Thoughts on Barking (Track by Track)

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Originally Posted by bas_I_am

As a long time underworld fan of 26 years (I bought doot doot when it came out... underneath the radar was one of the first 10 albums I bought when I acquired a cd player for US$300) that album would be beaucoup fish. Cups is great, but jumbo, bruce lee and king of snake dig an unsurmountable hole ultimately sinking the album into mediocrity.

For me, barking hits a home run playing on the same field where beaucoup fish miserably struck out. Both were modal shifts toward the pop spectrum. BF sounded forced- barking sounds natural.

The songs from barking stick in my head; the songs from bf are easily forgotten.

And its not just one or two songs, its all the songs. What ever song is last on when I shut off my car, is the one clanging around until I get back in.

Its a pop album... a damn good pop album.
As was underneath the radar a damn good pop album.

But then there are some "art fags" who look down on pop music as if it is some lesser form. These people miss the point. Its as if one can't adore both renoir and warhol.

Ok... I lied... the worst uw album is change the weather... that is an awful pop album.

Yeah, I would suspect that if you can put up with the 80's work, then this album would be right up your alley...

It kind of reminds me of the Freur album Get Us Out of Here, if you've heard it...lots of catchy tunes, nothing really deep, but always a good listen. Exactly the album I was waiting for after their last two more "downtempo" releases.

And also, Change the Weather was better than Underneath the Radar!! UtR had 3 great songs...title track, Glory Glory, and I Need a Doctor, but a lot of it was just too campy, CtW had better written tunes throughout...btw if you like that sound, please get Falco's first album Einzelhaft, it's that kind of sound done right!!

[the mongoose]

Dubnobasswithmyheadman is Underworld's first record.


There was a terrible Boy George cover band using the same name in the 80's though.

[big screen satellite]

Originally Posted by chems1919

There's a lot of hate toward Hamburg Hotel. Well, hate is a harsh word, I won't say that. But a lot of people seem to dislike it..

i think beacuse it does nothing and really has no meaning or relevance to this release

play it to a non devoted uw fan and it wouldn't register, imo, it just doesn't fit in with the album, it sounds to experimental and pointless

just me though - others do like it, mainly because it 'sounds' underworldish, but thats beacuse people who are not enjoying the change in style on the rest of the album - look at HH as what UW used to do and wish the whole album sounded a bit more like HH and less like a good pop album of singalong dance tunes

[potatobroth]

I like HH, but can't help but notice how it goes nowhere. Its remniscent of a Dark & Long single track, but it doesn't develop like one of them. It's definitely not bad, but it's a bit of a let-down to itself.

[freur]

Originally Posted by bas_I_am

Lousiana: As was said in a review somewhere, it sounds as if Karl has been listening to Talk Talks's Spirit of Eden. It really doesnt do anything for me ( 5 )

I totally agree, it's a Mark Hollis thing (and I love it).

[leutin]

No scores from me and this is just quick comments from repeatedly listening to the MySpace tracks while I wait for the deluxe version to arrive. I think I'll be really happy when it lands in my hands

Bird 1 - Feels like driving through a dark tunnel from the uncertainty of Underworld's Underneath The Radar era to a more assured but menacing Underworld Dubnobass era. I hear subtle Skyscraper type drum fills from the 909 and there's a musical darkness I like. That's surely a Rick vocal sample I hear too at 1.40

ALAF - A matured version of the track we've heard evolve over the years. I wish for things like the gnarly bass from an earlier version and I don't like the vocoder & guitar breakdown but I understand this is a summer anthem and as an uplifting track it works.

Scribble - I love a bit of D&B so for me it's good to hear the lads tackle this and come out with something credible. Small Conker and A Twix and You Do Scribble was always a live highlight for me so I'm biased on all fronts with this track.

Hamburg Hotel - For me this has vibe remienscent of Little Speaker. I love that deep synth sound that kicks in at around the 3min mark.

Grace - Tightly compressed synths and bandpass filters that allow each layer to breathe in time with Karl's vocals and fluid guitar.

Between Stars - My current favourite track and one that could have continued for at least another 2 mins. It builds perfectly and that arpeggio section and sound just slays me every time it kicks in - dirty and beautiful and divine. Karl's lyrics resonate here with lines like "when the head's too far out of whack, step back, step back" and "you and me cling to the outside of the earth under a full moon"

Diamond Jigsaw - I have a feeling the Underworld version of this on the second CD will be the version that people will gravitate to more than this version.

Moon In Water - This may grow but the original version had an air and grace that this doesn't have for me at the moment. I really miss the beautiful and dreamy repeating line "And this is the time when you realise" that I remember so vividly from the webcast version.

Louisiana - I didn't want to like this and normally those drums would have made me reach for the 'off' switch. Also, that vocal effect used on a slow and musically minimal track would have had the same effect. But for some reason this track transcends all those fears and I don't know why.

Maybe it's because the balance between vocal effect and emotion is sublimely attuned? Maybe it's because I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of the piano? I honestly don't know why I love this track so much...but I do.

Thank you Rick, Karl, Darren and team Underworld. The fact that we've been able to hear many of these tracks from work-in-progress to their present previewed incarnations means a lot.

[Dirty0900]

Bird 1 - Took a bit of getting used to, but a really good solid opener which reminds me a lot of Confusion The Waitress.

Always Loved A Film - Glad it ended up this way, the prior versions were good but didn't really go anywhere in my opinion. Love the breakdown with the "real instruments".

Scribble - I seem to be one of the few people liking this more than "You Do Scribble". I've seen YDS three times live and whilst it rocks, it doesn't go anywhere. Karl was left dancing and a bit confused as to where Rick was going with it. Glad the borrowed lyrics now have their own unique ones. Breakdown again reminds me of TMO with the snappy vocal snippets.

Hamburg Hotel - Least favourite so far, just feels like an improv from a gig that could bridge plenty of tracks together. Should have been replaced with Bamboo

Grace - Wasn't sure at first, but warming to it now.

Between Stars - Enjoyed this from the bootleg of the Oakland show and this feels like a more polished version. Glad the lyrics haven't changed much either.

Diamond Jigsaw - Makes me wonder what came first, the synth stab or the guitar riff. Either way, its my favourite track on the album. Excellent breakdown again and love the lyrics.

Moon In Water - Hated the rip from the podcast. This is a much better version, but I'm still getting used to it.

Louisiana - A good track yes, but album closer? No. Maybe if worked in to the middle of the album. Feels like an OWB track really.

Simple Peal - Nice ambient stuff, glad the bonus track is this and nothing amazing I'd have to fork money out to buy seperate.

Overall, a really good fun album that is more happy than OWB and has a lot of stuff they can do on the road. All ready seen Scribble,ALAF,DJ,Bird 1 live via the iTunes gig, hoping to.

I find it strange that people are slagging off certain collabs and saying "it sounds to much like XXX". These are the same folk who wanted Downpipe on the album when it's not even an UW collab. Also find it interesting that people are assuming that when UW got the records back with the extra production on, they listened to it and said "that'll do." There is a recent interview where Karl says that after it got mastered, Rick decided to alter a track more because it was missing something.

Not my favourite album, but its finding its in to my top 3.

1 - STITI
2 - BF
3 - Barking

[Andrea]

Some of you said: Bands evolve, some do it for the better and some for the worse.
Well, this album is definitely different but has some pure dance tracks that party people obviously like so it should be for the better.


Bird 1 - Cool opening, the music has some rare parts all the way but it´s like a flower that never comes out - after the first refrain I felt hungry for more after the second refrain I almost felt frustrated.
7/10

Always Loved A Film - If there is a love song on this albums it would be probably this one. The rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm feels like a reward after the Bird1 teaser. I love the live versions full of energy more though. I think this going to be an U/W classic.
And I don't know if I love you more than the way you used to love me
And i don't know if i need you more than the way you used to need me
But its... Heaven... Can You Feel It? - yes, and it hurts so I almost cry every time I hear this to be honest.
I don´t know if I´ve ever heard a song with so much ups and downs at the same time. Amazing combination and very touching in every way.
9/10

Scribble - beautiful sound with much love and euphoria but You Do Scribble (http://www.youtube.com/user/Underwor...33/U8J7W7s2vyE) will always be the real one for me. These lyrics are a bit better than YDS but I don´t like the female vocals at all.
9/10 (with the YDS sound in mind)

Hamburg Hotel - There is a song for every soul on this Earth, isn´t it? Something happened at 2:25 but it was just a mirage I think.

Grace - dull music destroyed lyrics
4/10

Between Stars - not as good as ALAF or Scribble but has a similar strain
7/10

Diamond Jigsaw - I don´t know...something makes me thinking of country music every time I´m listening to it and it´s just sooo boooring but the live version is pretty bouncing
6/10

Moon In Water - Horrible vocals. The 2008 radio version made me believe that this would be a cool track.
5/5

Louisiana - I´m speechless

....and we´ll be up and we´ll be down....

[khouri]

My initial reactions to Barking were not good. And while I've warmed up to the record after repeated listens, I'm afraid I still rate it as the worst of Underworld's full-lengths (not including Mk 1 or Fruer).

I think it's important to stress that I'm more of a pop music fan than I am an electronic/dance music fan. I love electronic music and nearly everything I listen to is electronic in nature, but I come to music with a deep appreciation of pop themes and structure. Behind Underworld, my favorite artists are groups like New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Goldfrapp, Bowie. I see a lot of criticism in this thread of tracks being bad simply by virtue of the fact that they're pop; that the "cheese" alone is enough to invite comparisons to shit like "Change the Weather". I can't get behind that philosophy.

When I first started listening to Underworld in ernest, with the music of Dubnobasswithmyheadman era, I was struct by how intricately layered all of Underworld's music was. The songs' unusually long lengths were appropriate given the depth of the music. I remember thinking, "Every new layer justifies its own existence by improving the song." I think this bears out in the live arena, where any isolated track of any Underworld song can create an emotional reaction in the audience, whether it's a drum pattern or a synth sweep or a melody or sound effect. That is what Rick Smith does better than anybody in the world.

For the most part, the songs of Barking lack this quality. That is almost certainly a consequence of its unusual production, whereby outsiders stripped out what Underworld presumably considered uncommercial and what I consider magical and replaced it with functional but ultimately unmemorable beats.

1. Bird 1. The sinister opening moments remind me of "Dark & Long", "Juanita" and "Mo Move", but the song fails to live up to that prestigious legacy. I really like the lyrics and vocal performance in this song, but the track doesn't go anywhere. I can hear some nice music hidden in here somewhere, but I don't think Dubfire was able to really make something out of this track. Neither was Rick Smith, judging from the live performances of "Strumpet". I rate this as a B-side.

2. Always Loved a Film. Arguably the biggest tragedy in the Underworld canon. There was more anticipation for a completed version of this song -- specifically, the "Silver Boots" version -- than any other, but what finally emerged is... well, not that. When I hear those early "Always Loved a Film" sounds whisper through the tinny, glittery rave noise, I think, "Why bother?" It's not that song anymore.

That said, ALAF is kind of cool. Although the backing track leaves something to be desired, Karl Hyde once again provides some solid words and singing. The break is a very nice, genuine synthpop moment. It's obvious what they were going for with this track, so I'm left with the question: why didn't they just get Stuart Price to produce it himself?

3. Scribble. I can't lie, I really hated this at first. But "Scribble" has revealed itself to me and now I wonder if it's the best track on the album. Certainly, High Contrast and Underworld mesh better together than any of the other remixers. Many layers to this song, all of them intriguing and fun -- all except Karl, I'm afraid. Lyrics are woeful and the voice-as-instrument element is negligible to the song; practically an afterthought, but not so much as the Juanita bits. Christ, "download"? Welcome to the cool, edgy internet imagery of the 1990s, ravers. The instrumental mix is plainly superior.

4. Hamburg Hotel. Complete rubbish. The "Cuddle Bunny" of Barking. There's nothing to say about this track because there's nothing there.

5. Grace. Lovely lyrics from Karl that are wasted on this by-the-numbers bit of mid-tempo synthpop. "Grace" is slightly less directionless than "Bird 1" and concludes with a bit of a guitar or bass jam that invokes vague memories of The Cure or something like that, but that's only after four minutes or so of a boring song. I don't know if Underworld's version of this would have been any better. I liked the "Telematic Peal" from the April 23 2008 broadcast but even that was lacking something. Another B-side, here.

6. Between Stars. Now this is more like it. "Between Stars" is a successful synthesis of classic Underworld with the synthpop form. The production here is not particularly inspiring but nor is it distractingly bad. The beats drive the riffs and melody and they do well enough to get the job done. The obvious complaint here is the pointless fade-out.

7. Diamond Jigsaw. Underworld really nailed it with this one, a beautiful rebirth of Underworld mk. 1 as on par with their 1980s contemporaries, only a few decades late. Paul Van Dyke lets this track speak for itself, for the most part, which is wise. The built-in sweeps, Moroder synths and uplifting vocal melody (I'm not sure what the lyrics are about, but the singing itself sounds uplifting) are all perfectly executed. I especially love that "beep.... beeeeeeeep" noise in the beginning, it's a classic Rick Smith sound effect.

I do miss the Van Halen keyboards from the live version. Played with Karl's dirty guitar, they really cemented "Diamond Jigsaw" as the bridging, transcendent song that it is. Looking forward to the bonus disc version of this more than anything else.

8. Moon in Water. We've all had those breathless moments with a newly heard Underworld song; that feeling you get where what you're hearing out of a speaker is something you've been hearing for years in your mind, you just didn't know it. The original radio broadcast of "Moon in Water" was that for me, and its butchering was what I most feared about Barking. While I'm not a fan of Juanita's performance or of how many of the beautiful words were removed in High Contrast's mix, I am very impressed with his work on the track. The new synth riff built out of "does not wait to cast its reflection" is a tiny bit of genius and creates another one of those sonic bridges between Underworld and pop. This is probably my favorite song on the album.

9. Louisiana. Even if it wasn't as good as a Sarah Mclaughlin B-side, which it very arguably isn't, "Louisiana" does not belong on Barking. I don't know what they were thinking, it's plainly incongruous and in the worst way.

10. Simple Peal. Somehow more "Underworldy" than anything else on Barking. A puzzling choice for a bonus track, to be sure, but one of my favorite bits of noodly nonsense from Rick. Honestly, I am a huge fan of this sort of Underworld material and I hope I'm able to get that disc from Karl's painting exhibition.

11. You Do Scribble (Abbey Road Version). It never occurred to me before, but YDS is a kind of drum-n-bass sequel to "Kittens". They both begin with a blistering drum section that is soon joined by a lovely synth background that turns into a break and then climaxes with some more elements. This version's "live" percussion additions als reminds of me of "Kittens", where you can hear what sounds like some live stuff being played along with the programming. The "Abbey Road" tag suggests this was created during the Oblivion with Bells sessions. I think it would have fit in well there.

[m.g.]

Well... as an R&K fan since... erm... Doot-Doot, I was about to write pages here, but...

Originally Posted by big screen satellite

its full of great songs, with verses and choruses, which of the like UW have not really done since before dubno...

i love Karl's voice and he is a nice vocalist - so let the man sing... those of you who like the banging techno shit - avoid this album IT IS NOT FOR YOU - move along

anyways, people are gonna disagree but this album rocks... from Bird 1, ALAF, DJ, Between Stars, Grace - its all good...

i can see why this will not appease everyone.... but hey they boys sound like they're in a good place - let them stay there i say...

moody soundsacpes are soooo 90's...

Barking, Cracking more like!

... I couldn't have expressed what I think about Barking better than your lines, Matt

Great UW album... enough said.




ps : maybe you have to be an unconditional fan of New Order to think like that, no?