The Undertones "The Undertones" (1979)

1979 reissue

The Undertones [debut]
release date: May 1979
format: digital
[album rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: Roger Bechirian
label Sire Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Family Entertainment" (4 / 5) - 2. "Girls Don't Like It" (4 / 5) - 3. "Male Model" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "I Gotta Getta" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Teenage Kicks" (5 / 5) - 6. "Wrong Way" (3,5 / 5) - 7. "Jump Boys" (4 / 5) - 8. "Here Comes the Summer" (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Get Over You" (4 / 5) - 10. "Billy's Third" (3,5 / 5) - 11. "Jimmy Jimmy" (4 / 5) - 12. "True Confessions" (2,5 / 5) - 13. "She's a Run Around" (3,5 / 5) - 14. "I Know a Girl" (3,5 / 5) - 15. "Listening In" (4 / 5) - 16. "Casbah Rock" (3 / 5)

Studio album debut by The Undertones from Northern Ireland. The album was re-released only five months later in a much stronger version including two of the band's most well-known tracks "Teenage Kicks", and "Get Over You". Most bands at the time were quartets, but The Undertones were five as lead vocalist Feargal Sharkey only sang. The rest of the band was made up by Damian O'Neill on lead guitar, keyboard and backing vocals, his older brother John O'Neill on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Michael Bradley on bass and backing vocals, and Billy Doherty on drums. Stylistically, they were part of the punk rock movement in Britain and are quite unique by Sharkey's vocal and O'Neill's guitar sound. Both their songs and videos were often conducted with a considerable amount humour, and the sub-style was also labelled as pop punk were they often liked to construct their songs based on traditional rock & roll, glam rock (T.Rex), or garage rock riffs only much faster and with sheer energy. The album is enlisted in numerous lists counting the best of albums, and naturally also "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The band was one of my favourites in the early 80's, although, I never got around to buy any of their vinyl albums at the time. In 1994 a 7 track bonus version was issued, in 2000 a remastered cd with 10 bonus tracks was released, and in 2009, an Expanded 30th Anniversary Edition with 18 bonus tracks (in addition to the original 14 track album) was released. If I should rate the Expanded 2009 release, I would hand it 5 / 5 stars. The bonus tracks are simply brilliant.
[ allmusic.com, Sputnikmusic 4,5 / 5 stars ]

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