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Week U
Jan 23, 2015 13:30:06 GMT
Post by sandbachhatter on Jan 23, 2015 13:30:06 GMT
Here U go then, U lot:
U2 UB40 Ultravox Undertones, The Utah Saints.
Go.
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Week U
Jan 23, 2015 13:35:23 GMT
Post by sirroger on Jan 23, 2015 13:35:23 GMT
Mention for Uriah Heep and their excellent album, 'Very 'Eavy....Very 'Umble'. Great album sleeve too.
It's the brilliant Undertones for me this week.
There is however a caveat, I will switch my vote to anyone else should they have a chance of beating U2 and the ridiculous Paul Hewson, to top spot.
Hopefully this will not be necessary.
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Post by bigfudge on Jan 23, 2015 14:02:39 GMT
Not a massive fan of any, I'll say UB40 as it was them who sang swing low during England winning the World Cup!
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Week U
Jan 23, 2015 16:26:13 GMT
via mobile
Post by gazz on Jan 23, 2015 16:26:13 GMT
Ultravox and Midge for me, sheer brilliance.
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Week U
Jan 23, 2015 16:29:44 GMT
Post by hatter_in_macc on Jan 23, 2015 16:29:44 GMT
The Undertones for me, scarcely without a moment's thought, this week. The adolescent odes that peppered their first album - one of the best debut long-players ever - and its follow-up, Hypnotised, were peerless pearls of teenage angst. Ideal for those who either eschewed soppiness, or who couldn't own up in front of their mates to liking the Shangri-Las.
They were instantly accessible to the listener, too. Despite the new wave tag, Teenage Kicks is a perfect - nay, the perfect - pop song. And Feargal Sharkey's warbling voice added to their distinctive sound... although, even when the band reformed without him, after the turn of the century, they still had an ear for a decent tune. Comeback album, Get What You Need, with Paul McLoone assuming vocal duties, is a lost treasure.
Honourable, quirky mentions for The Unthanks and... erm, the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain!
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Post by offertonhatter on Jan 23, 2015 17:56:08 GMT
I was waiting for the letter U. I have seen this band several times, they are part of my youth in the 80's I have all their albums and DVD of all the videos (as well as on VHS) The one the only ULTRAVOX
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Week U
Jan 23, 2015 19:59:03 GMT
Post by ceefer on Jan 23, 2015 19:59:03 GMT
UB40for me
followed by U2 and the Undertones.
Went to some club in Moss Side just before UB40 hit and saw them play.
Red red wine is timeless.
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Week U
Jan 24, 2015 12:11:26 GMT
Post by collingecounty on Jan 24, 2015 12:11:26 GMT
Some great bands here.
But U2 for me: to use a line from Shakespeare, they 'bestride the world like a colossus.'
Seen them in Brum in the 90s. Awesome. Yes, a stadium band, but for me they maintain their credibility. Some great songs, many infused with religious messages, so it's not just the a Devil who has all the good tunes.
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Week U
Jan 26, 2015 16:14:22 GMT
Post by Epworth Hatter on Jan 26, 2015 16:14:22 GMT
Trickier than I thought this week, U know.
The band beginning with U that I have listened to the most is Ultrasound. Odd looking, but good sounding. But not quite good enough for my vote this week.
I must confess to listening to U2 in my youth. I liked their early albums, especially The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum and even Achtung Baby.
But then it all went wrong. Not really with the music, but Bono. His sermonising over poverty and injustice whilst moving his millions to a tax haven reducing Ireland's tax revenue and, consequently, its Overseas Aid budget makes me sick. I just cannot bear his use of corporate-friendly tax dodges whilst guilting us into giving our cash to fight poverty in Africa; it is the very definition of hypocrisy. I don't need to hear a lecture from someone telling me to sponsor a malaria treatment in Africa from someone who doesn't contribute to the hip replacement of a poverty stricken granny in Ireland. I'll sponsor the building of a well in Africa on one condition - he jumps in and stays the *@!% down there. Make Poverty History? Make Bono History.
Anyway, where was I?
Oh yes, my vote this week goes to The Undertones. In honour of John Peel (RIP) I hope they get on the CD. John used to rate new songs on a scale of 1-5 on his Radio 1 show. He gave Teenage Kicks 28! Their first album is pure genius.
"Teenage dreams, so hard to beat"
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Week U
Jan 26, 2015 16:44:01 GMT
Post by bringbacklenwhite on Jan 26, 2015 16:44:01 GMT
I have no preference this week so I shall abstain from voting.
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Week U
Jan 26, 2015 19:16:53 GMT
Post by archie on Jan 26, 2015 19:16:53 GMT
Only U2 in my collection but I have the same reservations as Eppy so my vote goes to Phil Upchurch who has been making music since Adam was a lad.
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Week U
Jan 27, 2015 0:31:07 GMT
Post by another_ruined_saturday on Jan 27, 2015 0:31:07 GMT
not a vintage week.
because i was twelve or so when it came out, i really liked 'under a blood red sky', but 'the unforgettable fire' has -still has- some lovely moments. i like the title track, 'a sort of homecoming', and 'bad', but 'promenade', and 'MLK' are both lovelier and relatively understated with edge's chiming bell guitars. unfortunately 'pride (in the name of love)' is about as spectacularly, cackhandedly message-y and overblown as you can get. later, 'all i want is you' was pretty, and there were a couple of singles off 'zooropa' that i liked - 'lemon' was twitchy and shimmery with electric pulse, and 'stay (faraway so close)' was their last (relatively, again) non-bombastic pop tune. bono is a cock though, as every fule kno.
back before that, as a pre-teen, i loved the richness and splendour of 'vienna', and even now i will barely have it that it's ridiculous. i once handed in as a piece of english o'level course work a 'poem' which was in fact the lyrics of 'rage in eden's title track. i only got a 'c'. well i'd run out of time, and i learned the word 'facade' from that song. i really can't stick some of the faster stuff - 'dancing with tears in my eyes' is f***ing awful, as is 'love's great adventure', but i liked 'the voice', and later the dramatic 'visions in blue' and laid back 'lament'.
for about ten minutes i liked a couple of ultra vivid scene's songs. 'the mercy seat' (not the nick cave one) features a young moby playing guitar in the video, and there was an alright one with kim deal co-vocalising with kurt ralske too.
unrest released a decent album in '91 or '92 called 'imperial f.f.r.r.', and the nearly title track 'imperial' remains a thing of pretty wonder from the american underground.
uncle tupelo's 'still feel gone' from about the same time doesn't have that many memorable tunes, but does have 'if that's alright' to close. that is a broken american dream coated in small town dust. a man in a gas station shirt ruminating about slideshows of funfairs. understated in a way the bono of castles and helicopters, perma-shades and acting for causes he can't articulate will never understand.
in the battle of one great song (at least that i've heard) uncle tupelo just about take it. then they split and went off to form wilco (of whom probably more later) and son volt.
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Week U
Jan 27, 2015 8:45:16 GMT
Post by sandbachhatter on Jan 27, 2015 8:45:16 GMT
Time for a half-way score update:
Undertones, The 3 UB40 2 Ultravox 2 U2 1 Uncle Tupelo 1 Upchurch, Phil 1
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2015 9:06:11 GMT
I'm torn between The Undertones and Ultravox.
Hmm....
Ultravox just shades it.
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Week U
Jan 27, 2015 18:33:17 GMT
Post by another_ruined_saturday on Jan 27, 2015 18:33:17 GMT
sorry to be a pest, sandy, as it's not going to make any difference anyway; but i'd forgotten ugly casanova. what isaac brock of modest mouse did in 2003 when he wasn't modest mouse-ing. one album only, 'sharpen your teeth'. and -count 'em- four mournful, melodic great songs along with a load more itchy time signatured stuff like his day job. they beat uncle tupelo and unrest by 3 songs, so them.
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