I always rated that album as one of the weaker ones. IMO, Under Cover is an attempt to capturing the spirit of time but heavily lacks ideas.

There are some good songs, e.g. Too Much Blood, She Was Hot but most aren't more than fillers, particularly as most songs sound like variations of older ones. Never got into it although I tried a couple of times.

The last 'real' Stones album IMO.
Good nasty artwork. Twin guitars.

Quote
Meise
I always rated that album as one of the weaker ones. IMO, Under Cover is an attempt to capturing the spirit of time but heavily lacks ideas.

There are some good songs, e.g. Too Much Blood, She Was Hot but most aren't more than fillers, particularly as most songs sound like variations of older ones. Never got into it although I tried a couple of times.

Perhaps you haven't truly listened to the album. I hear a band full of new energy and sounds, and with the exception of It Must Be Hell, everything is new and fresh and it remains that way today. Very few Stones albums sound fresh to me when I play them after a while of not listening to them. U is one of them.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
Why no love for Feel On Baby? IMO, the best track on the album.

It's the Fingerprint File of the 1980s - a brilliant song.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
Why no love for Feel On Baby? IMO, the best track on the album.

Because I agree with Hairball here, it's "aimless faux reggae" and with JordyLicks96 that as such, it's "very forgettable". Not the standart I expect from a band like the Stones.

Nice sound, but weak composition, it simply can't hold a candle to what other rock bands like The Clash did in the reggae genre in the same time frame or others like these:

video: [www.youtube.com].



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-19 17:52 by retired_dog.

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-19 20:15 by SomeGuy.

Quote
SomeGuy
.

Hey guy...just wanted to quote you but you were faster...

While we're busy sharing opinions...

Undercover of the Night, She Was Hot, Tie You Up, and Feel On Baby are perfection.
All the Way Down is near perfection.

Wanna Hold You is fine as are Too Tough and It Must Be Hell.

Pretty Beat Up is great, but only Sanborn realized it. The version on SLIDE ON LIVE is a vast improvement. Admittedly, it sounds more than a bit like Everything is Turning to Gold at times.

Think I'm Going Mad was a great b-side.

Too Much Blood belonged on SHE'S THE BOSS.

The thing with U is that in hindsight, looking back at it, it's much better than what I thought of it initially. Maybe that has something to do with the quality of albums to come? Probably.
Basically, the first impression is the most truthful one though. I remember the first single promising a lot. Which wasn't really delivered by the album.
Still I think it's their best post TY album though. Jagger's voice still intact, guitars sounding good and a very clean production.

Quote
Stoneage
The thing with U is that in hindsight, looking back at it, it's much better than what I thought of it initially. Maybe that has something to do with the quality of albums to come? Probably.
Basically, the first impression is the most truthful one though. I remember the first single promising a lot. Which wasn't really delivered by the album.
Still I think it's their best post TY album though. Jagger's voice still intact, guitars sounding good and a very clean production.

Exactly that Undercover had in common with DW - first singles promising a lot that the albums actually did not deliver. Yes, nothing wrong with Jagger's voice, the guitars or the production on Undercover - it's imo simply lacking in the songwriting department, an impression that is also reflected by the numerous UC outtakes that surfaced over the years.

Quote
Rocky Dijon
Think I'm Going Mad was a great b-side.

But you're aware that strictly speaking, the single in question was actually a compilation because Think I'm Going Mad had its origins in the Emotional Rescue sessions, right?

The only studio album that makes it, that makes it all the way, is the one that was written and recorded in a single day and released the following day. Everything else is, by nature, a compilation.

I have always liked Undercover. It has gotten better over the years. It has nothing to do with the albums that came after it. I do not like Dirty Work but the albums after DW all have some good stuff. I think they all get an undeserved bad rap. Undercover was the last of a certain sound that started with Some Girls and went through Undercover. Its kind of a dark record but here's my take:
Undercover Of the Night 8.5
She Was Hot 9
Tie You Up 8
Wanna Hold You 6.5-7
Feel On Baby 5
Too Much Blood 8.5
Pretty Beat Up 7
All the Way Down 8.5
Too Tough 9 - A very underlooked song
It Must Be Hell 6.5

Album has its ups and downs but its grown on me over the years much like Black and blue. I think people want Exile or Let It Bleed all the time and you just can't achieve that level every time out. Undercover is a good solid album and the second to last album of the Rolling Stones as a real working relevant band at least to new music.

Quote
Swayed1967

Quote
24FPS
Take Undercover of the Night off the Undercover album, throw the rest away.

It's the only essential cut to be sure.


Since we enjoy mixing and matching, I would contend that their last 7 albums should've been pared into 1.


Undercover of the Night
One Hit
Harlem Shuffle
Mixed Emotions
Love Is Strong

Plundered My Soul
The Worst
Rough Justice
Doom & Gloom
Blues cover


That constitutes the essential output of the last 36 years. (In fact, I'm surprised they haven't released a Made in the Shade type compilation with those above songs yet.) The rest is non-essential, mediocre or just plain crap depending on how charitable one's feeling.

You're pretty spot on.

Quote
Rocky Dijon
The only studio album that makes it, that makes it all the way, is the one that was written and recorded in a single day and released the following day. Everything else is, by nature, a compilation.

By that rationale, Meet the Beatles is the only studio album ever recorded!

Quote
24FPS

Quote
Swayed1967

Quote
24FPS
Take Undercover of the Night off the Undercover album, throw the rest away.

It's the only essential cut to be sure.


Since we enjoy mixing and matching, I would contend that their last 7 albums should've been pared into 1.


Undercover of the Night
One Hit
Harlem Shuffle
Mixed Emotions
Love Is Strong

Plundered My Soul
The Worst
Rough Justice
Doom & Gloom
Blues cover


That constitutes the essential output of the last 36 years. (In fact, I'm surprised they haven't released a Made in the Shade type compilation with those above songs yet.) The rest is non-essential, mediocre or just plain crap depending on how charitable one's feeling.

You're pretty spot on.

nah...his list is pretty beat up.

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
24FPS

Quote
Swayed1967

Quote
24FPS
Take Undercover of the Night off the Undercover album, throw the rest away.

It's the only essential cut to be sure.


Since we enjoy mixing and matching, I would contend that their last 7 albums should've been pared into 1.


Undercover of the Night
One Hit
Harlem Shuffle
Mixed Emotions
Love Is Strong

Plundered My Soul
The Worst
Rough Justice
Doom & Gloom
Blues cover


That constitutes the essential output of the last 36 years. (In fact, I'm surprised they haven't released a Made in the Shade type compilation with those above songs yet.) The rest is non-essential, mediocre or just plain crap depending on how charitable one's feeling.

You're pretty spot on.

nah...his list is pretty beat up.

Not every song has to be a 10 out of 10. Most of the ones mentioned in the list aren't, in my opinion, either. If it were to be a quadruple album I might agree

Good Evening,
I am currently doing some late hours work at the office. I brought the Undercover CD from home, that was not used for quite a long time.

I have to say, and to share my thoughts with all of you out there in the World:

!!! This Album is Exceptional !!!

I love the overall sound, the groove, the bass work, the menacing aura that it had, back in the day (I was twelve back then).

I am listening to a great forgotten gem from the 80´s: "Too Much Blood". Always loved it, always will.

"Feel on Baby", "She Was Hot", are also great, as well as Keith´s "I Wanna Hold You", and all the others!

You should heard it again, one of these days.

Best Regards.

my fave album since Tattoo You.

ALBUM TALK: Undercover


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

not heard it for a while, bought it back in 1988 about a year after i discovered the stones.

was surprised to see the band were still making music as late as 1983 but didnt dig the album right away, loved she was hot though, undercover grew on me, and gradually, pretty beat up, too tough, pain of love and too much blood did over time.

later on wanna hold you seemed ok,

might give the album an outing this weekend, it has a nice sound to it, but the lame points are, it wasnt a big commercial success, songs were not radio friendly to release as singles, band were becoming to controversial but not in a clever way, more in a cheap and nasty way and were embarrasing at times although they got worse with dirtywork and undercover had no ballads. pity undercover could have become a semi classic with a bit of thought and a tour.

I think the Undercover of the Night single is the last time they truly struck out into new territory.

It's exceptional, different, and yet still Stones.

A lot of great songs on this album !

Remember buying it on cassette (still have it - though I DON'T have a cassette PLAYER anymore!) from 78Records in Perth and playing it - loud - in my car down Barrack Street on the way home. LOVED the sound of the title track, It Must be Hell, Pretty Beat up and She Was hot. The rest though...bbbbbllllaaaahhh.

When I hear it now I hear both the sound of The Stones trying to be different and tough - AND the sound of them trying to Be The Stones. And, I don't know, the production is/was too shrill for me.

A just OK record, but, for me, excluding Satanic Maj, the worst they had released to that time.

Rod

Hey yeah been ta 78 Records ….
Great shop … use to come down from Kal …



ROCKMAN

Quote
marquess
Good Evening,

I have to say, and to share my thoughts with all of you out there in the World:

!!! This Album is Exceptional !!!

I love the overall sound, the groove, the bass work, the menacing aura that it had, back in the day (I was twelve back then).


Best Regards.

Yep.
Discussions about the quality of the songs to one side, it was perhaps the last album to have that strange "dark and sinister" vibe about it.

We've never had that since...despite them consciously trying with concepts like the "Voodoo Lounge"

Quote
24FPS
Take Undercover of the Night off the Undercover album, throw the rest away.

I don't stand for this reductionist attitude towards any Rolling Stones album. However, if I would have been, one option might be to give such treatment to TATTOO YOU. In contrast, UNDERCOVER to me is one of approximately twelve great Stones albums, out of which the last three are SOME GIRLS, EMOTIONAL RESCUE and UNDERCOVER.

I do a weekly radio show for a Finnish radio station Roll FM. The show is called A Record Better Than Its Reputation. Undercover was the very first show, because that album was one of the main triggers for the whole series.
Me and the guest dwelled for two hours into the album, its live cuts (not of them around!) and outtakes. A great record, certainly better than its reputation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-23 14:34 by padre69.

a lot of rolling stones music is way better than its reputation.

they are a very underrated band.