- Second Toughest in the Infants
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Second Toughest in the Infants Studio album by Underworld Released 19 March 1996 Genre Techno
House
Trance
ElectronicaLength 73:01 Label Junior Boys Own Producer Underworld Underworld chronology Dubnobasswithmyheadman
(1994)Second Toughest in the Infants
(1996)Beaucoup Fish
(1999)Singles from Second Toughest in the Infants - "Pearl's Girl"
Released: 1996 - "Rowla"
Released: 1996 - "Juanita"
Released: 1996 (promo only)
Alternative cover Vinyl editionSecond Toughest in the Infants is the fourth album by Underworld, and the second in their classic "MK2" lineup with Darren Emerson. With this album, Underworld expanded on their progressive palette, while developing their signature sound of abrasive beats and anthemic melodies. The unusual name of the album derives from a comment made by member Rick Smith's six-year-old nephew, Simon Prosser, when asked on his progress at Infant School, the level of schooling attended by four- to seven-year-old children in the United Kingdom. The working title, Tonight Matthew, I'm Going to Be Underworld, itself a variation on the catchphrase from the British entertainment programme Stars in Their Eyes, was deemed too obscure for international markets. Second Toughest featured the single "Pearl's Girl". The re-issue featured the band's best known single, "Born Slippy .NUXX".
Contents
Overview
The album opens with one of Underworld's longest tracks to date; the multi-song suite "Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream of Love", which features all three parts intersecting each other at various points during the piece. The loungy, drum and bass track "Banstyle" follows, alongside its downtempo, half-speed counterpart "Sappy's Curry". The rest of the record showcases advancements in the Underworld sound: both "Rowla" and "Pearl's Girl" feature club-ready abrasive beats and basslines, while "Blueski" and "Stagger" incorporate live acoustic guitar and light, melancholic arrangements, respectively. "Pearl's Girl" is one of the few Underworld songs to use breakbeats.
Due to the success of the single "Born Slippy .NUXX", Second Toughest was re-issued with a bonus disc containing the single-only tracks "Born Slippy .NUXX" and "Rez"; Japanese editions also featured "Cherry Pie" and the "(Carp Dreams... Koi)" mix of "Pearl's Girl".
The song titles "Sappy's Curry", "Pearl's Girl" and "Born Slippy" all come from the names of racing greyhounds.[1]
Critical Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [2] ARTISTdirect [3] Entertainment Weekly (B+) [4] Robert Christgau (C+) [5] NME (8/10) [6] Rate Your Music (3.84/5.00) [7] Amazon.com [8] Amazon.co.uk [9] Like Dubnobasswithmyheadman, Second Toughest in the Infants received critical acclaim. Allmusic gave the album 5 out of 5 stars saying that it "carries the same knockout punch of their debut, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, but it's subtler and more varied, offering proof that the outfit is one of the leading dance collectives of the mid-'90s". Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating saying "This is no dumb-bass dance music. Underworld know how to expand the frenzy of techno and jungle and then retreat to an ambient cool. The art is in the segue". The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Track listing
All songs by Darren Emerson, Karl Hyde, and Rick Smith unless noted.
- "Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream of Love" – 16:36
- "Banstyle / Sappy's Curry" – 15:22
- "Confusion the Waitress" – 6:47
- "Rowla" – 6:31
- "Pearl's Girl" – 9:36
- "Air Towel" – 7:37
- "Blueski" – 2:55
- "Stagger" – 7:37
Reissue bonus CD
- "Born Slippy .NUXX" – 11:40
- "Rez" – 9:55 (Hyde/Smith)
- "Cherry Pie" – 8:25
- "Pearls Girl (Carp Dreams... Koi)" – 10:06
References
- ^ Ron Slomowicz. "Interview with Karl Hyde of Underworld". About.com Guide. http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/interviews/a/IntUnderworld_4.htm.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/second-toughest-in-the-infants-r232873
- ^ http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,227541,00.html
- ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,292272,00.html link
- ^ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1639&name=Underworld
- ^ http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1152697/a/Second+Toughest+In+The+Infants.htm
- ^ http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/underworld/second_toughest_in_the_infants/
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Second-Toughest-Infants-Underworld/dp/B000003RHD
- ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Toughest-Infants-Underworld/dp/B000024B9S
Underworld Studio albums (mk.1) Studio albums (mk.2/3) Dubnobasswithmyheadman · Second Toughest in the Infants · Beaucoup Fish · A Hundred Days Off · Oblivion with Bells · BarkingOther albums (mk.2/3) Soundtracks (mk.3) wordimagesoundplay · Breaking and Entering · Sunshine · FrankensteinThe Riverrun Project (mk.3) Singles (mk.2/3) "Dirty" · "Bigmouth" · "Mother Earth" · "Mmm Skyscraper... I Love You" · "Rez" · "Spikee" · "Dark & Long" · "Cowgirl" · "Dirty Epic" · "Born Slippy" · "Rowla" · "Pearl's Girl" · "Born Slippy .NUXX" · "Juanita" · "Moaner" · "Push Upstairs" · "Jumbo" · "King of Snake" · "Bruce Lee" · Beaucoup Fish Singles · "8 Ball" · "Cowgirl (Live)" · "Two Months Off" · "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" · "Born Slippy .NUXX 2003" · "JAL to Tokyo" · "Vanilla Monkey" · "Play Pig" · "Peggy Sussed" · "Crocodile" · "Boy, Boy, Boy" · "Beautiful Burnout" · "Ring Road" · "020202" · "Phonestrap" · "Holding the Moth" · "Scribble" · "Always Loved a Film" · "Bird 1" · "Diamond Jigsaw"Videography Kiteless · Footwear Repairs by Craftsmen at Competitive Prices · Everything, Everything · Book of Jam – Video · The Bells the Bells · Barking – The Films · Live from the RoundhouseRelated articles Categories:- 1996 albums
- Underworld albums
- "Pearl's Girl"
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