Underworld - Classic or Dud?

So long as you're not ranking Oblivion With Bells above STITI, you're on solid ground.

Dubno > STITI > OWB > BF > Barking > AHDO

Gonna pre-empt any chatter about OWB not being a great album by saying there are some great songs on there. Faxed Invitation and Best Mamgu Ever in particular but there aren't any bad tracks in my opinion. Even Boy Boy Boy and Ring Road are enjoyable to me.

I think OWB is a great album. Took me a couple years to come around to it but the depth and the sound design on it was incredible.

I like "JAL to Tokyo" better than anything on OWB.

Sorry, it's STITI > BF > Dubno > AHDO > Barking > OWB

beaucoup fish and second toughest are the clear top two for me, tipping over to the introspective side of underworld a bit more than the bangers side in a way i love. i think STITI is their best but BF is so good, i can't argue with anyone picking it as their best. but i agree with eric's ranking 100%

i have to argue that even though i probably agree with eric's ranking oblivion with bells is so good

Beaucoup Fish > Barking = dubnobass... > AHDO > OWB > STITI

I'll reiterate that my dislike of STITI comes from seeing them live on the tour for that album before ever hearing the album and having everything on it (aside from "Pearl's Girl", which reads much better outside of the context of the album anyway) come across as borderline lifeless.

on nov 20 they're releasing the deluxe edition, maybe give it a re-listen and you'll come around???

And I'll reiterate that your reaction is mistaken.

Gonna pre-empt any chatter about OWB not being a great album by saying there are some great songs on there. Faxed Invitation and Best Mamgu Ever in particular but there aren't any bad tracks in my opinion. Even Boy Boy Boy and Ring Road are enjoyable to me.

^^

this was right around the time they did the riverrun singles as well, good time for them

I like "JAL to Tokyo" better than anything on OWB.

Yeah if anything that's the issue with OWB, no real single or standalone track that could become a live staple the way "Two Months Off" did. I know it disappointed me a lot at the time. The real crime is that "Parc" wasn't included - that's probably one of their very best, so strange to see it essentially left unfinished and placed on a Japan-only remix compilation

Even Boy Boy Boy and Ring Road are enjoyable to me.

these are two of my favorite songs at this point. burning from the inside!

In addition to the RiverRun's they did the Breaking and Entering soundtrack too and several live jam style radio broadcasts. Definitely a high point of creative output.

Any love for Karl Hyde's 'Edgeland'?

Dubno > STITI > BF >>>>>>>> OWB/Barking >>>>>>> AHDO

Has anyone bought the STITI remaster?

I'm kind of balking at paying £75 for the 4 CD version. £40 more for 2 extra CDs seems a bit much to me

xp I like it plenty but lately I've had a lot more time for the bonus tracks - "Dancing on the Graves of Le Corbusier's Dreams", "Final Ray of the Sun" and "Cascading Light" are all brilliant, can't imagine why they didn't make the final cut.

Yes, "Dancing on the Graves of Le Corbusier's Dreams" is great.

Sorry, it's STITI > BF > Dubno > AHDO > Barking > OWB

― thread of getting sw0le and lena jokes (Eric H.), Tuesday, November 10, 2015 6:30 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'd say STITI = BF but otherwise OTM!

Funnily enough, I was listening to Second Toughest in the Infants last night... the first two tracks on the LP remain as wonderful as ever and are pretty much two of my favourite things Underworld have ever done.

In a way, I can kinda see what Dan is getting at: if you listen to Second Toughest in the Infants and Beaucoup Fish back-to-back there's a huge difference in the overall sound... Beaucoup Fish is a lot thicker sounding and has noticeably far more bass, and it's also mastered a great deal louder, making Second Toughest in the Infants sound thinner and more quiet in comparison. However, I do like the way that Second Toughest in the Infants is mastered quietly, because when it really blossoms when the volume is cranked up and it makes for a better headphone experience because you don't get the kind of listeners fatigue that comes with loud mastering. Beaucoup Fish sounds better booming out of the speakers.

-when

Also, I love how 'Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love' is over quarter of an hour long but still feels like it's over in the blink of an eye to me. No matter how many times I've heard it, it always feels far more shorter than it actually is.

Agreed. It's over far too soon.

(multiple x-posts)

Michael, I loved Edgeland when it first came out and, though I don't very often play the album now, tracks from it are always a delight when I play compilations I made around the time.

prefer the 2nd Eno / Hyde LP to Edgeland but I have never even given Edgeland a 2nd listen. Pre-ordered the LP, then got the digital files and didn't like any of it so the LP remains sealed and I can only remember the forced meter of the boy with the jigsaw puzzle fingers.

I think both eno/hyde lps are great, someday world probably has more catchy stuff than high life, both have lots of karl hyde's voice

Also, I love how 'Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love' is over quarter of an hour long but still feels like it's over in the blink of an eye to me.

― Turrican

so OTM

ditto the 2nd track!

Someday World definitely feels like the patchwork that it is sometimes but I do really love "Daddy's Car", "Witness", and "Who Rings the Bell", all of which are probably among my favorite Eno jams now

it's like driving real fast at night B-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYxPFseieqQ

New album due 18th March 2016: http://www.underworldlive.com/news/2015/11/shiningfuture/

Never mind that, when's the Beaucoup Beaucoup Fish set coming?

This sounds...very different. For the first time in a long time (since AHDO?) we really don't know what any of the tracks sound like beforehand. Judging by the preview it sounds a lot like the RiverRun stuff, in a good way. But I am disappointed by the short length (only 45 minutes!)...hope there's more in the pipeline!

I see Amazon are now selling the 2 cd reissue of STITI for £13 and the deluxe box set version for £60 (both sans T Shirt)

fell asleep to the second toughest reissue last night but kept waking up during the nuxx build because it's so wacky

I am tempted to buy the reissue solely because it has "Born Slippy (Original)" on it, which I already own. help

i'm not going to discourage you from buying this reissue

I was slightly underwhelmed by this one. Glad I didn't spend £70 on it

I see Amazon are now selling the 2 cd reissue of STITI for £13

guh I just bought it like a week before that, from Amazon, for £20

oh well

nobody talk about how brilliant the £60 version is because I just couldn't quite justify it (but might buy it on mp3 as it is much cheaper)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nTRJuvDnM

whoa, definitely channeling some mid-70's Eno there

here's the full version btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvU8wuXQgE8

oh hell yeah

i'm really excited at where this is going. this feels like their biggest departure in years

Sounds like Hit the North.

full length is doing way more for me than the single version

couldn't pinpoint this before but those background vocals remind me so much of Eno's "Golden Hours"

I am just now getting to this and it's not what I expected, but that doesn't seem to matter because I am really digging it.

love this

Wow, I hated this but i'm really happy to see the positive sentiment in here.

it's underworld season

I'm curious to see the setlists for the NL shows. They've been in the studio again so perhaps something new will get played.