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  #21  
Old 03-12-2019, 07:34 PM
deepfriedbeans
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Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
I’m new to the forums and comparatively new to Underworld so I hope my feedback is of value, anyway here goes:

Dubnobass
Dark & Long: 8/10, Mmm…Skyscraper I Love You: 10/10, Surfboy: 7/10, Spoonman: 6/10, Tongue: 8/10, Dirty Epic: 10/10, Cowgirl: 10/10, River of Bass: 7/10, M.E.: 10/10
76 / 90 = 84%

STITI
Juanita: 10/10, Banstyle / Sappy's Curry: 10/10, Confusion the Waitress: 7/10, Rowla: 6/10, Pearl's Girl: 10/10, Air Towel: 7/10, Blueski: 8/10, Stagger: 10/10
68 / 80 = 85%

Beaucoup Fish
Cups: 10/10, Push Upstairs: 7/10, Jumbo: 10/10, King of Snake 10/10, Winjer: 7/10, Skym: 7/10, Bruce Lee: 9/10, Kittens: 10/10, Push Downstairs: 7/10, Something Like a Mama: 8/10, Moaner: 7/10
92 / 110 = 84%

AHDO
Mo Move: 9/10, Two Months Off: 10/10, Twist: 8/10, Sola Sistim: 7/10, Little Speaker: 7/10, Trim: 4/10, Ess Gee: 5/10, Dinosaur Adventure 3D: 5/10, Ballet Lane: 6/10, Luetin: 10/10
71 / 100 = 71%

OWB
Crocodile: 9/10, Beautiful Burnout: 10/10, Holding the Moth: 9/10, To Heal: 8/10, Ring Road: 2/10, Glam Bucket: 8/10, Boy Boy Boy: 7/10, Cuddle Bunny Vs. Celtic Villages: 6/10, Faxed Invitation: 10/10, Good Morning Cockerel: 10/10, Best Mamgu Ever: 10/10
89 / 110 = 81%

Barking
Bird 1: 8/10, ALAF: 10/10, Scribble: 7/10, Hamburg Hotel: 7/10, Grace: 6/10, Between Stars: 5/10, Diamond Jigsaw: 6/10, Moon in Water: 6/10, Louisiana: 3/10
58 / 90 = 64%

Barbara Barbara (inc. 23 Blue)
I Exhale: 9/10, If Rah: 10/10, Low Burn: 10/10, Santiago Cuatro: 5/10, Motorhome: 5/10, Ova Nova: 10/10, Nylon Strung: 8/10, 23 Blue: 7/10
64 / 80 = 80%
------------------
In order:
STITI, dubnobass / Beaucoup Fish, OWB, Barbara Barbara, AHDO, Barking

Not too surprised by these results. I’ve only known the band for a few years (and dubnobass was released before I even was born) so I wonder if I would feel differently about certain songs if I’d grown up with them.

Quote:
Okay - this was harder than I thought it'd be... and plus I kept going "well, if I gave 'song A' an 8 then I can't give 'song B' an 8 too"
This was my experience too.
  #22  
Old 03-12-2019, 10:16 PM
dubman
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Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
As fun as this is, and it is fun
And as much as I’ve exacerbated it, and I’ve absolutely done that.
And as non-serious as it is, unless khouri is taking this very seriously indeed

Rowla is a pretty good flashpoint to argue for The Album as beyond a collection of well or badly ranked tracks. I understand everyone being a bit down on it, but within the context of the/an album it’s a beautiful spot to stop the train and let this glide over and around you. Uncomplicated, subtle, not too exciting on its own but a great addition to the slate.

Anyway onto the fan thing again
  #23  
Old 03-13-2019, 04:19 AM
purlieu
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 501
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
That's funny, because I find 'Rowla' really derails the album for me. It brings me out of the ambience of the rest of it.
  #24  
Old 03-13-2019, 11:37 AM
holden
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Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
I'll add to the stats/discussion:

Dubnobasswithmyheadman:
Dark & Long: 8/10, Mmm…Skyscraper I Love You: 9/10, Surfboy: 6/10, Spoonman: 8/10, Tongue: 6/10, Dirty Epic: 10/10, Cowgirl: 10/10, River of Bass: 7/10, M.E.: 8/10
72 / 90 = 80%

Second Toughest In the Infants:
Juanita: 10/10, Banstyle / Sappy's Curry: 9/10, Confusion the Waitress: 7/10, Rowla: 7.5/10, Pearl's Girl: 7/10, Air Towel: 8.5/10, Blueski: 6.5/10, Stagger: 9/10
64.5/ 80 = 81%

Beaucoup Fish
Cups: 10/10, Push Upstairs: 9/10, Jumbo: 9.5/10, King of Snake 10/10, Winjer: 7/10, Skym: 7/10, Bruce Lee: 8/10, Kittens: 9/10, Push Downstairs: 7/10, Something Like a Mama: 7.5/10, Moaner: 9.5/10
93.5/ 110 = 85%

A Hundred Days Off
Mo Move: 9.5/10, Two Months Off: 9/10, Twist: 8/10, Sola Sistim: 7.5/10, Little Speaker: 7/10, Trim: 5/10, Ess Gee: 6/10, Dinosaur Adventure 3D: 9/10, Ballet Lane: 8/10, Luetin: 10/10
79 / 100 = 79%

Oblivion With Bells
Crocodile: 8/10, Beautiful Burnout: 9/10, Holding the Moth: 9/10, To Heal: 7/10, Ring Road: 6.5/10, Glam Bucket: 8/10, Boy Boy Boy: 5/10, Cuddle Bunny Vs. Celtic Villages: 5/10, Faxed Invitation: 10/10, Good Morning Cockerel: 7.5/10, Best Mamgu Ever: 8/10
83 / 110 = 75%

Barking
Bird 1: 8.5/10, ALAF: 8.5/10, Scribble: 8/10, Hamburg Hotel: 9/10, Grace: 6.5/10, Between Stars: 6.5/10, Diamond Jigsaw: 6/10, Moon in Water: 9.5/10, Louisiana: 6/10
68.5 / 90 = 76%

Barbara Barbara We Face a Shining Future
I Exhale: 7.5/10, If Rah: 9.5/10, Low Burn: 10/10, Santiago Cuatro: 6/10, Motorhome: 6.5/10, Ova Nova: 10/10, Nylon Strung: 9/10
59 / 70 = 84%

So,
1) Beaucoup Fish @85% (no surprise)
2) BBWFASF @ 84% (somewhat of a surprise to me, but...science!)
3) STITI @81%
4) Dubno @80%
5) AHDO @79%
6) Barking @76%
7) OWB @ 75% (and that's not bad, i just don't really feel the more ambient tracks, whereas something like the I'm A big Sister... EP is just bliss).

Fairly tight clustering, it seems. It all points to the fact that i really like most UW tracks, and there are just a few (Surfboy, Trim, Boy Boy Boy, Cuddle Bunny, Diamond Jigsaw, Louisiana, Santiago) that i'm ambivalent about, not even strongly disliking, just not my faves. Also through doing this, i note that for me, most records have a 2 or 3 song lull in the middle.

Another observation...i was strongly influenced by nostalgia in this rating. Some tracks just bring memories that up the score. If i were to listen objectively today, certainly scores would change.

And, like some of you, after seeing the scores, i immediately started questioning, second guessing and comparing. But that is manifestation of bias. Again, i like all of the UW mkii/iii releases...they just jockey for affection.
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Last edited by holden; 03-13-2019 at 02:55 PM.
  #25  
Old 03-14-2019, 06:55 AM
potatobroth
bungalow
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,160
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by deepfriedbeans View Post
Rowla: 6/10
this is my 11/10
  #26  
Old 03-14-2019, 03:53 PM
joethelion
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,914
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dubman View Post
YOWZAH
good to see another River of Bass fan though.


i want more numbers so fringe patterns can come up and we can have, like, factions.
yea - I just think "River of Bass" is just a perfect closer (...except, well - it's the penultimate track on the album). That song, and "Tongue" don't get enough praise.

"Air Towel" is good, but it goes on a bit too long, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was something started around the time of Dubno, but not finished until STITI

As far as "Faxed Invitation" I don't know... it's not a terrible song, but I feel like... it'd almost be better if all of the sounds that are in the foreground were switched with the background stuff (and vice-versa)

Now... "If Rah" ... To me, it sounds like someone doing a parody / soundalike to Underworld... like the lyrics remind me of when I'd play UW in my car, and my older sister would improvise her own lyrics to songs about what she'd see out the window (think: "Red hydrant Red hydrant, there's a car, and a dog" etc). It's also about 2 minutes too long, and is a bit monotonous. It's absolutely on my 'least favorite list'
  #27  
Old 03-14-2019, 04:58 PM
holden
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Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
Yeah, "Air Towel" and "Faxed Invitation" are two of my favorites from their respective albums. They're both sort of restrained, but I enjoy their groove.

Regarding "if rah", I'll admit and somewhat agree that the first few listens, I was concerned that this was UW by the numbers, and the "yeah, yeah, origin of numbers is a questionable hypothesis" and "Luna Luna Luna, in love with" bits at first blush are kind of cringey. But I take the album as an attempt to make interesting music unencombered by what Underworld had done previously, so I cut them some slack. Still, most of the song's lyrics are as obscure/evocative as any, and I think the track has an excellent build.

Re:Rowla... I'm not as excited by the LP version, though the live track rocks! Cherry Pie on STITI would have been bliss.

Can I throw this unpopular opinion out there? I'm not really a fan of Pearls Girl anymore! I think I've heard it too many times. Yes, a classic and a banger, but the past few years, I'm just less interested. Tin There mix has stood the test of time better. Further, at least NUXX live gets plenty of tweaks, whether in the intro or outtro jam. PG live versions mostly sound the same to me.
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  #28  
Old 03-14-2019, 07:28 PM
dubman
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,569
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by holden View Post
"yeah, yeah, origin of numbers is a questionable hypothesis"

oof, yeah. if you can get past this, then you're alright for the rest, which he does pretty well for. i also think the music is a very fine mix of elements that normally wouldn't work on me. it's classy and dramatic and just cheesy enough to be fun but not stupid



Quote:
Originally Posted by holden View Post
Can I throw this unpopular opinion out there? I'm not really a fan of Pearls Girl anymore! I think I've heard it too many times. Yes, a classic and a banger, but the past few years, I'm just less interested. Tin There mix has stood the test of time better. Further, at least NUXX live gets plenty of tweaks, whether in the intro or outtro jam. PG live versions mostly sound the same to me.

PG beat still does big work for me, but i see what you mean! It's a bit "shut up and play the hits" when live and the track has been ubiquitous enough elsewhere that it's not just itself anymore. Tin There i used to obsess over, but i still don't understand why it spends the back half coasting [on what, exactly?] after cresting like that. boring! my pick for standing the test of time is the 14996 version. it feels fast, vivid, which has more to do with its dynamism than literal speed. all the classic imagery immediately pops up too


Quote:
Originally Posted by purlieu View Post
That's funny, because I find 'Rowla' really derails the album for me. It brings me out of the ambience of the rest of it.

it's a dimension, not a derail!

Last edited by dubman; 03-14-2019 at 07:33 PM.
  #29  
Old 03-14-2019, 07:41 PM
dubman
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,569
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by holden View Post
I'll add to the stats/discussion:

Stagger: 9/10
Dinosaur Adventure 3D: 9/10,

found these kind of interesting. stagger is a beautiful track absolutely smeared by some poor lyrical choices, but that's just imo. i don't think we've talked much about it here


but Dino 3D. what a weird moment that was. the first sign that something was coming off the rails for me. the vocal treatment, the serviceable.. everything. the lyrics. such a dud track for me that i couldn't even hate it, it was just this lump in the middle of an album. didn't understand why it came all the way to us. seeing someone rate it highly makes me wonder if there's a different angle to it than the one i always assumed.
  #30  
Old 03-14-2019, 07:46 PM
dubman
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,569
Re: Determine Your Favorite Underworld Album - With SCIENCE!
let's check in on my most hated track of theirs:


Boy Boy Boy: 7/10
BBB: 7/10
Boy Boy Boy - 5
Boy Boy Boy: 7/10
Boy Boy Boy: 5/10


mmm. too high. far too high.
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