A Hundred Days Off

by

Underworld

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I'm always amused by the so-called "true fans" who only want their favorite bands to produce the same album over and over again. Sure, "Second Toughest in the Infants" was and is a great album...but whatever happened to judging an album on its own merits? You can't compare AHDO to 2nd Toughest, because, quite simply, the albums are 6 years removed. Would any Underworld fan really be happy if the group HAD produced the same album 3 different times, just because it did well critically? What artists worth their salt write music for CRITICS?? I am quite pleased with Underworld's new direction, actually. "2 Months Off" is a bright and cheerful barnburner, and a great choice for a single (the video for it was just perfect)...and the final percussion break left me wanting more, in a good way. "SolaSistim" blew me away as well, although in a different sense. I'd really like to hear the group try an all downtempo album after hearing that song.

It sounds to me like Hyde and Smith are using Emerson's departure as a launching point for new ideas (good or bad), which I always welcome from any artist...it's just unfortunate that the majority of listeners will always be comparing this current incarnation of Underworld with its early years. I loved Beaucoup Fish (God bless Jumbo!), and I love A Hundred Days Off...and I could care less what anyone else thinks. If musicians constantly lived in the past, music would certainly be boring, eh?

I LIKE the album. I have been listening to it for months now. I ripped the album online because I love Underworld too much to wait until the final release came out. So, this isn't a biased review based on my first listening of the CD. Now that I have the original copy playing in my cd player I can finally give a real review. So, here's the break down of the CD in MY opinion.

1.) Mo Move = It's a song that's just like the first song on Beaucoup Fish. It gets the CD going, but there's really nothing much to it. You don't want to chill to it, you don't want to dance to it, it's just a simple UW song.

2.) Two Months Off = I've heard this one so many times now. My advice, just keep giving it some playing time. This song makes me dance like a nut, especially when the bells start in. Good choice for the single. Doesn't really sound like a classic UW song.

3.) Twist = This one definetly doesn't sound like an UW song. More like DJ Tiesto and Moby did a mix together. I don't like the bass, but it's a nice calm song.

4.) Sola Sistem = Awesome! This is good stuff. It's a great one to relax to, groove to, or get it on to. Definetly a winner here, but nothing that could be played live, which is really what UW is all about.

5.) Little Speaker = Good bass to it, but man, what I would of done to hear Karl sing to this song. The girl has a cool calm voice, but if nice lyrics were implemented into this song, it would of rocked.

6.) Trim = Sounds like a Phil Collins song. Good, mixes well into the CD, but I think you have to be a hardcore UW fan to enjoy it.

7.) Ess Gee = I like it, it's a perfect way to get into the next song, but it's a little too weak. Some good lyrics (again, what makes underworld who they are) or some good synths could of made this controversial "filler" song into something great.

8.) Dinosaur Adventure 3D = A lot of people like this song. It's really the only hard song on the CD. Maybe that's why people like it, because they finally came to a song that made them move. If only they put one or two more of these on the CD. It sounds a lot like KOS, which is a good thing. This song is going to rock live! Good everything here.

9.) Ballet Lane = This is what UW is about, slow dark song. So, so nice. Good bass, crisp background effects, great pace. Sounds a little like The Chemical Brother's new stuff.

10.) Luetin = The best on the CD. Easily going to be a new classic. It's going to tear apart the clubs and make newbies to UW enjoy the new CD.

All in all, I LIKE the CD, but I think it could have been so much more. I've listened to UW for so long now, and I do miss the dark tunes found in their older CDs. The best UW CD in my opinion (or ever in the world) is Second Toughest in the Infants. Juanita, Rowla, Dark and Long, Dirty Epic, M.E., Pearl's Girl, Cow Girl; these are the real classics, and yes, we do all miss them, but if you want them, go buy the CDs. If your in the mood to be a part of UW's new sound, buy this CD, you won't be dissapointed... but you also won't be taken away.