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The Undertones

 
Album Review: The Undertones
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Undertones

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  • Artist: The Undertones
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1979
  • Total Time: 46:21
  • Genre: Rock

Review

What is a perfect album? One could make an argument that a perfect album is one that sets out a specific set of artistic criteria and then fulfills them flawlessly. In that respect, and many others, the Undertones' 1979 debut is a perfect album. The Northern Ireland quintet's brief story is no different than that of literally dozens of other bands to form in the wake of the Clash and, more importantly, the Buzzcocks, but the group infuses so much unabashed joy in their two-minute three-chord pop songs, and there's so little pretension in their unapologetically teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so many of their contemporaries. There's no fewer than three all-time punk-pop classics here; besides that song, the singles "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" are simple declarations of teenage hormonal lust that somehow manage to be cute instead of Neanderthal; perhaps it's Feargal Sharkey's endearingly adenoidal whine, or the chipper way the O'Neill brothers pitch in on schoolboy harmonies, like a teenage Irish Kinks. All of the other 13 songs, even the 47-second blip "Casbah Rock," are nearly to that level of brilliance, with the frenetic "Girls Don't Like It" a particular standout. The Rykodisc CD adds seven demos and single sides, and also includes an entirely different, punkier version of "True Confessions" than the nervous, new wave-influenced throb of the version on the original U.K. vinyl. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Family Entertainment (Lyrics) Damian O'Neill The Undertones (2:37)
Girls Don't Like It (Lyrics) John O'Neill The Undertones (2:19)
Male Model John O'Neill, Mickey Bradley, Damian O'Neill The Undertones (1:54)
I Gotta Getta John O'Neill The Undertones (1:53)
Teenage Kicks (Lyrics) John O'Neill The Undertones (2:25)
Wrong Way The Undertones (1:23)
Jump Boys John O'Neill The Undertones (2:40)
Here Comes the Summer (Lyrics) John O'Neill The Undertones (1:42)
Get Over You John O'Neill The Undertones (2:44)
Billy's Third (Lyrics) The Undertones (1:57)
Jimmy Jimmy John O'Neill The Undertones (2:41)
True Confessions (Lyrics) John O'Neill, Damian O'Neill, Mickey Bradley The Undertones (1:52)
(She's A) Runaround John O'Neill The Undertones (1:49)
I Know a Girl John O'Neill, Mickey Bradley, Damian O'Neill The Undertones (2:35)
Listening In (Lyrics) John O'Neill, Mickey Bradley The Undertones (2:24)
Casbah Rock John O'Neill The Undertones (:47)
Smarter Than U [*] Mickey Bradley, Damian O'Neill The Undertones (1:35)
Emergency Cases [*] John O'Neill The Undertones (1:52)
Top Twenty [*] John O'Neill The Undertones (2:11)
Really Really [*] The Undertones (1:51)
Mars Bars (Lyrics) Mickey Bradley, Damian O'Neill The Undertones (2:07)
She Can Only Say No [*] John O'Neill The Undertones (:51)
One Way Love [*] John O'Neill The Undertones (2:12)

Credits

Billy Doherty (Drums), John O'Neill (Guitar), Feargal Sharkey (Vocals), The Undertones (Producer), Mickey Bradley (Guitar (Bass)), John O'Neill (Guitar (Rhythm)), Mickey Bradley (Bass), Alex Ogg (Liner Notes), Roger Bechirian (Producer), Damian O'Neill (Guitar)
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Wikipedia: The Undertones (album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
The Undertones
Studio album by The Undertones
Released May 1979
Recorded Eden Studios and Mrs Simms Shed, Derry
1979
Genre Punk rock, Power pop
Length 46:21
Label Sire
Rykodisc
Producer Roger Bechirian
Professional reviews
The Undertones chronology

The Undertones
(1979)		 Hypnotised
(1980)
Other front vinyl cover
The two images (front and back) on the vinyl album cover were such that either could be the front cover, as they both had the track listings.
Original vinyl cover and CD cover
The original version of the vinyl album which was only on sale for a short time before being replaced by the above cover. This version omitted the songs "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" and included an alternative and shorter version of "Here Comes The Summer". The cover shot was subsequently used on the full CD release of the album.

The Undertones is the eponymously titled 1979 debut album by The Undertones. The album was recorded at Eden Studios in London in early 1979 and initially released in May that year. The original release included just one single release: Jimmy Jimmy and an album version of Here Comes The Summer, which was never released as a single.

The re-released version of the album, issued in October, 1979, also included the Undertones' first two singles: Teenage Kicks and Get Over You alongside both Jimmy Jimmy and the single version of Here Comes The Summer, which superseded the slower, original version of the song released on the first issue of the album. In addition, the song Casbah Rock was included as the final track of the album.

In 2000 Q magazine placed The Undertones' debut LP at number 90 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. It was also listed in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" which was selected and written by 90 leading international critics[1].

As of July, 2009 the eponymous debut album of The Undertones is still considered to be one of the Top 40 Punk/New Wave albums of all time.[2]


Track listing

Side one
# Title Written by Length
1. "Family Entertainment"   Damian O'Neill 2:37
2. "Girls Don't Like It"   J. J. O'Neill 2:19
3. "Male Model"   J. J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill 1:54
4. "I Gotta Getta"   J. J. O'Neill 1:53
5. "Teenage Kicks"   J. J. O'Neill 2:25
6. "Wrong Way"   Billy Doherty 1:23
7. "Jump Boys"   J. J. O'Neill 2:40
8. "Here Comes The Summer"   J. J. O'Neill 1:42
Side two
# Title Written by Length
1. "Get Over You"   J. J. O'Neill 2:44
2. "Billy's Third"   Billy Doherty 1:57
3. "Jimmy Jimmy"   J. J. O'Neill 2:41
4. "True Confessions"   J. J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill 1:52
5. "She's A Runaround"   J. J. O'Neill 1:49
6. "I Know a Girl"   J. J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill 2:35
7. "Listening In"   J . J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill 2:24
8. "Casbah Rock"   J. J. O'Neill 0:47


Bonus tracks (issued on CD releases only)
# Title Written by Length
1. "Smarter Than U"   J . J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Billy Doherty 1:35
2. "Emergency Cases"   J. J. O'Neill 1:52
3. "Top Twenty"   J. J. O'Neill 2:11
4. "Really Really"   Billy Doherty 1:51
5. "Mars Bars"   Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill 2:07
6. "She Can Only Say No"   J. J. O'Neill 0:51
7. "One Way Love"   J. J. O'Neill 2:12
8. "You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)"   J. J. O'Neill 2:38
9. "Lets Talk About Girls"   Manny Freiser* 3:32

Notes

  1. ^ 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
  2. ^ http://users.tpg.com.au/sykespj/punk2NW/top100.html
  3. ^ http://www.thechocolatewatchband.com/discography.html
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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