Underworld: a hundred days off, leftism part II

As for Emerson... it's unfortunate and inevitable that those who find problems with this record will be fast to bring up his seperation from the group as being the key point of "what went wrong", when in fact Emerson had very little part in the actual composition of UW's music. At the end of the day, Mr. Smith is responsible for the vast majority of it. Very few people seem to also notice that Underworld have spent their entire career with JBO (Junior Records) under the direction of label owner Steven Hall, who also introduced the Chemicals upon this world, and a slew of other great dance producers.

When Underworld began, sure Emerson wasn't writing the songs, but he was the only one of them who was streetwise enough and involved in the dance scene enough to take them in the right direction. However despite his knowledge being invaluable in their success and in their conversion from slightly retro early 90s group to dance superstars, he wasn't paid as such for his role. I mean how do you quantify advice? And presumable his production duties weren't making him enough cash either. This was always the problem in the band and ultimately the reason they broke up.

Emerson is releasing his first solo single on his Underwater Records label soon, you can hear it on the mix album mixed by him and Tim Deluxe which is out now as far as I know.

You could start with, "Yes, I agree." Perhaps it's a case of hype disappointment, but that album extremely disappointing. Unlike Dare, I think there's only one good song on the album ("Song Of Life"). Everything else is mediocre or painful to listen to. I have no idea how they became popular beyond being in the right time at the right place because they certainly didn't have the goods to back up the accolades they were getting.

I don't understand the mockery it gets either. Did it never make it in America, is there some European appeal about it? It's a fantastic album. I enjoy all of Leftism to be quite honest, fuck it I enjoy most of Rhythm and Stealth aswell.

Ok so Leftism may have made it into the coffee table market but it's still a fantastic album, I can't think of a better icon/dance band collaboration than Open Up.

and Ronan, it's true that Emerson did have some influence on them, but Smith had been doing all sorts of other dance related stuff too [st etienne for example]. And as for questioning Scott's input - of all the people to argue about underworld with..

heh

(BTW, I'd like to formally apologize for typing "Perhaps it's a case of hype disappointment, but that album extremely disappointing". Redundancy and bad grammar all in one handy package!)

As for Emerson, you can read whatever you want into interviews and PR releases. I did not understate his influence on pointing the other two in a particular direction.

I sure as hell wouldn't.

as for the leftfield connection - i can't believe no-one else can hear this. i challenge you to listen to Sola Sistim and then tell me it sounds nothing like leftfield. even the african / latin percussion that seems to be sprinkled through the album adds the leftfield flavour.

and another things - Open Up was one of the worst tracks on Leftism IMO. Do this: listen to the album from start to finish once more, then tell me whether you still honestly think it's rubbish.

c'mon,

hah, Dan == Mr. Hat to Ned's Mr. Garrison!

ps this album sounds great. am i the only one who really liked beaucoup fish as well?

Before hearing _A Hundred Days Off_, _Beaucoup Fish_ was my favorite Underworld album. Anything with both "Kittens" and "Winjer" on it has to be considered brilliant.

Haha I love the way Underworld and Orbital threads just become mutated into general discussion of both, always, every month or so.

I still want the new album, but fucking hell that single is one of the best things they've ever done. Does that sound ridiculous? Quite probably but it does! It's got the trad Underworld darkness and yet it's just 100 percent gushing happiness from start to finish. I CAN'T WAIT to see them in about 4 weeks.

Early thoughts, obviously stand out tracks seem to be Little Speaker, that piano riff towards the end is absolutely hypnotic, just spins you round and round.

Dinosaur Adventure 3D is glorious, must be the next single. Two Months Off still sounds fantastic to me, possibly better now I can play it on a good CD player as opposed to on my computer, also the full version is way better than the radio edit, way way way better.

That's my take, bearing in mind I've only had it 3 or 4 days now.

leftfield, apart from "not forgotten", have never really done it for me.

No, Underworld doesn't sound like Leftfield.
Yes, Two Months Off is one of their best singles.
No, I haven't listened to Leftfield in ages.
Yes, A Hundred Days Off is much better than I thought after one listen.
No, I don't hear the difference in Darren Emerson leaving.
Yes, does anyone else love the John Ciafone remix of Two Months Off?
No, Beaucoup Fish is a bit cold and unengaging (except for Cups).
Yes, Dubnobass is still the best.
No, I don't like that pounding acid house of Dinosaur Adventure 3D.
Yes, it's going to be the next single.
No, I don't think the beat is in sync at the three minute mark of Little Speaker.
Yes, I think Rick Smith did that on purpose.

i'm appalled by the slagging of Leftfield...as Westwood says 'show some respeck!'

to like 'Song Of Life' (or 'Song For Life' as is also known) but not other tracks on 'Leftism' makes no sense given how the whole thing hangs together and how Song Of Life is just a cog in the wheel of the overall mechanism...featuring many of the same elements as other tracks. sure its probably the biggest anthem on there (tho Storm 3000 and Space Shanty are just as powerful i think) but 'Original' is great, 'Inspection' is great, 'Release The Pressure' is great - the only track that sounds like filler is 'Black Flute' - mystifyingly they played this live at Glasto 2000 at the expense of Space Shanty...i'm not even sure they played Song For Life then either

and i agree with Ronan that 'Rhythm & Stealth' is also good tho the highlights are fewer (Dusted, El Cid, Rino's Prayer)

i still dont get how you could find Underworld's recent stuff THAT much better but whatever...e.g. what makes 'Winjer' or 'Kittens' better than 'Storm 3000'? perhaps they're a little more sophisticated but still...i've always loved Leftfield, Chems, Orbital, Underworld and they all seem to represent the same thing to an extent which is part of the appeal to me i guess...the idea that you'd love Underworld but dislike Leftfield or Orbital for example seems strange to me but Dan and Ronan seem to be suggesting its quite plausible...i know they're all different really but its not hard not to join the dots between them and not necessarily wrong to either

perhaps if Leftfield had been as prolific as all the other aforementioned acts they'd be standing the test of time a little better?

Two Months Off is just glorious though, I mean now I have the album version I'm loving it more with each listen. Little Speaker is such a sharp tune aswell, very subtle but I could imagine it working really well live too, it's just so perfectly layered at the end, like really good techno except more soul and less machine.

You're right about DIV, I really wanted to like the album, I mean Richard Fearless as a DJ is super, and I liked The Contino Sessions and Dead Elvis, though I was a bit younger then. I mean, the new thing isn't crap, it's just the way you describe it, too many cameos. It's not so much a conflict of ideas as every idea standing on it's own. I guess it's this sort of "eclectecism" which ensures not many who are really strongly passionate about any one of the styles being covered will actually enjoy the album

"Two Months Off" live was like this:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1426/1356380560_e6ad8e5461.jpg?v=0

saw new video today - direct descendant of The Fall's Reformation in the "old men on pills" stakes