Stereogum: The 10 Best Underworld Songs

[saintrik]

Of course these lists are a minefield of subjectivity, but here's an interesting list published on Stereogum (http://www.stereogum.com/1866315/the-10-best-underworld-songs/franchises/10-best-songs/) today with a couple of surprising entries.

Here's the short form list, but check the article (http://www.stereogum.com/1866315/the-10-best-underworld-songs/franchises/10-best-songs/) for their full write-up...

10. “Two Months Off” (from A Hundred Days Off, 2002)
9. “Always Loved A Film” (from Barking, 2010)
8. “Low Burn” (from Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, 2016)
7. “Beautiful Burnout” (from Oblivion With Bells, 2007)
6. “Small Conker And A Twix/You Do Scribble” (from Live In Tokyo 25th November 2005)
5. “Pearl’s Girl” (from Second Toughest In The Infants, 1996)
4. “Dirty Epic” (from Dubnobasswithmyheadman, 1994)
3. “Born Slippy .NUXX” (from the “Born Slippy” single, 1995)
2. “Jumbo” (from Beaucoup Fish, 1999)
1. “Juanita:Kiteless:To Dream Of Love” (from Second Toughest In The Infants, 1996)

[TheBang]

He also wrote the Pitchfork review.

[pandamagic]

as subjective minefields go, this list is pretty decent. by this point there are so many outstanding UW tracks that any list will have to suffer from some heretical exclusions so I don't even begrudge the absence of "dark and long." my own list would no doubt include unpopular choices like "air towel" and "luetin" so I'm in no position to complain.

the article is eloquently written as well, especially the bit on "dirty epic."

[khouri]

the article is eloquently written as well, especially the bit on "dirty epic."

That's my friend Sean T. Collins. He's as authoritative as anyone I know on pop music, and writes great coverage of television for Rolling Stone and elsewhere. Also a notes comics critic.

[skyscraper101]

Interesting I'd have had Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream Of Love at no.1 too. I'd probably also have had Dirty Epic and Pearls girl in the top 5 so not a bad list.

Missing from that list in my entirely subjective view would also be Why, Why, Why and Rez of the top of my head.

Not a massive fan of Jumbo so it'd have been further down my list, same for NUXX which although is a great track it has rather become the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of the UW catalogue. I almost wish UW wouldn't do NUXX at their gigs as standard and end on something else.

[bornEpic]

as subjective minefields go, this list is pretty decent. by this point there are so many outstanding UW tracks that any list will have to suffer from some heretical exclusions so I don't even begrudge the absence of "dark and long." my own list would no doubt include unpopular choices like "air towel" and "luetin" so I'm in no position to complain.

the article is eloquently written as well, especially the bit on "dirty epic."

It really is very well written. Found my head uncontrollably nodding in agreement several times.

I absolutely love Luetin by the way.

As for the choices, I couldn't argue with 1 and 2 though I would have to find room for KOS in there somewhere and probably Best Mamgu Ever depending on my mood.

[rohanworth]

Excellent article. Interesting re the no. 6 choice. Really spot on and insightful.

[holden]

A pretty nice read. Always good for UW to get some positive press.
Makes me wonder which, if push came to shove, would be my top 10. With 7 LPs and 3 EPS and several soundtracks during the Mk ii phase, what can you do? Every release has it's high point(s), so one can't pick one from each...

I think Cups, Momove, Leutin, Cowgirl, cherry pie, moon in water... After that, not sure, or maybe, wait!...

[King of Snake]

phew...my top 10 would be (in no particular order):

Rez
Dark Train
Thing in a Book
Dirty Epic
Juanita
Banstyle/Sappy's Curry
Oich Oich
Mmmmm... Skyscraper
Cups
Nylon Strung

:)

[potatobroth]

While its impossible to ever look at a list and say "nailed it" or "awful!" i find it hard to take a track like Low Burn and call it a top-10 song while tracks like Cowgirl are omitted. Low Burn is nice, but its no standout.

I remember we did a poll on here yeeeeears back and Juanita came out tops I believe solely because it made everyone's top 5.

[skyscraper101]

While its impossible to ever look at a list and say "nailed it" or "awful!" i find it hard to take a track like Low Burn and call it a top-10 song while tracks like Cowgirl are omitted. Low Burn is nice, but its no standout.

I remember we did a poll on here yeeeeears back and Juanita came out tops I believe solely because it made everyone's top 5.


^^ this basically.

Most fans have golden memories associated with the old tunes, and, great as those new tracks are, there's no way they can bring the sentimental feelings back. And that's at least half of what makes a track great IMO.

[King of Snake]

Sure but to be fair, I think the writer tried to have tracks covering all of Underworld's albums, since he's not writing just for fans like us. I don't think any of us here would put ALAF in a top 10 best UW tracks list (ok, prove me wrong ;)) but I still think he managed to articulate for each track why it's (at least) a good track that deserves attention.

[potatobroth]

Sure but to be fair, I think the writer tried to have tracks covering all of Underworld's albums, since he's not writing just for fans like us. I don't think any of us here would put ALAF in a top 10 best UW tracks list (ok, prove me wrong ;)) but I still think he managed to articulate for each track why it's (at least) a good track that deserves attention.

yah, looking back over it, i think youre right. (correct about ALAF too.)

[industri_studios]

Um... ALAF would be in my top 10.

But I know I'm in a minority

[Chippy]

Mine too! It's also in my Top 100 tracks by any artist.

[bestmatti]

10. Nylon strung
9. Beautiful burnout
8. To heal
7.Cowgirl
6. Cups
5. Two months off
4. Peach tree + mowed path
3. Dark train
2. Best mamgu ever
1. Juanita

I personally think they peaked from A hundred days off through riverrun to OWB. Even their worst is still of excellent quality. LONG LIVE UNDERWORLD!!!

[qirex]

In no order...

1. Juanita Kiteless
2. Banstyle
3. Dirty Epic
4. Mmm Skyscraper
5. Pearls Girl
6. Cowgirl
7. Dark Train
8. Born Slippy Nuxx
9. Rez
10. Jumbo

[ndrwrld]

sort of off topic...but my top 10 includes Cowgirl.
which live version of Cowgirl starts off with the synths real super slow, with a childs voice, and then the tempo speeds up before the drums kick in ?
( very Close Encounters of the Third Kind like )

[TheBang]

which live version of Cowgirl starts off with the synths real super slow, with a childs voice, and then the tempo speeds up before the drums kick in ?
( very Close Encounters of the Third Kind like )
Performed a couple times this way on the 1996 tour. Most notably at Reading Festival.

jst8yoqPTmo

[purlieu]

Nice to see some love for Luetin in the thread. It's been my favourite UW track since I first heard it, I think. The occasional moments that the last two notes in the bassline go down a couple of steps always give me goosebumps.

My top 10 is probably going to be pretty unconventional...
1. Luetin
2. Best Mamgu Ever
3. Good Morning Cockerel
4. 8 Ball
5. Cherry Pie
6. M.E.
7. Something Like a Mama
8. Mo Move
9. Oich Oich
10. Nylon Strung

Some of these were growers (SLAM, Mo Move) but in general they're ones that really grabbed me on first listen, which is how I feel comfortable putting Nylon Strung in there already.

[ultradave]

Making a top 10 for Underworld is nearly impossible... but if I had to...

1. Dirty Epic
2. Born Slippy .NUXX (I know, I know...)
3. Banstyle/Sappys Curry
4. Parc
5. Nylon Strung
6. Between Stars
7. Two Months Off
8. Pearls Girl
9. Peach Tree / Riverrun - I'm a Big Sister...
10. Mother Earth (FM Mix)

These are the tracks that I usually repeat. ALAF, Dark Train, Jam Scraper, Beautiful Burnout, Luetin, Cups, King of Snake (Rick's Bungalow Mix)... Come on! Too many great tracks to narrow it down to 10. I'm not even sure I'm totally sure what my top 10 would be... lol!

[potatobroth]

i find it easier to list the songs I skip on a regular basis:

In no particular order:

1) I Exhale
2) Ess Gee
3) Cuddle Bunny
4) Simple Peal
5) Between Stars
6) Surfboy
7) Boy, Boy, Boy

[rohanworth]

Performed a couple time this way on the 1996 tour. Most notably at Reading Festival.

jst8yoqPTmo

Ahhh...

I've checked and this is the version of Rez my missus has been banging on about for literally years, so now I finally know what she means by "the extra bleepy spacey Rez Underworld did live in the late 90's"... :)

Cheers for posting.

[ultradave]

Ahhh... "the extra bleepy spacey Rez Underworld did live in the late 90's"... :)

I love this version. I've always called it the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" version. ;)

You'll only know why if you've seen the movie...

[crank]

Ah back when they improvised... sigh.

[Total Longo]

It changes by the week, but i would say in the current top 10 are...

10) Thing in a Box
9) Sola Sistim
8) Nylon Strung
7) Air Towel Jam
6) Peach Tree
5) 8 Ball
4) Eclipse
3) Jumbo
2) Dark & Long (Dark Train)
1) Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love

Not a fan of Born Slippy.NUXX at all, except in a live situation.

[River of Bass]

In no particular order:
(is this a gig?)

Globe (pre-Holding the Moth)
Dark & Long
Rubber Ball
Push Upstairs
Dirty Epic
Deep Pan
Faxed Invitation
Juanita:Kiteless:To Dream Of Love
Vanilla Monkey
Moaner

[TheBang]

I'd see that gig.

[jetpig]

1 Rez/cowgirl
2 Luetin (preferably peel rendition)
3 Jumbo
4 Dark Train
5 Thing in a Book
6 Banstyle/sappys (really just vinyl side 1 of STitI...)
7 Glam Bucket
8 ALAF or Scribble
9 Pizza For Eggs
10 Good Day Today 'remix'

ten isn't enough spots... glaring omissions of one of the Dirty renditions and spikee and Olympics and I've STILL not listened to the new album yet...

[potatobroth]

and I've STILL not listened to the new album yet...


....what?!

[jetpig]

My underworld fandom is in tandem with my SO. We have not had the physical time or emotional space together to devote to listening and then digesting a new UW record and I won't listen to it without their presence. Life's been really lifey lately...

[gcoleman99]

Performed a couple times this way on the 1996 tour. Most notably at Reading Festival.

jst8yoqPTmo

I SWEAR they did this at the Mayan Theater in Hollywood on the Promo tour for BF, too...

Anyone else at that show able to confirm my (somewhat) shaky memory?

[TheBang]

I SWEAR they did this at the Mayan Theater in Hollywood on the Promo tour for BF, too...

Anyone else at that show able to confirm my (somewhat) shaky memory?
The bootleg recording from that night confirms your memory. They did slow Rez at the beginning of the song.

[gcoleman99]

The bootleg recording from that night confirms your memory. They did slow Rez at the beginning of the song.

I thought I'd remembered that correctly. I'm going to have to listen to it again to see if my screaming at the top of my lungs got picked up on the recording... :D

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

kinda came in this thread to bitch about the list but....it looks pretty good to me!!