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Rating ****
"…More Songs About Chocolate And Girls…"
The display sticker on the front cover of the card slipcase that accompanies this 30th Anniversary Edition of the mighty Undertones second studio album "Hypnotised" (April 1980 on Sire Records) declares them as being 'Ireland's Greatest Ever Band'. Not so sure about that - Thin Lizzy, U2, Horslips, Hothouse Flowers, The Bothy Band, Skid Row with a young Gary Moore, The Boomtown Rats, The Cranberries, Planxty, The Corrs, My Bloody Valentine, Clannad, The Frames, De Danaan etc. But then again (and like so many who lived through their fabulous singles history) - I only have to look at their name and album covers – and I'm a mushball.
Their blindingly good self-titled debut "The Undertones" made the 'Q' Magazine's "100 Greatest British Albums" list and Salvo/Ardeck/Union Square Music did the expanded 30th Anniversary Edition CD reissue and Remaster business by that much-loved album in April 2009 (see separate review).
Well here comes round two - "Hypnotised" resplendent in another card slipcase – an Enhanced CD with 21 audio tracks and a Video of the hugely popular single "My Perfect Cousin" tagged on as Track 22 (accessible through your computer). Digitally Remastered by one of my fave Audio Engineers ANDY PEARCE and I am a very happy Wednesday Week Whizz Kid indeed. So here are More Songs About Chocolate And Girls…
UK released 8 June 2009 - "Hypnotised" by THE UNDERTONES on Salvo/Ardeck/Union Square Music SALVOCD026 (Barcode 698458812629) is an 30th Anniversary Edition Expanded CD Reissue and Remaster of their second studio album from April 1980 that breaks down as follows (52:06 minutes):
1. More Songs About Chocolate And Girls [Side 1]
2. There Goes Norman
3. Hypnotised
4. Save That Girl
5. Whizz Kids
6. Under The Boardwalk
7. The Way Girls Talk
8. Hard Luck
9. My Perfect Cousin [Side 2]
10. Boys Will Be Boys
11. Tearproof
12. Wednesday Week
13. Nine Times Out Of Ten
14. Girls That Don't Talk
15. What's With Terry
Tracks 1 to 15 are their second studio album "Hypnotised" – released 19 April 1980 in the UK on Sire Records SRK 6088.
BONUS TRACKS
16. Hard Luck (Again)
17. I Don't Wanna See You Again
Tracks 16 and 17 are the two Non-LP B-sides of "My Perfect Cousin", 28 March 1980 UK 45-single on Sire SIR 4038
18. I Told You So
Track 18 is the Non-LP B-side of "Wednesday Week", 27 June 1980 UK 45-single on Sire SIR 4042
19. The Positive Touch
20. You're Welcome
21. When Saturday Comes
Tracks 19 to 21 were recorded 16 November 1980 at Eden Studio in London for the John Peel Sessions at the BBC (Peel Session No. 5) – first broadcast 9 December 1980. All three also appear on the 2004 UK CD compilation "Listening In (Radio Sessions 1978-1982)" by The Undertones on Sanctuary SANCD179
ENHANCED CD (Computer Access Only)
22. My Perfect Cousin – Video Directed by Julien Temple for Jon Roseman Television in Derry, Northern Ireland
As you can see from the lists above this Salvo/Ardeck/Union Square Music issue has 21 audio tracks plus 1 video track tagged on at the end. There's also a new card wrap outside the jewel case using the original LP artwork, a 20-page booklet inside which pictures ticket stubs, buttons, 7" sleeves and band photos - and there's detailed and witty liner notes by their bass player MICHAEL BRADLEY. Bradley talks of being in America with Joe Strummer of The Clash and touring with Chess Records legend Bo Diddley. He also gives backgrounds into the song creations of tunes for the difficult second album. Bradley remembers praise from David Byrne of Talking Heads who had their album "Fear Of Music" out at the time (also on Sire Records) and so the jagged-rhythms bopper that opens the LP ("More Songs About Chocolate And Girls") is a word-tribute to a band The Undertones admired. There is discussion on the LP's breakfast photo cover (taken in New York on Tour), the Lobster logo, John and Damian O'Neill running out of songs during the sessions and frantic touring schedules – reaching back to Soul compilations for cover versions they could mold into an Undertones song (The Drifters – "Under The Boardwalk") etc. It is a very entertaining yet factual and lighthearted read – Bradley clearly recalling the excitement with glee and pride.
The remastering has been done by ANDY PEARCE at Masterpiece and is fantastically clear, really clean and in your face. As a downside, it would have been nice to hear more from either their great frontman and singer FEARGAL SHARKEY or especially JOHN O'NEILL - the band's principal songwriter. Bradley makes quoted reference to them, but their input would have made the whole project better.
The self-titled debut had managed a peak UK LP chart position of No.13, so the second LP achieving a No. 6 peak was a clear sign that the band was darlings of both the press and the public. A lot less time and a lot more care, Sharkey and Co sang on the opener "More Songs About Chocolate And Girls" – but better is the racier "There Goes Norman" – a boy busy running after the ladies whilst having the other eye on the valuables in your jacket pockets. Sharkey sounds amazing on the title track "Hypnotised" – and those guitars riffing away as we hear of trances when our hero looks in her eyes. I used to go straight to "Whizz Kids" – a fantastic Undertones crazed rocker – success gone to the heads of big talkers.
You would not think a cover of a Drifters classic would suit The Undertones from Derry – but they New Wave it up via Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson – all bass and jagged guitars thrashing about as Fergal sings of falling in love as he and his gal cruise the strip. An album gem comes in the shape of the kiss-shy lad in "The Way Girls Talk" – a typically smart Undertones tune with sharp lyrics about teenage angst. The side romps home with a Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman-type RAK Records drums and guitar riffer called "Hard Luck" (go Suzi Quatro) – a great track.
Side 2 opens with the brilliant (and funny) "My Perfect Cousin" - probably the song that most engendered the whole of Britain to The Undertones. Even now I never tire of it. The perfect Rock-meets-New Wave sound continues twofold with "Boys Will Be Boys" seguing into the not-so-nice-girl haunting "Tearproof" with that Bass in yer face. Apparently the boys predicted the exact chart position of the single "Wednesday Week" after they wrote it – a No.11- and it did just that – went to number eleven. Bradley puts it down to the Summer Strike in 1980 TV (no Top Of The Pops) so that the song made it up the charts on the strength of strong radio play and not what the public saw on telly. One of the first four songs written for the album, "Nine Times Out of Ten" is a slow riffage moocher with a catchy chorus. The side ends strongly with the very cool "Girls That Don't Talk" – a tune The Clash might have been proud of – and then the final hurrah – an acoustic intro that leads into Talking Heads guitars as Feargal worries about Terry and his troubles with his glasses and a dodgy personality behind the motley lot.
The great thing about British 45s in 1978 and 1979 was the quality of the B-sides – something bands even thought of as a showcase platform – both sides are good and not just the A. And so the two on the flipside of "My Perfect Cousin" come in after a few seconds delay to signify the end of the album and the beginning of the Bonuses – first up is the largely instrumental "Hard Luck (Again)" - a riffer that is almost too good to be relegated to a B-side had some cool words have been put to it. Even better is the belter "I Told You So" that occupied the B-side of the underrated "Wednesday Week" – a two-minute Rock and Rolling slice of Undertones punkiness – followed by three very well recorded three for John Peel – the best for me being "When Saturday Comes".
While "Hypnotised" is no masterpiece in anyone's books (a solid 4-stars) - this is nonetheless a very cool CD Reissue with Extras that genuinely lift up an already good second album into something actually resembling an Anniversary Edition in more than name.
The Undertones may not be Ireland's greatest band (in my opinion) - but Derry's finest are held in huge affection by so many music lovers and not without reason. Them were the days and they were one of the bands that made them so bloody enjoyable...
