It's Never Too Late to Enjoy Dumb Entertainment4 Out Of 5 Stars
On their second album, The Undertones opened with what is probably one of the great self effacing songs of all time. An early criticism of the band was that they were lightweights in the shadow of punk's heavy political hitters like the Clash or the Sex Pistols. They countered with tongue planted firmly in cheek:
"So here's more songs about chocolate and girls.
It's not so easy knowing they'll be heard.
A lot less time but a lot more care,
so here's more songs about chocolate and girls."
Having taken all the starch out of their image, The Undertones then embarked on a rowdy record that pushed their envelope as writers and musicians. A year on the road (and a US tour) had sharpened them as a band, with John and Damien O'Neill becoming observant songwriters. The characters that fill the songs like "What's With Terry," "There Goes Norman" and "My Perfect Cousin" may not have been all that far removed from the debut album's "Jimmy Jimmy," but were a lot better defined. And that the songs still had the hooky charm and speed of the first record didn't hurt either.
The seeds of experimentation were just beginning to take hold as well. What was side two of the original album contained the more sophisticated song arrangements of "Wednesday Week" and "Tear Proof," finding the band toying with sonics but not yet being spoiled by them. Feargel Sharkey had become confident enough to wade into a classic cover of "Under The Boardwalk" and make it his own. Unfortunately, this maturation would sap the band's charm by the next album. To that extent, much like their debut, "Hypnotised" is a marvel of adolescent randiness and joy. If you are a lover of the pure energy of the Ramones first three platters or even the Buzzcocks, then the Undertones' first two records are must haves.
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