View Full Version : Happy Birthday Beaucoup Fish
Beaucoup Fish.
10 years old.
So how does this one stand up after a decade? It's hard to believe it's been that long.
holden
03-07-2009, 08:22 AM
"Stand Up"...hah! ;)
Still my favorite UW album. When "Cups" transitions into the techno workout in the final minutes, i still get chills. And then, it's the killer trio of "Push Upstairs", "Jumbo" and "King of Snake".
Probably more dance-oriented than any of the other albums, or at least had the most singles released, but i think it still sounds great!
I still like the blue circles, and i remember the smell of the digipak when i first opened it :)
galama
03-07-2009, 11:18 AM
"Stand Up"...hah! ;)
Still my favorite UW album. When "Cups" transitions into the techno workout in the final minutes, i still get chills.
The track just ended and i sat down to see what's up on the forum. Yep, i get the chills too. The introduction and ending of King of Snake always manages to stretch a smile on my face, and what lies between those parts is pure bliss.
happy Bday Beaucoup Fish
Dirty0900
03-07-2009, 11:55 AM
I can remember listening to it when my dad bought it home from work for me. Class album.
TheBang
03-07-2009, 12:45 PM
My first Underworld album, after thinking for a while that I should buy an Underworld album.
//\/\/
03-07-2009, 02:37 PM
cracking album (apart from 'moaner', which always sounds tacked-on to me...) it has great warmth and an excellent dance vibe; like it's predecessor...
(...which speaks volumes for dazza's influence)
IsiliRunite
03-07-2009, 03:49 PM
I always like to wind down listening to BF. Its got nice moods that complement the tired state, without being overbearing.
crazysugarboy
03-07-2009, 06:18 PM
Oh my golly! Is it really 10 years? Yes it is. 1999, on a personal level, was a bit of a renaissance year for me, in the sense that I finally embraced what it was to be me, rather than a false impression of what I thought I should be.
From firstly hearing Steve Lamacq on radio 1 playing KoS prior to its release, and then the whole cd at my local HMV, and finally the concentrated listen on the headphones at Virgin Records Oxford. I totally fell in love with this cd. A lad was patiently waiting me for me to finish listening in Virgin - as the final notes of Jumbo faded, I surrendered the headphones to him and simply said "absolutely fabulous!"
There are just so many great moments - the end of Cups, where it transcends from a chilled track to full-on techno, Push Upstairs - just full-on again (the boyfriend blonde), Jumbo is just beauty personified, Skym and Something like a Mama are just so deliciously sinister (real eastern european fairy tales) - and not to mention the utterly beautiful cover - the sooo deep blue background with the almost astronomical white circles.
Utter genius. Let's not forget that it was nominated for a Mercury
dubman
03-07-2009, 10:40 PM
also my first UW album
i was just talking to dubnobasswithme about this today (we met up for a trade-ish thing. mostly i just had an extra copy of somethign cool to give).
i was 14 and without much money, and i was all about this fatboy slim track "going out of my head" which was on the URB comp at the listening station in tower. so i keep going back to listen to it because this was before i knew about napster, and next to this comp is BF.
"oh yeah i know that name from the saint soundtrack... well thats a slick cover lets give a listen.. what why is a track 12 minutes long that is so stupid. god most of these tracks are like 7 minutes. ok whatever im listening to push upstairs and bruce lee....
oh shit. RICHARD COME HERE LISTEN TO THIS."
"Stand Up"...hah! ;)
That was completely unintentional. Beaucoup Fish was the first new UW album that came out after I discovered them. I still remember rushing home to fire up to modem to spend 30 minutes downloading Kittens. I have the giant BF poster hanging in bedroom, actually. I missed all of the concerts since they were 18+ and then 21+. It also around the same time I discovered the dirtylist.
Anyways, I think the albums hold up pretty well. It may sort of sound like the late 90's, but that's probably just by association. I don't think it sounds dated at all. However, I think Dubno, as good as it still is, sounds partly early 90's, by which I mean you wouldn't hear something new today sounding like that.
//\/\/
03-08-2009, 03:39 AM
excited after reading all the reviews, heard bf tracks for the first time at glastonbury ahead of its release. kos with the Enormous Green Laser - oh yes!
I was 16 at College in Chesterfield (England), and my brother gave me his hand me down walkman so I could finally listen to music on the go! I had a few cassette mixes with Dubno and Orbital, Leftfield etc on and on that day I skipped most of my classes and headed into town to look in a few music shops and it was looking at me with it's blue glow! I had to buy it! and it was on cassete tape at £5 (bargain!).
I put it on straight away and never went back to college that day, felt like I had just discovered an amazing piece of treasure!!
Still listen to the album a lot now and have converted many friends to Underworld fans with this album!
Dirty0900
03-08-2009, 07:07 AM
And then we had the legendary Radio 1 documentary which soon followed.
crazysugarboy
03-08-2009, 12:41 PM
And then we had the legendary Radio 1 documentary which soon followed.
I love that documentary - it's on the ipod and everynow and again I listen to it yet again. There are so many great bits - Karl's rustic "remixes" of tracks, Rick's un-technical explanation of the equipment, and the studio and live versions of Rez being described as "nimby pimby" and "woofter doofter" respectively :)
stauff
03-09-2009, 04:19 AM
10 years? Thaks for making me feel old..
I was at uni, just started having the cash for CDs, didn't regret buying this one for a second :)
Still getting high rotation from me at least..
Dirty0900
03-09-2009, 07:37 AM
Went to number 3 in the album charts didn't it?
qirex
03-09-2009, 07:55 AM
My first, and favorite album. Not much to say that hasn't been said.
Is there a place for one to check out this documentary?
ps. 10 years! Wow... lol
King of Snake
03-09-2009, 06:23 PM
1999 was the year I discovered underworld, although it was not trough BF but actually a tape (remember those?) of STITI given to me by a friend. I still remember sitting in the sun on the grass in front of my highschool with that tape on my Walkman (remember those? ;)) and magic was happening. Still every time i put on that cd i get like flashbacks from that time. Kind of melancholic but summery feelings. A summer full of hearing all of uw's material for the first time mmmmmmmmm.
joethelion
03-10-2009, 09:15 AM
technically - STITI was the first album I bought (thanks to a top ten list of favorite recent albums that David Bowie wrote)
but I just couldn't get into the album. the songs were waaaay too long for me, and I only dug the more dn'b moments of the album (so basically just Banstyle)
then one night ... lllllaaaaattttteeee on a Sunday I was watching "120 Minutes" and there was the video for "Push Upstairs"
quite possibly one of my favorite videos of all time*
*ok ...at least "performance" music video
viddy
03-10-2009, 10:08 AM
Wearing my Beaucoup Fish shirt today. :)
Futuregrapher
03-10-2009, 06:26 PM
Beaucoup Fish was my first Underworld album and it blew my mind.
Still does. It's one of my favorites.
1999 was a good year.
It's amazing how times fly!
I have my own story. First all, 3/6 in the European release date, not North America, it was later. Ten years ago tomorrow (3/11), I moved from North Carolina, where I lived for all my life (Charlotte growing up, Chapel Hill [college: UNC] the rest), to the Bay Area (Palo Alto), CA. I remember a few weeks later, still new to the whole California thing, driving to the Tower in Mt View to get the new Blur album, 13, the day it came out. I picked up my copy and rounded the corner -- the end display was a selection of limited edition, pre-release BF CDs (it was a cardboard fold out, not a jewel case like the normal release). I immediately grabbed a copy, what a surprise!
At that time, I had dubno and STITI, was a big fan, and knew BF's regular release was still a few weeks away.
Well, I decided to put BF in the CD player on the way home instead of 13.
When "Cups" transitions into the techno workout in the final minutes, i still get chills.
I still vividly remember hearing the transition in Cups right when I was turning out of the parking lot onto El Camino Real and thought, "holy shit, this is incredible!". I still get the chills!
But looking back on my early CA times (was only briefly in Palo Alto before moving to SF), this moment is very prevalent of my time there. When I hear that transition, I still recall this moment.
Good times, good memories. Happy annivesary to me and BF!
Brad
PS. I saw Underworld for the first time a few weeks later. 4/29/99 - Warfield, SF, CA.
PPS. I still remember Scott Warner's review of BF on the front page of dirty.org, with the free Kittens mp3.
phaseblue
03-11-2009, 10:55 AM
Wearing my Beaucoup Fish shirt today. :)
Life kid
Suck the box
At least that`s the "Bruce Lee" excerpt that was printed on my Beaucoup Fish tour concert shirt!
I lent it to my friend Carrie (who introduced me to Underworld back in `98) 2 years later and I never got it back.
Of course, I think it was payback for all the stuff I borrowed from her and never gave back.
But still, I could kick myself!:( That shirt had a lot of memories attached to it, and reminded me of my
first Underworld show - the day my attitude towards music, and to some extent "life", changed forever!!!
Dirty0900
03-11-2009, 02:10 PM
Life kid
Suck the box
At least that`s the "Bruce Lee" excerpt that was printed on my Beaucoup Fish tour concert shirt!
I lent it to my friend Carrie (who introduced me to Underworld back in `98) 2 years later and I never got it back.
Of course, I think it was payback for all the stuff I borrowed from her and never gave back.
But still, I could kick myself!:( That shirt had a lot of memories attached to it, and reminded me of my
first Underworld show - the day my attitude towards music, and to some extent "life", changed forever!!!
I have that Bruce Lee shirt...but not yours;)
froopy seal
03-28-2009, 08:03 AM
Wearing my Beaucoup Fish shirt today. :)Life kid
Suck the boxThat's exactly what I'm wearing today (among other things). :)
As was stated before, that transition/techno part near the end of Cups also gives me the chills, every time. Simply uplifting and energizing.
Dunwho
03-28-2009, 06:03 PM
....Jumbo, simply a perfect song... from an absolutely fantastic album..this one will hopefully still be remembered in 100 let alone 10 years!
great stuff
selector
03-31-2009, 08:47 AM
PPS. I still remember Scott Warner's review of BF on the front page of dirty.org, with the free Kittens mp3.
Yeah, the dirtylist was where most of us communicated and shared thoughts and ideas.... I do remember Scott saying something like, "at 2:37 into Trk.3", (Jumbo), "This is why I do what I do." (running dirty and such.)
I remember feeling the same way. aahhhh, Emotion! :)
Cheers...
phaseblue
05-01-2009, 06:22 AM
....Jumbo, simply a perfect song... from an absolutely fantastic album..this one will hopefully still be remembered in 100 let alone 10 years!
great stuff
Great stuff indeed!
And today marks exactly 10 years since I saw Underworld for the first time
at the Santa Monica Civic Center!
I still remember taking a break and leaning back against a wall during
Jumbo (not exactly sober). While standing there looking at Rick, Karl, and
Darren, the lights, feeling the music, I was thinking that if there were a
heaven, it would be like this!
What an awesome night!
34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j
05-01-2009, 07:16 AM
I think I had first bought a Fatboy Slim album, then a Chemical Bros. one, and then that Lo-Fidelity Allstars album after seeing "Battleflag" on TV. Was looking for more of those types of albums on Amazon, and came across a customer review that said something like "if you really want an example of this being done right, get Beacoup Fish". I knew of Underworld but never heard any of their songs and decided to take the plunge with what was left of my paper route money. "Jumbo" was one of the first songs to ever really give me chills.
Spooky Shoes
05-15-2009, 03:30 AM
I remember the day quite well, I had booked it of work to go and buy the album... headed in to town early to get some breakfast while I waited for a record shop to open and discovered that MVC was open at 8.30am. I was back home and listening to it by 9 and had listened to it twice before I got around to having breakfast.
STITI was slightly different, another day off work except my glasses broke on the way home, I remember struggling to read the inlay with it's tiny writing.
(apart from 'moaner', which always sounds tacked-on to me...)
I'm pretty sure that Moaner was tacked on the reason given was something like "due to it's live reception", it felt out of place to me as I had been listening to it for two years already.
purlieu
05-22-2009, 01:39 PM
First album to be released after I got into them (Born Slippy, although I'd never heard the track - I bought it because I'd never seen a CD sleeve so minimal looking before at the age of 11), I got it with some savings and my pocket money on the Friday of its release week. Took me quite a while to get into the slower tracks (Skym only properly hit me last year, actually), but Cups, Push Upstairs, KoS, Bruce Lee and Moaner were immediate favourites. I think as time's gone on I've discovered more and more in the album and learned to truly love it. Kittens aside (never really been a fan), I can't think of a bad moment on it. Ten years ago? Truly feels like yesterday.
TheBang
05-23-2009, 05:13 PM
Kittens aside (never really been a fan),
Uh oh. Cover your eyes, Stimpee!
mark3
06-02-2009, 02:07 PM
When "Cups" transitions into the techno workout in the final minutes, i still get chills.
I found a promo of BF in my collection - track 1 is "Cups / Pens"...?
So I assume the 'techno' part which starts at 8:20 is "Pens" - or is it "Cups"? :rolleyes:
Dirty0900
06-02-2009, 03:50 PM
Must be a pre-promo promo with that. Though it isn't the pre-promo-promo where Kittens was gonna be Stack My Fridge Up.
ultradave
06-02-2009, 04:23 PM
beaucoup fish. still one of my favourites, and the only uw album i own on minidisc (it's pretty cool - although i no longer have a MD player...). i remember picking up the cd w/my wife at my favourite cd store at the time. unknown to me, the album was scheduled for US release the following day... the guy at the counter had received a promo copy and he had it under the counter, so when i aksed about it, he said, "yeah, i've got a copy right here, i'll give it to you for $7.99" - score!
i really miss the brick & mortar stores... it was such a high when you found an item you had been searching for... i think i'm going to have to listen to BF when I get home from work tonight. cheers!
Champiness
06-04-2009, 10:57 AM
I found a promo of BF in my collection - track 1 is "Cups / Pens"...?
So I assume the 'techno' part which starts at 8:20 is "Pens" - or is it "Cups"? :rolleyes:
I am eternally grateful. At last, a name for the outro.
Time to start renaming my iTunes library... this'll certainly pay off.
big screen satellite
06-05-2009, 02:17 AM
hmm pens that's interesting - we keep finding little nuggets / names of track new tracks...
anyone have anything else to bring to the Underworld track name table...
froopy seal
06-07-2009, 02:52 PM
When "Cups" transitions into the techno workout in the final minutes, i still get chills.So true. Oh, the chills! *shivers, queues Cups now*
negative1
06-07-2009, 05:03 PM
yeah, i have a lot of memories of this album also..
first time i heard them on tour in washington dc... saw them live
with my brother in nyc..
thats when i really started to get into collecting their stuff..
have a copy on minidisc....have na signed copy of the japanese
release...oh man, there were so many collectibles/singles for
this album..
i used to post a ton of messages to the rtsr list, and yahoogroups..
(dang, i have over a 1000 posts here also!)
i remember chatting with yannick, and graham about them...
good times, good times...
10 years have passed, and i still remember it like it was yesterday..
i think i'm living in a timewarp...
later
-1
Interesting about 'Pens'...
The bridge part of 'Cups' (@8:20) on EE was titled Cups....
But i suppose you could also argue about Soopher / Mo Move.... Ansum / Little Speaker.... Juanita / Kiteless....
Oh dont get me stated on the whole TDOL thing... ;)
Having said that im convinced about Pens... it is a distinct part of of the track, nice find.
yeah, i have a lot of memories of this album also..
thats when i really started to get into collecting their stuff..
have a copy on minidisc....have na signed copy of the japanese
release...oh man, there were so many collectibles/singles for
this album..
I recently sold my carrier bag of goodies on ebay.... with my promo cassette and stickers....
I ate the gummy fish though!
Dirty0900
06-08-2009, 12:33 PM
Yer it does go:
Juanita / To Dream Of Love / Kiteless
I have the all-blue t-shirt with white rings, and I loved it.. sadly it's in small, and that's not really my size anymore. :P Would really really love to be able to buy one again. My favorite music t-shirt ever I think.
Don't think I've ever heard the Radio 1 documentary mentioned earlier, just some of the songs from it. Anybody still have it and able to upload it somewhere? Would love to hear it!
crazysugarboy
06-14-2009, 05:26 PM
Don't think I've ever heard the Radio 1 documentary mentioned earlier, just some of the songs from it. Anybody still have it and able to upload it somewhere? Would love to hear it!
I have the documentary (somewhere) - it's on my iPod, so I must have it - it's just a question of finding it - when I do, I will send it to you :)
crazysugarboy
06-14-2009, 06:26 PM
Found it m8 - ready to dispatch if you send me your email
BrotherLovesDub
04-02-2011, 03:20 PM
ah, good to know the name of the part of the track that ruins Cups for me. so pointless. why didn't they play the first half live more often instead of the dull 2nd half?
King of Snake
04-03-2011, 03:43 AM
cause the second part is more woofta-doofta
TheBang
03-01-2014, 05:05 AM
Having a bit of a party on Facebook today.
#beaucoup15 (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/beaucoup15)
TheBang
03-01-2024, 01:29 PM
Happy 25th Birthday, Beaucoup Fish! You still look lovely.
We've got a few posts to celebrate over on the socials here:
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/beaucoup25
Check out this interview with Rick about the production of BF that I recently found:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/699177458481627178/1213180180143804496/CMJ_New_Music_Report_Issue_616.pdf?ex=65f48916&is=65e21416&hm=8b9e3151b3531b77ce83e5fa14268f400ff53555421fe17 4d0c43122b9728e23&
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