A music-obsessed, retired San Francisco lawyer, and author of the rock & roll memoir Jittery White Guy Music (available on Amazon)... picking a random album or song in his collection every day or so and sharing a few thoughts.
The Undertones' eponymous 1979 debut was so densely packed with outstanding songs that they had the luxury of taking what would have been a perfect song for any other band and leaving it off the record entirely. Instead, the punk-tinged power-pop "Really Really" was relegated to the b-side of "Get Over You," making for one of the most stunning double-sided singles of the era. It's one of the few Undertones tracks contributed by drummer Billy Doherty, and he has no trouble keeping up with the band's primary songwriter, John O'Neill.
What's the best part: Is it the interplay between the treble-happy guitar riff and the offset bassline? The call-and-response vocals between frontman Feargal Sharkey and the rest of the band? The frenetic energy that makes the under-2:00 running time still feel epic? All of the above? (Ok, fine, we're not talking about timeless lyrical genius here, but with that riff, who cares?)
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