Second Toughest in the Infants

Second Toughest in the Infants
Studio album by Underworld
Released	19 March 1996
Genre	Techno House Trance Electronica
Length	73:01
Label	Junior Boys Own
Producer	Underworld
Underworld chronology
Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) Second Toughest in the Infants (1996) Beaucoup Fish (1999)
Singles from Second Toughest in the Infants
"Pearl's Girl" Released: 1996 "Rowla" Released: 1996 "Juanita" Released: 1996 (promo only)
Alternative cover
Vinyl edition

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, I'm 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".

Overview

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]

Critical Reception

Professional ratings
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. 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". 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". The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All songs by Darren Emerson, Karl Hyde, and Rick Smith unless noted.

1. "Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream of Love" – 16:36
2. "Banstyle / Sappy's Curry" – 15:22
3. "Confusion the Waitress" – 6:47
4. "Rowla" – 6:31
5. "Pearl's Girl" – 9:36
6. "Air Towel" – 7:37
7. "Blueski" – 2:55
8. "Stagger" – 7:37

Reissue bonus CD

1. "Born Slippy .NUXX" – 11:40
2. "Rez" – 9:55 (Hyde/Smith)
3. "Cherry Pie" – 8:25
4. "Pearls Girl (Carp Dreams... Koi)" – 10:06

References

1. ^ Ron Slomowicz. "Interview with Karl Hyde of Underworld". About.com Guide. http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/interviews/a/IntUnderworld_4.htm. 
2. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/second-toughest-in-the-infants-r232873
3. ^ http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,227541,00.html
4. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,292272,00.html link
5. ^ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1639&name=Underworld
6. ^ http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1152697/a/Second+Toughest+In+The+Infants.htm
7. ^ http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/underworld/second_toughest_in_the_infants/
8. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Second-Toughest-Infants-Underworld/dp/B000003RHD
9. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Toughest-Infants-Underworld/dp/B000024B9S