When I was up
I was flying high
Till you brought me down
Shot me from the sky
And I'm under attack
And the pain inside
Is the memory
Although it's all behind
It closes in on me
And I'm under attack
I'm under attack
Under attack
I can't believe
'Cos it's been so long
In reality
Is that you've really gone
I can hear your voice
Such a haunting sound
I still think of you
And then I hit the ground
I'm under attack
I'm under attack
Under attack
I'm under attack
I'm under attack
Under attack
As we have seen on one or two previous B-Sides, a fast- paced 'metronomic' drum machine percussion provides the beat, and this is again one of those tracks. I think the trouble with this is that it gets a little monotonous, as it features on several tracks and sounds very similar on all.
I first heard this one on the same day I heard "And", about 6/7 years ago. Whilst (and we will see this next week) that track is truly rescued by its wonderful instrumental section, there is no such inspired redeeming feature here to save this from being little more than average. Lyrically and musikally it has less of the magic we have by now come to expect, and I think this could be the weakest NM track - less inspired than the others.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike it at all. But it just isn't a track I'd particularly choose to listen to on its own unlike many of the others, mainly because I'm weary of that percussion. You won't find me dishing out much negative criticism of pre-Warp NM, but the reliance placed on *that* percussion sound does test me a little more than I'd have liked. I just long for a touch more variety.
Sorry to those who love "Under Attack" - I just think it could have been better.
79/100
(Richard M)
So, we finally get to the brace of bonus tracks originally included on the cassette version of 'Anywhere'. For many years they remained unavailable until they turned up on, of all places, the Japanese release of 'From A to B'.
These tracks of course were at a disadvantage from the start. With rarity comes anticipation. And with anticipation comes, quite often, disappointment. When I first heard 'Under Attack' it really didn't generate much emotion in me either way. It wasn't a stinker by any means. All the NM elements were there - metronomic drumming, raspy synths, strummed guitar, and regulation vocals. But, for me, what was lacking was infection. The track has an obvious hook, it just that it didn't really hook me for some reason. It also feels to me like they are stretching it out a bit - it's probably a 2.30 track stretched out to over 4 mins. The verses are repeated verbatim, there's not much variation in the instrumental interludes. I have to confess however, that I've grown fonder of it more recently thanks to more repeated playing.
So, not a poor effort by any means. But on the other hand by no means a highlight.
(Graham G)