| Second Toughest in the Infants | ||||
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| Studio album by Underworld | ||||
| Released | 19 March 1996 | |||
| Genre | Techno House Trance Electronica |
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| Length | 73:01 | |||
| Label | Junior Boys Own | |||
| Producer | Underworld | |||
| Underworld chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Second Toughest in the Infants | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
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Vinyl edition
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Second Toughest in the Infants is the fourth album by Underworld, and the second in their classic "MK2" lineup with Darren Emerson. With this album, Underworld expanded on their progressive palette, while developing their signature sound of abrasive beats and anthemic melodies. The unusual name of the album derives from a comment made by member Rick Smith's six-year-old nephew, Simon Prosser, when asked on his progress at Infant School, the level of schooling attended by four- to seven-year-old children in the United Kingdom. The working title, Tonight Matthew, we're going to be Underworld", itself a variation on the catchphrase from the British entertainment programme Stars in Their Eyes, was deemed too obscure for international markets. Second Toughest featured the single "Pearl's Girl". The re-issue featured the band's best known single, "Born Slippy .NUXX".
Contents |
The album opens with one of Underworld's longest tracks to date; the multi-song suite "Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream of Love", which features all three parts intersecting each other at various points during the piece. The loungy, drum and bass track "Banstyle" follows, alongside its downtempo, half-speed counterpart "Sappy's Curry". The rest of the record showcases advancements in the Underworld sound: both "Rowla" and "Pearl's Girl" feature club-ready abrasive beats and basslines, while "Blueski" and "Stagger" incorporate live acoustic guitar and light, melancholic arrangements, respectively. "Pearl's Girl" is one of the few Underworld songs to use breakbeats.
Due to the success of the single "Born Slippy .NUXX", Second Toughest was re-issued with a bonus disc containing the single-only tracks "Born Slippy .NUXX" and "Rez"; Japanese editions also featured "Cherry Pie" and the "(Carp Dreams... Koi)" mix of "Pearl's Girl".
The song titles "Sappy's Curry", "Pearl's Girl" and "Born Slippy" all come from the names of racing greyhounds.[1]
| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| ARTISTdirect | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+) [4] |
| Robert Christgau | (C+) [5] |
| NME | (8/10) [6] |
| Rate Your Music | (3.84/5.00) [7] |
| Amazon.com | [8] |
| Amazon.co.uk | [9] |
Like Dubnobasswithmyheadman, Second Toughest in the Infants received critical acclaim. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave the album 5 out of 5 stars saying that it "carries the same knockout punch of their debut, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, but it's subtler and more varied, offering proof that the outfit is one of the leading dance collectives of the mid-'90s".[10] Anya Sacharow Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating saying "This is no dumb-bass dance music. Underworld know how to expand the frenzy of techno and jungle and then retreat to an ambient cool. The art is in the segue". [11] NME gave the album 8/10 stating its smooth of touch, sleek of footing and downright slippery of rhythm, the anti-Green Day trio breezily persevere in their quest for Western groove domination. [12] domination. The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. [13]
All songs by Darren Emerson, Karl Hyde, and Rick Smith unless noted.
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