There are good pop songs, there are great pop songs and then there are Undertones pop songs. With their debut in '79 they made one of the best pop records of all time. Not a single track over the 3 minute mark and no need for there to be. No excess,no waste, just pure pop perfection. The band played with such unabashed joy that even tracks that hint at the darker side of life - Jimmy Jimmy, Family Entertainment - are delivered with such a sense of optimism that was lacking in so many other bands of that era.
The Undertones never seemed to take themselves that seriously, just a bunch of mates having a bit of a laugh but somehow they managed to release 4 great albums in their short time in the limelight that contain many, many timeless little masterpieces that spoke directly to their fans with lyrics they could all relate to. They made it all seem so easy which I think is part of their lasting appeal alongside the fact that almost their entire output still sounds as fresh today as it did when it first came out over 30 years ago.
A couple of years back Salvo released another Undertones Best Of but this one also included a second CD of demos, out takes and live tracks including these 2 tracks...
The Undertones - Get Over You (Live)
The Undertones - The Love Parade (Demo)
Get Over You is Live at The Lyceum in '78 and shows that all you need is 3 chords and a great tune while The Love Parade is a self produced demo from '82 that Damian O'Neill thinks is vastly superior to the recorded version and I would have to agree.
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