A Hundred Days Off

A Hundred Days Off
Studio album by Underworld
Released 16 September 2002
Recorded 2001–2002 at Lemonworld Studios in London
Genre Techno, progressive house, progressive trance, experimental, ambient
Length 61:57
Label V2
Producer Karl Hyde and Rick Smith
Underworld chronology
Everything, Everything
(2000)		 A Hundred Days Off
(2002)		 1992–2002
(2003)
Singles from A Hundred Days Off
  1. "Two Months Off"
    Released: 2 September 2002
  2. "Dinosaur Adventure 3D"
    Released: 20 January 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Alternative Press[3]
The Guardian[4]
NME8/10[5]
Pitchfork6.9/10[6]
Release Magazine7/10[7]
Resident Advisor[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
Stylus MagazineB+[10]
Uncut[11]

A Hundred Days Off is the sixth album by Underworld. The album produced two UK Singles Chart entries: "Two Months Off", which reached no. 12 and "Dinosaur Adventure 3D", which reached no. 34. Although this was the first album since Darren Emerson's departure from the group in 2001, the album is not a huge stylistic makeover as the main focus of the band is still trance, techno and house, although without the thumping beats that defined their previous longplayer Beaucoup Fish. Instead, the album explores more of an ambient and experimental music style.

Critical reception

A Hundred Days Off received generally positive reviews from music critics. It has a score of 71/100 on Metacritic based on 18 reviews indicating as "generally favorable reviews". NME gave the album 8/10 describing it as "Their best album since their Dubnobasswithmyheadman debut, Karl and Rick have pulled off a comeback in fine style and laid some demons to rest" and also stating that "Underworld prove that you're only as old as the technology you use". Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of 5 stars saying that "The beauty of A Hundred Days Off is that it pumps and churns so suggestively; it somehow evokes the blues of the otherwise successful modern man, who goes out every night and dances alone in his head". Uncut gave the album 4 out of 5 stars saying it is "A very fine album--Underworld don't make any other kind...a beautiful and baffling enigma."

Promo version

In the Spring of 2011, an alternate version of the album was distributed by a fan who was previously unaware that it was not widely heard. This version of the album was called "Ansum", and was apparently an early un-mastered cut of the album burned onto a CD-R for internal use at V2. Most of the tracks are very similar, if not identical, to the final album version; however, the track order is changed; "Little Speaker" is omitted; "Mo Move" is doubled in length and shares its second half with a re-worked version of the b-side "Ansum"; "Twist" contains an extended drum outro; and "Ballet Lane" and "Trim" contain minor percussion differences.

Track listing

All music composed by Underworld.

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Mo Move"6:54
2."Two Months Off"9:08
Side B
No.TitleLength
3."Twist"6:24
4."Sola Sistim"6:26
Side C
No.TitleLength
5."Little Speaker"8:38
6."Trim"3:23
7."Ess Gee"2:22
Side D
No.TitleLength
8."Dinosaur Adventure 3D"7:56
9."Ballet Lane"3:39
10."Luetin"7:00

Promo version track listing

  1. "Two Months Off" — 9:08
  2. "Twist" — 8:46
  3. "Sola Systim" (Different spelling) — 6:12
  4. "Ess Gee" — 2:17
  5. "Mo Move" — 13:48
  6. "Trim" — 3:18
  7. "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" — 7:55
  8. "Ballet Lane" — 3:26
  9. "Luetin" — 7:06

Charts

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[12] 24
Belgian Albums Chart[13] 6
Dutch Albums Chart 9
French Albums Chart 42
German Albums Chart[14] 34
Japanese Albums Chart 7
Swedish Albums Chart[15] 49
UK Albums Chart[16] 16
US Billboard 200[17] 122
US Billboard Electronic Albums[17] 2

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Japan (RIAJ)[18] Gold 100,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "A Hundred Days Off Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. ↑ Bush, John (24 September 2002). "A Hundred Days Off - Underworld". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. ↑ Oct 2002, p.82
  4. ↑ Alexis Petridis (13 September 2002). "CD: Underworld, A Hundred Days Off | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "NME Album Reviews - Underworld : A Hundred Days Off". NME. Com. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Archived 7 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Underworld: A Hundred Days Off - Release Music Magazine review". Releasemagazine.net. 18 September 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "RA Reviews: Underworld - A Hundred Days Off (Album)". Residentadvisor.net. 22 September 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  9. ↑ link
  10. ↑ "Underworld - A Hundred Days Off - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  11. ↑ "Underworld - Hundred Days Off CD 2002 5033197201023". eBay. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  12. ↑ Steffen Hung. "australian-charts.com - Underworld - A Hundred Days Off". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "ultratop.be - Underworld - A Hundred Days Off". ultratop.be. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  15. ↑ Steffen Hung. "swedishcharts.com - Underworld - A Hundred Days Off". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "UNDERWORLD | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Artist Search for "underworld" | AllMusic". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Underworld – A Hundred Days Off" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
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