Uthanda - "Believe"

Uthanda - Believe
1992, ERG

1. Shadowplay
2. Love Child
3. Did You
4. My Addiction
5. Fear
6. Midnight Jasmine
7. Sunrise
8. Wrapped Around Your Heart
9. Citizen
10. Cool Water
11. You and Me
12. Cars
13. Heroes

I remember when my cousin first let me borrow this on tape because she had just gotten it and wanted me to hear it. We both loved Uthanda's first album, Groove, so I thought I would like this too. I was at my grandmother's at the time and she had this enormous stereo set-up with a big old radio, a tape player, and a record player stacked together in a little glass cabinet. All of that sound could be funnelled through those enormous earphones that look like Princess Leia buns. So anyway, I listened and rocked in my grandma's chair and wasn't too terribly impressed. I didn't hate it, but it really didn't strike a chord with me like the debut did. The band experiments a little with their sound. "Sunrise" and "Cool Water" sound like they could have been on Groove. The other tunes are a little bit more experimental but still solid alternative rock (they've ditched the "hippy" look too). After hearing this again years later I enjoy it a little bit more than before. I especially like the "Cars" cover. It's definitely worth checking out but I don't think it will ever have a place in my heart like Groove does.

Useless Fact: There was a contest where one could win a chance to bowl with the band. I'd love to know if anyone won the contest and if they actually got to bowl with Uthanda.

Uthanda - "Groove"

Uthanda - Groove

1991, Broken

1. Be My Friend

2. Sweet Soul Salvation

3. Found Out the Hard Way

4. Change in My World

5. Look Away

6. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

7. To Be Loved

8. You Groove

9. Mercy

10. The Way That You Are

11. Red September

Uthanda had sort of a hippie band name and sort of a hippie image but they're weren't hippie music at all. My cousin and I ate it up though because at the time because we called our church youth group "The Hippy Youth Group" after some other kids in our district made fun of us. Though from the band name and image, you might expect something quirky and eclectic like Hot Pink Turtle or DigHayZoose but it's not. It's pretty standard rock. It's not even really alt-rock, just regular rock... with a little groove to it as the album title implies. That's not to say it's bad at all... I really dig this disc. If I could think of a comparison I would probably say they sound a little like Collective Soul. Not a world-shaking disc by any stretch of the imagination but I never get bored with it when I spin it.

Useless Fact: Drummer Chuck Cummings went on to play with Dakoda Motor Co. Also, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a cover of The Animals.