The Undertones

Album Review

This Sanctuary Records reissue of the Undertones' catalog is more than just a straight redo of the Rykodisc attempt in the 1990s. For starters, all original artwork has been restored; secondly, the tapes have been remastered to current digital standards; thirdly, the Sanctuary versions contain solid liner notes. Lastly and more importantly, these versions, especially of the band's debut LP, contain more bonus material, including outtakes of "True Confessions" and unreleased takes of "You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It!)" and a stellar version of "Let's Talk About Girls." Musically, the 1978 Undertones debut remains a masterpiece of punk rock at its most innocent, ambitious, and downright fun. Tracks like "Here Comes the Summer," "Teenage Kicks," and "Jimmy Jimmy" seemingly reflect a place far from war-torn Derry in Northern Ireland where they were made. John O'Neill, the band's principal songwriter, was well-versed in garage rock history from the Standells to the Ramones, though his outlook is more wide-eyed, innocent, and mischievous than tough and street-smart. "Teenage Kicks," which was the album's first single, remains, with Tommy James' "I Think We're Alone Now," the greatest expression of rampant teen desire on record — and remains the legendary DJ John Peel's favorite song of all time. Of all the fine records Sire released during the late '70s, the Undertones' debut will aesthetically always sound fresh, wild, woolly, and right on time for teens and adults, because it is the actual sound of life idealized to the point of bursting and opening into a reality where everything seems possible.