each one of them. To be honest I was never that bothered by Ring Road (or Bruce Lee, or Trim), I like the chorus fine, but it is quite an odd choice for the middle of an album.

― frogbs, Friday, 15 February 2013 14:48 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Trim" is okay; I really really hate "Bruce Lee" too

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Friday, 15 February 2013 14:52 (3 months ago) Permalink

think "8 Ball" is really meh tbh.

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Friday, 15 February 2013 15:08 (3 months ago) Permalink

I love 8 Ball. Really great song and strangely very epic as well. One of my favorite 'walking around the city' songs.

― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 15 February 2013 18:00 (3 months ago) Permalink

"8 Ball" is fine, I just wish it didn't take 4 minutes for it to get going.

The big problem I have with most moody mid-tempo Underworld songs that morph into dance jams is that none of them are as good as "mmm skyscraper" or "Dirty Epic"

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Friday, 15 February 2013 18:06 (3 months ago) Permalink

although very few songs are as good as "Dirty Epic" so that's probably unfair

― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Friday, 15 February 2013 18:32 (3 months ago) Permalink

I especially like (Dirty Guitar Mix).

― Keith, Friday, 15 February 2013 18:38 (3 months ago) Permalink

yeah "Dirty Epic" does give me some serious "this may be the greatest song ever" vibes when it's on

― frogbs, Friday, 15 February 2013 19:34 (3 months ago) Permalink

The Boy With The Jigsaw Puzzle Fingers:

― djh, Monday, 25 February 2013 21:12 (3 months ago) Permalink

trying to put my finger on what this reminds me of and I can't figure it out. sounds lovely though

― frogbs, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 00:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

So, what else have I missed since Oblivion With Bells (or thereabouts)?

― djh, Sunday, 10 March 2013 19:50 (2 months ago) Permalink

― frogbs, Sunday, 10 March 2013 21:19 (2 months ago) Permalink

There were a couple nice tracks from the Olympics soundtrack.

― brotherlovesdub, Sunday, 10 March 2013 22:30 (2 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2013/apr/02/karl-hyde-underworld-outer-edges-trailer

― djh, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 21:26 (1 month ago) Permalink

10. Dancing On The Graves Of Le Corbusier’s Dreams [Bonus Track]
11. Final Ray Of The Sun [Bonus Track]
12. Slummin’ It (Eno Mix) [Bonus Track]
13. Cut Clouds (Figures Remix) [Bonus Track]

― djh, Saturday, 6 April 2013 03:36 (1 month ago) Permalink

ordered the ltd edition vinyl with 12x12 signed litho.

― brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 6 April 2013 06:00 (1 month ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

so, new Hyde album is really quite excellent and lovely, though I wish he hadn't done with the bonus track thing, because "Dancing" and "Final Ray" are really great

― frogbs, Sunday, 21 April 2013 18:05 (1 month ago) Permalink

seriously, I think I like "Should Have Been a Painter" as much as any UW track I can think of right now

― frogbs, Sunday, 21 April 2013 18:06 (1 month ago) Permalink

Oh man, I'm going to have to wait for 1 hour 58 minutes to hear this!

― Keith, Sunday, 21 April 2013 21:02 (1 month ago) Permalink

Yes, this is excellent. Mediocre reviews, but then I think Underworld are one of these bands where what they do/want to do is not what they're famous for doing.

― Keith, Monday, 22 April 2013 00:36 (1 month ago) Permalink

It's the vocals that let this down - not that they are anything particularly shocking given Underworld's previous form, but they feel a lot more intrusive on this.

― boxedjoy, Thursday, 2 May 2013 23:12 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

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