The Undertones: The Undertones 2004

 

The Undertones slam-bang punk-pop drew its strength from one simple fact: you didn't need a secret

handshake to enjoy it. John and Damian O'Neill mated infectious guitar hooks to '60s garage, '70s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkey's signature vocal quaver. Those qualities came together on their breakout hit "Teenage Kicks," whose simplicity harked back to '60s ideals of when the song was king.
               

The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill

(lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley (bass, vocals) and Billy Doherty (drums). Much of the earlier Undertones material drew influence from punk rock and new wave; the Undertones also incorporated elements of rock, glam rock and post-punk into material released after 1979, before citing soul and Motown as the influence for the material released upon their final album. The Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums between 1978 and 1983 before Sharkey announced his intention to leave the band in May 1983, citing musical differences as the reason for the break up.
                          

With the arrival of punk rock in late 1976, the artistic focus of the band changed. Artists such as

the Adverts, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and, particularly, the Ramones became major influences on the Undertones. In addition to being a Scout leader, Feargal Sharkey worked as a television repairman and delivery man. The van which Sharkey drove in this employment was used by the Undertones to transport their equipment to and from various venues.
                    

By the following year, the concerts the Undertones performed would include the song "Teenage Kicks",

which had been written by guitarist John O'Neill in mid-1977. The frenzy attracted a deal from Sire Records, which released the band's rough-and-ready debut in April 1979. That fall, the Undertones earned kudos as a support act on the Clash's American tour. So did Hypnotised, which showed a band already straining against the Ramonesy thrust of earlier singles like "Jimmy Jimmy" and "My Perfect Cousin."
                   

However, the Undertones entertained some notions of growing up, which started when they switched to

EMI. Positive Touch (1981) unveiled exotic instrumental flourishes like horns, slide guitars, tack pianos, and even xylophones; its brief residency in the U.K. Top 50 provided the first inklings of trouble. The band returned after a lengthy lay-off with The Sin of Pride (1983), which flirted with '60s soul and psychedelia.
               

In 1999 the boys skirted their former frontman's reluctance by recruiting Derry's Paul McLoone for two

hometown gigs in 1999, and haven't looked back. The reissues kept coming, while the Teenage Kicks (2001) documentary gave fans a fond review of the band's history. Get What You Need, the first new album in 20 years, earned a thumbs-up from fans on its September 2003 release. Twenty-five years after "Teenage Kicks" put the Undertones on the map, the pride of Derry seem more ubiquitous than ever.
                   

The Undertones – The Undertones
Label: Castle Music – 06076-81319-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 2000
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk

TRAXS

                   

01. Family Entertainment   2:43
Written-By – D. O'Neill
02. Girls Don't Like It   2:18
Written-By – J. O'Neill
03. Male Model   1:58
Written-By – D. O'Neill, J. O'Neill, Bradley
04. I Gotta Getta   1:54
Written-By – J. O'Neill
05. Teenage Kicks   2:28
Written-By – J. O'Neill
06. Wrong Way   1:27
Written-By – Doherty
07. Jump Boys   2:41
Written-By – J. O'Neill
08. Here Comes The Summer (Original Version)   1:45
Written-By – J. O'Neill
09. Get Over You   2:46
Written-By – J. O'Neill
10. Billy's Third   1:57
Written-By – Doherty
11. Jimmy Jimmy   2:44
Written-By – J. O'Neill
12. True Confessions   2:23
Written-By – D. O'Neill, J. O'Neill, Bradley
13. She's A Runaround    1:50
Written-By – J. O'Neill
14. I Know A Girl   2:38
Written-By – D. O'Neill, J. O'Neill, Bradley
15. Listening In   2:26
Written-By – D. O'Neill, J. O'Neill, Bradley
16. Casbah Rock   0:56
Written-By – J. O'Neill

BONUS TRAXS        

                

  
17. Smarter Than You   1:39
Written-By – Doherty, J. O'Neill, Bradley
18. True Confessions   1:56
Written-By – D. O'Neill, J. O'Neill, Bradley
19. Emergency Cases   1:58
Written-By – J. O'Neill
20. Really Really   1:52
Written-By – Doherty
21. She Can Only Say No    0:54
Written-By – J. O'Neill
22. Mars Bars   2:10
Written-By – D. O'Neill, Bradley
23. One Way Love   2:16
Written-By – J. O'Neill
24. Top Twenty   2:14
Written-By – J. O'Neill
25. You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It!)   2:40
Written-By – J. O'Neill
26. Let's Talk About Girls   3:35
Written-By – Freiser

LINE - UP

                       

Bass – Michael Bradley
Drums – Billy Doherty
Guitar – Damian O'Neill, John O'Neill
Vocals – Feargal Sharkey

NOTES

All tracks published by Universal/MCA Music Ltd. except track 26 published by Campbell Connelly & Co. Ltd.
All tracks 1979 The Undertones Ltd. except track 10 1978 The Undertones Ltd.

MP3 @ 320 Size: 134 MB
Flac  Size: 376 MB