Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Le canzoni erano molto simili tra loro, mi è sembrato un po’ monotono
it's 3.5
Чудовий панк альбом. Коротенький, динамічний, вистачає хороших пісень
Хз, такий собі прямолінійний рамонсоподібний панк (або поп-панк?). Нормальна музика, але я таке ніколи не слухав особливо.
High energy garage dirtbag core
Sugar coated punk rock from and undervalued Undertones. Could literally hear the Go-Go's ripping them off in real time on some of the tracks.
I lived in Derry for 5 years so I’ve heard my share of Undertones whether I wanted to or not. Is this a safe space to say I think they’re only okay?
I listened to this and I thought it was good. Nothing else on the album can quite hit the high point of “Teenage Kicks”. But this is one of those albums where I can imagine being there at the time and being quite a rush.
Raw. Youthful. Energetic.
Late 79s rock. Fun, high-energy pop punk.
Yea, it’s down the pipe pop punk but it’s down pretty damn well. I had fun, there were some good bouncy riffs and they did it in the 70’s so I’m gonna go ahead and score this 4 stars
Call me a basic bitch if you want but I loved everything on this album. It might be basic and I don’t use that as an insult. The driving drumming and guitars compliment Feargal Sharkie perfectly. I can imagine myself rocking out to this one in the car, on a run and in work. One of the easiest 5’s I’ve given
Fun, simple and lighthearted 3.5/5
Pop punk used to be one of my favorite genres and listening to this was really fun. I give it 3.5
I must’ve heard it a billion times, but Teenage Kicks remains an entirely justified thing of wonder - it really is a perfect pop record and it sounds even more magnificent in the context of the album. I love The Undertones’ short, sharp, punchy sound - I love the songwriting, and I REALLY love Feargal Sharkey’s frantic vocal delivery. The album sounds very much of its time now, but what a time. Here Comes the Summer and Get Over You also sounded especially wonderful, and Jimmy Jimmy… and… ah, whatever. All of it. It all sounds great.
What an absolute joy of an album. It fizzes past at a rate of knots full of hooks, harmonies and fun but often with a nice lyrical edge. Not much puts a spring in your step like an Undertones song. My admiration for Feargal Sharkey knows no bounds: a writer of some of the best pop songs ever (yes I have to mention Teenage Kicks) and a vigorous champion of UK waterways. My favourite Undertones song (and some days my favourite song ever) It's Going to Happen not actually on this album but I felt I had to mention it. Glorious, off to listen to it again...
Sure! It's loud. At this point in the list it doesn't sound super innovative, but, I suppose that's fine.
Vibras scobby doo,adolescente rebelde y musica de atraco en inglaterra. .........
This is #day605 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to John Peel favorites, aka my first of two records from The Undertones. Even though it's my first time hearing the full album, I was already familiar with "Teenage Kicks," again, thanks to John Peel. This is the kind of album that makes you feel young again… or maybe nostalgic for a youth you never actually had. Being born in 1990, there's something like a false memory, or longing, for the late '70s here. That sense of exuberance is overflowing. It's punk rock on the verge of new wave and post-punk. Just what I needed. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day606.
I was quite interested getting this. I knew and liked Teenage Kicks, having heard it via John Peel, but I'd never listened to more by the Undertones so I thought of this as a good chance to explore more. Glad I did, but it hasn't inspired me to get more into them. It isnt bad, it's decent enough punk but on balance not my thing. Appreciate it for what it is though, its well done and I'd like it more if I liked punk more.
Great burst of energy, totly enjoyable
Family Entertainment - 5/5 Girls Don't Like It - 4/5 Male Model - 4/5 I Gotta Getta - 4/5 Wrong Way - 4/5 Jump Boys - 5/5 Here Comes the Summer - 3/5 Billy's Third - 5/5 Jimmy Jimmy - 5/5 True Confessions - 3/5 (She's A) Runaround - 3/5 I Know a Girl - 5/5 Listening In - 4/5 Casbah Rock - no rating Average score: 4.2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ i saw someone call these guys the Irish version of Ramones and now I can't unhear it i've heard the album Hypnotised by this group not too long ago. hard to say which i like best, as my enjoyment is nearly the same for both; i liked them, but didn't love them. still a pretty fun listen tho
Tof en simpel rock album, Teenage Kicks is een banger maar zou een mini klein beetje sneller moeten zijn.
Some fun pop punk. Most of the songs are merely decent, but Teenage Kicks, Here Comes the Summer and Get Over You just about push it to a four. That and Fergal Sharkey's environmental campaigning.
Never heard before but I like the vibe of this one. Some real bops; I managed to get my rebounder time in while listening to this one today. For the most part I like the almost rushy feeling of the tracks. Also for the most part I liked the vocals, except some of the last tracks where the vocal quality didn't quite match the first tracks. (4/5)
Meh. So repetitive. At least it was short.
General punk. Nothing special
nice guitars
Decent. Won’t be listening again though.
it was pretty fun. a few bangers and a few stinkers. i thought the last track was way too short, not good and incredibly low audio quality compared to the rest of the album. i gave it a 62 on aoty. sometimes classic punk is a bit too repetitive for me though i think you couldve sang blitzkrieg bop by the ramones over like 9 of these songs and get away with it
Tää oli hyvä levy. Bändiltä on tullut kuunneltua ne hittibiisit, mutta kokonaisuutena tää oli ihan mukavaa kuunneltavaa. Kuuntelin 30th Anniversary Editionin.
Dunno how I missed this band when I was discovering 1970s/80s British punk and new wave back in the 1980s. Right up my alley. What a fun debut!
It’s fun and moves quick, but it’s still more bounce than feeling.
not my thing
I liked this. Good, simple pop punk. Teenage Kicks is a really cool song. Also, very awesome band name. Fun listen overall, wouldn't be mad if this came up on some playlists.
Good and fun. More punk than the other Undertones album on the list.
Good, fun, simple. They are here for a good time not a long time.
This was a fun rockin’ punk album. I like this debut better than the other album we just had but it didn’t quite jump up a star.
I had never heard of the Undertones before, but reading the Wikipedia article about this album helped me discover that I knew their lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, because of a solo hit he had in 1985. Also, this is a kick-ass punk album.
Im usually all in for this retro pop inspired punk rock but I have to say that it gets old after a while. I do still like this. Just it goes in too long for me. Cut a few tracks and it gets much more listenable. Couldn't tell you what can go but somethings gotta. I do like the old-school 50s or early 60s styled punk. Its always been good. Ramones rule and this is in the same vein. It feels like watching grease at 1.5x speed. Teenage love and chilling with your friends after the football game type vibes. Going to the sock hop. Its a fun thing. Im just overwhelmed by the 40 minutes here and like almost 20 tracks. Its alot. Still had some fun for sure. A couple saves. Good record for sure. Im just dogging on it some
Haven't listened to this one in years! Teenage Kicks is the obvious highlight but Here Comes the Summer and Get Over You are almost as good. The song material is overall really strong! I set the bar for five stars a bit too high but this one comes pretty close.
??? early UK punk super! c
Probably a ground breaking Brit punk album, but not much variety in musical value of each song.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-undertones/the-undertones/ YESSSS MELODIESSSS!!! Quite similar to things like Buzzcocks and Ramones, but guess what, I like those too! This album has only bangers and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.
I wasn't impressed at first, but then some of their big hits came on and I got more into it. The album goes by incredibly quick though. By the time you've started to get into it, it's all over.
This album SLAPS!
1. family - 1 2. girlz - 0 3. model - 2 4. gotta - 0 5. kickz - 1 6. uuay - 1 7. jump - 0 8. zummer - 2 9. get - 1 10. third - 0 11. jimmy - 1 12. true - 1 13. runaround - 0 14. girl - 0 15. liztening - 1 16. rock - 0
As not a huge fan of punk or of the punk pop that this is clearly an early example of, I was somewhat surprised to find myself enjoying it! _Teenage kicks_ is obviously a highlight but even excluding that (which the original release apparently did), this would still have been a great listen, full of youthful energy Incidentally, it was only a couple of years ago I discovered that Feargal Sharkey was the singer for The Undertones.
hey this is a pretty good time! the back half is meh but i like male model and here comes the summer.
Boring
Why does he sing like a sheep?
An average (soft) punk album. Not aggressive at all, not very original. The Clash, The Ramones did and The Toy Dolls is doing it better.
Classic Northern Irish punk - still sounds good
OK but not my cup of tea
Some good tunes some so so.
Apart from the good song I can’t think of a single reason as to why this album is on this list. Good song saves it from a 1 star
I really really like this album. This is exactly the sort of thing. I was hoping to find when taking on this.
I did not realize that pop punk has been around this long. Shows what I know. Very fun. Don't think I didn't notice being assigned an Irish band on St. Patrick's Day.
Buen disc punk. Cumple con lo que debería ser un disco punk. Me parece un buen trabajo de The Undertones, aunque nada memorable diría yo. Un disco lleno de canciones punk, con buen estilo. Sin embargo, la producción del disco se siente floja. Como si solo hubieran puesto las grabaciones así tal cual. Digo no tiene nada de malo pero se sintió como si hicieran un disco muy al putazo, pero bueno igual y esa era la intención y en ese caso pues bien, muy punk de su parte. En general un buen disco punk.
I like the Undertones. They don’t make great high art but they make fun catchy songs I love
THIS IS A GREAT LP AND A GREAT BAND !
I mean, sure
I liked it!
Punk rock
Pretty bland
Very British First two songs were pretty boring for me but the album grew on me overall! "Male Model" & "Teenage Kicks" are my favourite tracks. The vocals on "Jump Boys" sounded weirdly familiar to me and I couldn't quite place it... it sounds like fucking Present Mic from My Hero Academia lmfaoooo
Ramones, if they were 20% more polite and British
Het was niet helemaal een vibe. Ook niet dat mijn oren pijn deden. Ik had liever iets anders geluisterd.
Het is wel grappig maar ik ben tegelijk ook blij dat het album maar 34 minuten duurt. Het is niet bepaald een muziekaal hoogstandje maar wel even leuk tussendoor. Heb ook niet het idee dat ze dezelfde impact op de vroege punk rock hadden zoals the sex pistols of the ramones oid. Twijfel tussen 2 en 3, ze klinken wel sympathiek dus toch 3 sterren.
wel leuk hoor, maar na een paar nummers begint t toch een beetje eentonig te klinken, de energie is wel goed t blijft niet echt hangen. Ik vond het een beetje leuk. 2 sterren.
This was fine. Kinda fun, but largely unremarkable. 3.2
The Undertones are probably the biggest name band in Northern Ireland, a country that has around a million and a couple hundred thousand people. There's a lot of politics regarding the UK and the Republic of Ireland but I don't want to get too much into that trouble. By 79 punk had taken fold, new and still in vogue and these group of teenage Northern Irish (do I still say Irish? idk) took advantage of the moment to become the big punk band of a tiny country. Minor rant here: this band gets two albums on the list and the Ramones just have one. I really don't understand that. Rocket to Russia is as important as their debut. Moving on to me actually listening to the album. These guys sound very young and the energy they show off is infectious. You can hear some of the earliest examples of pop punk being formed here: a more clearly punk influenced power pop sound. Probably a lot nicer to write songs that typical schoolboys deal with, maybe as escapism with the ongoing conflict going on at the time. My favorites off this are Jump Boy, Here Comes the Summer, and Wrong Way. Definitely see the relevancy here with this inclusion and I don't know what else to add on.
This was a cool album. I enjoyed listening to it and it wasn’t a long drawn out listen. Not the most spectacular album ever but it definitely was good.
Good one
I love punk rock and had heard Teenage Kicks before. Not sure why I never dug deeper. This is fun! Kind of an Irish Ramones. 4/5
Really solid punk rock. All the songs had hooks and were very catchy. I have no complaints.
Punk rock, maar wel wat slapjes Forgettable 1/5
original short attention span music...? I liked a few songs especially bc it was reminiscent of the clash, but crucially, the clash were more versatile. this just about grasps a 3
Enjoyed this more than I expected too, and John Peel had a point about Teenage Kicks.
Pop punk before blink. I like 4/5 x
Decent
The Clash did punk better, but I don’t think these guys were trying to beat the Clash. They seemed comfortable doing what they did, and for that I respect them.
Belfast punks, with the right balance of energy and sardonic humor.
This is another album that I'll add to my tower of ignorance. I had never heard of these guys before. The album is fun and eminently listenable. I had no idea Fergal Sharkey was in a band, and from what I can hear, a pretty good one as well.
the rapy undertones sure
I thought I would like this but I dont
i love the guitar work on this. any album with a bass solo is incredible. this is pretty good. so far i really just haven’t cared for tracks 2 and 4. it’s kinda falling off in the second half. true confessions is sick though.
gran disco!
Another British punk band, but nowhere near as good as the Clash.
First time listening them, I really liked it! I love the Clash, so anything resembling them gets my instant approvement. It's all in the genre — the energy, the simple chords, semi-melodic choruses, semi-talkative verses. Everything is rushed like we're running (police on our back if you know what i mean). It's also a great debut album. I like that it has pipe organ somewhere in it, as well as repetitive memorable melodies and lyrics, which makes it not totally punk, but more like a mix of classic rock/glam rock and punk. Some songs also sounded like surf rock to me. "True Confessions" was unexpected, but it's my highlight, added it right after the intro. Also I love when an album has 16 songs and lasts only 34 minutes.
Girls don’t like it
3.5/5 Catchy melodies and a slightly noisy, thick sound. Feels a bit too slight.
Many great classics on this one, what a great first album!
Man these guys are fun. 1979 punk (or post-punk) from Derry, Northern Ireland. There's definitely some good 1950s influence here. Sounded more or less the same as their second album, so it also gets a 4.
Previously unknown. Fun.
Not all the songs played but I got enough. It was fine.
Maybe I was in a bad mood already but this is making it worse. I won’t give it a 1 because it’s actual music I guess but I really hate this. Idk maybe it was just 6am and not the right time for it.
Fine little punk album that had at times what seemed to be splashes of pop punk, hints of The Dead Kennedys, and one song that was a bit Talking Heads-ish. 3.5⭐️
Pleasantly surprised. Thought it was gonna be some more brit pop bullshit. Sounds like they were influenced by The Clash (or vice versa?) Some of it is almost pop punk, some is almost new wave. Good stuff.
Short, sweet, fun, with a splash of angst and rebellion. Just what you need in an early punk album. Great album.
Of all the proto-punk albums on this list that I have listened to so far, this might be the weakest. Still a good album, and not just for its novelty. Highlights: Male Model, True Confessions
I really liked this album. Really good, early punk rock that kept me interested. Sure it sounded a lot alike, but the formula is good and that's all that matters. Will be revisiting.
This is just damn good. Punk with all the urgency and anger, but actually good music that is well played, well written and with a decent voice. Id not heard the full album, just the singles and enjoyed it immensely! In the same vein sonically as the early clash is the best compliment i can give it.
Yay, another obscure British punk album! It seems this band has one well-known song("Teenage Kicks"), so I don't get why they have two albums here. As for the actual album, it is very fast and punchy punk with pop hooks and lyrics. Nothing here is above average quality, and the lyrics are very standard. Even "Teenage Kicks" is distinctly average pop-punk from the late 1970s. It is a fun enough listen, and the songs are mercifully short, but I'd be hard pressed to call it essential listening. It is, however, preferable to the very similar-sounding Elvis Costello.
You can’t just say the same thing over and over again dude
A debut punk album on the cusp of the 80s. There's a Northern Ireland lilt and attitude, though the musical content stays youthful and focused on lowercase troubles.
If you distill this list down into the absolute average album in both quality and sound, it’s this.
Simple but impeccable three chord pop executed with earnest youthful enthusiasm. The absolute essence of rock and roll.
A rather ordinary band with OK tunes.
Fast and fun album, "blink" and you will miss half the songs. I would listen to it again.
Den perfekta punkpop skivan. Oemotståndligt charmigt. Den har kanske inte haft så stor betydelse för mitt liv, förutom så teenage kicks. Hursomhelst bland de bästa i sin genre
Some great songs on there
So this is what Pop Punk was like in 1979...Cool. Not sure I'll return to this but it was fun while it lasted.
Fun but pretty reptitive
One of the greatest pop punks albums ever made. Like early Ramones and Buzzcocks, this is perfect pop distilled through a buzzsaw. John Peel was right and so are you if you love them.
First time hearing this one. I like this type of music and they're pretty good, but my cup is already full. I don't need any more right now.
3.5./5
I enjoyed this album. The singers voice did get obnoxious towards The End.
Underwhelming! Almost all of it sounded like the same song with droning vocals.
Classic indie rock
Fun little record. Great sound.
Keep it in the Family is the siscon anthem i needed. this is pretty decent early pop punk, which doesn't quite have the energy that i love so much about the later stuff. the drums are definitely a big point against this to me. deserves to be one of the 1001? this is a pretty big part of 70s pop punk, maybe the most notable album by a band without "cock" in their name. i think it has enough importance
VERY GOOD
2026.02.04.
Quite good actually
Second album from this (to me) previously unknown band. The voice was immediately recognizable, though I hadn’t remembered the band name. I like this album well enough, like the last one, just wondering why there are 2 of them on here. The band didn’t seem to make it out of its own decade.
Good
A few bops
Mn diepe diepe zucht vanwege weer een rockalbum met bizar korte nummers maakte eigenlijk al vrij snel plaats voor toch iets van bewondering. Ik ken dit natuurlijk weer totaal niet, maar dit klinkt echt best wel lekker? Voel me ontzettend aangesproken bij I don't wanna be a male model. Had een autobiografisch nummer kunnen zijn. Maar even serieus, de nummers zijn ultra kort, de gitaren zijn aanwezig en goed versterkt en dan zijn de teksten ook nog best wel prima. Kleine shoutout ook naar de zanger, die precies vercrackt en Engels(of Iers?) genoeg klinkt dat het goed klinkt en iets toevoegd. Misschien dat dit een boven gemiddeld rockalbum is. Of naja, eigenlijk vrij zeker. Dit is een meer dan prima album, maar of het genoeg is voor 4 sterren?? Ik neig naar nee, hoewel bij True Confessions wat gewoon bijna een soort New Wave achtige plaat is. Merk toch dat als er meerdere genres gedaan worden dat dat mij echt wel pakt. Het grootste deel is gewoon echt prima rock, misschien wat punky rock zelfs? Maar wel met een pop opbouw waardoor het prettiger is om naar te luisteren dan de meeste hardcore punk rock. Ik weet het ook niet, lul waarschijnlijk maar wat, maar weet wel dat dit gewoon goed klinkt. Dit is een album dat je makkelijk aan kan zetten zonder dat je nooit meer de AUX mag aanraken. Pop punk, al is dat een heerlijke tegenstelling. Pop punk is in elk geval prima te beuken, ik zeg 3 sterren. FAVO: Family Entertainment, Teenage Kicks, Get Over You, True Confessions
There are a lot of albums in this era with a similar sound, but I think this is one of the better ones. The hits on this album are really solid, and the filler isn't too bar behind
Closer to 3.5
Enjoyable album, nice late seventies sound
ehhh not my fav
10 albums in and still waiting for a female artist… Another album that’s just so loud and annoying to me sorry!!! I liked Get Over You
Very enjoyable. Reminded me of The Clash in very positive ways. I'd be happy to return to the Undertones any old time.
Liked it
I honestly never heard of The Undertones until earlier this week, so this was a pleasant coincidence that I was recommended an album of theirs. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I liked this album! It was a short listen, but great energy with everything.
I liked some songs and Teenage Kicks is 1D Herstory
Its ok, some catchy parts (I like "Jump Boys") but there are other albums like this that are better.
Punk! Kinda sounds like the stranglers but shitter Best-Emergency cases 4/5
Surprisingly good
New to me. Pretty fun.
I'm all about post-punk, but pop-punk is a completely different story.
Classic
Like if the Buzzcocks played in a garage.
Some other user reviewed a thought that is very much my own. Some of these albums, such as this one, are enjoyable enough while they play, but you have no desire to purchase or remember them afterwards. Thankfully, this list has also led me to some albums I'd buy. So I'll continue despite the fact I think the Rolling Stones 500 greatest albums is a better list.
Pretty great
so catchy and fun
Enjoyed this album. I was vaguely familiar years ago but really started listening more recently. Good debut and a unique singing voice.
It was enjoyable.
Loved this album! I sometimes enjoy tracks that meander and have space to noodle and waste time, but punk needs to be short and to the point to keep from being overwhelming.. and the Undertones do it brilliantly here.
Extremely watered down punk about getting girls and some other harmless stuff. Where's my 'stick it to the man' songs and where is the message bro. Punk to listen to with your uptight parents. All songs kind of blended together and I got very bored. Not a 1 because some of the music itself was aight.
2/5 Boring album, nothing outstanding. 2 instead of a 1 because it's still listenable, but I genuinely could not tell you any song I just heard.
This sounds like the band that plays at the high school dance of a lame 70s or 80s teenage movie. I'm guessing that the reason this is on the 1001 list is that Robert Dimery got his first kiss while this was on in the background.
Nice
A few good tunes, vocals aren’t my vibe
After looking at the album cover, my first thought was "here we go again with another British never-were that was forgotten in the dust bin of music history for a reason." After hearing the first track, and the disgusting lyrics about a family; my second thought was that the first thought was very much confirmed. Every song is the same boring punk power chord arrangement. This is not exemplifying anything important or new from the period that anyone needs to hear before death. I applaud them for discussing the personal instead of The Troubles, but gee whiz, do it with more creativity than power 3 chords. The Police, The Pretenders, Blondie, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Joy Division, Joe Jackson. They all did it better. None of The Undertones belong on this list. They just sound like another bandwagon punk band from 1979.
I've heard this era of rock/punk a few time before. It's wearing a little thin
Really liked this - kinda like the Sex Pistols but if you replaced 50% of the anger with anxiety.
I think these guys liked girls
Gostei muito desse álbum! É um álbum de Punk bem visceral. CVJ Neko.
What the fuck, I just gave their second album a middling score and now I find out they have TWO albums on this list? Why??
I had never heard of them. This was a really well-done power pop album. Simple, fast, three-chord songs, background ooohs and aaahs. Little bits of synthesizers to pep it up here and there but for the most part just a straight ahead rocker. 16 songs in 34 minutes? Immaculate. If early, poppy punk (say, Buzzcocks, Ramones) is your thing, and it's definitely mine, this is pretty great.
I will base this review on the October 1979 reissue, which places "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" in the middle of the record. I know I first heard The Undertones' debut single, "Teenage Kicks", about a year and a half ago. They are a punk band from Derry that drew influence from garage rock, glam rock, and new wave, though they would experiment with other styles in their later years. Much like their influences in The Ramones and Buzzcocks, they would later be considered a precursor to pop punk. That much is evident in their self-titled debut. The simple yet catchy guitar riffs, the tight rhythm section, the harmonious vocals around Feargal Sharkey's eccentric delivery, and lyrics that deal with more adolescent viewpoints of romance, suburbia, and rebellion would all become typical of the genre. There are a few deviations here, such as Damian O'Neill's keyboard play on tracks like "I Gotta Getta" and "True Confessions", but for the most part, this is pop punk in its simplest form. It's certainly played well by the band, as they did have a good knack for hooks this early on. But I'm not sure how much this would stand out against the artists that have come before and after. The "before" part is more notable because, in some regard, The Undertones wanted to make an album like The Ramones. They certainly succeeded, perhaps a little too well, because I'm left wondering how essential this record is compared to The Ramones' self-titled record or Rocket to Russia. Don't get me wrong, I still consider The Undertones' self-titled to be a good record, and it helped set the tone for an entire subgenre to come. But in hindsight of everything that's come out of pop punk, I'm not certain how well this album stacks up outside of historical significance.
I'd never heard of this band, but it's great.pop punk.
BOPS 10/10
Yet another album that would have been completely fine to not be on this list. I’m getting more disappointed in this list by the day
Excellent album, nothing too clever just simple punky rock and roll
Best Track - "Teenage Kicks"
I gave this a couple of listens. I enjoyed it, but also didn’t have any major takeaways from it. It’s hard to find value looking back on a band like this when bands like The Clash and Wire exist.
Not really my thing but it’s decent, I like the Ramones a little better
Das freut die Alt-Punker
Zu anstrengend
Etwas zu unsagend
Loving the Derry accent, but not my thing
3.5 Stars
I can appreciate that this was an early foray into upbeat, non-cynical punk about girls and boredom instead of politics and aggression. And I can especially appreciate that it was notably written in Ireland during the Troubles, when it was probably tough to NOT be cynical and political. But appreciating the context of cutesy, vapid punk is not the same as enjoying cutesy, vapid punk. Most of these songs are fun enough but ultimately a little forgettable. “Teenage Kicks” and “Jump Boys” are infectious, the rest didn’t make much of an impression on me.
Was hoping it would be more punk, but couldn't say I disliked the album.
Helt ok, litt pstereo vibes
My ymse på 1001 album ass
This album is short and sweet. High energy catchy tracks right off the bat. Some are a bit repetitive, but the energy stays up and it’s a fun listen throughout. Solid 4/5
This was a fun group. I Remembered one of the songs from the movie Derry Girls.
184 Disfruté Teenage Kicks pero a medida que avanzaba el disco recordé lo mucho que me carga el punk. No eres tú, soy yo
Short songs, didn't stick long enough to get annoying, not a ton of hits but the ones that worked stick in your head
Not the ticket for me. Teleported to Jake playing their songs at mums 45th(?).
This was a fun listen! Great to learn more about these bands playing this style of music at a time that was just before I got into listening to music. I suppose I would not have been able to hear this back then anyways as they probably weren’t on mainstream am/fm radio but hearing it now it still sounds good!
Undertones of me liking this a lot.
Good. Highlights transition from punk to post-punk. Couple of guitar lines/sounds made me think of Peter Buck! That’s a good thing!
Lively. ★★★
whatever
5 out of 5. Great energy and all around fun to listen to.
It’s a fine album, not my favorite. Sounds like a parody of the genre I knew teenage kicks but I could only think of the one way or another mashup by one direction 2.5/5
Ok, don't really remember it but like an old school boy band.
“Are teenage dreams so hard to beat? Every time she walks down the street” Fun simple punk songs filling out a run time which whilst short is the perfect length to avoid outstaying its welcome. It is clear on one full listen why the standout track which saw The Undertones become one hit wonders is “Teenage Kicks”. It’s catchy, fun, and an all around good time. There are other tracks on here which offer similar such as “Girls Don’t Like It” but they don’t quite hit the same highs. Solid from start to finish and easy enough to listen to but doesn’t quite offer the same edge or intrigue as other punk albums released around the same time (see “London Calling” also 1979).
Teenage Kicks is good of course. Rest of the album lives up to that pretty well too. Helps that it’s so short
Quite liked this, which is unexpected for the genre. Teenage Kicks is of course a banger. Simpsons: Yes
Solid stuff to be fair. New a few, liked them all.
Para jóvenes en su momento. Energía
i liked that it had this witty, angsty lyricism to it which suited the composition of the songs, but i fear that it’s going to be a rather easily forgettable album for me
pop punk at best, great for kids finding their musical feet as it were. Lacks the anger to be effecive punk. pleasant enough ditties I suppose.
Sterile as anything. I wasn't keen but it's not the worst I've ever heard. Little boppy tunes suitable for the car I guess. I saw them live, an opening act at a free festival. That's what this album is ideal for: people who go to festivals because they're free, not because there's music on.
Just another one of those list albums that is like “yeah it’s rocky and sounds like 30 other bands on the list and had this one good track on it that justifies its inclusion on here but man I will forget this album in a week” Really nothing else to comment on it
I finally get the answer to the question I never asked: what if the Ramones were British?
Great record. This is like a 3,8
Fine, just nothing that truly sucked me in.
I listened to the wrong version of this album so I shouldn't give it points for "Teenage Kicks" I guess. I liked it overall, a good time. 3.5
bonus star cause i love feargal sharkey. this is tight and fast and punchy and an excellent harbinger of what was to come
Fun but why did they have at least two albums on here?
Def did not need to listen to this before I die
A bland pastiche of punk rock. All the signifiers without any real edge or meaning.
My second album from the Undertones. These guys write songs that are catchy as heck, but also (strangely) aren't that memorable. It's odd. Punk music is defined by being short, simple, and punchy, with riffs or melodic hooks that grab onto your brain and don't let go. And anti-establishment sentiment. That should be a surefire formula for a collection of great, memorable pieces. The ones on this album aren't super distinct from one another, though, and once each song is over, I can't for the life of me recall its respective hook or instrumentation (the latter doesn't vary at all). The most unique track is the 56-second closer Casbah Rock, which features a muted guitar-bass-drum combo and a bizarrely high-pitched vocal delivery that almost sounds like a different singer. But dang it, I'm having so much fun here, even if afterwards I struggle to remember why. This is better than their later record Hypnotised simply because there's more joy, energy, oomph to these tracks. Teenage Kicks is the lead single and it's perfectly obvious why: it's stupid, simple, and the guitar line shoots through you like muddy lightning. I'm also a fan of the album opener Family Entertainment. It appears to be about incest, but that's not why I like it. (Isn't this genre supposed to be political?) The chorus features a tritone chord change that absolutely grabs your attention like nothing else. Jimmy Jimmy, (She's A) Runaround, I Gotta Getta, and I Know A Girl are also catchy highlights. Probably. Like I said, they all blur together into one punky conglomerate. 4/5 Key tracks: Family Entertainment, Teenage Kicks, Jimmy Jimmy
Short and sweet.
good for what it is but not exactly my cup of tea
I would say above average punk rock record.
Straightforward British pop punk. Honestly couldn’t tell you a single song name or what it sounded like. In one ear and out the other. Didn’t mind the time in between I guess.
Very good, if a bit repetitive. I would listen to it again, but will not be adding it to my Tidal library.
Fine
Tolerable positive-punk.
по описанию не поняла что это будет панк и опять запуталась какой панк британский, а какой американский. но в целом со всем уважением я такое слушать не буду)
Bad punk is worse than good punk.
Garage Punk Pop.
great
Album review 027 The Undertones by The Undertones (1979) Rating 2.5/5 It’s too easy to compare The Undertones against releases by other punk bands of the time but in doing so it’s clear that the album isn’t anything special. It lacks the attitude of Ramones, or the anger of The Clash, or the energy of the Pistols, or the charisma of Buzzcocks, etc…. Despite a few good-ish songs, there’s very little of interest on The Undertones.
Pretty great. I little less influenced by The Clash than their album Hypnotised. A great early pop-punk record.
Simple
The Undertones is certainly a name considering the singer's voice. 4/5
The upside of this album is they kept it brief, banging out 16 tracks in 35 minutes - perfect radio edits for tracks that would never make it to radio unless it was a station dedicated to Punk. Punk is a genre that has not aged particularly well.
I enjoy the urgency the music has, but some of the vocals are frankly annoying (see Male Model and I Gotta Getta). Teenage dreams so hard to beat and that is true of Teenage Kicks , which is one of the best songs of all time. Here comes the summer also provides a catchy more poppy detour. Overall it cant help but feel a bit overshadowed by Teenage Kicks.
When you grow up in my part of the world it is to the soundtrack of The Undertones and, specifically, our unofficial national anthem - “Teenage Kicks”. It may be under that guise of nostalgia that I enjoyed this album as much as I did. Snappy and punchy songs of its punk era done in its own way - you’d be hard pressed to mistake Feargal Sharkey’s vocals for anyone else. As much as I enjoy “Here Comes the Summer”, “Get Over You”, and “Jimmy Jimmy”, it really is “Teenage Kicks” that stands out and does something odd inside my chest when I listen to that opening line. Yes, lyrically it’s a bit simplistic, and is pretty same-y sounding (“True Confessions” aside which at times reminded me of “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, which was odd). It could lose a couple of tracks off the end. But it will always remind me of home.
Unsurprisingly for someone who likes punk, I liked this. It's the melodic Clashy-end of punk rather the purely shouty-end of punk, and I appreciate that enormously. However it does suffer from having some *extremely* well known tracks on it... plus everything else. It positively belts through 16 songs in 34 minutes though, and it it definitely something I actively enjoyed listening to, so much so, I heard it three times yesterday. I am predisposed to enjoy this type of thing, and I enjoyed this type of thing. 4/5
This gave me anxiety. Like I was truly stressed listening to it
It's good solid pop punk but not enough variety to score higher or keep me coming back.
Honestly a big fan of this, high 4, seemingly conventional straight forward punk rock but some cool subversion going on
Short, punchy, energetic. Simple lyrics and somewhat forgettable songs nevertheless are fun enough while they're playing that it draws no complaints from me. While it's not an album I would be hunting to put on, it's also one that I wouldn't mind coming up in the rotation every so often.
Great and underrated late 70s punk record. Has a broad appeal on the same way as The Clash. It’s not just for punk fans, it can appeal to fans of early alternative and post punk as well.
So fun. Forgot how much I enjoy this band. Such great hooks. Such an ear for melody. Such great poppy punky sounds. I just had a great time listening.
This is "elevator" punk.
funky happy britpop, same same for 35 mins
I'm going to issue the harshest insult for a 3 star album. It's a very poppy punk album. Just ok the edge of actual punk but not quite. Too many different chords in the songs (4-5), the lyrics are distinguishable and would like to tempo to be faster for a lot of the tracks. The number of songs < 3 minutes keeps to their punk roots though.
With a name like this, these guys should have waited a couple decades and come out as a late 90’s ska band.
Man, groups in the 70s just loved to sing about having sex with high school girls.
Very reminiscent of other early punk albums, like The Clash or The Ramones. Didn’t really stick out to me much though. Not bad, but not memorable.
Hm, nicht ganz so beschissener Punk wie sonst. Aber ich kann dieser Musik einfach nicht mehr als 3 Sterne geben, es würde sich falsch anfühlen.
Angenehmer British Punk. Fands gut. 35 Minuten, knackige kurze Songs.
I liked this one more than the first
Stærkt pop punk album som udtrykker ungdom og teenagere rigtig godt. Teksterne var ikke så politiske men mere omkring kærlighed, ungdom og alt der følger med den. Så ikke så rasende på en eller anden måde. Jeg lyttede til det en enkelt eller 2 gange jeg synes det var rigtig godt men ikke noget særligt. Måske er det fordi jeg leder efter nye lyde. Tror det her album er vigtigt fordi det er proto garage og det har inspireret mange kunstnere i både 80’erne og 90’erne og ja starten 00’erne. Det er måske også en anelse mere melodisk end hvad jeg er vant til, men det kommer ikke umiddelbart til at gøre et længere vedvarende indtryk på mig udover at det lyder helt okay.
Solid early pop punk per usual from the Undertones. 16 tracks in a little over 30 minutes is also admirable.
This was a decent album. I thought they would be like The Clash, and it turned out that way. Kind of elements of pop punk. Looks like they toured with Clash, too. Teenage Kicks stood out to me. I also liked True Confessions. This was pretty good, but not groundbreaking. 3 from me.
Teenage Kicks will forever be one of the greatest songs ever written Jimmy Jimmy and Here Comes The Summer are great singles too The rest is fun but not essential
boa música. punk rock não é meu estilo favorito, mas dá pra dar uma curtida massa.
This is some good rock and roll music. B-
Kept me entertained but there was nothing special here
Pretty fun and upbeat.
Just great hooky punk. And they're Irish!
Nothing really new or interesting from these guys, but it's far from bad and it really feels like the album is speedrunning itself anyway with how quick the songs are. I admire it.
3.5/5
Not a big fan but some nice songs in here
Very poppy, didn't enjoy it a lot.
Sympa mais pas particulièrement choqué
Chill
Punk chill mais banger
I appreciate this music and understand its significance to British Punk and Rock. However, I am a child of the eighties and they sound like Fergal Sharky’s side project and he committed serious music crimes in the 80’s
в целом ничего так. какой-то доисторический добренький панк со странным вокалом, как полагается. но хотя бы голова от него не болит.
A melodic Ramones? Interesting.
I’d never heard of this Irish punk band before but this is a great record
A fascinating first time listening to this album, I really enjoyed the energy and of course Teenage Kicks is classic. It would take far longer to rate this more highly, but it's a good 3, but amazes me how cool Fergal Sharkey comes across in this setting when he seems like the most square man now!
Nice Derry Girls reference 🤘
Why have I never heard of this band?!! Too Pop for Punk. Too Punk for Pop. Perfect little bite-sized nuggets of truly great music craftmanship. The Undertones is probably one of my favorite discoveries of this listening journey so far.
Pretty enjoyable punk record. Just the fact that it houses "Teenage Kicks" alone gives it an extra star. However, it continues to be an inconsistent album.
Amazing old school pop punk! I still prefer this over the more modern take on pop punk, it still has that raw punk feel but with catchy pop hooks that you can actually sing along with. A while back, this list gave me the follow up to this record and I wasn't exactly underwhelmed, I liked it, but it didn't exactly excite me all that much (I did save it to my library though). The Undertones' self-titled debut though, I enjoyed this far more!
Old, original punk
Seems like an early version of the more melodic punk music that was popular much later.
I have a huge amount of respect for Fergal Sharkey and his work in cleaning in forcing the government to make the water companies in England do their job properly and stop pumping shite into rivers. This was good. I’m not a fan of Teenage Kicks, but there were more songs on this album that I was familiar with than I thought I would be.
The ramones meet Blondie. And the combination somehow becomes worse than the sun of the parts. Not interested.
Sellasta brittiläistä perusmeininkiä ajalta jolloin teinitytöistä voitiin tehdä biisejä.
It's great. Teenage Kicks obviously stands out massively but the rest of the album isn't poor or anything. Solid and enjoyable throughout.
As much as this is just your average punk album, it's a format the never gets old. Lots of songs that are only around 2 minutes each that flow in and out of each other really well, and the whole time they are angry about something that isn't quite obvious, but they get passionate enough about it such that you feel like you can get angry about it with them.
Some late-70s punk R&R—not really my scene as a general sound, again.
My favorite British punk pop surf rockabilly shoegaze garage band, and there are many!
2.5
Generally enjoyable although it's an hour long and almost all the songs sound the same. I like Teenage Kicks but I don't like it 26 times in a row.
You have an easy coming style to them. They are easy to listen to, easy to understand. A punk vibe w a pop twist. Nice album
3.5, pretty good.
Fun punk with lots of hooks and a playful, carefree attitude. I like the bouncy bass lines throughout. “True Confessions” was a surprising twist — more of a new wave style. A few of these songs actually lean towards new wave in addition to having classic punk riffs.
Cool Brit pop punky rock album. I didn't dislike it but it didn't really stand out to me in the sea of similar albums on this list. I kind of feel like this album's sound was hurt a bit by being in this very late 1970's era with a lot of conflicting band sounds around them and being in a transition-y period of time.
Sounds like a fun band to play in. I bet they're psyched to have twice as many records on here as Wire.
It's pretty alright! But just alright.
A solid effort in punk rock like many we've gotten before, with a burst of poppy energy across 16 brief tracks. However, I am actually dropping half a point from this for the (admittedly petty) reason that this album, which has Casbah Rock on it, made it onto the 1001 Albums list, while Combat Rock by The Clash, which has Rock the Casbah on it, isn't! Who made THAT decision?? Still a 6/10 even with the point reduction, though, which means 3 stars either way on this site's scale.
Do you want 16 of the exact same song all packed into a short album? Then this is for you! (It was fine. Not a must-listen)
I've never felt more neutral about an album. It somehow failed to leave any sort of impression on me, be it positive or negative. It was mild fun while I listened. Is that the perfect 3⭐? Well, it feels like an insult to lump it together with other 3-rated albums that DID leave an impression on me, so I must bump it down to 2. Standout: Jump Boys
Kind of left no real impression on me. Not aggressive enough to be punk but not interestingly instrumented enough to capture my attention. Totally fine.
Jump Boys is good. Late 70s British punk mildly similar to Sex Pistols. 3/5
Punk rock just doesn’t do it for me. It lacks substance and style. When I listen to it I fell stupid, and embarrassed.
An OK album. I didn't look up the history or significance if there is any. They just seem to be a bunch of kids having a fun time. It's pretty generic punk rock which for 1979 was probably unheard of. However Black Sabbath was in their prime, and the Rock genre was in its golden age. I've never heard of the Undertones until today when this album was recommended, which I guess plays towards their name. I added a couple songs to my playlist, they're alright. 4/10
nice
Pretty fun high energy early punk. Standout songs: Get Over You Here Comes the Summer Jimmy Jimmy (She's a) Runaround
Muy entretenido y suena sorprendentemente moderno
Pretty alright. A lot of the songs started to blend together
Pretty basic punk/pop punk which isn't really my thing. Sounds like a poppier Ramones, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but much prefer pop punk circa the 90's or 2000's. Plus, I'm just not a huge fan of the poppier instrumentation while they still keep the more standard punk vocals. So yeah. Fine, just not really my thing.
A lot of pretty decent songs, a couple of very good ones, and one exceptional one (you know which one). I like its youthful exuberance.