Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Maybe this would be great if I was high. 1.375.
I legitimately don't remember anything from this album and I just listened to it. Very forgettable background noise, and that's coming from somebody who enjoys this kind of music.
I can see how this sort of thing fits a movie soundtrack or a passive activity like video gaming, but there's no way you can tell me that people actually put this on (with a clear mind) and actively listen for 75 solid minutes. This is decent background music at best. And not one, but TWO 15+ minute songs at the front of the album???? getthefuckouttahere... Banstyle isn't bad but it needs to be about 10 mins shorter. Blueski is cool.
I guess I’m just a sucker for British electronic music. This was a great way to spend a night driving in my car imagining I was the protagonist of a moody 80s film. I’ll admit it’s a bit too long. But otherwise I thing this was pretty good. 4/5
Það kemur mér á óvart að ég einhvern veginn bæði elska svona tónlist og hata hana. Sum lögin koma mér í algjört stuð á meðan önnur eru algjör kvöl og pína að hlusta á. Þannig að ég rokka alveg á milli en mun aldrei setja þetta aftur á þótt inn á milli séu lög sem mér fannst mjög skemmtileg.
Some interesting ideas here, but overall just didn't do anything for me
This isn't bad. It's a slow, digestible techno. Almost downtempo-breakbeat at times. Plus the techno community seems to rate this highly
Nawet ciekawe. Takie EDM z dawnych czasów do lecenia w tle. Ale raczej bez wyróżniających się kawałków. 3/5
Middling techno but fine for background music.
Today was not a day for techno
Chill and trippy
Actually really enjoyed this. Makes me think of the matrix and this sort of grimey 90s sound/ feel.
Just keeps on going and never ends, far too long and repetitive for my liking.
not big on electronic but this is decent
90's electronic music, my love.
Fav: Pearl’s Girl Least Fav: Blueski
Meh. Some ok stuff here but don’t need to listen to before I die.
Nice find, definitely needs more listens
My Beosound liked this album.
I might really enjoy this if I had a good buzz and was surrounded by a ton of people dancing our asses off. But just to listen to it is grating after a while. 2
Loved the first two tracks.
Not my type of music.
One of the last commentators wrote, does anyone like techno? Well, me for example. I'm glad to have been at one of the last Love Parades. But this album is not techno. It's far too slow for that. Yes, it's not even trance. It's electronic music. A bit psychedelic. It sounds like Chemical Brothers, sometimes like The Prodigy, then again like Trent Reznor. I liked it. The album won't be one of my top favorites either. But I will certainly listen to it again. 4/5
Sounds pretty timeless. Loved Underworld back in the day.
Interesting but too long
I'd probably enjoy this more if I was higher just sayin
On the plus side: -I like the name of the album -Some moments in this reminded me of Skinemax-type movies from the late 90s On the negative side: -The last few minutes of each song that felt pointedly repetitive, almost like the government was trying to program my brain or drive me into psychosis -Everything else
It's not a great sign when you look for the shorter tracks to decide what to include in your play list. Whilst not awful to listen to, this is a long album of very long songs which generally go nowhere. They're not ambient, but they don't really build either. I struggle to see the point of this existing. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Pearl's Girl Date listened: 24/06/24
do people actually enjoy this stuff with no acid? bleep boop bleep. 28/100
3,5
first listen there is something so underground about this, like a basement club for skater kids but its in the UK
Eh... I didn't hate it, but the length definitely hurts this album. There are some fun ideas here and there, but they all get dragged out so long that I lost interest. This would make fine background music if you like this type of music. high 2.
The same garbage, generic, 10 minute song 7 times in a row.
This album has moments of straight techno which melt into new wave and atmospheric rock. At times, the album is danceable and at others, ponderous. The way that the music constructs and deconstructs is interesting and adds to the simmering quality of some of the tracks. Overall, really enjoyable if a touch too long
Ibiza club music. Mind-blowingly numb. 1/5
Great album name, first off. I can see a child saying this when asked about how school is going. One of the best songs isn't even on this album, that song being "Born Slippy," which did not please me. I have similar comments about this album as I do many techno/disco/house albums in that it needed someone to edit the songs down and shorten the album. I get it though. Club + dancing + drugs = We don't want the song to end When I am just casually listening, I do want the song to end if I feel it is not going anywhere. Now that I have complained, I liked Juanita, Confusion Waitress, Pearl's Girls and Stagger. There is fun stuff on here but I'm also not knowledgeable enough to know how this music differs from the other dance music on this list that it must be represented.
Did not give a shit about this at all. Made me weirdly nervy. Passed me by and was just willing it to be done
I just didn't get it.
Really enjoyed it. Would be better in the right environment...
Vibey, idk what to say?
I've listened to Dubnobasswithmyheadman before, but it has been so long I forget what my impressions of it were. This album is from two years later. Immediately thrown into a stomping DnB track that gets your head and body moving. Layer upon layer being added to this through the first couple of minutes. So far, I'm all about it and only getting better through the 6 minute mark. Fantastic background music for writing code or studying, or for flailing your body around a murky basement club in a drug induced haze. Barnstyle / Slappys Curry is a very different song in tone. This one is almost refreshing in its clarity and brightness. Parts of it feel like taking off in an airplane and erupting through a ceiling of clouds. FFFFF Rowla starts out so benign, but just continues to pile on into a banger. Perhaps I'm simple minded, but this does it for me. Repetition of the vocal on Pearl's Girl reminds me a lot of a song off the Fatboy Slim album we reviewed a few weeks back. Song is a jam as well. I'm totally immersed at this point. Some interesting range shown through the back half between Stagger and Blueski. The first of which is an epic album conclusion and the latter which is mostly an experimentation in instrumental looping that feels much more organic than the rest of the album put together. This was a fantastic listen and I'll definitely be back. While I enjoyed the variation, this album did lose some steam at points. This is a very high 4 edging on 5 territory in my book.
Rough listen. Didn't like this. 2 stars
Not the hugest fan of straight up techno, but it certainly helped me crush some spreadsheets! Definitely repetitive (by nature), but I actually enjoyed many stretches of this album. I think the vocals, while not bad, detracted from the album. IT feels like the vocals are just trying too hard to be edgy and cool (not unusual for the 90s). Can't say I would listen to this one again, but I wouldn't be mad if Underworld came up on this list again. Low 4 when doing tedious computer work, probably a 3 in most other atmospheres.
That album was pretty awesome. These British techno/electronic albums are always so hit or miss, and this was was like 90% a hit the whole time. There were times when the beats and effects got a little repetitive and songs drew out. But overall I really enjoyed the sounds. The 2 best songs were the first and the last which are always a good way for an album to be sandwiched. The only thing keeping this from a 5 is there were 2 songs that were kind of misses, and some that were just too drawn out.
Feel like I'm at a 90's rave a few minutes in. This was excellent background music for working today. Don't think I would put it on just to hang and listen to, mostly only if I'm working or in a warehouse on ecstasy. High 3
Not very impressive and forgettable
3 maybe 3.5
What an absolute banger!
Reeeeeeeaaaaaallllllyyyy not up for it at first but it was actually pretty good
Second Toughest In The Infants is a brilliant title for a band that delivers crushing riffs and face melting guitar solos. It's also pretty good for an outfit that crafts nifty electronic music. I am not in a position to declare how remarkable this release is for the genre and its development at the time it was released but I like the vibe. Most of the music has good lift and flow, I'm certain it was a hit in the warehouse.
May be good for who it’s for. But it’s not for me. Just not my vibe.
The kind of electronic music I usually listen to. Never listened to one of their albums before, I used to listen to their anthology
The title comes from a schoolyard fight ranking, which might be the most concrete thing on the whole album. It’s fine background music—like a rave remembered through half-closed eyes and tube station echoes.
I have a keyboard. I can make lots of percussive sounds and random noise. That makes me convinced that I could land an album on this list because goddammit I can do the same thing. Or...if I ran a hostage interrogation operation I could use this "music" to torture and break tough prisoners. They would beg me to turn it off. Or...simply put I fucking hated this album. It gets a zero from me.
There is a time and place for all music. In this case, let's say that you have to fight Liu Kang on your way through Mortal Kombat. Or, for example, you might be making your way through a crowded dance club, fighting a whole mess of Agent Smiths on your way to meet up with Trinity. In those times, this is 10 out of 10.
I’m not well versed in techno/house music at all, but it’s nice to vibe and zone out to
Favorite Track: Stagger
Stemming, stuð, fílidda.
Not my style- makes me think of "trendy" hotel lobbies. Rhythms are good, but just can't get into it.
Sure. Why not put this album on the list? Surely there aren't any other albums that deserve to be on this list more (there are). Whatever, at least this album is okay. I was really worried that this would be another Haunted Dancehall situation. I mean, these are both mid-1990s British techno albums that last over 70 minutes each. Can you blame me for thinking this would be garbage? Fortunately, even before listening to Second Toughest in the Infants (what?) I saw that the wikipedia article was longer, so clearly this album is more deserving of being on the list. Fortunately, this album's actually not garbage. It's far from my favorite album, but I don't hate it. The sound is actually good. It's not the most interesting, but it's not bad either. There are definitely other albums that do this sound better though (Violater, my beloved). The singing is alright. The sound variety is decent. The writing is certainly unique. My biggest problem, of course, is how long this thing is. Did it really need to be 73 minutes long? I don't think so. Still, this is solid background music. If you ever have some work to do for 73 minutes, maybe put this on in the background. You might like it more than I did. Low 3/5.
With the first track, Juanita,I can totally imagine a sea of bouncing humans vibing to this techno feast and then everything gets turned on its head with the second track, Banstyle, so cool and easy. Quite the eclectic mix of sounds although I found the repetitive nature of the rhythms tiresome after the first few minutes.
This one came up for me when I was doing the solo challenge; rated it a 4. I didn’t enjoy it as much this time, but I’m sure it’s because I wasn’t in the right context, listening while on a business trip. Clearly, I’d enjoy it more in a Vegas nightclub with some mixture of pharmaceuticals and booze in me.
im going to forger all of this immediatley 2/5
What da hell
Gotta be honest. I never listened to the last two tracks. I can’t imagine I missed anything mind boggling. Or even worth the 15 minutes.
This album is a vibe. Songs are way too long though.
Another techno album! Again nice, not actively my thing but I didn’t hate it. Honestly could put this on in the background while I work or workout and enjoy it enough.
I listened intently to every trance and electronic sound...and this shit sucks. You mean to tell me there's not a better album that makes the 1001 list? I don't believe you. 1 star
I enjoyed it. I think it's one of those albums you have to be in the right kind of mood for. I expected it to be very 'samey' but it didn't feel like that at all. Absolutely loved a couple of tracks.
Managed one track before I turned it off. Could be good in a club or in the background while working, but it's not an active-listening album for me.
I really digged it.
A great band, a banging album and one of the best album names on the list. Saw these guys in Paris once and the were facemeltingly good. Admittedly I'm their demographic as an 80's born Brit who loves electronic music so I'm not objective. Love their energy, the driving rhythms ands had this on a loop pretty much all day. Looses a star because I understand it's appeal isn't universal.
C- Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream Of Love 2 Banstyle/Sappys Curry 2 Confusion The Waitress 2 Rowla 2 Pearls Girl 2 Air Towel 2 Blueski 2 Stagger 2 Quite rubbish.
Excelente disco para "irse"
Yes, very good for its genre.
Fantastic mind melting electronic album
I have a hard time listening to electronic albums like this critically, because they are fatiguing to listen to in normal settings. That being said, can tell there’s a lot here (literally and figuratively) - and I really enjoyed the more low key tracks. Overall, my takeaway is that it’s good electronic, but a bit long and not for every day listening.
Seemed like a standard 90s electronic album. Pretty good but nothing made me want to go back to it.
Get the Fuck up out my House. i’m so tired of trying to get through this.
I’m proud to say I made it through to the end. That is all.
Nice sound
Not for me, but would make for some good background music!
absolutely no idea what to expect from this from the title and cover, ive never heard of this band or album lol my first guess was metal and not electronic stuff haha background music that tickles my brain stopped tickling my brain after like 5 minutes and tbh i got bored and stopped listening like less than halfway through, i dont think today was the mood for this kinda album
4 hours and 48 minutes!? My god. I actually like creating this kind of stuff, but do people go listen to this in clubs? Surely there is another element needed.
Usually I get a bit sick of Drum and Bass for a long album, but this one was varied enough for me to really vibe with. 3.5/5
Surprisingly good for its age, and incredibly fresh and innovative for an electronic album of this time.
House progresivo. Ni fu ni fa.
It's alright. It's quite nice and chill and lo-fi.
The first 15 min might be heard at a rave. Good for its intended purpose. The rest was not bad chill music. I liked it more than I thought I would as background music. 2.25/5
I liked this and I’m not even fully sure why. While it was a little too long for my taste, I did like the production. It’s almost as if it takes the listener to a place you’ve never been before while simultaneously asking the question: did you ever leave in the first place?
I remember in the late 90s and early 2000s when it felt like people started to listening to stuff like this. I was TERRIFIED that this was the future of music. Luckily not true.
Not really my cup o’ tea. I couldn’t make it past 4 songs. The timing of the hi hat on the first and third song drove me insane.
I’m not the biggest fan of electronic music, but I think this is enjoyable in the right setting. A bit long for my taste (both the songs and album) but overall an above average album. 2.75/5
Really great EDM, made for excellent work background music
Relentlessly dreadful and uninteresting
3.5 if I could. Solid but two snoozers
Most repetitive album I've heard so far. If you've heard 30 seconds, you've heard the entire song. Holy shit, they do not need to be 15 minutes long. I'm sure it would make sense in a rave setting where I wanted to mindlessly dance all night. But in the car, it does not hold my attention at all.
Ugh. I did not care for this. And I'm very tired of the electronica albums on this list. How many more can their possibly be. When Blueski came on, I was relieved, I thought wow a break from the same stuff over and over again. But I was wrong. Blueski is just the same thing over and over again for 3 minutes. A welcome break from the rest of the album. But also repetitive on it's own. And then Stagger was also whatever.
Better than Daft Punk
Techno, very repetitive
a little boring
brits and their 16 minutes electronic tracks
The length of this album scared me, but I wound up liking this one much more than I expected. It's definitely background music, but it's good background music.
They don't make stuff like this anymore. Acid tinged, hard edged house beats on the opener with a hypnotic melody that enters in the last third. Then we change tack, and Ban style starts with ambient breakbeats. Sappys Curry leans closer to rock, but with a psychedelic keyboard solo in the second half. Dense and very atmospheric. Then Confusion the Waitress has bleepy synths and a steady kick drum. Pearl's Girl is the biggest 'hit' on the record and it makes me wish I was at a warehouse rave in the 90s. Air Towel pulls from Detroit techno. This really covers a lot of ground.
3.7 - A surprising range of moods here — it’s got hard rave beats, a couple lounge-y background fillers and darker and more introspective explorations. I much prefer the harder beats that remind me of their one song on the “Trainspotting”, which is an absolute banger.
Rapid fire house beats Droning on robotically Can’t find the dance here
Regular album, a few great standpoints.
Forgettable
This is my worst kind of music.
1. juanita - 1 2. banztyle - 1 3. confuzion - 0 4. pearlz girl - 0 5. air touuel - 1 6. blue zki - 7. ztagger -
So…this can’t be a five star album because it is (let’s face it) a bit of a one trick pony (compare with Barking as a reference point). But fuck. What a one trick.
Boring
A little bit too long, but given the genre it's kind of typical. At least the songs were way more engaging than I thought they were going to be.
NEED MORE BORN SLIPPY. Where's the damn reissue?? I need this whole album played at some sketchy, dark warehouse show on repeat.
loved this album. super chill, nostalgic, listenable
Okay. I liked some of the songs on this album. Has a fairly modern sound despite being from 1996. This is a random album that I have really liked.
Listened to this in the background at work. Thought it was alright but maybe that's because I wasn't really paying close attention, so the repetitive nature and long running time didn't grate so much. Sounds like it was probably quite influential on some electronic stuff I enjoy like Daft Punk and Four Tet
Solid tunes for a dance act I only knew from one song…techno for background.
English electronica and techno. I do not need to listen to this much techno.
Amazing. Next time I need to lock in and grind this album is up to bat.
Eh.
Tuc tuc
Saarelaisten tekno albumi.. Jahas Jahas..
Early EDM? Great for focusing while working, but I'm not sure that's what it was intended for.
First listen Saved 2/8 Top track: Stagger
It's techno so it's very repetitive, but I really go into it
Enjoyed this more than expected! Can hear the direct lines to contemporaries The Prodigy and Aphex Twin. Enjoyably lengthy meditations on the hypnotic slow evolution of a beat.
I was really vibing until the person started singing. Still inducing swaying in me.
Not my jam
Pounding
Loved it! not their best album either, but still very good!
Underworld can do no wrong, loved the album.
This had the sound of a soundtrack for an N64 or PS1 racing game throughout the album. I felt like I had to clear a bunch of checkpoints during my hour long drive home. Why this is on a list of top 1001 albums is beyond me.
Not a fan of electronica = 1 star
Fatboy Slim this is not. But last few tracks weren't terrible.
Yeah I'm not into electronic or techno at all. I prefer people who physically play an instrument in their hands. Literally anybody can make some weird electronic sound on their phone or PC. Not to downplay their success or whatever, but this aint it, boss.
3.0
electronica. possibly just filler. mostly innocuous.
J’ai aucun souvenir concret de l’album, mais je me souviens que j’ai pas haïs ça, messemble
This goes fucking HARD
Lite långtråkigt men coolt sound
I don't hate *all* techno. But this sucked ass.
When this first came on, I thought it was kind of dumb. But then I started to enjoy it. Although it's not something I'd listen to on my own, this was pretty good for what it is.
Gave me a headache
Underworld produce some wonderful moments of musical brilliance. They are often fleeting but glorious, hidden inside gorroves, beats and bleeps. This an album of the grooves, but not so much of the glorious stuff. Lots to like, but not much to adore.
Very nice discovery!
Great
A strong 3. I like the electronic instrumentals
Pretty fast-paced electronic music. It is what it is, not really my thing but I get there could be a place for this. It's not quite as annoying to me as a lot of other electronic music, that's the high praise I'm willing to write. It's really long too (73 minutes for 8 songs, so they're all pretty long). Favorite song: Blueski Other: Pearl's Girl 2/24/24
Just an average electronic music album. Nothing exceptional, but also not that bad, interesting songs for a chilled party. But not really noteworthy otherwise.
I could see myself enjoying this as background music while i work.
Second Toughest in the Infants is the fourth album by British electronic music group Underworld. The group expanded on the development of their progressive sound, which is electronic, techno, house, breakbeat, and downtempo. But it truly is a chill-out album with the ability to go back and forth between house beats with decent amount of bass, and moments of calming, ambient soundscapes. There's an overarching groove to the tracks that keeps the party going. I listened to this while working but it could - and needs - to be listened to in other settings. This is a critically acclaimed album that is viewed as the group's peak, and was certified gold in the UK and almost so in the US. I would listen to this album again and I recommend it.
Decent electronic music, but not something I’ll go back to
Listened to a few songs. Industrial, early drum and bass.
N/A
3 to 5 minutes of interesting music painfully stretched into 73.
Utterly boring electronica.
I've heard about Underworld, hadn't really listened to them before. I definitely dig this though. Some very cool techno with forays into jungle and ambient. Probably a bit over long, but not sure where I'd make cuts lol. It feels like a 4 with room to grow, gotta check out more Underworld now.
Nicht meine Musik
Unbearable. I hoped to find more electronic music to enjoy through this and I think my only good find was Justice. I guess I'm never going to be a fan of rhe genre, just a few outliers.
Cool experimental techno album. Classic 90s techno sound. Good concentration music.
Pretty much the definition of okay. Some highs and some lows, mostly the lows were the droning vocals that annoyingly distract from the instrumentals.
Pretty decent, and good background music.
It's techno, which is not really my thing. Interesting that I slightly prefer some of the non-popular tracks like Blueski. Banstyle is ok too.
Some cool sounding bits, but ultimately feels like background music if you aren't dancing. Maybe a good fit for playing while doing a Cyberpunk RPG.
Electronic, techno, progressive, house,break, beat, ambient, down, tempo, experimental.
Good
It made me tap my foot along
On first listen I'd have rated this 2 or 3 at best. Due to a disrupted and broken listening session first time round I returned a couple of weeks later and listened properly in one sitting, this time with a decent pair of cans. It transformed the experience and immediately elevated this album to 4*
Why are the worst albums always so long? Hard pass on this one.
Good underworld album I haven’t listened to before. Started off strong and faded a little toward the end. But still a solid 4 star.
Heel goed een kende het niet!
Better than expected but the vocals on Stagger are horribly flat. Reminds me of a middle schooler recording their own singing voice for the first time and singing about the random objects they see with an artsy flair.
Listen at 7/02/2024
Some of the songs sound like the nightclub scene in any late 90's movie, which isn't a bad thing. The aforementioned tracks are broken up by slow, ambient, and almost melancholic tracks. It's very interesting, and there's a lot to like here.
Different. Deserves another listen
enjoyable but repetitive
Super techno, which is not my cup of tea. Too much beat and not enough music for my tastes.
Perfectly fine. Nice electronic background sounds. The tracks are almost all too long. "Stagger" is nice.
Opening track seemed promising but it all quickly got boring and repetitive. As background music, it's ok but there's nothing special here.
Me gusta lo electrónico. Este mas o menos. Hay mejores.
Not really my cup of tea, but it wasn't awful.
Early British electronic band. Paved the way for a lot of today’s EMI bands. Good sound.
Not my style but have listened to worst. Was bopping along to “Confusion the Waitress”. Did not add to my playlist
House music isn’t really revolutionary
Tandon Scale Rating: 4 Standouts: Rowla, Juanita, Pearl’s Girl Foot Notes: 1 I don’t know what happened to me but electronic music does something to my brain 2 i am very surprised by how much I’m enjoying it perfect album for getting a lot done at work Would I Listen Again: yes yes Album Cover Rating: (1-5) 2 Album Name Rating: (1-5) 3.5
For this to come out in 1996 kind of blows my expectations of music timeline? Andy loves these 15 minute songs but didn’t like Fela Kuti…. Hmm…. I’d love this in a bar. I liked Stagger a lot.
das beste am album ist der titel und wie er entstand 😀 - elektro, sich wiederholender klangteppich, dance.
Cooler Beginn mit schnellem Beat. Hinten etwas lahme Balladen. Habe dann noch die Single Born Slippy (Nuxx) gehört, die gefällt mir besser.
Meh
I understand going to the club and dancing the night away to techno music, but I wouldn't choose this genre for everyday listening. I don't listen to enough of this style to know if this album was good or not.
Very good techno album. Highly enjoyable.
Total club techno music. A couple songs were good, most were mindless two-note repetition.
Aluksi liian hektistä, mutta sitten muuttui jotenkin tasapainoisemmaksi. Kiva kuunnella taas muuta kun vanhaa rokkia. 3/5
Harvat ovat julkaisseet yhtä eheitä teknolevyjä kuin Underworld. Toimii todella!
Ihan cool levy ja hyvää keskittymismusaa. 3.5/5
No he sido capaz de escucharlo... es electrónica oscura de ultratumba. He leido algo de la banda y me pregunto si MT la conoce. Quizá en otro mood particular podria explorar el album (son 2).
If you like your singing out of tune, this one's definitely for you.
Good background music to work to but have no idea why this would be on here over something like Discovery by Daft Punk. Rating: 2.4
I am not going to listen to 4.75 hours of electronica. I had high hopes that this would turn me into an electronica fan. That did not happen. This was fine to have in the background while driving. My six year old said it sounded like a guy running and every time there was a cymbal, the guy jumped. I felt like I was playing a video game. Which isn't bad. But I'm not signing up for 4.75 hours. No.
very boring and redundant for me. I'm not an electronic music person so it did absolutely nothing for me. lyrics boring, melodies boring
Enjoyed it more than I expected considering I’m not a big ambient guy.
Vampire make out music made before Garage Band made this drag and drop.
Over 30 minutes in the first two tracks makes me think maybe we don't need any more tracks. But then I remember this is just ambience for 90s Vampire Sex Raves™, which is totally my jam.
What the hell?
Hm. Not my thing. I'll concede that it sounds well-produced and certainly interesting. But this is really one of those genres where I'm not even sure what I'm listening for -- it's not catchy, hooky, nor particularly heavy-hitting or melodic either. Kinda sounds like what you'd hear on the soundtrack if a movie were trying to portray a grungy 90s nightclub.
Reminds me of Tangerine Dream. Basically, Electronica for movie sound tracks.
Fine as a "Beats to study to" album, and can appreciate the experimental stuff they do, but overall not super interesting
I will never understand the immense praise that Underworld continues to receive from critics and audiences. I guess you had to be there in the 90's. And the drugs. Don't forget the drugs.
Man, those longer tracks hit hard. The ambiance, the progressions - it just works. I’m more reluctant when it comes to some of the shorter tracks, where Underworld don’t get around to fully immerse the listener in their world building. When this works, it really works though.
Really, really bad.
Awesome electronic album - a bit long, but somehow it doesn't feel that way. It's got a punch and it's both atmospheric and also dance-y. I liked Underworld, but love this record.
great electronic band you may remember from that one song from Trainspotting (not included here, but it does have the "crazy crazy" song, Pearl's Girl). nice low-on-vox album for background/concentrating at work
Better than expected 3 Gets stale though
Just wasn’t for me. Couldn’t get into the 15 min songs
Vampire sex dungeon rave music. Its origin story.
Wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I thought it sounded great sonically.
Every song was cool except confused waitress. Idk much about the history of edm but this probably played a roll. They made this shit in 96 on Windows NT probably.
The naming of killer boy....Reverend Al Green...Karl Hyde's cut-up lyrics are an under-rated part of Underworld's armoury, along with his sometimes sung sometimes spoken delivery. This is an amazing album, showing how swiftly dance music was changing the musical landscape in the mid-nineties. Not since progrock had albums seen lengths like this: the first two tracks clock in at over 30 minutes, and the first has distinctly-named sub-sections, another prog move. All the tracks shift and alter evolve slowly - a bassline here, a hi-hat there, as melodies and Hyde's vocals emerge and subside from the central groove that anchors each (and made them such a mainstay of the 'DJ compilation mix' of the time). Apart from prog, an even better comparison is the minimalism of Steve Reich - imagine Music for 16 Musicians with a drum machine and you're halfway here.
Juanita:Kiteness:To Dream Of Love - This feels like it's perfect for a long Blade Fight Scene... or MDMA. Banstyle/Sappys Curry - Like the little drum and bass intro and the ending is really cool. Both songs above don't need to be this long though. Confusion The Waitress - Eh... didn't love it. Rowla - This is energetic as heck, repetitive though. Pearl's Girl - I do like how all of the tracks separate themselves from each other. You aren't getting the same electronic or IDM sound. This one isn't bad either. Air Towel - This is kind of nostalgic in a way because it reminds me of Electric Circus being on MuchMusic in the 90's as a kid and man, it's not my thing but to whoever likes this style of electronic music, this must be their shit. The layering is fucking cool, I will say. Blueski - A nice sombre moment to breathe, I actually liked this. Stagger - This feels like a completely different band, wth hahaha. It's good though. Especially when 4:20 hits. hehehe.
Oh, this was excellent for work. Could also be in the background if you're just chilling or reading.
i do not have the stamina for a 90s style rave but if i did i’d want this album to be playing
I figured this album had a chance to be something a bit more special when I noticed the use of whisper-y, trip-hop-esque vocals mixed with something obviously influenced by the Britpop wave of vocal inflections. However, with the tracks being so long and hardly doing enough to earn that length, it lost my interest quick, and turning into your generic, PlayStation 1 era racing game music about halfway through rubs yet even more salt into the wound. I think there is something here that could be good, especially with more vocals to make actual songs rather than just sleepy rave tracks could benefit this album a lot, but as it is, you can just throw it in with the dozens of other generic UK downtempo techno records.
😐 I hate electronica. We’ve been over this already. Boooo urns!
Sensational album on its own but ranking the re-issue with the addition of Born Slippy brings this up to a clear 5/5.
Starts as some solid early EDM then transitions almost into some lo-fi. All in all better than some albums I've been hearing lately.
Takes me back to a time where the internet was new and hackers sat in dark rooms listening to music like this.
This is one of a few albums that required me to listen twice before I felt confident giving it a rating. I appreciate it more on a second listen now that I'm settling in to the vibe. The listening mode is more Boards of Canada than Kraftwerk. I'm listening as if it's a live DJ set and not an album as a collection of pop tunes. That approach gives a look into a time and place and a scene. Second Toughest In The Infants is not timeless but a touchstone to its era of electronic music.
First of all, it would have been better if it was an instrumental records. Dude's voice is painfully mediocre and his lyrics are even worst. I'm not a fan of 90's techno in general but I have to say that this has some nice passages here and there. Not enough to make me want to listen to it ever again though.
If I didn't know better, this list would lead me to the conclusion that electronic music sucks.
Well... The first half of this album was annoying to death, boringly repetitive and meaningless. AND SO LONG. The last 4 songs contained nice synth tones, cool beats, cinematic moods and more feelings. Those songs will save the album from a 1 star rating.
Junita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love - 8/10 Banstyle/Sappys Curry - 7.5/10 Confusion the Waitress - 7.5/10 Rowla - 7/10 Pearl's Girl - 8.5/10 Air Towel - 8/10 Blueski - 7.5/10 Stagger - 7.5/10 TOTAL - 61.5/80
I'm digging the thumping, cool drum licks and the occasional ambient airiness.
I was surprised to see two 15 minutes + tracks to start, but the first one was quite listenable. “Pearl’s Girl” and “Stagger” are also good. Hyde’s voice is a limiting factor, but the only other option would have been bringing in outside vocalists, which could have caused logistic issues when touring. Underworld were a cutting-edge electronic/dance/techno band who weren't known much outside of the UK beyond their big hits. While they were definitely influential, I’m not sure that they warrant a second LP on 1001.
As far as EDM goes, Underworld is one of the better groups out there. I appreciate that they throw in a bit of prog and experimentation into their mixes and you don’t get pulverized by an aggressive incessant beat like with some other groups.
Takes me back to the 90s when raves were all the, well, rave. More of a triphop and shoegazer guy, I took occasional forays into techno/electronic music and Underworld were one I enjoyed.
Oli kyl mielenkiintoista, pitää laittaa lisääkin kuunteluun tolta. 4/5
not for me
Genre: Electronic techno progressive house break beat ambient downtempo experimental 1996 Definitely just some decent background music. 3.5
Shine through the grime
Second electronica album in three days...other than the standout track Banstyle/Sappy's Curry, it was good, not great. Liked them better than Orbital ( my previous electronica album artist) but ill say what i said in my other review: Kraftwerk did it 10x better.
Highs and lows.
Techno!
God awful. Absolute trash. Some of the worst sounds I’ve heard in my entire life.
I like electronic music but this moves too far into dance music. I'm not sure what I dislike about it but the bass-y-ness of it and the... sound is a little bland. Not my vibe.
Born Slippy is on the re-release so that'll probably be considered my fave
schon vibey, aber viel zu lang
Fantastic album. I had heard Born Slippy .NUXX from Trainspotting and have listened to it countless times. So I was curious to hear what other work form Underworld would sound like. Like most ambient/electro/progressive house music, it's an acquired taste. To me, this is the soundtrack of 1996 nostalgia. I particularly the monotone drone vocals (I wouldn't quite call it singing) that you hear on Rowla, Pearls Girl, and Born Slippy. I can't help but hear Ewan MacGregor's "choose life" monologue when hearing Born Slippy.
This album should be titled ‘Anxiety Inducing Electronic Nonsense’ I got 14 minutes into track 1, realised the album is like 2 hours and gave up. Terrible. My first project failure. No one needs this in their life. I’m sure if I was in a field gurning my nuts off on day 5 of a life changing bender, in the middle of a field listening to this with a whole load of terrible people I’d thoroughly enjoy it. But in the car, the morning of total toddler meltdowns and stress levels beyond comprehension, this is the last thing anyone needs. 0.5
Bij dit soort elektronische albums merk ik altijd een beetje tegenzin om het aan te zetten, zeker als je ziet dat dit album een uur en een kwartier duurt. De goeie albums slokken je echter toch een beetje op en vallen dan qua gevoelslengte meestal wel mee. Dit album wist me uiteindelijk nooit echt te grijpen en al met al was het toch een lange zit. Zeker niet slecht, maar nooit wauw. (Born Slippy staat niet op de originele versie van dit album)
I loved this at the time, but now it just feels a little empty and mechanical. I should like all of the elements: pumping beats and atmospheric electronics but it all just feels a bit too mannered and over-thought. It needs more soul. You probably had to be there - and I was - but it's all bit too knowing for me all these years later.
This was great wfh music, and not the full on 90's clubbing experience I had feared. It's a rarity for EDM to sound better at home than in a club. There wasn't much else in there to draw me back. Pleasant, but not life changing.
I’m not really a club-going guy, which I feel like is a detriment to listening to this album. In fact, I’ll argue that there’s probably no good way to listen to this album without being in a club. I was in a car driving to Maine for Thanksgiving. Here’s what ultimately leads me to a 2/5 rating. It’s not that the album is bad, but I zoned out to the extent that I was thinking about (and hearing in my head) other music! That feels like an indictment against this. And, when taking into consideration that this came out around the same time as Daft Punk and Air were making their (superior) debuts, I can’t help but feel that this album lacks imagination.
Nice transitions, enjoyed the listen. Not quite a 5. Some vocals, mostly different beats, you can vibe to.
Well that was pointlessly annoying.
More electronic dance music. It seemed to be more varied than some of the other stuff that I have listened to on the list. Drum tracks varied. Synths varied. Some songs seemed awfully long. Blueski was different (which is why I looked to see what the name is) and short. It was okay. Extra credit for variety.
J'aime pas des musiques electro qui font 17min
Not bad, but long and not that great.....
Ended up listening to Neutral Milk Hotel all day instead.
Cool album but the songs are too long and repetitive. A year later Prodigy released their album and I can hear the influence. Could easily be released today and be successful. Interesting mix of different electronic music styles.
It speaks of a time (mid/late 90s) and a place (uk club). I find example of that exact thing but it doesn't feel ground breaking or revalutionary.
panaches n grpnuts
British electronic music, euhhh ok. Ouverture du bal en blanc. Chansons longues. Pas dérangeant, mais pas nécessairement bon.
Hit a great vibe for me, the day I listened to it. I'm a fan of the electronic style and the album was really solid all around.
It started with me thinking this was actually pretty good and by the time I got to Stagger I literally said outloud to no one "Oh thank God its the last track." This is really high quality techno but it has nothing to say at all. Its long and repetative and abrasive in an annoying, not interesting way. It feels like musical hedonism. Folks who want to get wasted and zone out on this, be my guest but wow do I hate this.
playstation 1 racing game music (derogatory) this album definitely hits a lot of problems i have with the electronic music i've experienced so far in this project. the really upbeat stuff is very repetitive. the "slow stuff" is very... nonchalant and subdued. like i feel like the music should be more energetic? and it's not downbeat, but it just feels like... a lethargic upbeat. if that makes sense. anyways, the ceiling here for me is "mid background music" and the floor is "really boring music played in the dressing room of the clothing store your mom dragged you to in middle school" - either way, i was quite uninterested by this.
V boring
I don't have 10 hours to devote to techno
Daft Punk is way better
theres only like one good song and that doesnt even bump up the rating because its so long all of the songs are so long like the shortest track is 6 minutes
Not a bad electronica album. Listened only once though as I didn't really find it engaging.
Good, but not really my kind of music.
Vox on Air Towel kind of sound like Ben Shemie too long
The repetitive loop-based electronic music present on this album is the kind of thing that makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. The songs that actually have lyrics and some sort of musical progression are pretty alright, but 3 minutes of the exact same loop with minimal changes are really not my bag.
Video game soundtrack music from one of those channels on GTA 1. It’s fine.
just wow. the first two tracks each being 16 minutes long is a bit jarring. but this is a fucking journey.
Got it on the wrong day. At the right time is a brilliant slab of deep dance classics with a few more layers than the usual dance / electro fare
Fine. Not bad. I imagine it sounded a lot more groundbreaking and interesting back when it was originally released.
Another album not really for me, at least there was a little more to this dance/house album than a repetitive beat and a handful of lyrics.
I’ve done the math. We’re on track for 71.5 electronica albums, 0 country, and 0 blues. When I complained to Mark about another electronica album, he agreed, but mentioned this one had more substance. I wanted to give this a 2 so hard, but he’s right. This deserves at least a 3.
Second best of their albums, too. Still enjoyable.
I enjoyed it while it was on but I’m not coming back
2.5
I liked, or rather, didn't object, to some of it.
One if my all time favorites, this is a very easy 5/5 for me, especially if you add Born Slippy to the end
Bom. A batida é bem gostosa de ouvir e as partes com vozes entram para não deixar o álbum muito monótono.
90's techno mais assez frais quand même
Qué chulada, qué vibra.
Loved it ! 4*
Ugh no.
some of the better techno to cross this thing in a minute Sidebar, there's a million techno releases from the 90s, but afaict *nothing at all* from that EDM boom in the early '10s on here. Like sure I don't think fuckin skrillex really did "albums" as such at the time he hit the mainstream, but like there was a whole era of stuff that lasted *years*, that was a big enough deal that pop artists started biting from it en masse, that’s being completely glossed over. And fuck knows I’m not itching to hear dubstep again for a good long while, but the double standard is glaring
Electro. Yes, I like it it's very fine, 3,5 stars? 4 maybe too much. Also really like the last volcal son "Stagger" with its imperfections and all..
I know I'm going to regret rating this so high in about 20 years, by which time this album will sound laughably dated. Oh well.
1+
Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Why would "anyone" choose to listen to this as an album, at home. Why?
Not my thing
Not my style now
Today is the release date for the new Ed Stasium mix of the classic Replacements album Tim (called the Let it Bleed edition). I've had this day marked on the calendar for weeks in anticipation. So all I was hoping for today was a quick album, hopefully something good, that I could get through before diving into the 3+ hours of new, glorious Replacements music. And what do I get, but a 1.25 hour electronic music album, basically the antithesis of everything the Replacements stood for. Not cool. 2 stars. The new Replacements album on the other hand? 5 stars.
I've never heard of Underworld before (although I'm pretty sure I've heard their song "Born Slippy"), and I don't think I've ever listened to a full techno/house album before either (is Moby's Play considered techno?). I really enjoyed listening to this album. It was really pleasant to listen to, and I loved that the longer songs would establish a few musical elements, and then build on them. I know there's more techno albums on this list, and I'm excited to be assigned more of them.
Favorite was Banstyle / Sappys Curry