A long term fan, but this is a massive misstep. A cheesy, cheap, pop album, without atmosphere or decent ideas. How long does it take to produce album like this? Take ANY track from previously released albums, every single is miles away than any of those - its just somebody feat. Karl Hyde.

Totally agree with Sonoluca 100%, and this now marks a hole in my Underworld collection as it won't have a place there.
What would drive producers of this quality and excellent back catalogue history, to release a cheesy piece of crap like this is beyond me. Massively disappointing.
Vale Underworld.

my thoughts exactly.
what a sheer disappointment this album is.

Hamburg Hotel is nice though.

"And best of all, it feels free from all of the typical dance music cliches" - Barking is one big cliché, sounds like rip off of everything I have been trying to avoid last couple of years.

I know how it might sound - I do have respect to different opinions though - but I can hardly imagine a single person, who grew up listening to them, or even discovered them later, could ever like this album. Don't take me wrong, I wouldn't mind at all if they would have delivered something different than their previous material, as they have been evolving ever since, but this is too much (who did they aim it for? - shampoos who will love this album and be highly "disappointed" with the rest of their discography probably). When I was listening to it, I was really ashamed this music carries an Underworld's name, might be just me, but thats the exact feeling I had. What the f-- has happened to this world, who's next - Depeche Mode?

never made a good track in their lives. i didn't even like born slippy when i was 16.

like many others, i'm not too sure about this album , i dont like van dyk and all that stuff, so im waiting for the double cd with other versions on it .i quite liked scribble which works well live too, when i saw them at roundhouse the new tracks didnt work so well , not only because they were unfamiliar.

suprised it got 4

nothing will ever top dubnobasswithmyheadman

While endless quibbling with someone else's music opinion is a bit pointless (not that that never goes on here, I agree this review missed the mark in a lot of ways.

Upon pressing play on the album, my instant reaction, as someone who grew up with their earlier work but hadn't listened for a while, was "wow, they sure sound commercial now," and judging by the other responses that was pretty much everyone else's take.

There's just a huge gulf between the Underworld of previous albums and a piece of cheesy dance pop like "Always Loved A Film." Did anyone remotely associate these guys with producers like Paul Van Dyk, or Mark Knight & D. Ramirez?

Now go back and listen to Dubnobasswithmyheadman - THAT album deserved 4, or maybe 5, stars. Meaning this one, which pales in comparison, surely deserves a lot less.

A very weak and commercial album! I was really frustrated, but somehow expected it: I got used to the fact that many electronic veterans are 'have-beens' and cannot keep up with really interesting and gifted acts.

Hit the nail on the head Sonoluca: "...- its just somebody feat. Karl Hyde."

In my mind Underworld have been so long-lasting because their music has always had so much personality. This record is truly disappointing not because it's complete shit but because it just doesn't feel like the Underworld that I've loved for so many years.

I was hoping Underworld would get back to their roots on this one. Just wasn't expecting them to go all the way back to 'Underneath the Radar'.
Still as long as they only add a tune or two to their live set they'll still have a better show than most electronic acts.

starting with the dissapointing colaboration with dubfire and the one with van dick, we can see there is something bad. unfortunate cd

Dubfire? Paul Van Dyk? This is awful. It sounds generic and too similar to the electro-house thing of the past few years. Underworld seem to have lost their personality in this release.

'Always Loved a Film' sounds awkwardly like one of Fischerspooner's weaker moments. Overall, it seems tired.

The review does not make justice to what resident advisor is known for: truth and credibility... I must say I am not a hater, I love Underworld and really expected them to come up with something at least as brilliant as their previous works, but this album sounds very commercial and hollow. Too bad they decided to make a watered down pastiche of Underneath The Radar, an album made before they learned what electronic music is all about...

I have to go against the grain and say that I really enjoyed this album. I particularly liked Scribble, Always Loved a Film and Diamond Jigsaw; the vocals really work, and it's sonically interesting. It's not a masterpiece, but it's quite an enjoyable album.

I'll reserve my judgement until hearing the album in full but I feel it'll pale in time compared to the earlier material. I was hoping they would go back to the more considered, downbeat territory of '100 Days Off', but...

That said, I have been an admirer of their music for fifteen years now and they have always innovated and surprised with every release. To write them off as 'has-beens' (someone said it earlier) for criminally being over 35 is rather childish.

Top, top album.
I was terrified of the PVD co-op, but it turned out to be one of the best tracks on it.

Great to hear a different side to Underworld. What an album, what a band.

they have never ever dissapoint me..thank U underworld....
moon in the water
always loved a film
scribble
bird 1..
damn the Whole album is great!!!!

You lot are just waaay too cool for this. Leave well alone.

If being over 35 is a crime, then thats carl cox sven vath ritchie hawtin out then. Come on. Once a raver always a raver in my eyes!

Too right! This review is not just off the mark its off the reservation! Oblivion and 100 Days were terrible disappointments by previous Underworld standards. But they seem like delightful reflections on Underworld's past successees compared to this...this shit-stain-in-Karl-Hyde's-undies of an album. Not only have they lost their propulsive momentum and ambitious production styles since Emerson left, now they've added a bunch of totally crap producers to do the heavy lifting for them. Paul Van Dyk's hay-day ended about the time Emerson left didn't it? Only Appleblim turns in a half decent attempt. I was only asleep, instead of nauseous, by the second minute of the track. Scribble is infuriatingly awful as are nearly all the other tracks.

Barking is so bad, it makes me question whether I can still appreciate Second Toughest, Beaucoup Fish or Dubnobass knowing what Underworld has now become. Ok, well that's taking it a little too far. Those three albums I'll never stop loving. Barking is like Michael Bay's Transformers movie though. It takes the memory of something I loved dearly in days long past, and through sheer temerity and total disregard for the past, commits nasty, unspeakable things to that memory.

Everyone involved in the conception, production and release of this album should be deeply ashamed of themselves. They can do better than this, and they know it but don't seem to care. Is that why Emerson left?

Underworlds first album was pure 80's pants. This one is Ok And I bet half of the people who say they hate it will be jumpin about to it at cheezy discos come christmas work nights out. If there is still any work come December. Peace Xx

Amen brother, couldn't have said it better myself.

The style is listed as "Techno". Sounds more like Synth-Pop.

What makes you think you have the right to assume that you know what artists' intentions are? And just because you don't like the direction they've taken, you tell them they should be ashamed of themselves? That is fucked up. You don't like the album, so big deal. Get over it and get a fucking grip.

Commercialism = crime. Very sad that the snobbery & elitism of the dance music community still exists. Orbital316' s post nailed it. Now excuse me while I go and listen to 'the latest up & coming Underground DJ's 36 hour minimal set' - ZZZZzzzzzzzzz. One should remember it's the people who actually make the music who are the real stars.........

gotta wonder.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola

Improves with repeated listens. I actually found 'Hamburg Hotel' one of the more interesting cuts on the album, despite the review. With a back catalogue spanning 20+ years, it tough to always do 'groundbreaking' - they're due some respect.

This is one of the ugliest covers ever.

Pop music people, that’s what this is. Hands in the air kinda stuff you know – what the hell is wrong with that. Hell I love this album – go pop!

not bad at all if you ask me
one thing is indeed true , the cover stinks :-)

This is the worst underworld album
very disappointing!

One or two tunes I don't like, but that's always been the case for me and Underworld. In general, thumbs up, many solid tracks that sound great, and even better when played LOUD.

As an aside, I was taking photos for a mag when Underworld were playing here in Melbourne recently. I was happily snapping away, suddenly they started playing a tune I didn't recognise. It_went_off, the crowd went crazy, turns out they were playing "Scribble". I put the camera down and just enjoyed it. They followed up with another new one which I think was "Between Stars". That was just as big.

I was surprised by the tranciness of the second track, and was upset to hear Hyde just singing out "Heeeeaaven! Heeeeaaven!" to ruin what was shaping up to be a nice, crisp second hit on the album. But overall, it didn't sound like the Underworld I thought I knew, but I don't think they have such a specific identity when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, taking in the variety of sounds in their long discography.

It was clearly the intention of this album to experiment with different sytles and twists of the "mainstream" dance sounds, else they would not have chosen this batch of collaborators, who are all prominent in their own sub-genres. But Underworld have always been somewhat a mainstram dance act to me anyway, just a very good, refined and innovative version of mainstram: consistently setting the benchmark of quality for full-length dance music albums.

For me, the end product is not as good and respectable as the review suggests, but it is certainly well produced and rather catchy. But I don't choose to leap upon the bandwagon of classic elitist, opinionated, inverted snobbery that is common for "shocking" (I don't mean as in "shockingly bad") releases from big reputations. I simply don't think it's bad enough to warrant all the villagers rounding up a mob to prepare the burning faggots for their once-shamanic leaders of the tribe, if you will allow me some poetic license. Don't get too carried away with the negative press folks!

What a shit !

SUPERB THANKS !

SUPERB THANKS !!!!!!