maybe it's wrong but i'll more readily listen to barking than a hundred days off
both great
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 8 May 2020 00:19 (four years ago) link
a hundred days off is their second weakest imo but at least it has "two months off" and "sola sistem"
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 00:23 (four years ago) link
re: barking, the concept is cool if imperfectly executed, the songs are all pretty awesome. "between stars" is gonna be on my ballot
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 8 May 2020 00:24 (four years ago) link
Only knew the singles, so familarising myself with Barking by listening to the instrumental version of the album, then the just-Underworld demos album, before the final version.
I'm pretty sure Karl re-did the vocals on that remix too, so it's essentially an Underworld cover of the Manic Street Preachers.
I ID3-tagged the two versions into two of my mega-compilations of non-album/non-era Underworld, rather than at the end of my two mega-compilations of UW remixes. Missing my ipod this week tbh, RIP.
― Elon's musk (sic), Friday, 8 May 2020 00:31 (four years ago) link
looking forward to playing Barking again... fully expect it to place last but agree that it has a lot going for it. I guess they were in a rough time around then, almost breaking up around the Olympics (I'm not sure Karl worked on that stuff at all?). Apparently they found their spark again around the 2014 dubnobass reissue. I'm almost finished Karl's book (fun read).
Hundred Days, Barking, and Beaucoup Fish will all be a close call for me. I'm sure the latter will place high, but to me it's 4 absolute classics followed by a bunch of filler. Wonder if anything after that point could crack the list at all.
Looking forward to seeing all the ballots eventually!
― maffew12, Friday, 8 May 2020 01:12 (four years ago) link
Barking is a fine album on its own merits but it really could've been better - the only track the outside remixing really works on is "Between Stars". I like "Scribble" a lot too but man the original they played on that Live in Tokyo album, what a corker. also really love the original "Diamond Jigsaw" with the Van Halen synth though the one on the album is pretty sweet as well. original "Moon in Water" - gold, obviously, the remixed version is just a totally different tune
in retrospect the real disappointment was the bonus disc, I wanted something like Barking w/o the outside collaborators, but this was just a bunch of demos
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 01:36 (four years ago) link
Oblivion with Bells is the only proper album that I felt had truly nothing for me.
― Vegemite Is My Grrl (Eric H.), Friday, 8 May 2020 01:51 (four years ago) link
And A Hundred Days Off I think much more belongs with the three that cake before it than anything that came after.
― Vegemite Is My Grrl (Eric H.), Friday, 8 May 2020 01:52 (four years ago) link
Cake, came, both are good.
― Vegemite Is My Grrl (Eric H.), Friday, 8 May 2020 01:53 (four years ago) link
"crocodile" into "beautiful burnout" is a real high-point and while the rest never reaches the same heights the only track that doesn't work for me is "ring road" which is a sort of underworld track that's never done anything for me (don't like "bruce lee" etc. much either)
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 01:56 (four years ago) link
Holding the Moth & Best Mamgu Ever are also incredible
the thing with both 100 Days Off & OWB is that they're both incredible sounding albums. I mean they all are really but those two have so much depth to them
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 02:54 (four years ago) link
revisited Barking and my opinion hasn't really changed. it's not bad by any means but never particularly memorable and feels quite anonymous. doubt anything from it will make my ballot
is the Karl Hyde solo album at all worthwhile? as mentioned before i really love the Eno/Hyde records
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 03:25 (four years ago) link
ok A Hundred Days Off is a lot better than i remember. still probably one of their weaker albums, but that's more about how strong their discography is. the percussion on this album rules so much.
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 06:40 (four years ago) link
I like Barking a lot. ALAF is an out and out banger and there's some other good tracks too. For me, Oblivion With Bells is their weakest by a country mile. Apart from Best Mamgu Ever I'd be happy never listening to any of the other tracks again.
― groovypanda, Friday, 8 May 2020 08:48 (four years ago) link
"ess gee" is the best underworld guitar interlude
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 10:10 (four years ago) link
good evening
― Elon's musk (sic), Friday, 8 May 2020 11:01 (four years ago) link
luna luna luna luna
― Elon's musk (sic), Friday, 8 May 2020 11:12 (four years ago) link
UNDER|||ORLD: babs & bobs
Baby Wants To Ride (Underworld vs Misterons 12'' Mix) • [Frankie Knuckles cover 12", 2015] 7:48 Baby Wants To Ride (Underworld vs Heller & Farley 12'' Mix) • [Frankie Knuckles cover 12", 2015] 9:27 I Exhale • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 8:10 If Rah • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 7:12 Low Burn • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 6:44 Santiago Cuatro • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 4:00 Motorhome • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 6:23 Ova Nova • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 5:31 Nylon Strung • Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future [2016] 6:48 Twenty Three Blue • [b-side/bonus 2016] 6:45 Eventually But • [b-side to Long Slow Slippy, 2017] 2:57 Bells & Circles • [Underworld with Iggy Pop, Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 7:30 Trapped • [Underworld with Iggy Pop, Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 7:44 I’ll See Big • [Underworld with Iggy Pop, Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 4:47 Get Your Shirt • [Underworld with Iggy Pop, Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 7:31 Bells & Circles (Instrumental Version) • [Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 7:30 Get Your Shirt (Instrumental Version) • [Teatime Dub Encounters EP 2017 (rel. 2018)] 7:31 Too Little Too Late • [Joris Voorn feat. Underworld, 2019] 5:49 Too Little Too Late (Club Mix) • [Joris Voorn feat. Underworld, remix 2019] 7:03
― Elon's musk (sic), Friday, 8 May 2020 11:15 (four years ago) link
looking forward to the extensive documentation of all the Drift alternate versions
i think i might have Barbara Barbara very very high, it's one of their most enjoyable to listen to as a whole. the only low-point is "Santiago Cuatro" which isn't bad, just quite a bit more out of place than the guitar interludes usually are.
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 12:08 (four years ago) link
listening to "big meat show," an outtake from dubnobass that's on the 1992-2012 comp, and it's..... fantastic???? they produced enough incredible music for three albums during and around that one
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 8 May 2020 15:02 (four years ago) link
starting to think "why why why" is also going to be surprisingly high on my ballot
I've probably mentioned this on other threads but to me UW have three peaks, the '92-'94 era with all those awesome singles & EPs leading to dubnobasswithmyheadman (perhaps one of the only albums in history that justifies the five disc deluxe reissue), the '05-'07 era with Riverrun, OWB, and all sorts of interesting tracks being played on radio broadcasts & live shows, and the recent Drift period. I think all these periods produced like, 4-5 albums worth of quality material but Drift was the only one to actually just release it as such
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 15:11 (four years ago) link
Riverrun stuff isn’t available anywhere at the moment other than fan uploads on YouTube. Not sure why they don’t stick it on streaming or sell downloads anymore
― I am using your worlds, Friday, 8 May 2020 16:07 (four years ago) link
oh wow i am gonna take part in a music poll! i do this almost never! display name relevant
looking at this poll and realizing how little i've actually listened to though, holy moly. i guess i just listened to dub a million times? i was like "well i'll try the other stuff, i prob won't like it as much anyway" and randomly started with barbara and was like "oh no i think i love this"
watched everything everything last night for the first time in like 10-15 years, goddamn underworld rules
― Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 8 May 2020 16:25 (four years ago) link
the impression I get is that the Riverrun stuff didn't work out the way they wanted, none of the casual fans knew about it & a lot of people had trouble downloading them. there wasn't really the infrastructure for just putting stuff out the way there is now. when they started the project I think they had eyes on doing more than just 3 but I think they quickly learned that if it wasn't on a studio album most people just weren't gonna hear it
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 16:34 (four years ago) link
your idea of all these sustained peaks - challenging the very nature of a peak! - and none of them containing Second Toughest... just boggles the mind. But that's why this whole poll in bonkers. Happy listening yall
― maffew12, Friday, 8 May 2020 16:54 (four years ago) link
im actually doing my first 'second toughest' listen-thru ever right now! (i'm still on track 1 lol)
yesterday i did those two first albums which were fine but i don't think i'll vote for anything on them or for them. very interesting to hear their origins tho! had no idea they were doing that kinda stuff and then just pivoted hard into DNBWMHM. such a crazy pivot, such a perfect album
― Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 8 May 2020 16:59 (four years ago) link
was supposed to see them on their tour next week. I am very sad about it. =(
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Friday, 8 May 2020 17:07 (four years ago) link
ugh. hope they reschedule and you get a chance to see em! in the meantime might i recommend throwing the dvd on and dancing in front of your tv like i may or may not have at 2am oops
― Hackers (1995) (Will M.), Friday, 8 May 2020 17:09 (four years ago) link
the deluxe remaster of dubnobass kinda bridges the gap. if you really look hard you can find a demo tape for the 3rd UW mk1 album which was never made. there's a version of "Mother Earth" on it. some of the other tracks from that era like "The Hump", "Big Meat Show", and "Can You Feel It" (which became part of "Skyscraper") also show their roots a bit. and they did some cool experimental stuff as Freur, most of it didn't make the albums though. but something like "Rez"...yeah, total left turn
your idea of all these sustained peaks - challenging the very nature of a peak! - and none of them containing Second Toughest... just boggles the mind.
I mean really everything from 1992 to 1999 is really great, but really there was just an insane wealth of stuff from 93 and 94 alone. STITI has a handful of really great B-sides & remixes of course, absolutely love "Oich Oich", "Puppies", "Cherry Pie", and "Tin There"...but overall idk if that deluxe set worked quite as well as the dubnobass one
that said I forgot about one of my favorite Underworld live tracks ever, a performance of the original "Born Slippy" from the infamous European Club Gig which is just fucking incredible. the whole gig is awesome but this part from 1:47:00 on...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_HoEQ7ThvE
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 17:19 (four years ago) link
I really don't understand how people aren't in love with Barking, even given the rest of Underworld's discography. It's just a great album back to front.
― DJP, Friday, 8 May 2020 17:50 (four years ago) link
but overall idk if that deluxe set worked quite as well as the dubnobass one
woah woah... 5 years of development vs the follow-up record... judge what's on the albums eh :)
― maffew12, Friday, 8 May 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link
― DJP, Friday, May 8, 2020 10:50 AM (two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink
i really think of it as the underworld album that's all bangers
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 8 May 2020 17:53 (four years ago) link
At this point, I may have played "Always Loved A Film" and "Bird 1" more than any other Underworld songs except maybe "Pearl's Girl", the original "Born Slippy", and "Dirty Epic"
― DJP, Friday, 8 May 2020 17:59 (four years ago) link
yea those tracks are great. I just think the outside remixers smoothed over a lot of the nuance in favor of just making the tracks straight bangers. the original ALAF had this awesome bass line that's just not there in the Barking version. and Diamond Jigsaw had these massive chord changes which Paul Van Dyk didn't even seem to bother with.
before I forget...how about a little love for "Bamboo", from 2008 or thereabouts. kind of a fleshed out version of "Lenny Penne", one of my favorite unreleased tracks. I take it we can't vote for this??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqu-n3EJXiY
― frogbs, Friday, 8 May 2020 18:56 (four years ago) link
no Bamboo!
how I (D3) break it down to an extent:
a 1992 album of singles, bar M.E.: 79 minutesa 1993 album of two singles: 47 minutesthe actual 1994 album: 73 minutesa 1994 "double CD" comp of Cows, Darks and Skyscrapers: 2 hrs 14an 1995ish album of Slippy: 40 minutes
plus I have The Big Meat Show hived off with the Why? remixes and Second Hand into other compilations of b-sides and reworks
PLUS the band have also given us a 75-minute album of unreleased tracks and versions from 1993, PLUS an hour-long mix of the best bits of more unreleased versions, P L U S an hour-long album of The Evolution Of NUXX.
― Elon's musk (sic), Friday, 8 May 2020 21:18 (four years ago) link
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5qIqg9x4lKvq1DR4BKFXdX?si=yw8o4tJRTPyiCW_NS-5iVg
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxWLJazbXOaluH99S3_FgWInzNemME8RN
have kept the playlists of non-album material up to date with everything available pre-Drift, based on sic's documentation of it all. there's a few pretty obscure remixes etc. that aren't even on youtube though
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 23:47 (four years ago) link
an hour-long album of The Evolution Of NUXX!!??
― lukas, Friday, 8 May 2020 23:52 (four years ago) link
that was one of the discs on the second toughest super deluxe reissue - 6 early versions of "born slippy .nuxx"
― ufo, Friday, 8 May 2020 23:59 (four years ago) link
that said I forgot about one of my favorite Underworld live tracks ever, a performance of the original "Born Slippy" from the infamous European Club Gig which is just fucking incredible
wow this rules so much
― ufo, Saturday, 9 May 2020 00:33 (four years ago) link
tx xp
― lukas, Saturday, 9 May 2020 00:59 (four years ago) link
there's a few pretty obscure remixes etc. that aren't even on youtube though
what's the final list of these?
― Elon's musk (sic), Saturday, 9 May 2020 05:21 (four years ago) link
Why Why Why (Remix) (from Wasted, The Best of Volume Part 1, 1995)Push Upstairs (Radio Edit)King of Snake (Straight (Mate) Mix) (there's a shorter version cut out of someone's DJ mix but not the full thing)Biro The Leggy (Romford Dub) (this is pretty readily available on their official soundcloud. the earlier 2004 version that was never officially released is on youtube though)all the Barking instrumental versionsBaby Wants To Ride (Underworld vs Misterons 12'' Mix) (there's an edit but not the full thing)Get Your Shirt (Instrumental version)Too Little Too Late (Club Mix)
― ufo, Saturday, 9 May 2020 06:40 (four years ago) link
two weeks of
― Elon's musk (sic), Saturday, 9 May 2020 08:25 (four years ago) link
had no idea they were doing that kinda stuff and then just pivoted hard into DNBWMHM. such a crazy pivot
...
if you really look hard you can find a demo tape for the 3rd UW mk1 album which was never made. there's a version of "Mother Earth" on it
here's audio of Underworld mkI playing Mother Earth live in September 1991.
Within a few months - maybe less time than we're going to be in pandemic lockdown - they split up, Karl recorded an album at Paisley Park as a session player for the lead singer of Berlin, Rick closed down the band's affairs, sold off their studio equipment to settle their debts and moved a handful of salvaged gear into his marital terrace, Karl did a tour as guitarist for Debbie Harry & Chris Stein, Rick met a 19-year-old DJ and started making long electronic grooves, Karl (while rehearsing in NYC for the not-Blondie tour) started writing down snippets of overheard latenight conversation to turn into lyrics, then when the gig ran out, accepted an invitation from Rick to come home and listen to this new stuff as long as he'll stfu about real music by proper bands... then a bloke they've met fronts them credit to press 300 copies of a 12", Rick wholesales it out of his boot and at age 33, 20 years into his career as a professional musician, Karl makes a profit on a record for the first time. And the bloke who arranged the pressing continues to look after their business affairs and knock about in the studio with them for another 28 years and counting.
(maffew may have a better grasp on the continuity with the Dogboy book to hand - this all feels like years in Karl's despair-memory, but the pivot is ludicrously fast if you try and clock a timeline.)
― Elon's musk (sic), Saturday, 9 May 2020 12:47 (four years ago) link
"M.E." always felt a little out of place on dubnobass, makes sense that it was one of the holdouts from the earlier incarnation. never really appreciated it until i heard the FM mix, which isn't that different apart from the intro, but the intro is so good and the other small tweaks add up to it being significantly better
― ufo, Saturday, 9 May 2020 12:58 (four years ago) link
Even the dubnob version is the same one they released on/as Tomato over a year earlier, before Rez
― Elon's musk (sic), Saturday, 9 May 2020 13:28 (four years ago) link
sic: I'm in the middle of all that toward the end of the book. But that can't be quite right.... Karl off to Minneapolis was early 1990. And, "Thanksgiving 1989, Underworld gathered for a last supper ..."Didn't know about ME live in 91. I'll take down some notes here as I go and post back.
― maffew12, Saturday, 9 May 2020 13:41 (four years ago) link
There's a bit about the Change the Weather album being finished by Rick on computer and everyone but Karl loving it, demanding it be done with real instruments. lol. Would love to hear Rick's version
― maffew12, Saturday, 9 May 2020 13:43 (four years ago) link
ah, that does make more sense for a timescale - I got dazzled by confirming the date of that tape, but as I was typing I realised they were probably split already by the time of the gig, and just doing it as an earner. (Per that site, Underworld finished the tour supporting Eurythmics in November 1989, played Glastonbury and no other shows in 1990, then two German gigs and a London club show in one week of September 1991. I think there are two band demo tapes from 1990 and 1991, but haven't heard them - do have a recording of one of the 1991 shows, and it's mostly new songs)
― Elon's musk (sic), Saturday, 9 May 2020 14:03 (four years ago) link