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Old 09-01-2010, 08:42 PM
starfox203
mouseman
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 100
Thoughts on Barking (Track by Track)
Thought I'd start a new thread since the other one was getting very long and not necessarily about our thoughts on the album.

Overall I like the album a lot, but it's a strange listen. It doesn't immediately strike me as an album, but more a mixtape or playlist of new Underworld tracks, because many of these songs have been heard in one form or another over the past few years, so the newness isn't there, just the cleanliness of the studio production and collaborations. But also, because, unlike make UW songs, each one has a clear beginning and ending. There's no cutting from one to another and really the sequencing is almost negligible. The songs could be listened to in any order without losing impact. The same can't be said for their earlier albums. (That's neither good nor bad, just an observation.) So it's not like a traditional album listen from start to finish.

Also, the collaborations make the album a bit disjointed. There's a lot of sounds going on here and because each song has it's own flavor, the effect on the whole is disparate.

That said, here's my thoughts on each track:

1. Bird 1 - Stellar opening. I love the way it begins and builds through the song. Could be longer though in the end. (8)

2. Always Loved A Film - Good, clean, fun. Maybe too much so. A good summer single. Love the refrain here. (7)

3. Scribble - The notorious first single. It's fun and loud. Great lyrics. A bit annoying. Not one that will last through the years for me. (5)

4. Hamburg Hotel - The closest sounding thing to UW of old. Very '90's experimental UW. I like it but ultimately it doesn't go anywhere. (6)

5. Grace - A great UW "ballad" - Really love this one. One for the ladies. Different enough from Telematic Peal v2 that I can keep both. I think they found the balance with the vocal treatment. (8.5)

6. Between Stars - Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Sounds like it fades out too early at the end. Should be 10 minutes really. A great song. (8.5)

7. Diamond Jigsaw - The rock'n'roll song. Surprising given PVD's involvement, this one is more rock then dance. BUt it's a classic. Just superb (though I actually did like the Van Halen synth in the live version, but that's ok). This is a great song for driving fast. Makes a great couplet with Between Stars - wish they were better linked. (9)

8. Moon In Water - It's not the original computer voiced one. That said, it's freaking amazing. I think it's my favorite, and in my mind should be an album closer. Makes me want to stand outside and spin. Superb all around and another classic for UW. (9)

9. Louisiana - Need to give this more listens I think. It's just dull for me and feels tonally out of place here. I feel you could switch it with Best Mamgu Ever and it would make more sense album wise. The transition to it doesn't work from what comes before. Maybe more listens will change that. This is a party record and that song doesn't close things out as I'd like. (4)

10. Simple Peal - It's a bonus track and really just an ambient one at that. Also doesn't fit, but nice to have. (5)


A really good, if disjointed collections. Loads of fun throughout though, which the last couple weren't.

Now it's your turn. Some will agree. Some won't.

Last edited by starfox203; 09-01-2010 at 08:47 PM.