Now that the storm of the remastered re-issue is calming down, I feel its time to write about one of my all time favourite albums.
One of the main things that struck me while reading through various reviews from a number of fawning critics was that at the time of its release I don’t remember anyone really making a real fuss over it. In 1993 Dubnobasswithmyheadman was unleashed to the world and it was also the year I moved to London, The Club scene was now in full swing, crowded dance floors packed with post Ravers.The Illegal parties were all but gone and there was a real hunger to keep the momentum going. We were all gathered at a club called Heaven one evening which was mainly a gay club most nights, but was on this particular night, used for a student event. The usual tracks were in rotation that night but you could feel the atmosphere shift up a gear when the intro to ‘Cowgirl’ hypnotically mixed in, the crowd lost it and in the usual style I shouted across to my ‘all in the know’ (we all have one of those, don’t we?)”who’s this?,” and got the reply “Underworld”.
I was hooked, and rushed to the nearest HMV the next morning to pick up Dubnobasswithmyheadman. As soon as ‘Dirty Epic’ opens up the album your on the underworld train only stopping at Leftfield, progressive House, Techno and ambient. A huge part of the album is the vocals of Karl Hyde which are simply a cut and pasted stream of conscious thought, which while on the surface are very ambiguous you end up interpreting into a deeper meaning over time. This became my post club album and over the years, though not shouted about, it’s gained huge cult status. Its exposure was helped even more several years later by the huge ‘Born Slippy’ track used in the Heroin fueled ‘Trainspotting’ film and like the equally epic ‘Rez’ both are non album tracks.
Voted as one of those albums you have to listen to at least once before you push-off from this mortal coil it remains for me to this day a must have. Now remastered for more enjoyment and a super deluxe version packed with unreleased material the journey can begin again. “shake well before opening”
Track listings:
2CD Deluxe Edition disc 1 (Original album):
- 1.DARK & LONG
- 2.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU
- 3.SURFBOY
- 4.SPOONMAN
- 5.TONGUE
- 6.DIRTY EPIC
- 7.COWGIRL
- 8.RIVER OF BASS
- 9.M.E
2CD Deluxe Edition disc 2 – bonus tracks
- 1. ECLIPSE
- 2. REZ
- 3. DIRTY
- 4.DARK & LONG (DARK TRAIN)
- 5.SPIKEE
- 6. CONCORD (3 Comp75 id9 A1771 Aug 93A)
- 7. CAN YOU FEEL ME? (from A4796)
- 8.BIRDSTAR (A1558 Nov 92B.1)
Super Deluxe Box Set
CD 1 (Original album)
- 1.DARK & LONG
- 2.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU
- 3.SURFBOY
- 4.SPOONMAN
- 5.TONGUE
- 6.DIRTY EPIC
- 7.COWGIRL
- 8.RIVER OF BASS
- 9.M.E
CD2 Singles 1991 – 1994
- 1.THE HUMP (WILD BEAST)
- 2.ECLIPSE (released as Lemon Interrupt)
- 3. REZ
- 4. DIRTY (released as Lemon Interrupt)
- 5.DIRTYGUITAR
- 6.DARK & LONG (HALL’S EDIT)
- 7.DARK & LONG (DARK TRAIN)
- 8.SPIKEE
CD3 Remixes 1992 – 1994
- 1.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU (JAM SCRAPER)
- 2.COWGIRL (IRISH PUB IN KYOTO MIX)
- 3.DARK & LONG (MOST ‘OSPITABLE MIX)
- 4.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU (TELEGRAPH 16.11.92)
- 5. DARK & LONG (BURTS MIX)
- 6.DOGMAN GO WOOF
- 7. DARK & LONG (THING IN A BOOK MIX)
CD4 Previously Unreleased Recordings 1991 – 1993
- 1.CONCORD (3 Comp75 id9 A1771 Aug 93A)
- 2.DARK & LONG(1struffid3A15512)
- 3.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU (A1765 Sky Version id4. Harmone6 COMP43)
- 4.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU (After sky id6 1551 2)
- 5.CAN YOU FEEL ME? (from A4796)
- 6. BIRDSTAR (A1558 Nov 92B.1)
- 7.DIRTY EPIC (Dirty Ambi Piano A1764 Oct 91)
- 8.SPOONMAN (version1 A1559 Nov92)
- 9.ORGAN (Eclipse version from A4796)
- 10.COWGIRL(AltCowgirlC69MixfromA1564)
CD5 Live Jam Kyme Road (Previously Unreleased Live Rehearsal at Lemonworld Studio, 1993)
- 1.MMM…SKYSCRAPER I LOVE YOU
- 2.IMPROV 1
- 3.BIGMOUTH
- 4.IMPROV 2
- 5.BIG MEAT SHOW
- 6.IMPROV 3
- 7.SPOONMAN
