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

goddammit that IS a spoiler!

yeah, I wonder if Rick had health issues, or if - after effectively re-programming the album from scratch for the remaster, and then building a live version for the launch - he just couldn't face playing the same thing again every night, and was relieved to let Price tweak a few faders and let the sequencers get on with it

they said he was ill i think

fwiw, Karl's book mentions that after a Freur or MK1 gig with terrible sound, Rick did the group's sound from the stage from then on.... so even when it's the karaoke type gig, there's that I guess

(apparently they played Spikee on nights when it was Karl & Rick, and not on Price & Hyde. And Rick mixed the show from the booth in Cologne?)

I heard Spoon Deep only a few years ago in the small hours in a fog-filled railway arch with a bunch of very happy maniacs, and even by the regularly high standards of that particular institution at the time it stands out as a peak dancefloor moment. Surfboy is fine too, definitively 1993/94 dubby techno.

Final third of Surfboy is awesome

http://ghostable.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u032-094621.png

32. Moaner 
724 points, 16 votes
1997 single for "Batman & Robin"

video video (4:10)
Tomato VHS promo (7:47)
full-length audio (10:23)

Tomato VHS promo (7:47)
full-length audio (10:23)

just like getting your face mutilated by great techno

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Tuesday, June 16, 2020 4:32 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Okay, this live recording of "Moaner" I've found is absolutely BLINDING.

― DJP, Wednesday, January 5, 2005 9:15 AM

live 1999 audio (transitions out of Bruce Lee)

I've spent the last year or two or three periodically obsessing over "Moaner."

― nabisco, Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:03 AM

Moaner is almost everything I want from Underworld in one lethal shot.

― Eric H., Tuesday, July 17, 2007 5:49 AM

Yeah, I kind of can't believe there was a point where I hated that song. WTF, me from 10 years ago?

― DJP, Tuesday, July 17, 2007 6:05 AM

I liked it back then too, but I've always seemed to like Underworld at their most relentless. "Tin There" is blissful carnage.

― Eric H., Tuesday, July 17, 2007 6:19 AM

"moaner" was the first underworld track i heard, the 10-minute cut off of the batman & robin soundtrack. i was 10, maybe? it absolutely scared the shit out of me.

― BradNelson, Wednesday, July 6, 2011 3:42 PM

https://i.imgur.com/QaZWY4q.jpg

The thing about the vocals is that, well, for instance ... I would possibly agree that "Moaner" was just relentless boshing techno if the vocals weren't doing just as much rhythmic and dynamic work as a less-relentless instrumental track would; there is nothing necessarily better or smarter or less crude about coding that work into the synths instead of doing it through a vocal performance.

(I also love the rigorously simple structure of that song, btw, which spends exactly half the time doing an uphill boshing-techno climb, then starts over and repeats the exact same thing only New and Improved Now with Added Vocals!)

― nabisco, Tuesday, December 16, 2008 6:30 AM

official live video 2011

Underworld (vocals, and also talk about Boner)

moaner is both very good and absolutely too much

otm!

https://media.giphy.com/media/WUr3e8XeI0fbtLYsf1/giphy.gif

Glad my observation about blissful carnage was good enough to be included twice.

I was going to trim it but then Brad cited bradself too :D

Is Boston awake for one more tonight?

nyc's still up

too low!

Moaner too low-ner

"I Exhale" I mean.. that seems to be next. Though beating Moaner, pretty impressive!

we have one NYCer in the quotees on deck but probably not reading this thread

still, since folks are milling around

http://ghostable.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u031-878027.png

31. If Rah
727 points, 15 votes
2016 single from album Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future
video
KCRW session video 2016 (link at 04:40)

luna luna luna!

my favourite from barbara, barbara

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

― DJP, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:11 AM

official live video 2016

The moment where "If Rah" blossoms into a huge beam of light is probably my favorite single moment on the album.

― DJP, Friday, March 25, 2016 7:45 AM

BBC session for Later video 2016 (VPN to UK if unavailable)

I've been revisiting this album over the past couple of days and "If Rah" is really, really, really satisfying.

― DJP, Thursday, June 2, 2016 5:56 AM

https://i.imgur.com/eAKDO5o.jpg

big thing about "If Rah" is that it just bangs right out of the box, as though the usual slowbuild/intro was just lopped off. good decision IMO.

― frogbs, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 7:28 AM

and then it builds on top of that bang to become a bangernaut

― DJP, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 7:34 AM

I regret almost every single facet of my previous post

― DJP, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 7:34 AM

piano cover

I'm on the edge of my seat just on the order of the Barbara tracks

... goodnight!

bye bye

https://media.giphy.com/media/VgGplOjPkEthgTyXCN/giphy.gif

lol

my favourite from barbara, barbara

Mine too. Surprised I Exhale is going to finish above it.

Fond memories of my then 6 and 8 year olds singing along to this and always asking for the 'luna luna' song

"nylon strung" and "low burn" still to come too

Also, really enjoying the leisurely pace of the rollout. And massive props to you sic for the deep dives you've done for each track and the links to alternate & live versions (and nashwan for the excellent images). Much appreciated.

So many fantastic tracks so far and we've not even reached the top 30 yet

I've been too far behind to actually post alongside the results but loving this roll-out so much. Will try to come back with substantive comments later.

Happy to bump the top 30 until next week if it means we can get Tim F commentary!

However, since there are at least 31 tracks in the top 30, here's one for the people in European and Australian timezones right now:

http://ghostable.uk/public/ilx/underworld/u030-264522.png

30. Mo Move
730 points, 17 votes
2002 album track from A Hundred Days Off

audio (6:54)
long pre-release version audio (13:49, including material that became B-sides instead)

Newfoundland already here too o7

someone mentioned "Luetin" bring buried on the album, so placing a bit low. Well here's the flipside of that. Interestingly it's smack in there middle of the early, longer version of the record.... I must check that out finally

the links to alternate & live versions

oh word?

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, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 2:35 AM

audience audio 2003 (7:49)

I remember. It took me 10 years to find me this. Another 2 boys from London called 'Circulation' at T in the Park dance tent in 2001 sounded exactly this. You can't explain it to people who weren't there. Bawbag was there, he knows what I'm on about. Underworld are beyond good.

audience audio 2003 (12:17, with Karl singing Oich Oich and Spoonman over the top)

- Listening here 2019? Simply in another planet this song

-- always listening in 2019 & beyond!

Wordimagesoundplay version (for the Playstation 2, 2:40)
audience audio 2003 (12:00, with Karl singing Chill out by Black Uhuru and Skyscraper over the top)

I saw this band in a small club in Nottingham and they were absolutely wicked, even in a small venue. I'd recommend them as a band to see before you die. Brilliant sound.

Nottingham audience audio 2003 (9:00)

Saw them at a midnight show in Chicago years ago ~ AWESOME LIVE !!!!! 420 love

rehearsal jam tx 2006 (13:26)
piano cover (1:00)

"mo move" is all about that percussion

The first 10 seconds of "Mo Move" are still my default ringtone.

(Which doesn't matter because I always keep my cell in silent mode.)

lmao at me being the If Rah Street Team

shit bangs tho

what the heck everyone moaner is too low I AM THE HUNGER ABOVE YOUR TOWN A LITTLE SOUND IN A LITTLE AMP I AM DUBIOUS HARD METAL I AM STAINLESS. I AM MILK IN YOUR PLASTIC

mo aner > mo move

both dope tho of course.

All of the opening tracks on their albums are dope but Mo Move is probably the one I'd rank last

"Underworld openers" vs. "Underworld closers" would be a tough poll

Willie get the get the get the get the

A big thank you to whoever is doing this poll for slowly posting the results a couple songs per day and letting it all just sink in. Make us wait for it! This way I get to absorb so much awesome extra stuff that’s not necessarily part of the poll, like “Strumpet” and the YouTube piano covers.

Closers take it imo xps

Just realized half of my top 10 are openers or closers