Underworld - Classic or Dud?

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.

um every season is underworld season

Used Everything, Everything for a run (again) this morning and it really is just the most amazingly energising music.

^^^

wow this is a brilliant idea. I haven't listened to it much, I assume it all flows together and would probably be better to work out to than like 1992-2002?

also holy crap I cannot believe DJP started this thread, he is like #1 Underworld fan!!

Indeed!

I forgot that Underworld were one of those bands that released recordings of, like, an entire tour

has anyone heard some of them? are there any clear standouts? do their live sets even differ all that much from show to show bcz when I saw them in NYC a few months ago it was more or less a dj set of album cuts w/ virtually no improvisation or "live"-ness apart from Karl Hyde singing

Their live shows are a sham now as far as performances go. Rick just raises faders and applies some light effects. Everything is the same night to night. The Live Here Now shows are very similar from that Oblivion tour so just find the one with the best set list and get that one. I still have doubles of almost every show from that tour so if you want to buy one, let me know.

I found a t0rr3nt that has them all that's almost finished ;)

Their early tours were amazing with loads of live improvs and differing set lists. Nowadays not so much.

What was the name of the one we put together over on the dirty forums? Still got the cd somwehere but can't remember what it was called

Bootleg Babies

Oh, that was in the torrent I got!! I'll listen to that first.

the 2005 live Tokyo set was incredible. felt like an Everything, Everything Pt 2 in some ways though it was much longer.

hmm can anyone hook me up w/tokyo 2005?

i haven't dug around for it yet but there is a playlist on youtube http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE5C9D2056FF360ED

i've been listening to it at work and it is fucking awesome

i listened to everything everything while i was running today and i felt like a fucking god

oh-yeah.gif

i did this trick today and it worked. pearl's girl was especially pearl-fect.

can't wait to try it w/ the live Tokyo set, i might combust when "Two Months Off" comes on

also holy crap I cannot believe DJP started this thread, he is like #1 Underworld fan!!

still not a fan of Second Toughest... though

I wasn't either for a while, I'm still not as a whole, but Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love, Rowla, and Pearl's Girl have all grown on me.

Pearl's Girl is fantastic, yes

Ambient Underworld is much more interesting to me than the beat driven club tracks. Wish they'd give up on the club tracks and just focus on the atmospheric stuff now.

+1 to UW being incredible work out music.

I would hate to have them focus on one particular aspect of their sound - they've been so good at basically everything

I think "Motorhome" from their new album is prob in their top 15 or maybe even 10 tracks, it is so beautiful and impeccably-textured! It sounds like Eno or some shit ("High Life" must have really rubbed off on them)

I have taught my toddlers how to sing the main synth theme from "If Rah" and they periodically request the song by shouting "LUNA LUNA LUNA" at me

I will accept my Greatest Dad Ever award now

I've tried with that new album like five times and I just find it so boring. Can't get into it at all.

That's / too / bad

they periodically request the song by shouting "LUNA LUNA LUNA" at me

Presumably when they're old enough they can move on to LAGER LAGER LAGER LAGER

new album still sounds awesome to me

i've only tried once but so far i'm with don van gorp. i don't hear any of the focus or tension between carefully calibrated parts in a ruthless point-a-to-point-b sweep that i feel like made them great at their best, just an unfocused pile-on of bland ideas meandering and lyrics that have gone from compelling-and-slightly-embarrassing to drunk-dad-cringey.

The 2nd half of the album is better.

i'll have to give it another shot, i was almost there on a few of the later tracks.

i liked the one before this i think??? it's so much easier just to go back to the stone classics idk.

yeah I mean I don't think it's stone classic but it's still a really great album even if it's not excellent, one of the best recs of the year and kind of astounding they're still releasing stuff so solid like 20+ years in

i actually think this is better than anything they've released aside from their dubno/stiti/bf run. i like meandering ambient late night driving underworld best of all.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b4/f6/bd/b4f6bd764b32d8cf900e40d60abf512e.jpg

new one is about equal to oblivion with bells for me, which, thanks ilx for making me try with that record so much that it's sorta my preferred underworld experience these days

I really like all seven of their albums so I find this sort of thing difficult, especially since I'd rather hear "Best Mamgu Ever" over "Rez" these days.

i love classic cuts like 'rez' but i feel like their deep cuts are often pretty revelatory and inspiring, like idk 'luetin' or 'air towel'..

I made a playlist on Spotify of the tracks I now prefer. Sadly, not all of the ones I'd like to include were available.

https://open.spotify.com/user/brotherlovesdub/playlist/2e1kCLXPU4cypdYShxeLMC

omg M.E. is SO GREAT AND UNDERRATED

I have loved "Luetin" since I first heard it even though I spent like 3-4 years calling it "Lutein"

holy crap I am literally just now realizign it is not called "Lutein"

also I keep calling it "Juniata" bcz that is the name of a neighborhood in Philly