Disco de Underworld: “Back to Mine”

Don't listen to other reviews that say this is not a "kick back" cd. The whole concept of what is "kick back" is relative to each individual listener, just take a look at Prodigy's BTM, which hardly slows down for a second. This CD is exactly what it claims to be, a glimpse into how Underworld chills afterhours. As they say, some songs are not mixed deliberately, but the ones that are, are done masterfully and creatively as you would expect from Underworld.

This is the CD to get so you can experience the myriad of influences Underworld draws from in their own music. They say within the liner notes, some tracks were just too good to alter and mix with the next. That is why I had to knock one star off this comilation, it doesn't have the flow from one track to the next until your into the middle of the CD.

While I love Underworld's works without Darren Emerson, this CD makes me wonder what would have been if he we're still in the group. Would they have taken the chance to mix those key influential tracks?

Isn't the whole premise of BACK TO MINE based on "turn the lights down, pour yourself a drink, and kick back.."? Where EBTG, Faithless, Groove Armada, and Nick Warren have brought us just that--an incredible mix of "kick back" music great from beginning to end, this is more like a mix tape a friend would make you. You listen to it once and then you find yourself skipping through the tracks to find a song that you like. And forget chilling to it--too jarring. I love Underworld.. and all in all, a great sample of their influences. It's not nearly as bad as Orbital's BTM effort, but still doesn't do the rest of the series justice.

I never thought I'd live to see the day that Underworld would release a mix album. I'm a bit disappointed that it took so long, mainly because it would've been interesting to see what kind of input Darren Emerson might have had, and could therefore have led to an even more eclectic selection of tracks.

As it is, being able to peer into Rick Smith and Karl Hyde's respective mindsets (if only for a little while) is a refreshing change from the Underworld norm. Listening to this album as I write this, it's easy to see why their music has been difficult to categorize over the years. They truly do take inspiration from every possible form of sound availiable, then strive to turn it into something belonging entirely to them.

There something on this album for just about everyone. For those of you who, like me, thrive on the type of highly energetic (and always groundbreaking) tuneage that UW is known for, then you'll enjoy Rave Signal's 'Horsepower' and Aphex Twin's 'Didgeridoo'. R & B and hip-hop fans will likely enjoy D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar' and TLC's 'Creep'. There's even some ultra smooth reggae by Toots and the Maytals, and some really weird India-styled music (Ali Farka Toure and Tartit).

Ultimately, it's an interesting listen all-around, and as I said before, there's enough diversification in the track selection so as to satisfy anyone who listens to it. So don't hesitate any longer, and head on over to the shopping pages to pick up a copy immediately. You'll thank me later, trust me.