Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FILE UNDER "NORTHERN IRISH SOUL", June 22, 2004
Ah, the spring of 1983 - I was living in London, and the Undertones unleashed their FINAL album then and there. It got RAVE reviews in the British music weeklies! And I'm sure NOTHING in the USA. This is where The Undertones ventured into soul music and more psychedelia, a great combo!! Lots of keyboards on this one, but soulfully done - NOT techno!! Standout tracks: SOUL SEVEN, GOT TO HAVE YOU BACK, BYE BYE BABY BLUE, CHAIN OF LOVE, LOVE PARADE, but there's not a bad tune on the album. OH, this album brings back great memories, and never fails to impress me!!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
13 bonus trax. Who could ask for more. It's as slick as they got. Nice too., March 2, 2006
Well, if yer expecting the power pop of the first two albums, s/t and Hypnotized, yer in for a big, big disappointment. This album is even more polished and designed, pretty clearly, to get on the UK radio as some sorta romantic pop stars or something.
Turns out, they're great song writers in there somewhere. So even when they took this path, it still had lovely pop songs, almost totally minus the power element.
If you want it sweeter and more gentle you've come to the right place. At least they lessened the pain a bit by added a whopping 13 extra trax. So if you happen to get into this new and final direction of the band (of the early 80's period) then you get even more songs or versions of songs.
Nice stuff really. Just, it's not for everyday listening unless yer a real pansy. Uh, did I say that outloud. I like some silly stuff that's too pop sometimes (for some reason I like the PET SHOP BOYS discography and the first PAUL MCCARTNEY solo album and a few WINGS songs even, really though, that's as poofy as I get).
If yer a punk get this album and don't tell anyone.
If you're a nice girl who likes velvety sweet pop songs from nice boys and a vocalist with a patently silly voice who's oh so serious, get this album immediately. chrisbct@hotmail.com
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Underrated, October 24, 2003
The Undertones weren't the first band to blend punk, soul, gospel, and pop, but they did a better job of it than just about anybody else. The guitar melodies and energy of their early work remain prominent on this record, but the arrangements are fuller, tastefully incorporating organ, piano, horns, and occasionally female backup vocalists. Amazingly, the end result is sophisticated yet never slick. Every seeming embellishment proves to be essential to the power of each song. And Feargal Sharkey's quavering vocals carry as much conviction as Smokey Robinson's or Marvin Gaye's. Unlike a lot of reissues, the bonus tracks for this one are a must. "Bittersweet" is a lost classic that really deserved to be a hit single. And the psychedelic "I Can Only Dream" is an absolute masterpiece. I have always felt that Positive Touch is the Undertones' best record. But The Sin of Pride deserved far more credit than either fans or EMI gave it when it was first released. Twenty years later, it sounds better than ever. Fans of The Jam's The Gift, The Beautiful South's Choke, or The Prisoners' In From The Cold will treasure this album.
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