a> Undertones revisited: punk pop to Motown Michael Becker RECORD REVIEW OME PEOPLE rank The Undertones among the greatest punk-pop bands. Listening in progres- sion to the four albums pro- duced between 1979 and 1983 confirms they were great for a while and then they weren’t. Rykodisc has just re-issued The Undertones catalogue. The music is available for the first time on compact disc domesti- cally. The music has been remas- tered and track listings have been lengthened with rare tracks and b-sides. The band from Derry, Ireland, exploded on to the British punk scene with Teenage Kicks, a self- released EP. The group got great initial exposure touring with The Clash. fr also didn’t hurt matters that an influential pop arbiter, British D} John Peel, backed The Undertones tune Teenage Kicks {included on the eponymous debut) as one of his all-time favorites. Ultimately it’s the music that must speak for itself. The early recordings speak energetic vol- umes. Songs like Teenage Kicks, Jump Boys, Mars Bars, | Gotta Getta, are the kind of short, sharp blistering pop songs that the Ramones have built an empire upon. The early stuff is loaded with hyperactive twin guitar attack and more critically, mucho teen angst. Vocalist Fearga! Sharkey’s tremulous voice provided the ideal vehicle with which to deliv- er songs about boys worrying about getting girls, losing girls, and then looking to get more girls. But where Undertones con- temporaries such as Sex Pistols or Damned stayed the course stylis- tically before shifting trends and personal implosions took their toll, The Undertones chose to change their approach to music. By 1983 and the release of the last disc, Sin Of Pride, the tren- chant punk stance was history and the band was turning out Motown pop with psychedelic underpinnings. The Undertones split up soon after the release. They moved too far and too fast to keep their fans and focus, but in the process they left us with lots of fun music. Undertones guitarists John O'Neill and Damian O'Neill eventually formed That Petrol Emotion while Sharkey fronted UK pop band Assembly. The Undertones .— The Undertones, Rykodise 1994 Big rolling beat, primitive chord progressions and plenty of crude hormonal attitude inform these 23 tracks. The longest song clocks in at 2:44. There are clas- sics here. Teenage Kicks, a quin- tessential expression of unrequit- punk outburst. Emerging musical arrangement talent brought the band te the Motown sound by 1983. ed do-or-die teen lust for girls and Mars Bars, an expression of unrequited do-or-die teen lust for chocolate confection are the gen- uine thing. The album, released in 1979, is the most spontaneous disc the group put out. It’s also one of the best. ; DAILY LIMIT SALMON PER PERSON Rykodisc 1994 The second album sees The Undertones becoming more self- conscious in their lyrics and more sophisticated in the pro- duction of the songs. Hypnotised also reveals the group at its worst, there’s a really limp cover of Under The Boardwalk. But the disc also contains some of the group’s best songs. There Goes Norman, My Perfect Cousin, Nine Times Out Of Ten, show The Undertones as masters of pure pop. It’s fast and it’s exuber- ant. The album was relezsed in 1980. The Undertones — Positive Touch, Rykodisc 1994 Undertones chronicler Alex Ogg assesses Positive Touch as the least accessible set of the four releases, but he may be hung-up on the fact that the band tried See Derry page 46 PACKAGE INCLUDES: * Round trip flight from Vancouver B.C. * Ship & shore accommodation * Two 7 hour fishing trips. * Guide skippered cruises. * Complete fishing tackle ¢ Cleaning and packaging o! catch GET YOUR FREE VIDEO AND INFO-KIT NOW PHONE US FREE 4-800-663-7090 FAX: (694) 598-1361 Spring Shoes and Clothing 30% off handbags 30% off jewellery Hurry for best selection! 986-4893 LONSDALE QUAY 2ND FLOOR FASHION FROM VANCOUVER, B.C. | 2 DAYS /2 NIGHTS PER PERSON, D&L OCC. ASK ABOUT OUR 3 DAY PACKAGE INCLUDING THREE 7 HR, FISHING TRIPS DAILY LIMIT P HALIBUT PER PERSON