The Undertones

The Undertones Caveat lector: I listened to both the original release and October 79 re-issue, but am writing about the latter, as I want to listen to Teenage Kicks. It’s notable how much Family Entertainment sounds so much like a mid 2000’s indie band, the kind of song that might play over the end montage of an episode of the Inbetweeners, I guess showing the enduring influence of The Undertones’ pitch perfect punk pop. That continues over the whole joyous 34 minutes, with no song lasting longer than 2 minutes 40-odd and many under 2 minutes, it’s a succession of gems, each one melodic but sharp, balancing punk immediacy with accomplished songwriting. There’s some excellent melodic guitar runs, and the tom-tom heavy drums and bass suffuse everything with teenage energy, and Feargal Sharkey has such a great voice for the songs - charismatic with a touch of both naivety and tremulous worldliness, and great, playful, universal lyrics, albeit ones that occasionally move into heavier matters than teenage lust or teenage fantasy, as with suicide on Jimmy Jimmy. They also add in a few atypical touches, the organ on Here Comes the Summer (a little like the one on Going Out by Supergrass), the keyboard stabs on Wrong Way, True Confessions has a superb electric/motorik pulse and drone and Listening In has more swirling organ. The Ramones were clearly an influence, but again this shows the difference between the US and the UK. While the Ramones tend to focus (brilliantly of course) on dumb headed nihilism, The Undertones are much more relatable and interesting, with a more rounded observational angle to their lyrics. The context of the times it was written in also gives it an added defiant effervescence, and alongside the great songs themselves it really makes it an archetypal punk pop album, clearly influencing many bands thereafter. You could have released it 1995 or 2004 and it would have still sounded as vivid, joyful and relevant. Easy 5. 🦵🦵🦵🦵🦵 Playlist submission: I suppose Teenage Kicks doesn’t really count, Jimmy Jimmy is great too, but I’ll go True Confessions

c'est good

someone please explain to me why this album is so different from anything else we've heard I'm so tired

Feels like we’ve already had this album 300 times

Between growing up in Northern Ireland and listening to John Peel back in the day, this one is a long time favourite of mine. Here Comes The Summer and Jimmy Jimmy are absolute belters. Get Over You is very close to being my favourite from it but that goes to Teenage Kicks. Teenage Kicks is obviously the biggest hit from the album. Famously John Peels favourite song, the first time he played it he ended up replaying it again straight after. I honestly think it’s the best song ever to come out of this country.

I felt like I was looking for reasons to knock a star off this fun, catchy, short and snappy album, but I couldn't really find one. I get that some people might find Feargal Sharkey's voice a bit annoying, but I even like that, so they are going to get full marks.

I felt like this album was pretty underwhelming. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not all that interesting. Didn’t love or hate it, but no real desire to revisit it. 3/5

I listen to this album while making fajitas on my new pans (shout out to Brandon Slone). A wonderful pepper sizzle was accompanied by some great punk rock. Wonderfully characteristic of the Irish rockers, this album foreshadowed a troubled time through some angst, but also soul. You can hear Motown all throughout this album. Loved it.

It is not a genre I care about.

3 star album that I think I'm gonna give 4 stars. It was fun!

day 28 of not rolling Aja by Steely Dan it's alright! the energy is cool. probably these guys get compared to the Ramones, which is fine by me because the Ramones are better and are *not* British, while these guys are not as good but *are* British.

Not for me

I looked through reviews on this site and was unsurprised to see how frequently John Peel comes up in those discussions, because the lasting importance of this album is not so much due to its own influence but instead one specific, extremely influential fan (who was a sex pest piece of shit but also arguably the single most important music tastemaker of the 20th century and the reason the UK has continued to pump out way more great modern rock bands than the US). So when I first heard of Teenage Kicks through the lens of Peel having awarded it 28 stars (out of 5) and having the opening lyrics engraved on his headstone, I was a bit intrigued. ANYWAY, I view The Undertones as being, basically, the band The Clash would’ve been if Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon weren’t so into dub and reggae. And that’s a very good band, no doubt, but not an all-timer or anything. Still, it’s 1). an old school punk album, with 2). 16 songs that 3). total 34 minutes and I, as such, am drawn like the proverbial moth to a flame.

So full of young punk energy! Had me feeling refreshed, like my whole life is ahead of me on my morning run

it was ok. sort of soft punk. 2.5

Un bon 4… une succession de morceaux rapide et agréables

Not bad, but pretty same-y throughout. Favorite track: Billy's Third

4*

low-mid

Nothing to distinguish this from anything else

After a run of "Oh, ANOTHER black rapper producing edgy shiv", it was a joy to hear this album again. Musically, it's good, but nothing to set the world on fire. However, Fergal's voice and the lyrics raise it several notches. Classic songs and none outstay their welcome. Highly recommended.

Two undertones albums and two of their best three tracks aren't on them, good job they're decent

Really good music.

++: Family Entertainment, Male Model, Jump Boys, Here Comes the Summer, (She's A) Runaround, I Know a Girl, Listening In, Casbah Rock +: Girls Don't Like It, I Gotta Getta, Wrong Way, Billy's Third, Jimmy Jimmy, True Confessions 7,7/10

Not my vibe

Oh more British cunts lets see how you do Ooo a little punky, see you Family entertainment I gotta getta Wrong way Get over you True confessions Not bad gang, some of those were pretty unique

Strange choice to leave one of the greatest songs ever off of your first lp, even if it was rectified a few months later. Punk meets power pop. The original pop punk. John Peel knew whats up.

Boring and terrible singing. Why. Is. This. Here. ?

Boring, uninspired, uninteresting,

sounds very similar to a lot of albums on this list though

I love these deep cuts of British punk. This one is so much fun.

High 3

Delightfully fun, feelgood, classic pop-punk about girls and the follies of youth. Every song is catchy, dumb as rocks, and neat as a pin. Lovely! 🌞

Weirdly the artwork shown is from the original release but the song listing here is from the later re-release which had a colour cover?? Anyway, the music itself was - and still is - great foot-tapping fun. Sanitised punk I would class this as. Always remember watching them at the Birmingham Odeon when Fergal Sharkey spent the whole of the gig kneeling at the front of the stage. As we are the same age I could understand him doing that now but not sure why he did then! One of many groups who would thank John Peel for early and frequent exposure. There were not many of his shows in the year of this release that he did not play at least one of their songs and he always named Teenage Kicks as his favourite song of all time. He even has the first line of the song on his gravestone ("Teenage dreams so hard to beat") 😢

Packed full of short punky joyous tunes - you know youre onto something good when the album doesnt have any songs over 3mins.

Fun, breezy, punk without the nonsense, just short, catchy songs. And John Peel was right about ‘Teenage Kicks’, it’s perfect.

A few great tracks but nothing special for me as an album.

Kind of the original pop punks. There's lots of energy here and the social realism has some teeth, but not enough variety, with many of the songs blending in to one another

I'm so surprised. This list is littered by British punk bands and I thought this wasn't going to be an exception. Well, they are! They're from Northern Ireland. Regardless, this album is actually pretty good and I've got no real complaints here.

These guys seem to be the UK incarnation of The Ramones - same three chords, same punk energy. It is catchy but also gets a bit tiresome for me emanating from the UK as it does from the US.

Наиклассичнейший поп-панк 70-х годов, простой как 5 копеек. Песни бесхитростные, весёлые, с забавными хуками, похожие друг на друга как шестнадцать капель воды, но такие притягательные. Ничего не могу с собой сделать, это реально клёвая музыка. А моменты, где появляется синтезатор, это вообще отпад. Лучшая песня: I Gotta Getta

Despite calling Northern Ireland home and being one of the best punk acts produced in the country, The Undertones avoid "the troubles" on their debut (and the the rest of their discography really). Instead, The Undertones gave the kids something to feel normal about, like going out on dates, plans for the summer, and the antics of their friends. Honestly, that's about the most punk thing they could have done in the face of a pretty unfun time. Between the sharp hooks and Feargal Sharkey's wavering delivery, I think The Undertones are nigh untouchable.

It's fine. Don't know why we need two Undertones albums on this list though.

Ngl kind of a bop. Happy Punk? Reminds me of the Toy Dolls.

Hay grupos que llevan toda su carrera intentando tener este sonido cuando yo nunca me he sentido más un quarterback en su ultimo año de instituto con un corvette, una novia a la que odia y una relación un poco homoerótica con su mejor amigo que escuchando esto. Platino.

Two days in a row of a band I hadn't heard of, with an album I liked. This simultaneously sounds like it came out in the 70s/80s and also in modern times.

Enjoyable post punk pop What it felt like to be young, bored, and horny in the 80s

So many classic songs on this and their debut, some will no doubt criticise its simplicity or that musically it isn’t that varied but that was the part of the point. Bear in mind that they were performing in Derry in the darkest times of the troubles as well and it makes such joyful music even more impressive.

Nice set of quick and nervous songs. Favorite Songs: Teenage Kicks

You just know when no song is under 2:30 that it's gonna be a banger. These dudes knew how to make pure pop-punk perfection, leaving the sneers out for an attack of infectious energy. They're almost akin to the garage bands of the 60s, except there's more than a hint of Buzzcocks and Clash about them. Still these Irish dudes set the tone for an entirely different punk style and their catchiness knows no bounds.

Teenage Kicks is the standout track. I dig the rest of it too, but it surely sounded more exciting in 1979.

I vibed with most of this album. Love the vintage early punk

Yeah this is the sort of deep cut stuff I’m looking for. Even if I forget about it in a week, when I find it again imma have a great time

THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT BABY. DERRY DERRY DERRY

Real fun early post-punk by some British teenagers. Surprising range for a punk album. But I’ve just aged out of this demographic.

Fun, and short, just like me! Favourite track: Teenage Kicks

Great album. Prefer this to a lot of the other punk stuff coming out of the UK at the time. It's not universally great, but there's enough good stuff here (and no real duds) to make it a worthwhile listen

Ramones influenced punk rock for the most part. Also dips toward post punk/new wave at times. Enjoyed it, probably a 3.5 for me really. There’s a couple standouts and then mostly ok songs.

First listen Saved 4/16

Var ett fan sen tidigare, härligt ba

Klassiskt toppen sound!

Stark trea, no notes!

The Undertones were always one of the better late 70s British punk bands. They knew how to write a catchy song that would get people singing and dancing along. This is a really fun album that instantly put me in a good mood. The fact the singer is now a big advocate for clean rivers and helping nature is just a bonus on top of all that.

3.5 stars. I had never heard of The Undertones before yesterday. But this was fun. It's like the posterchild of late-70s/early-80s "modern rock".

It's a 3

It’s a 3.

This was more fun than I was expecting, and felt like the perfect runtime at just over 30 minutes. 3.5 / 5

Was decent. Too much of the same thing

The Undertones overdeliver for this post punk stable of the genre.

Mid (6,4/10)

How many punk albums are on this list? Too many.

Really great album. Another band I haven't heard before, but really enjoyed. Sounds a bit like The Clash, which of course are great and a bit like The Adverts as well.

Cool garage punk from 70s UK, some real OGs

Teenage kicks is great. The rest is fine.

Guitar good; words boring. I wish this album was instrumental.

Copy paste from the other Undertones review : I have a real soft spot for the Undertones and had the greatest hits on heavy rotation in my teen years. I really like Fergal Sharkey's delivery and the playful nature of the songs.

3.5. Some quick, punchy indie/punk tracks. Teenage kicks and Here comes the summer are very good, but overall, a good sound!

not bad

The Undertones

Ok

an inferior Ramones, but with a better lead singer.

Power pop or pop punk. Fun though. Good energy, more like the Ramones than anything else.

going to start writing little notes on these bc they're all starting to blend together a bit. anyway i think this is the first irish band i've gotten so that's cool! i listened to this in my little mouldy belfast bedroom while cleaning my oil pastels (rock n roll) and had a mighty good time.

I liked this a lot. I shall return to it

The his was fun to listen to…great car music. I don’t think I would find it again but I wouldn’t turn it off either!

I love an album full of short, quick, exciting songs. I really like this kind of music. It’s perfectly suited to my tastes. This is one of those albums that I know is definitely in no way as good as I think it is, but who cares? I really like it. It’s poppy enough that the hooks get stuck in my head, but still has the punk “vibe” if that makes sense. Teenage kicks is maybe the best song. It’s really fun. Honestly, I think I like this more than the other similar albums I’ve heard (I’m thinking mainly of the Ramones, who I still do really like). Yeah I love this.

N2l

I don’t care for late 70s punk pop. This may be considered a good album, but I don’t like this kind of music

BRILLIANT LP !

Day 395 Fantastic album, Highlights Girls don’t like it Teenage Kicks Jump Boys

I’m pretty sure that when it came out, it was a hit. But the thing, for me, with English punk rock band in the late 70’s and early 80’s is that it doesn’t aged well for many of them. The production isn’t great. Songs sound pretty much the same. There’s no wow moment in it. Still, decent listen, but I will stick with London Calling. 2/5. Family Entertainment : 3 Girls Don't Like It : 2 Male Model : 3 I Gotta Getta : 2 Wrong Way : 2,5 Jump Boys : 2,5 Here Comes The Summer : 2,5 Billy's Third : 2,5 Jimmy Jimmy : 2,5 True Confessions : 2 (She's A) Runaround: 2 I Know a Girl : 3 Listening In : 2,5 Casbah Rock : 2

Favorite track(s): Family Entertainment, Male Model, Billy's Third Yet another shoutout to a non-album single, Teenage Kicks.

Feargal Sharkey Punk. Close the list, I've heard it all now. Despite sounding like a giant clash between 80's cheese and 70's Punk, the album itself just sounds kinda like the run of the mill Punk. Fast paced and loaded with short and catchy songs. Nice enough to keep listening after the regular album was over. Some goofy interpolations and covers that give this album it's quirks. Worthy listen. Thank you, Feargal Sharkey, famous from his 1980's hit song A Good Heart.

Short, catchy pop punk songs. Listenable, but forgettable.

Um… I want to like this more than I do. 3 Boolean: True

This was pretty good! Like the Ramones, but with less punk and more 70's rock. However, songs were fairly repetitive with no memorable lyrics to speak of. Still, a good sound.

Imagine if the Clash were Irish and didn’t have quite as much bite to their sound, and you’ve found The Undertones. I can hear the influences from so many other bands here, it’s too bad that this album finished without leaving me with much to feel excited about. Too safe for me.

Bastante ruido pero en realidad no me dice mucho, canciones de 2 minutos muy flojitas a excepción de la intro que esta muy bien. 5/10

Grand. Petite Ceinture. 2.5*, rounded down

Fun and catchy!