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The Undertones

The Undertones

  • AMG Review of The Undertones

    Amg
    Stewart Mason
    All Music Guide

    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, /p>

    ew wave-influenced throb of the version on the original U.K. vinyl.

30th Anniversary of The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
about 1 year ago

.THE UNDERTONES teenage kicks Re-release Date: 3th September 2008digitally remastered numbered limited edition 30th anniversary 7" vinyl reissue in a cardboard outer and inner poster booklet. on the 16th june 1978 on a wet miserable day in belfast - damian o' neill - 17 - michael bradley 18 - feargal sharkey - 19 - john o' neill - 20 - billy doherty- 19 - the undertones - derry's one and only p...

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Punk Wars Entry #3
over 2 years ago

The Undertones may be debatable about their "punkness", but they were very respected by the punks, and this song is hat punk rock is all about.

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Punk Rock Tuesday: It's gotta incite your "Teenage Kicks"...
over 2 years ago

I discovered The Undertones through a John Peel interview. He cited Teenage Kicks EP as his favorite album of all time. That's pretty high praise from a band most people outside the UK (aside from us audiophiles) have never heard of. Just listen - for a band from the politically volatile Northern Ireland, their music posses the "Teenage Exerience." In being apolitical it is political (I kno...

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The Undertones
over 2 years ago

Teenage Kicks..Singer Sharkey's quavering delivery was distinctive, and made the band instantly recognisable. By 1977 they were performing their own three-chord pop punk material influenced by Nuggets-type material and the Ramones, and in 1978 released their debut four-song EP Teenage Kicks on the Good Vibrations label. It became a hit with support from noted BBC DJ John Peel, who considered th...

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over 3 years ago
John Peel's #1
9 months ago

British DJ John Peel said, of his favorite record "Teenage Kicks" by the Undertones, that "There's nothing you could add to it or subtract from it that would improve it."I know how I got here, but that's not important - let's have some fun! Ukulele Orchestra of GBAsh

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30th Anniversary of The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
about 1 year ago

.THE UNDERTONES teenage kicks Re-release Date: 3th September 2008digitally remastered numbered limited edition 30th anniversary 7" vinyl reissue in a cardboard outer and inner poster booklet. on the 16th june 1978 on a wet miserable day in belfast - damian o' neill - 17 - michael bradley 18 - feargal sharkey - 19 - john o' neill - 20 - billy doherty- 19 - the undertones - derry's one and only p...

More >
The Undertones
over 2 years ago

Teenage Kicks..Singer Sharkey's quavering delivery was distinctive, and made the band instantly recognisable. By 1977 they were performing their own three-chord pop punk material influenced by Nuggets-type material and the Ramones, and in 1978 released their debut four-song EP Teenage Kicks on the Good Vibrations label. It became a hit with support from noted BBC DJ John Peel, who considered th...

More >
Punk Rock Tuesday: It's gotta incite your "Teenage Kicks"...
over 2 years ago

I discovered The Undertones through a John Peel interview. He cited Teenage Kicks EP as his favorite album of all time. That's pretty high praise from a band most people outside the UK (aside from us audiophiles) have never heard of. Just listen - for a band from the politically volatile Northern Ireland, their music posses the "Teenage Exerience." In being apolitical it is political (I kno...

More >
Life on Mars
9 months ago

Last week, a colleague asked what I thought the quintessential, classic Punk Rock single of all-time was. I responded immediately with "(I'm) Stranded" by The Saints because .... well .... as far as I'm concerned, it is. There's just no arguing with Ed Kuepper's wall of furious guitars on that track. As much as adore da brudders, this song manages to out-Ramone the Ramones. Of course, being th...

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Teenage Kicks
about 1 year ago

The Undertones were not a great band, never had even one great album, but their song "Teenage Kicks" is one of my all-time favorites. When I loaded 983 songs onto my iPhone and hit "play" in iPod mode for the first time, guess what it played?

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over 3 years ago
Punk Wars Entry #3
over 2 years ago

The Undertones may be debatable about their "punkness", but they were very respected by the punks, and this song is hat punk rock is all about.

More >

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