"Kittens" - Classic or Dud?

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All this talk of the new Underworld single led me to look for it on WinMX (NO JOY). What I ended up with instead was track 8 from _Beaucoup Fish_, a track I find to be stunning, surreal, ominous, uplifting, oppressive and all-around fucking marvelous. I would even go as far as saying that it's far and away the best thing Underworld has ever recorded, narrowly beating out "Pearl's Girl", "Dirty Epic", "MMM Skyscraper I Love You" and "Tongue". That lovely bliss-out part at 4:25 that just drones and swirls on for a minute is truly breath-taking, making a perfect counterpoint to the dirty drum cadence at the beginning of the song.

Why wasn't this a single instead of "Bruce Lee" (aka "That Fucking Embarrassing Song Which Is The Only Thing Keeping Me From Buying _Beaucoup Fish_")?

― Dan Perry, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I hadn't even thought of it as a stand-out track from Beaucoup Fish, not even a highlight of their career. It is pretty special, tho. I'll re-examine. "Bruce Lee", on the other hand, was fun. I don't know if it should've been a single, but it was nice. Maybe it's the difference of hearing it in the context of the album, and hearing it alone.

― Keiko, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It was released as a 12"

Kind of famous Underworld track, too. It got played out quite a lot.

― Michael Dieter, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I can just see people going absolutely mad to this. If I was a DJ, this would be a staple of my sets.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dan, exactly how many times have I told you to buy Beaucoup Fish?

"Kittens" isn't even the best thing on there, but it is very good. I guess it wasn't released because they released three bangers in a row and wanted a bit of variety.

― Tim, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Kittens" is classic - insistent yet swirly, stonkin' blissout etc; but what's with all the "Bruce Lee" hating? Perfect hypnotic lurchclatter detroitesque mentalist we-aimed-at-hip-hop-and-look- where-we-ended-up! that's probably the most interesting thing Underworld have done, rhythmically . . . plus the Micronauts remix is one of the best remixes EVER.
"Kittens" should have been one of the first singles off B.Fish, though.

― Ess Kay, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dan, you mentalist, I cannot believe you *still* haven't bought Beaucoup Fish. Go get it now!

― RickyT, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kittens IS fantastic. They actually gave the track away free as an mp3 before the album was launched. has anyone got that new underworld track? any chance of filepileing, or whatevah?

― Alan T, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Haha, Tim and RickyT think I'm mental... AND THEY'RE RIGHT.

"Kittens" is the best thing on that album, though. The only tracks on the album that come close are "King Of Snake" (which I have raved about in the past; possibly the only reason I don't say it's the best thing on the album is because the Fatboy Slim remix is far and away the best version of it and that isn't on the album) and, oddly enough, "Winjer". "Push Upstairs" only works in the context of a live performance for me, which is why I LOOOOVE the version on _Everything, Everything_. "Jumbo" is quite excellent, but doesn't move me nearly as much as "Kittens". "Moaner" tries too hard to capture the same type of feeling that "Kittens" pulls off effortlessly. "Cups" works its deep-house vibe well before going into that final synth freakout, but really the synth freakout is the only reason I ever want to listen to that song and therefore I much prefer the harder-edged _Everything, Everything_ version. "Bruce Lee" I've already discussed (IT SUX0R).

I'm going to listen to this song again right now. Since I got a copy of it at work, I've listened to it almost non-stop (with a little Cee-Lo and Orbital for variety).

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I found the inclusion of Moaner odd because it was on the JBO compilation well over a year before BF came out. i still like it a lot though. it's much harder/relentless than kittens -- which has those *ahem* euphoric breaks.

― Alan T, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was surprised Moaner was on there too, as it doesn't fit with the rest of the album.... it was on one of the Batman soundtracks (Forever?) even before it was on the JBO comp....

Simon

― Simon, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

OK, now I remember which one Kittens was... I have to say that it's not one of my faves from the album (which in itself is the weakest of the 3 'new' Underworld albums). I think it would've made a solid single vinyl release, but with the exception of Moaner, the second half (from Push Downstairs) is dull and plodding IMO.

The strongest tracks on the album are KoS, Skym, Shudder and Push Upstairs IMO, which all sound like a decent progression from Second Toughest, particularly the more organic sounds of Push Upstairs,

I'm surprised you like the FBS mix of KoS, as that was (I thought) the weakest... it lacks the swing of the original and Dave Clarke mixes, and sounds very fragmented in comparison...

Simon

― Simon, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The fragmentation of the Fatboy Slim remix is what makes it so great, especially in how it's reflected in the beat and the vocal samples. At any rate, I think _Second Toughest..._ is far and away their weakest effort, especially since I can only stand most of the songs on it in a live setting ("Pearl's Girl" being the obvious exception). Actually, I dislike "Push Upstairs" for the same reason I dislike a lot of _Second Toughest..._; it's a lot of mid-energy plodding that takes too long to build up to anything worthwhile and loses my interest two minutes into the damn thing. The only things on _Beaucoup Fish_ more dull and plodding are "Push Downstairs" and "Bruce Lee".

I cannot fathom liking "Moaner" more than "Kittens". When I heard that song on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack, I decided that Underworld had decided that putting out decent singles was too much work and had fully invested themselves in living off of their live performances. (I've since grown to like the song more, but it's really clumsy and facile in its execution.)

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The end of Kittens is what MAKES the album, vague anxiety that one or two BF moments are a tad polite/anonymous is eliminated by huge late- afternoon-sunshine-dazzle-event from about 04:50 onwards, and everything suddenly shifts into focus and makes the whole elpee skyrocket in delirious styleé. The rest of the track is corrosive cheesegrater brilliance also, although my other favourites on the album are Cups and Jumbo, both of which could be dismissed as 'polite' by people like myself, but which win you over with their soft'n'gentle pulsatings... it's not often i go for the 'quiet' tracks over the lourder ones, but here they're so much warmer and luscious-er. I like Bruce Lee well enough, but it does fuck up the otherwise-flawlessly-conceived futurist smooooooth musi-womb, in almost identical way to The Beck Track offof Air's 10,000hz Legend. Tch, and grrrrr.

― Alex Linsdell, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dan, you think "Push Upstairs" is "mid-energy"??!?!

You must listen to a lot more gabba than I had previously thought.

― Tim, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Mid-energy" in terms of intensity more than tempo. The first minute is exciting and the last minute is exciting; the rest of it is completely uninvolving to me as it appears on the album. For some reason, the live version on _Everything, Everything_ works in all the ways that the album version doesn't, mostly by pumping up the drums so that they aren't so anemic-sounding. (Having said all that, compared to the Atari Teenage Riot fest I was wallowing in two weeks ago, a lot of Underworld stuff is mid-tempo!)

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

This thread made me listen to Beaucoup Fish again today, and reminded me of my theory theory that a) the first 4 songs are as strong as any opening sequence on any dance album, and b) they also constitute one of the best "arguments" for the 4/4 beat that I can think of.

― Tim, Wednesday, 19 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and I'll just reiterate for the umpteenth time that, even though he's softened a bit, Dan's take on "Cups" is, like, totally wrong wrong wrong.

But I still wuv you Dan.

― Tim, Wednesday, 19 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Aww. *group hug*

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 19 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I am reviving this thread because guess what? I'm playing this song on endless loop again. Also, I've completely shocked myself by falling in love with the album version of "Push Upstairs"!

Also, "Moaner" works primarily because of the two minute long coda. The rest of it is a little bit on the "push the Underworld preset button" side.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The secret key to this track is the syncopated snare juxtaposed against the martial strict-rhythm synth line; I'm a sucker for tracks that take the snare/ride cymbal role-reversal technique found in most cool jazz and apply it to their own idiom.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

i really like 'Bruce Lee' actually - where is the sampled dialogue from? and does she really say 'Luke got the wrong bloke?'

favourite tracks on the album remain Shudder/King Of Snake, Jumbo and Cups tho - Something Like A Mama is the only one i skip

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

MADMAN! "Something Like A Mama" is like a perfect moment in frenetic stasis.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

i haven't listened to BF for a long time having caned it so much in '99 and '00 (along with Remedy and Surrender)

i still treasure my Dave Clarke and Dave Angel remix 12"s of King Of Snake tho, even tho the 'Barking' mix aka video version ("Hey fellow dancer great times, doing it, explode mystic dove!") is actually the best of the lot

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"jumbo" is that the one that sounds like '80's Wire?

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I usually skip "Moaner" (but depending on my mood it can seem like the best song in the world; weird one, that) but other than it Beaucoup Fish is impeccable.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

i do love the synth pads at the very end of 'Moaner' as they seem like a real change of tack - as if Hyde has suddenly realised how ridiculous he's sounded for the last few minutes and is now pondering his slight embarassment and whether anyone was really listening anyway

but the important thing was SHE WAS CALLING FROM AMERICA!

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

(In my last post, "this track" referred back to "Kittens" in case anyone was confused.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh his delivery of the usual UW lyrics is certainly a plus ("city loves a boyfriend!" as if God himself has told him that).

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

ref to "Moaner", not "Kittens"

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

To date, I think the best lyrical delivery on an Underworld song is a toss-up between "Dirty Epic" and "Lutein".

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

doesn't he say 'Cokey Cola' on 'Luetin'? that puts me right off. i think 'Pearl's Girl' is his best delivery

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

and i guess 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Great Bits on Beaucoup Fish #27: On 'Skym' when that effected loop of Hyde's voice going 'Aiii aiii aiii' drops in - despite listening to that track so many times i still find it hard to pinpoint exactly when that's gonna come in (i guess because the track is beatless)

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Pearl's Girl" is my #3, but that might be for the lyrics themselves rather than the delivery. (My #4 is "mmm skyscraper i love you" and my #5 is "Jumbo". Overexposure has really soured me on the delivery of "Born Slippy (NUXX)", plus ever since I discovered the lyricless original mix I've had no time for NUXX anyway.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

All good choices. "Dirty Epic" is probably his best singing, while "Pearl's Girl" and "Born Slippy" are tied in my mind for best, uh, speaking

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Congratulations, you all have a healthy appreciation for the best Underworld album!!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah the lyricless original (and very different) 'Born Slippy' IS better (and a bit 'Kittens'y come to that)

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

When I first heard "Kittens" it was at the college radio station and the vinyl promo copy didn't specify whether it was 33.33 or 45 rpm. God knows why, but I ended up playing it at 33, and I thought "this is a departure..." All slow epic-feeling, grandeur-house. Damned if it didn't grow on my in that roughly 11 minute, strutting-tempo version. When I finally figured out my mistake after a couple listens, I realized that I could never get into the track as it was meant to be played. I had ruined "Kittens" forever. Ah well.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 14 November 2003 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"grow on me" not "my"

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 14 November 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone know of a good plug-in for QCD that lets you slow down an mp3?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

(I'm reviving this thread because I've been misspelling "Luetin" and never noticed.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 19 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

nine months pass...

BEST SONG EVER (for the next 7:33 anyway)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 27 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

the best Underworld album!!

My God, he's right. I always thought it was lightweight compared to the first two - not having a "consistent feel" or some bullshit. Oh, the wasted years.

― Lukas (lukas), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

nine months pass...

THUMPA THUMPA THUMPA THUMPA PEEEYOW BOMP

I am completely, totally in love with this whole album now. Except "Bruce Lee". Heh.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 10 June 2005 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

SHE'S CALLING FROM AMERICA
I AM A ROBOT
A ROBOT WITH A GUN
MOANER MOANER MOANER
WAIT, IS THAT TEA?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 10 June 2005 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

where's she calling from again?

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:00 (twenty-one years ago)

What kind of moon?

Bruce Lee is ace.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone know of a good plug-in for QCD that lets you slow down an mp3?

omg we need Beaucoup Fish Screwed & Chopped stat.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG OMG

http://www.quinnware.com/list_plugins.php?plugin=147

OMG! This is outstanding.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:36 (twenty-one years ago)

You are not wrong!

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I am testing this out on some of the tracks from my '91 mix and it roxors.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

totally amazing, i cant believe it works so well! thank you mr ghost sir

― zappi (joni), Friday, 10 June 2005 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh shit I think the Sugarbabes might be voiced by sped-up men. Dropping them in pitch makes them sound much less processed.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 10 June 2005 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, dropping the pitch on TLC is ROFFLETASTIC. T-Boz kind of sounds like an asthmatic Johnny Gill.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 10 June 2005 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, messing about with the second side of "neu! 2" is great fun
wish i had some mp3s of the sisters of mercy so i could make eldritch sing even loooooooower
that or lee marvin singing 'wandering star'!

― zappi (joni), Friday, 10 June 2005 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

six years pass...

http://www.wdyl.com

type in "wanking". or "sex". or similar. yes sfw.

― Upt0eleven, Thursday, 14 July 2011 10:19 (fourteen years ago)

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