New Fan Looking for Some Album Advice

[the mongoose]

Dubnobasswithmyheadman is perfect for when you are alone in the car at night. My pick for 1st album for sure.

Second Toughest in the Infants is great for when you are drunk with headphones on. It's one of their best, but it's an acquired taste for sure. Blueski is amazing but soooo subtle.

Beacoup Fish is the one Underworld album your "normal" friends might tolerate. Not a bad place to start, but much different than the first two for sure.

A Hundred Days Off has Twist and Lutein so check it out for those alone (Trim is very underrated too).

Oblivion With Bells is one of their top three albums and it feels like the bastard fuckchild of Dubno and Days Off. Very nice throughout.

I say just go in order, then hunt down River Run 2 and 8 Ball.

[mcgorgomagan]

I have to go with the majority here and say Beaucoup Fish, although for a different reason. Everyone else says it's their most accessible album. I say it's basically their best.

If you don't think Cups is a wondrous work of subtle progression, then I don't even want to speak to you. Most people, on listening to BF for the first time, would just skip it. Don't. It's brilliant, it's amazing. If UW had truly wanted to make it their most accessible album, they would have started with Push Upstairs, but they didn't. They started with a sublime groove that draws you in with its hypnotic vocals, and then completely throws you at the end.

Bruce Lee is incredible. In fact, right now, go listen to the live version, because in its truncated studio form you're in serious danger of missing the actual story that the woman is telling. It gives me goosebumps every time.

Push Downstairs is pretty awful, but apart from that it's brilliant track after brilliant track.

[Champiness]

Originally Posted by 34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j

Nobody's mentioned Everything, Everything yet? (okay, one person did) It's an amazing live album with near-perfect sound quality. I really do not have a single qualm about it. Plus, it contains most of the better Beacoup tracks anyway. After that dubnobasswithmyheadman is where I would go...

I started with Fish (because it was new), but Everything Everything really put me into the world of the UW fan. Even though you don't like comps 1992-2002 is a really solid one that features 7 (out of 16) non-album tracks. "Rez" and "Dark Train" are must-haves anyway...

I agree with you. It's a bit embarrassing to have a live album as your starting point, however (and hearing the enhanced versions of their tracks can make their studio counterparts seem a bit two-dimensional), so I'd recommend listening to the album versions before you hit the live stuff. I'd also recommend BF as a starting point, but contest the idea of AHDO by the others here as essentially an afterthought. The "new" Underworld is very summed-up on that album, with their ambient and "dancefloor" sides very well-balanced in tracks like Two Months Off and Luetin (the spelling they use in the track). I'd also recommend listening to Kittens before you've drowned yourself in the hits: it loses a bit of its punch if you wait too long.
...Speaking of which, is Travis even reading this any more? It seems like we're doing quite a bit more talking than he is responding. Ah, well. Even if he's left, we could probably sticky this as "fan advice" for all newcomers.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Champiness

...Speaking of which, is Travis even reading this any more? It seems like we're doing quite a bit more talking than he is responding. Ah, well. Even if he's left, we could probably sticky this as "fan advice" for all newcomers.

Hey sorry I'm still here. I definitely bookmarked the thread so I didn't lose it. I've actually been moving the past couple of days and this is the first time I'm checking e-mail, etc in a few days. Let me try to respond to everyone at once....

First of all thank you all very much for your comments. The internet can be a wonderful thing and unbelievably helpful. I'm extremely impressed with everyone's interest in trying to help me out. I went out in search of some expert opinion on the band and I got more than I could’ve hoped for. Thanks.

I think for starters I'm going to try to pick up Beaucoup Fish (sorry Bas_I_am you were outnumbered). It seems like from what you all are saying, a good analogy for this album would be 'The Bends' with RH in terms of accessibility yet different from future material. Sounds like a good place to start.

I like to buy vinyl, yes I’m one of those dorks, if at all possible so I think I'll have to hunt on ebay for that one. CDs are a dying media to me and I just can't stand digital unless I have to. I also want to grab Oblivion With Bells for the simple reason that the record is still currently available. As soon as records sell out they seem to disappear forever and I wouldn't want to miss my opportunity to pick it up. I'm sure I'll be getting others in time.

Yeah I'm pretty confused about the whole 'mk' thing but I saw there's a big write-up on wikipedia about it. Just haven't had the chance to read through it.

JohnnyMetropolis- I don't know if you were/are familiar but a big reason why the crowd was so lame at APW is twofold:
1. New York crowds are just too cool for school. Everyone has to try to be cooler than everyone else. It's pretty stupid. I'm sure when I really like a band I look like a fool but I really don't care (and I even smile too!). For my new UK friends, if you are unfamiliar with the 'NYC hipster' please see this extremely hilarious and sarcastic video here ( ). Yes there are people who are like this...It's insane.
2. Girl Talk, probably the most popular band in the NYC area other than RH at the festival, was playing at the first stage as Underworld. Honestly, I was really watching Underworld because I liked The New Pornographers (who played before) and I wanted a good spot for RH. I had wanted to see Girl Talk but there was no way in hell I was going to fight that crowd. After seeing Underworld there and then Girl Talk about two months later I'm really glad I made that decision.

Regardless of the movement Johnny I thought they were sweet and got some great pictures with even better memories.

Mcgorgomagan- I haven't gotten to your track yet but I am currently listening to the whole link. I will get to your track by the end of the night.

On that note I think I’m going to smoke a bowl, continue unpacking and try to read that wiki write-up. I will try to be more prompt with responses.

[bas_I_am]

Originally Posted by Travis

(sorry Bas_I_am you were outnumbered)

Oh really???

Hmm... I doubt anyone here would take BF in its entirety over the sublime half hour that opens STITI. If they would, then dont trust their opinion.

What about BF vs Dubno's 'Dark and Long/Mmmm.... Skyscraper' + 'Dirty Epic' + 'River of Bass' + 'M.E.'

Same goes for BF vs. OWB's 'Crocodile/Beautiful Burnout' with 'Best Mamgu Ever' thrown in.

The only album where there may be a contest is probably AHDO, but this is only because AHDO's qualities are not readily apparent and only reveal themselves on repeated listening.

Still, hands down, AHDO is a much better album than BF.

[//\/\/]

Originally Posted by bas_I_am

Oh really???

Hmm... I doubt anyone here would take BF in its entirety over the sublime half hour that opens STITI. If they would, then dont trust their opinion.

What about BF vs Dubno's 'Dark and Long/Mmmm.... Skyscraper' + 'Dirty Epic' + 'River of Bass' + 'M.E.'

Same goes for BF vs. OWB's 'Crocodile/Beautiful Burnout' with 'Best Mamgu Ever' thrown in.

The only album where there may be a contest is probably AHDO, but this is only because AHDO's qualities are not readily apparent and only reveal themselves on repeated listening.

Still, hands down, AHDO is a much better album than BF.

couldn't disagree with you...


...more.

i'd say you've got a point about and dubno (not 'm.e.' though - the lyrics suck - but chuck in 'cowgirl' and you're kicking) and 2nd toughest without reserve; though i still often prefer fish above all others (apart from 'moaner', which feels like an add-on). 'ahdo' has too much noodling - it's like a jazz album at times, and 'bells' tails off badly, reaching a bit of a nadir with 'ring road' (first time i've heard uw sound like somebody else (the streets)) 'bf' has a warmth and a drive to it that keeps me going back to it. but that's me; a mkII man

[bas_I_am]

still Ian. . you would take half of STITI or DubNo over the entire BF album, right?

I guess you could disagree with me more, eh?

[//\/\/]

i'd take fish over half of dubno (the half without skyscraper, cowgirl, dark and long, dirty epic! )

[bas_I_am]

smartass

[crazysugarboy]

Originally Posted by Travis

Hey sorry I'm still here. I definitely bookmarked the thread so I didn't lose it. I've actually been moving the past couple of days and this is the first time I'm checking e-mail, etc in a few days. Let me try to respond to everyone at once...
1. New York crowds are just too cool for school. Everyone has to try to be cooler than everyone else. It's pretty stupid. I'm sure when I really like a band I look like a fool but I really don't care (and I even smile too!). For my new UK friends, if you are unfamiliar with the 'NYC hipster' please see this extremely hilarious and sarcastic video here ( ). Yes there are people who are like this...It's insane.

What a killingly funny video Travis - makes me want to overcome my fear of flying and visit NY to see real life hipsters