The Undertones | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The Undertones slam-bang punk-pop drew its strength from one simple fact: you didnt need a secret handshake to enjoy it. John and Damian ONeill mated infectious guitar hooks to 60s garage, 70s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkeys signature vocal quaver. Those qualities came together on their breakout hit "Teenage Kicks," whose simplicity harked back to 60s ideals of when the song was king. The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975. However, they avoided references to their hometowns sectarian strife for "more songs about chocolate and girls," as their second album phrased it. But gigs were scarce in a scene dominated by show bands, and the boys felt sufficiently discouraged to consider quitting -- until Belfast record shop owner Terry Hooley released the Teenage Kicks EP on his Good Vibrations label in September 1978. The song captivated Britains top DJ, John Peel; suddenly, as Damian ONeill recalled, people were asking for autographs at the job. The frenzy attracted a deal from Sire Records, which released the bands rough-and-ready debut in April 1979. That fall, the Undertones earned kudos as a support act on the Clashs American tour. So did Hypnotised, which showed a band already straining against the Ramonesy thrust of earlier singles like "Jimmy Jimmy" and "My Perfect Cousin." However, the Undertones entertained some notions of growing up, which started when they switched to EMI. Positive Touch (1981) unveiled exotic instrumental flourishes like horns, slide guitars, tack pianos, and even xylophones; its brief residency in the U.K. Top 50 provided the first inklings of trouble. The band returned after a lengthy lay-off with The Sin of Pride (1983), which flirted with 60s soul and psychedelia. But its singles -- including a slick remake of the Isley Brothers "Got to Have You Back" and the grungy "Love Parade" -- made little impression, and the album peaked at number 46 on the U.K. charts. Sensing a thankless competition with their younger, cheekier selves, the Undertones split up in the summer of 1983 after a series of summer festival gigs. Sharkey launched a short-lived solo career, while John and Damian ONeill won critical plaudits -- but little sales -- for their tough-minded political band, That Petrol Emotion. Hopes of re-forming the original lineup for John Peels 50th birthday fell apart after the ONeills father died. The band mulled an offer for five gigs in 1994, but blamed Sharkeys skittishness for scuttling the deal. The boys skirted their former frontmans reluctance by recruiting Derrys Paul McLoone for two hometown gigs in 1999, and havent looked back. The reissues kept coming, while the Teenage Kicks (2001) documentary gave fans a fond review of the bands history. Get What You Need, the first new album in 20 years, earned a thumbs-up from fans on its September 2003 release. Twenty-five years after "Teenage Kicks" put the Undertones on the map, the pride of Derry seem more ubiquitous than ever. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 17 Title: The Undertones Released: 1979-05 Tracks: 13 Duration: 28:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Family Entertainment (02:38) 2 Girls Don’t Like It (02:17) 3 Male Model (01:56) 4 I Gotta Getta (01:54) 5 Wrong Way (01:24) 6 Jump Boys (02:41) 7 Here Comes the Summer (01:43) 8 Billy’s Third (01:58) 9 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 10 True Confessions (01:54) 11 (She’s a) Runaround (01:50) 12 I Know a Girl (02:36) 13 Listening In (02:26) |
| The Undertones : Allmusic album Review : What is a perfect album? One could make an argument that a perfect album is one that sets out a specific set of artistic criteria and then fulfills them flawlessly. In that respect, and many others, the Undertones 1979 debut is a perfect album. The Northern Ireland quintets brief story is no different than that of literally dozens of other bands to form in the wake of the Clash and, more importantly, the Buzzcocks, but the group infuses so much unabashed joy in their two-minute three-chord pop songs, and theres so little pretension in their unapologetically teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so many of their contemporaries. Theres no fewer than three all-time punk-pop classics here; besides that song, the singles "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" are simple declarations of teenage hormonal lust that somehow manage to be cute instead of Neanderthal; perhaps its Feargal Sharkeys endearingly adenoidal whine, or the chipper way the ONeill brothers pitch in on schoolboy harmonies, like a teenage Irish Kinks. All of the other 13 songs, even the 47-second blip "Casbah Rock," are nearly to that level of brilliance, with the frenetic "Girls Dont Like It" a particular standout. The Rykodisc CD adds seven demos and single sides, and also includes an entirely different, punkier version of "True Confessions" than the nervous, new wave-influenced throb of the version on the original U.K. vinyl. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 17 Title: Hypnotised Released: 1980 Tracks: 18 Duration: 44:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 More Songs About Chocolate and Girls (02:40) 2 There Goes Norman (02:25) 3 Hypnotised (02:30) 4 See That Girl (02:23) 5 Whizz Kids (02:18) 6 Under the Boardwalk (02:26) 7 The Way Girls Talk (02:29) 8 Hard Luck (03:40) 9 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 10 Boys Will Be Boys (01:27) 11 Tearproof (02:20) 12 Wednesday Week (02:16) 13 Nine Times out of Ten (02:36) 14 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:26) 15 What’s With Terry? (03:14) 16 Hard Luck (again) (04:11) 17 I Don’t Wanna See (You Again) (00:48) 18 I Told You So (02:07) |
| Hypnotised : Allmusic album Review : Its hard to follow up a classic, as the Undertones themselves well knew, starting their second album with the endearingly self-effacing "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls," a song that acknowledges the difficulty of writing and recording a second album after the unexpected popularity of your first. Surprisingly, the lads make a good job of it; Hypnotised is only barely less perfect than the debut, and even the primary flaw, a pointless and rushed cover of "Under the Boardwalk," has its charms. Other than that misstep, the album contains 14 punky pop classics, with a slightly tougher edge than the unfailingly sweet-natured debut. The giddy love rush of the title track is matched by some of Feargal Sharkeys most exuberant vocals, and the snotty "Whats with Terry?" and "My Perfect Cousin" are yet more perfect slices of adolescent frustration. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 17 Title: Positive Touch Released: 1981-05-04 Tracks: 18 Duration: 48:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fascination (02:22) 2 Julie Ocean (01:46) 3 Life’s Too Easy (02:31) 4 Crisis of Mine (02:27) 5 You’re Welcome (02:47) 6 His Good Looking Girlfriend (03:08) 7 The Positive Touch (02:21) 8 When Saturday Comes (02:56) 9 It’s Going to Happen! (03:39) 10 Sigh and Explode (02:45) 11 I Don’t Know (02:44) 12 Hannah Doot (02:50) 13 Boy Wonder (02:08) 14 Forever Paradise (03:10) 15 Kiss in the Dark (02:34) 16 Beautiful Friend (03:23) 17 Life’s Too Easy (alternate) (02:43) 18 Fairly in the Money Now (02:33) |
| Positive Touch : Allmusic album Review : The Undertones third album is a marked departure from the speedy pop-punk of their first two. The Buzzcocks-derived ramalama is almost entirely gone, replaced by a more varied and softer instrumental palette that features new textures like piano (courtesy of Paul Carrack, then in Squeeze) and trumpet. Oddly, the new arrangements, when mixed with Feargal Sharkeys tightly wound vocals, have the effect of actually increasing the tension. Even tender, largely acoustic tunes like the lovely "Julie Ocean" have an undercurrent of anxiety, and faster tracks like the pounding opener "Fascination" and the near-paranoid "His Goodlooking Girlfriend" are downright nerve-wracking. The combination is best heard in the panicky "Crisis of Mine" and the sardonic "Lifes Too Easy," two of the albums better tracks, but even the buzzy "Hannah Doot," one of the few songs that sounds like it would fit on the Undertones earlier albums, is enhanced by the nervy production. The Rykodisc reissue adds four bonus tracks, including a less-interesting early version of "Lifes Too Easy." | ||
 | Album: 4 of 17 Title: All Wrapped Up Released: 1983 Tracks: 13 Duration: 37:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:25) 2 Get Over You (02:44) 3 Jimmy Jimmy (02:40) 4 Here Comes the Summer (01:42) 5 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?) (02:37) 6 My Perfect Cousin (02:34) 7 Wednesday Week (02:13) 8 It’s Going to Happen! (03:30) 9 Julie Ocean (03:32) 10 Beautiful Friend (03:23) 11 The Love Parade (04:19) 12 Got to Have You Back (02:52) 13 Chain of Love (02:50) |
| All Wrapped Up : Allmusic album Review : Famous for possessing possibly the ickiest album cover this side of Big Blacks Headache, a nude female model wrapped in slices of raw meat and clingfilm, the Undertones All Wrapped Up is otherwise a solid recapitulation of all of the Northern Ireland quintets 1979-1983 singles. Disc one is all the A-sides from the gloriously hormonal "Teenage Kicks" to the surprisingly soulful "Chain of Love," and an argument can be made for these 13 songs as one of the most impressive stretches of recordings from the entire post-punk era. Disc two is a 17-track selection of B-sides, kicking off with the other three tracks from the Teenage Kicks EP, including the punkier original version of "True Confessions," which is different than the more tightly wound version found on the groups self-titled debut. The highlight of disc two is the delirious "Mars Bars," one of the all-time great food songs. The U.S. version of this album, which was quickly deleted, drops the second disc entirely and adds the Hypnotised album track "Lets Talk About Girls." | ||
 | Album: 5 of 17 Title: The Sin of Pride Released: 1983-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Got to Have You Back (02:52) 2 Valentine’s Treatment (02:48) 3 Luxury (02:28) 4 Love Before Romance (04:53) 5 Untouchable (03:20) 6 Bye Bye Baby Blue (03:16) 7 Conscious (03:14) 8 Chain of Love (02:59) 9 Soul Seven (02:34) 10 The Love Parade (03:26) 11 Save Me (02:31) 12 The Sin of Pride (04:38) |
| The Sin of Pride : Allmusic album Review : The Sin of Pride was by far the most exploratory album the Undertones ever issued and, other than their debut, fares the best. Whereas Hypnotised had been another punk rave-up album and Positive Touch had been a psychedelic outing, The Sin of Pride was a deep look into the soul music of the 60s done with a post-punk sensibility. Obviously, ABC and Paul Wellers Style Council were reference points on this trail, but ONeills own way of hearing created a kind of psychedelic soul that was very different in approach and execution than either of those chart-topping acts. Covers such as Leon Wares "Got to Have You Back," which opens the LP, and Smokey Robinsons "Save Me," which closes it, are bookends for a moving blend of funky, driving, deeply textured psychedelic soul music that makes pearls of tracks such as "Untouchable," with its driving basslines and horn section, the roiling melodic line of "Bye Bye Baby Blue," and the sweet Motown groove of "Conscious." Vocalist Feargal Sharkeys range limitations make him more expressive and offer a kind of innocence that is refreshing and enduring. With songs like the title track and "Love Parade" crossing Marvin Gayes rave-up territory with Arthur Lee and Loves Baroque pop sensibilities, The Sin of Pride is one of the great unsung albums from the early 80s and sounds much fresher and more adventurous today than many of its more well-known contemporaries albums (check "Chain of Love" to see if you recognize the harmonica line -- it was stolen wholesale for "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club). This album may have been the Undertones swan song, but it reveals that they were headed into exciting waters musically and called it quits at a creative peak rather than in some lonesome, tired, aesthetically bankrupt alleyway of potential spent and gone. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 17 Title: Cher o’ Bowlies Released: 1986 Tracks: 20 Duration: 54:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 2 True Confessions (01:53) 3 Get Over You (02:40) 4 Family Entertainment (02:36) 5 Jimmy Jimmy (02:40) 6 Here Comes the Summer (01:43) 7 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It) (02:36) 8 My Perfect Cousin (02:35) 9 See That Girl (02:22) 10 Tearproof (02:19) 11 Wednesday Week (02:15) 12 It’s Going to Happen (03:35) 13 Julie Ocean (03:32) 14 You’re Welcome (02:42) 15 Forever Paradise (02:05) 16 Beautiful Friend (03:22) 17 The Love Parade (03:27) 18 Valentine’s Treatment (02:47) 19 Love Before Romance (04:48) 20 Save Me (02:30) |
| Cher o’ Bowlies : Allmusic album Review : This nonsensically titled compilation was released in 1986, as a dual cash-in on both Feargal Sharkeys adult contemporary solo career and the ONeill brothers punkier return as That Petrol Emotion. Since EMI had already comprehensively covered the Undertones career as singles merchants with 1983s excellent All Wrapped Up, Cher O Bowlies wisely emphasizes the groups album tracks. (Even so, nine of the 20 tracks also appear on All Wrapped Up; two others, "True Confessions" and "Julie Ocean," appear in their original LP versions rather than the 7" takes on the earlier comp.) Still, although the album is a terrific collection that shows the groups maturation from bratty teenage bubblegum punks into skilled popsmiths with a knack for soul homages, there are no rarities here, and the tracks are probably better heard on their original four LPs. Theres simply no reason for this album to exist. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 17 Title: The Peel Sessions Released: 1989 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Listening In (02:18) 2 Family Entertainment (02:40) 3 Billy’s Third (01:51) 4 Here Comes the Summer (01:56) 5 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:24) 6 Tear Proof (02:17) 7 What’s With Terry (03:18) 8 Rock n Roll (03:09) 9 Untouchable (03:17) 10 The Love Parade (04:08) 11 Luxury (02:27) 12 The Sin of Pride (03:43) |
| The Peel Sessions : Allmusic album Review : Given that the Undertones were indisputably one of the great pop bands of the late 70s/early 80s, and that they only left behind four studio albums, fans were enormously grateful for this archive release. These three sessions were recorded between January 1979 and November 1982, all with Bob Sargeant as producer. The first comprises material from their eponymous debut, the second features songs from follow-up effort Hypnotised, plus a corny but fun cover of Gary Glitters "Rock N Roll," a live favorite that is unavailable elsewhere. The third session is from considerably later in their career, its four tracks drawn from the critically reviled (but still excellent) The Sin of Pride. Highlights include the daft spoken intro/outro to "Here Comes the Summer" -- a pretty daft song anyway. Add in a storming "Tear Proof" (the bands best song never to achieve single status) and good liner notes from Dave Cavanagh, and this is the perfect adjunct to the groups thin discography. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 17 Title: Teenage Kicks: The Best of the Undertones Released: 1993-09-20 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:06:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 2 Family Entertainment (02:38) 3 Get Over You (02:45) 4 Girls Don’t Like It (02:17) 5 Male Model (01:56) 6 Here Comes the Summer (01:43) 7 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 8 You’ve Got My Number (02:38) 9 Mars Bars (02:07) 10 Let’s Talk About Girls (03:36) 11 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 12 The Ways Girls Talk (02:29) 13 Tearproof (02:20) 14 More Songs About Chocolate and Girls (02:40) 15 Hypnotised (02:30) 16 Wednesday Week (02:16) 17 The Positive Touch (02:21) 18 You’re Welcome (02:47) 19 It’s Going to Happen! (03:39) 20 Julie Ocean (03:33) 21 When Saturday Comes (02:56) 22 Forever Paradise (03:10) 23 The Love Parade (05:04) 24 Soul Seven (02:34) 25 Casbah Rock (00:48) |
| Teenage Kicks: The Best of the Undertones : Allmusic album Review : Seeing as how there are only four Undertones albums, and fully three of them are brilliant, the fourth, 1982s The Sin of Pride, is a misguided attempt to recast the group as slick and soulful dance-poppers, but even it sounds pretty good in comparison to singer Feargal Sharkeys positively wretched solo albums from the mid-80s, its really silly not to simply buy them all. However, the cautious newcomer might want to check out the U.K. compilation Teenage Kicks: The Best of the Undertones, a smartly chosen mix of singles and album tracks that shows that even in their noisier early days, as demonstrated by the title track and "Get over You," two of the finest singles of the post-punk era, this Northern Ireland quintet were among the canniest pop songwriters of the era. The hooks in these choruses are undeniable, and guitarists John and Damian ONeill were able to create unforgettable hooks even out of a measly two or three notes. The set traces their development into more sophisticated, adult pop, culminating in the excellent 1981 effort The Positive Touch, before losing the thread with the aptly titled The Sin of Pride. Essential for newcomers, but redundant for fans, who already have all these songs. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 17 Title: The Very Best of The Undertones Released: 1994-10-25 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:06:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 2 Family Entertainment (02:37) 3 Get Over You (02:44) 4 Girls Don’t Like It (02:16) 5 Male Model (01:55) 6 Here Comes the Summer (01:43) 7 Jimmy Jimmy (02:41) 8 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?) (02:37) 9 Mars Bars (02:07) 10 Let’s Talk About Girls (03:36) 11 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 12 The Way Girls Talk (02:29) 13 Tearproof (02:20) 14 More Songs About Chocolate and Girls (02:40) 15 Hypnotised (02:30) 16 Wednesday Week (02:16) 17 The Positive Touch (02:18) 18 You’re Welcome (02:44) 19 It’s Going to Happen (03:38) 20 Julie Ocean (03:33) 21 When Saturday Comes (02:51) 22 Forever Paradise (03:04) 23 The Love Parade (05:05) 24 Soul Seven (02:33) 25 Casbah Rock (00:47) |
| The Very Best of The Undertones : Allmusic album Review : Probably the best overall introduction to the Undertones out of the many compilations available (though either All Wrapped Up or True Confessions: Singles As and Bs is essential for the completist), this 25-track set boils down the earlier four Rykodisc reissues into a solid mixture of singles, b-sides and album tracks. The set is in chronological order and wisely emphasizes 1979s near-perfect The Undertones and 1981s quirky but brilliant The Positive Touch while skimming off only the three best songs from the groups half-baked dance-pop swan song The Sin of Pride. True Undertones fans will quibble with details of track selection - surely they could have made room for "His Good-Looking Girlfriend" or "True Confessions" - and theres really no reason not to own at least the first three albums, but The Best of the Undertones is a fine introduction for newcomers. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 17 Title: True Confessions: Singles = A’s + B’s Released: 1999 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:18:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:28) 2 True Confessions (01:54) 3 Smarter Than You (01:36) 4 Emergency Cases (01:53) 5 Get Over You (02:45) 6 Really Really (01:52) 7 She Can Only Say No (00:52) 8 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 9 Mars Bars (02:08) 10 Here Comes the Summer (01:43) 11 One Way Love (02:12) 12 Top Twenty (02:12) 13 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?) (02:37) 14 Let’s Talk About Girls (03:36) 15 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 16 Hard Luck (03:39) 17 I Don’t Wanna See You Again (00:46) 1 Wednesday Week (02:16) 2 I Told You So (02:06) 3 It’s Going to Happen! (03:39) 4 Fairly in the Money Now (02:33) 5 Julie Ocean (01:46) 6 Kiss in the Dark (02:32) 7 Beautiful Friend (03:23) 8 Life’s Too Easy (02:31) 9 The Love Parade (03:26) 10 Like That (03:05) 11 Got to Have You Back (02:52) 12 Turning Blue (02:36) 13 Bye Bye Baby Blue (03:16) 14 Chain of Love (02:59) 15 Window Shopping For New Clothes (02:13) |
 | Album: 11 of 17 Title: Get What You Need Released: 2003 Tracks: 13 Duration: 40:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Thrill Me (03:00) 2 I Need Your Love the Way It Used to Be (02:26) 3 Everything but You (03:23) 4 Ride the Rough Escalator (03:27) 5 You Can’t Say That (02:19) 6 Enough (02:42) 7 Touch (01:53) 8 Girl Like You (03:53) 9 The Cruellest Thing (02:18) 10 Oh Please (02:45) 11 Winter Sun (03:45) 12 Joyland (03:05) 13 Shut Down (05:56) |
| Get What You Need : Allmusic album Review : Its almost unthinkable, really, that Derrys fabled good-time teen punks of yesteryear would record and continue without frontman Feargal Sharkey, let alone that their output would be anything less than embarrassing. Yes, re-form without Feargal is what the Undertones did, and the results on Get What You Need are nowhere near embarrassing. John ONeill still kicks ass as a songwriter of tight, focused greasy little ditties where girls and more girls are the predestined and predominant order of the day. Never mind that the sod is in his midforties. With Paul McLoone in the vocal slot and the rest of the Tones kicking out the jams at ten, combined hooky, infectious melodies, fifth-gear tempos chock-full of lovely bridges and refrains, and the ONeil brothers as inspired as ever -- if sounding a bit silly going on about puppy love and its lack in the dark ages we inhabit -- you have everything you need for a complete escape to more innocent, drunken, loutish times with a smile on the faces of everyone in your immediate vicinity. Virtually everything here is solid, but "Thrill Me," "I Need Your Love the Way It Used to Be," and "Everything but You" -- the first three tracks -- are so good you might never get past them. Other knockouts are the rave-up "You Cant Say That," the anthemic "Enough," "Oh Please," and the heavier-than-God garage rock of "Shut Down," which are enough to make a punter wet himself. Recommended. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 17 Title: Listening In: Radio Sessions 1978–1982 Released: 2004 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:08:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Get Over You (02:54) 2 Top 20 (01:59) 3 She Can Only Say No (00:36) 4 Male Model (01:55) 5 Listening In (02:18) 6 Family Entertainment (02:40) 7 Billy’s Third (01:51) 8 Here Comes the Summer (01:56) 9 Nine Times out of Ten (02:34) 10 The Way Girls Talk (02:41) 11 Whiz Kids (02:27) 12 Top Twenty (02:02) 13 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:24) 14 Tear Proof (02:17) 15 What’s With Terry (03:18) 16 Rock n Roll (03:09) 17 The Positive Touch (01:54) 18 You’re Welcome (02:09) 19 When Saturday Comes (02:47) 20 Like That (Song No One) (02:56) 21 Bye Bye Baby Blue (03:21) 22 Beautiful Friend (03:05) 23 (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet (02:07) 24 Untouchable (03:17) 25 The Love Parade (04:08) 26 Luxury (02:27) 27 The Sin of Pride (03:43) |
| Listening In: Radio Sessions 1978–1982 : Allmusic album Review : While the Buzzcocks may have done punk-pop first (and arguably best), the Undertones may well have had more fun with it than anybody anywhere, and no one ever blended the naïve sweetness of teen angst with the bitter energy of buzzsaw guitars the way Derrys finest did. The Undertones first two albums (and nearly all their singles) are essential listening, and this collection of seven sessions recorded for BBC radio hardly improves upon the originals, but it captures the groups bright, passionate sound with the rough immediacy of a good live album, something the Undertones failed to record during their heyday. While the band certainly gains polish and confidence over the course of these 27 tracks, whats most pleasantly surprising is how little they changed otherwise -- from their first moments, John ONeill and Damian ONeills interlocking guitars and Feargal Sharkeys keening vocals hit their mark just right, and the band rarely made a false move after that. While the final four tracks (from the brave but ultimately unsatisfying Sin of Pride album) lower the overall averages, its hard to beat an album with songs like "Get Over You," "Family Entertainment," "Here Comes the Summer," "Whats With Terry," and "Youre Welcome," and the covers of "Rock n Roll" (Gary Glitter, not Lou Reed) and "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" confirm these guys never lost touch with their teenage canteen band roots. Fine stuff, and I have a hard time imagining any kind of fan of the Undertones not enjoying this. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 17 Title: Dig Yourself Deep Released: 2007-10-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 02:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dig Yourself Deep (?) 2 So Close (?) 3 Here Comes the Rain (?) 4 Everything You Say Is Right (?) 5 Him Not Me (?) 6 We All Talked About You (02:18) 7 Fight My Corner (?) 8 Precious Little Wonder (?) 9 Tomorrow’s Tears (?) 10 Easy Way Out (?) 11 Happy Valley (?) 12 Move Right In (?) 13 She’s So Sweet (?) 14 I’m Recommending Me (?) |
| Dig Yourself Deep : Allmusic album Review : When the Undertones reunited in 1999 without original vocalist Feargal Sharkey, fans were shocked that the four other members of the band would have the audacity to replace such a unique and inspired frontman. Once they heard new vocalist Paul McLoone, they began to change their tune, slowly but surely. Surprisingly, McLoone was able to tackle the old material quite nicely without sounding like a cheap impersonation of Sharkey. By the time the band finally released their first album with their "new" vocalist, 2003s Get What You Need, old fans embraced McLoone with open arms and were happy to see the band back in action. With John ONeill handling most of the songwriting, the bands sound was less Undertones-inspired and veered more towards his work with That Petrol Emotion. Still, the album contained some great material and put the spotlight back on this deserving Irish outfit. Four years later comes the second McLoone-fronted Undertones album and what a treat it is! The songs on Dig Yourself Deep are a true return to the classic sound of the Undertones: infectious songs that are short, sweet, and to the point. In all honesty, Feargals voice could sometimes be a little grating over the course of an entire album, but not so with McLoone. He has better command of his voice and is able to be more forceful where Sharkey was sometimes little more than "interesting" (and this is written by a fan of the man!). "Dig Yourself Deep," "Precious Little Wonder," "Tomorrows Tears," "Everything You Say Is Right," "We All Talked About You," and "Shes So Sweet" are perfect additions to the bands hook-laden catalog and sound like the missing links between the Hypnotised and Positive Touch albums. And out of 14 tracks, only one song gets close to the three-minute mark, and not one of them gets remotely close to outstaying their welcome. Any Undertones fan who have held back on giving them a go since their re-formation should do themselves a favor and dig in deep! | ||
 | Album: 14 of 17 Title: An Anthology Released: 2008-09-22 Tracks: 56 Duration: 2:25:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 2 (She’s a) Runaround (01:50) 3 You’ve Got My Number (02:38) 4 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:26) 5 Listening In (02:26) 6 It’s Going to Happen (03:37) 7 Wednesday Week (02:16) 8 Billy’s Third (01:58) 9 Girls Don’t Like It (02:17) 10 Crisis of Mine (02:24) 11 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 12 There Goes Norman (02:25) 13 The Love Parade (05:04) 14 When Saturday Comes (02:51) 15 Mars Bars (02:06) 16 Family Entertainment (02:37) 17 Tearproof (02:20) 18 Let’s Talk About Girls (03:35) 19 Jump Boys (02:41) 20 Julie Ocean (03:33) 21 Male Model (01:56) 22 Top Twenty (02:12) 23 True Confessions (01:53) 24 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 25 Beautiful Friend (03:23) 26 More Songs About Chocolate and Girls (02:40) 27 Soul Seven (02:34) 28 Here Comes the Summer (01:42) 29 I Know a Girl (02:36) 1 My Perfect Cousin (02:34) 2 You’ve Got My Number (01:51) 3 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:30) 4 Nine Times out of Ten (02:34) 5 Get Over You (02:39) 6 Wrong Way (01:22) 7 Mars Bars (02:05) 8 Listening In (02:25) 9 I Don’t Wanna See You Again (00:47) 10 Do the Fast (02:16) 11 Girls Don’t Like It (01:47) 12 I Gotta Getta (01:55) 13 Teenage Kicks (02:08) 14 Emergency Cases (01:50) 15 Get Over You (03:12) 16 It’s Going to Happen (03:38) 17 The Positive Touch (02:24) 18 Luxury (03:26) 19 Party Party (03:00) 20 Beautiful Friend (04:08) 21 The Love Parade (03:40) 22 You Stand So Close (03:27) 23 Bittersweet (03:39) 24 Soul Seven (02:37) 25 Turning Blue (02:22) 26 Window Shopping for New Clothes (02:18) 27 Cher o Bowlies (02:45) |
 | Album: 15 of 17 Title: Positive Touch / The Sin of Pride Released: 2009-08-03 Tracks: 46 Duration: 2:25:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Wikipedia Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fascination (02:22) 2 Julie Ocean (01:46) 3 Life’s Too Easy (02:31) 4 Crisis of Mine (02:27) 5 You’re Welcome (02:47) 6 His Good Looking Girlfriend (03:08) 7 The Positive Touch (02:21) 8 When Saturday Comes (02:56) 9 It’s Going to Happen (03:40) 10 Sigh and Explode (02:45) 11 I Don’t Know (02:44) 12 Hannah Doot (02:50) 13 Boy Wonder (02:08) 14 Forever Paradise (03:10) 15 Fairly in the Money Now (02:33) 16 Beautiful Friend (03:26) 17 Life’s Too Easy (alternate) (02:43) 18 Julie Ocean (03:35) 19 Kiss in the Dark (02:33) 20 Untouchable (03:20) 21 The Love Parade (04:08) 22 Luxury (02:28) 23 The Sin of Pride (03:44) 1 Got to Have You Back (02:52) 2 Valentine’s Treatment (02:48) 3 Luxury (02:28) 4 Love Before Romance (04:53) 5 Untouchable (03:20) 6 Bye Bye Baby Blue (03:16) 7 Conscious (03:14) 8 Chain of Love (02:59) 9 Soul Seven (02:34) 10 The Love Parade (03:26) 11 Save Me (02:31) 12 The Sin of Pride (04:38) 13 The Love Parade (05:05) 14 Like That (03:05) 15 You’re Welcome (04:20) 16 Crisis of Mine (03:30) 17 Family Entertainment (02:52) 18 Turning Blue (02:36) 19 Bye Bye Baby Blue (03:16) 20 Window Shopping For New Clothes (02:13) 21 Bittersweet (05:08) 22 I Can Only Dream (05:28) 23 You Stand So Close (03:08) |
| Positive Touch / The Sin of Pride : Allmusic album Review : The Sin of Pride was by far the most exploratory album the Undertones ever issued and, other than their debut, fares the best. Whereas Hypnotised had been another punk rave-up album and Positive Touch had been a psychedelic outing, The Sin of Pride was a deep look into the soul music of the 60s done with a post-punk sensibility. Obviously, ABC and Paul Wellers Style Council were reference points on this trail, but ONeills own way of hearing created a kind of psychedelic soul that was very different in approach and execution than either of those chart-topping acts. Covers such as Leon Wares "Got to Have You Back," which opens the LP, and Smokey Robinsons "Save Me," which closes it, are bookends for a moving blend of funky, driving, deeply textured psychedelic soul music that makes pearls of tracks such as "Untouchable," with its driving basslines and horn section, the roiling melodic line of "Bye Bye Baby Blue," and the sweet Motown groove of "Conscious." Vocalist Feargal Sharkeys range limitations make him more expressive and offer a kind of innocence that is refreshing and enduring. With songs like the title track and "Love Parade" crossing Marvin Gayes rave-up territory with Arthur Lee and Loves Baroque pop sensibilities, The Sin of Pride is one of the great unsung albums from the early 80s and sounds much fresher and more adventurous today than many of its more well-known contemporaries albums (check "Chain of Love" to see if you recognize the harmonica line -- it was stolen wholesale for "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club). This album may have been the Undertones swan song, but it reveals that they were headed into exciting waters musically and called it quits at a creative peak rather than in some lonesome, tired, aesthetically bankrupt alleyway of potential spent and gone. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 17 Title: Teenage Kicks: The Very Best of The Undertones Released: 2010-10-04 Tracks: 20 Duration: 51:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 2 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 3 Here Comes the Summer (01:44) 4 Wednesday Week (02:16) 5 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 6 It’s Going to Happen! (03:39) 7 Male Model (01:56) 8 Get Over You (02:44) 9 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?) (02:38) 10 (She’s a) Runaround (01:50) 11 Family Entertainment (02:38) 12 When Saturday Comes (02:51) 13 Hypnotised (02:31) 14 Tearproof (02:19) 15 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:26) 16 More Songs About Chocolate and Girls (02:41) 17 The Love Parade (03:27) 18 The Way Girls Talk (02:29) 19 Listening In (02:25) 20 Julie Ocean (03:34) |
 | Album: 17 of 17 Title: An Introduction to the Undertones Released: 2013-06-03 Tracks: 22 Duration: 58:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Family Entertainment (02:39) 2 Jimmy Jimmy (02:42) 3 (She’s a) Runaround (01:50) 4 Hypnotised (02:30) 5 I Know a Girl (02:37) 6 Teenage Kicks (02:26) 7 My Perfect Cousin (02:36) 8 The Way Girls Talk (02:30) 9 Male Model (01:56) 10 Wednesday Week (02:16) 11 Here Comes the Summer (single version) (01:44) 12 When Saturday Comes (02:51) 13 Girls That Don’t Talk (02:26) 14 Get Over You (02:44) 15 Tearproof (02:20) 16 You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?) (02:38) 17 The Love Parade (05:06) 18 Jump Boys (02:42) 19 Julie Ocean (single version) (03:35) 20 There Goes Norman (02:25) 21 It’s Going to Happen! (03:39) 22 Listening In (02:26) |