why don't you poll me I feel like flying to... the UNDERWORLD Poll Results thread -- produced by Smith & Hyde for ILM Artist Poll #102

http://ghostfood.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u009-929473.png

9. Two Months Off
1371 points, 23 votes
2002 lead single from A Hundred Days Off

video
Big Day Out live video 2003

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

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

― Stevie D, Tuesday, September 20, 2016 11:25 PM

audience audio 2008 (14 mins)
KCRW session video 2011 (link to 32:55)

Comment from the Big Day Out video:

I’ll never forget this night. My first real music festival coming from NQ (2,000km - ed.). I’d never seen bands of this caliber before and underworld were the perfect end to the night. Everybody piled into their set as they were pretty much the last band on for the night. There felt like 20,000 people jam packed into an area built to hold 500! That green strobe coming down from the ceiling onto that many people looked incredible. A seriously great night

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2002/09/underworld/

upon second listen: it's underworld's star guitar. it's fast, summery and kind of boring in a good way - expertly calculated bliss-inducing exercise.

― minna, Saturday, June 15, 2002 10:00 AM

nope. don't like it much. nowhere near as good as 'funny break' or 'star guitar'. who said it sounds like french house ? it sounds just like underworld. dead disappointed i am, but then 'king of snake' wasn't up to much anyway so let's not judge an album on a single.

what's odd is that everyone else seems to love it.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:00 AM

It does sound like French House, it's about a beat away from being the traditional Stardust thing. The only difference is it's big Underworld synths doing it.

― Ronan, Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:00 AM

I think it's an excellent track. Not a departure for Underworld, but who says that everything has to be groundbreaking? I have to say this, though, I don't see ANY similarity between this song and French house, and I don't really think I could take a French-housey track from Underworld seriously. Peas, Ronny

― Ronny Louvre, Thursday, August 1, 2002 10:00 AM

It does not sound like french house, because it sounds *exactly* like "Big Love" by Pete Heller with some monologue from a Human Traffic type movie playing over it. I really like it anyway.

― Spencer Chow, Thursday, August 1, 2002 10:00 AM

official live video Glastonbury 2016

https://i.imgur.com/rZH2WjU.jpg

PS - as a huge Underworld i dont actually rate 'Two Months Off' as much as most of their other singles...tho it did make me grin like a thousand cheshire cats on first hearing

― blueski, Wednesday, September 25, 2002 3:02 AM

Hmm. I don't know what to make of this because I think "Two Months Off" may very well be the best single Underworld has ever released.

― DJP, Monday, July 1, 2002 10:00 AM

I'm irrationally angry that Cowgirl and Rez are not being considered distinct tracks because 1) they are and 2) a cowgirl/rez Frankenstein's monster is going to deprive Juanita of its rightful number one

the golden sunlight orrr sooooomethiiiiiing

French house wars vs deep house wars: fite

8. Cups
1388 points, 23 votes, 2 #2s
1999 album track from Beaucoup Fish

audio
VHS promo

http://ghostfood.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u008-006910.png

Plus, you're missing out on "Cups" (deep house par excellence)

― Tim, Tuesday, October 17, 2000 11:00 AM

I'm referring to the _Everything, Everything_ version, of course; brutal synth-stomps over a relentless jackhammer beat and a queasy bass line for three exquisitely punishing minutes. I'm sitting here at work with my headphones on and I want to leap on the desk and kick in my monitor. This beat DEMANDS moshing, IMO, and they do the amazing trick of using the propulsion to improve "Push Upstairs" to the point where I want to listen to it. (I can even deal with "Push Upstairs" on its own now thanks to the "Cups" association.)

Is there a longer version of this full-on assault version somewhere? The album version is pretty and all, but if I want to hear deep house I'll turn to someone besides Underworld, thanks.

― DJP, Friday, May 2, 2003 6:33 AM

live audio 1998
audience video 2017

"Cups" in and of itself outepics everything on STITI and the album's structure has pretty much perfect build and release.

― DJP, Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:15 AM

listening to 'cups' ((((d-_-b)))) this group am i right

― deej, Sunday, May 16, 2010 5:11 AM

tbh if i could have picked it, the last 2/3s of "cups" would have taken my vote. i don't think i've ever heard a synth "riff" that epic. i pretty much love all of 'beaucoup fish.' then i listened to dubnobasswithmyheadman, then other stuff, so what do i know

― Matt P, Monday, December 15, 2008 10:47 PM

piano cover

my #1. what a song.

Meh, Underwhelming more like.

somehow all of these songs are too low

it's been said that the origin of numbers is a questionable hypothesis

my #1.

oops!

when i first moved to new york for a while i would listen to "dark train" every time i got on the... train

I love "Two Months Off", but it beating out "Dark Train" aka the best dance track of all time is crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy

"rowla" & "cherry pie" placing above "banstyle/sappy's curry" is absurd

http://ghostfood.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u007-577386.png

7. Mmm...Skyscraper I Love You
1393 combined points, 27 total votes
1993 12"

audio
live video 1994

The A-side would have placed at #12, with 1130 points from 21 votes.

this is also too low

Surprised to see "Cups" so high, though I'm not complaining. I'm not exactly sure why these two distinct halves of a song go together but hey it works

btw the answer to this is still "Dirty Epic"

― DJP, Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:00 AM

no it's "Mmm Skyscraper... I Love You"

― Stevie D, Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:02 AM

I admit that is a compelling argument

― DJP, Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:04 AM

live audio 1998

https://i.imgur.com/ghbnXAl.jpg

the Tokyo 05 date is great but the constant edging of "Mmm Skyscraper" with no drop or climax or anything is so odd!

― Stevie D, Saturday, September 24, 2016 11:04 AM

piano cover

https://i.imgur.com/qg9uVEk.jpg

I was the other one who had Cups as my #1. The one track of theirs that, to me, sounds like they are just showing off with all the moods, styles and sounds they can cover within one song. Goes from groovy acid jazz to balls-out jungle-inflected techno (three quarters of the way through of course) like it's no biggie. I find the vocals on this incredibly soothing as well. And love the William Orbit-style epic string intro that just gets discarded after 30 seconds.

Absolutely loving this roll out by the way, have discovered so many quality tunes previously unknown to me. If I redid my ballot now there would be a lot of new additions from the one I submitted.

I should've voted for "Skyscraper" but it still reminds me of a terrible dance performance I saw in college. The program didn't even credit the music!

lol!

should we wrap up today

or

spend TWENTY FOUR HOURS WITH THE

http://ghostfood.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u006-802361.png

6. King Of Snake
1551 points, 25 total votes
1999 single from Beaucoup Fish


1997 demo audio
1998 live 17-minute version (mp3 download)
Barking Mix promo by Tomato
Shudder/KOS VHS promo (VPN to UK)

(Votes include 2 for Barking, 1 for Straight (Mate), and four for other versions / three incorporating Shudder. position would be unchanged counting one vote for the Everything Everything live version)

too low

The dave clarke remix is the shit btw

Fatboy Slim remix is surprisingly good too

ILx "first mentions"

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?

― DJP, Tuesday, October 17, 2000 11:00 AM

live Glastonbury video 1999

now, on to my anecdote, which is about how the promo vinyl we got for 'King of Snake' was a 12" and 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.

― TOMBOT, Sunday, January 19, 2003 4:50 AM

live Big Day Out video 2003

twenty four hours its the k-k-k-ing o' snake

― Thee Macallan 18 Year, Wednesday, July 6, 2011 11:25 PM

audience video 2009

mongoose and...

― DJP, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:23 AM

i picked ( at midnight everybody dancing on the street here ) but am immediately regretting not picking ( strong food and strong drink at midnight )

― Will M., Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:27 AM

snake fighting IS very scary so i voted for that one

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:29 AM

STRONG FOOD AND STRONG DRINK

― elmo argonaut, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:34 AM

Coachella live promo 2016 (laz0rs pew pew)

SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE

― elmo argonaut, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:35 AM

Explode mystic dove, explode

― Duane Barry, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 9:54 PM

official live single-cam video Bucharest 2009 (not great tbh)

https://i.imgur.com/iV4fKou.jpg

god damn i was pretty disconnected / unaware of a lot of the rave-ier end of dance when it was actually happening here but nothing makes me want to do strange drugs and get fucked up in a warehouse with flashing lights and lots of other fucked up ppl like underworld.

― deej, Monday, December 15, 2008 10:52 PM

http://www.zshare.net/audio/52776832b72c9d61/

trick daddy - shut up (underworld mix)

― and what, Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:33 AM

snake!!

oh-h-h-h-h-h-h!!!!

"king of snake" is so bouncy

I still have a homemade 33rpm version on my phone at all times

The little thirty-second intro to “King of Snake” before the synth line comes in (I guess that would be “Shudder”?) is so goddamn freaky and weird and cool.

"Shudder" is such a cool little piece of music

“Cups” would’ve been my #1 if I had voted. I’m sure glad I didn’t though! I would’ve neglected all these really cool obscure Underworld tunes I’ve never heard, like “S-T-A-R” and “Parc”

The King of Snake EP is great, all the remixes flow into each other

Classic tune obviously but the live versions of this are so much more special imo

"Cups" is so brilliant - of all the Underworld tricks of fusing together two disparate tunes, it's perhaps the most audacious, there's a real sense when listening to the tune transform that "if they can do this they can do anything". I've got mad love for the short version on Everything Everything and in particular the way it merges into "Push Upstairs" like pieces of plastic left out in the sun, but the idea that the tune would better without the deep house section is insane to me.

"King of Snake" meanwhile is a banger to end all bangers. That and "Moaner" were the peak moments for me when I saw Underworld live at Vivid last year.

#TECHTALK: Rick and Karl soundchecking with Rick playing King Of Snake off an iDrum app on his phone

snake!!

oh-h-h-h-h-h-h!!!!

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 22 June 2020 23:53 (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

The only problem with the live versions of Snake (which I agree are brilliant) is that the strobing on Hyde's "oh-h-h-h-h-h!" on the studio version is urgent and key.

King Of Snake: great.

the song that reviews itself

http://ghostfood.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u005-355387.png

5. Jumbo  
1625 points, 24 votes, 3 #1s
1999 single from Beaucoup Fish

official video
Tomato VHS promo

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, October 18, 2000 11:00 AM

Jo Whiley session video 1998 (lo-res)

...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 B., Monday, December 4, 2000 12:00 PM

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, December 23, 2000 12:00 PM

live audio 2008

also, jumbo sounds like it could have came out last week.

― cutty, Wednesday, October 19, 2005 10:43 AM

soundcheck 2009

"Halcyon" is the shit and will get the crowd going on the floor more, but "Jumbo" is definitely more moving, more emotional, and would probably get me going a little more, the way it builds and builds through some subtle additions to the musical texture throughout.

― gear, Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:01 PM

KCRW session video 2016

"Jumbo" is one of the only Underworld tracks I've heard where the album version has completely pwned every live version I've heard. The "click" is integral to the power of the song and it is a little slice of melancholy awesomeness but I can think of five songs off the top of my head on Beaucoup Fish alone that are better-constructed, more emotionally-involving and just plain better ("Push Upstairs", "Winjer", "Kittens", "Moaner", "Cups"). Also, "Luetin" goes over the same territory in a much more satisfying manner; there isn't another Orbital song that encapsulates that sense of open-eyed wonder in the same way as "Halcyon".

I would love to hear the "Jumbo" remixes, though; I don't know them at all.

― DJP, Wednesday, October 19, 2005 10:18 PM

audience video 2013, Karl band

"jumbo". it really does sound amazing when you listen to it while playing with a tetris keyring!

― haitch, Wednesday, October 19, 2005 11:53 PM

https://i.imgur.com/1LwBF5b.jpg

ambient loop
piano cover

totally "too much time on ilx", or too much time on ilx in 2005, but i can't hear the opening of "jumbo" without thinking of stevem being annoyed of the sound of the dude banging on the boat

― roxymuzak, Friday, October 18, 2013 10:47 AM

My number one aka the best song ever made

Rising in the morning to speak to you
Beneath the feet of the city
Click, you disconnect from me
Click, when you come to take your century

Telephone breath between us
There are no borders between us
Only these wires, dust between the wires and green glass
In the distance, I am your tourist

I'm vaguely irritated that evidently a majority of underworld fans on ILX think "dirty epic" is a better emo-underworld track than "jumbo", as if karl groaning "here comes christ on crutches" wasn't one of the more off-putting moments in their discography.

Ha. It's possible it has more points than "Dirty Epic" on its own. I had it higher. It is the best....well i had two things above it but.... dammit

Also my #1. When the lush pads come in halfway through, I think that is as transcendent as music can get. Like the doors of heaven opening