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35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finest Hour, 19 Feb 2004
The second Prodigy album, following on from the original Experience, showed that Liam Howlett had outgrown the crowd-pleasing rave that people previously associated with The Prodigy. Moving away from the toy-town simplicity of Charly was a brave move, but one that paid off. With such a varied collection of tracks on display here, it doesn't seem fair to generalise, so I won't.1. Intro- As you'd expect, there is little point to it, but the Intro to Jilted contains a clear message- the Prodigy were going back underground. 2. Break & Enter- The last link to Experience, B&A sounds the closest to any of the early Prodigy records, but it's a much more sophisticated beast, slower and more refined, and without the cheesiness. 3. Their Law- Clearly forshadowing the direction the Prodigy were to go, Their Law is an anarchist anthem that puts a middle finger up to definition. Hard rock riffs, a cracking bassline and some excellent vocals: "F**k em, and their law". I'm not sure what genre of music this goes under, but I do know it's one hell of a tune. 4. Full Throttle- Filler, pure and simple. Howlett probably knocked this one out in five minutes, and it seems like an unhealthy throwback compared to the next track. 5. Voodoo People- The highlight of the entire album, and possibly of the entire Prodigy career. Imagine a hardcore record, but with heavy metal guitar riffs, strong acid sounds and the most killer beat you could imagine and you're almost there. The hardest Prodigy single, filled with aggression and rhythmn. 6. Speedway (Theme From Fastlane)- Prog house? Hardcore? Trance? Once again, its impossible to classify this one, but it sticks largely to 4/4 beats. One of my favourite Prodigy tracks, and I feel one of the most under-rated. 7. The Heat (The Energy)- Quite similar to Break & Enter, with another massive break-beat. Not the most stand-out track on the album. 8. Poison- One thing the Prodigy always do well is intros, and I'll not spoil this one for you, but take my advice and play it loud. This was the forerunner to the big-beat sound they started to adopt, and sounds the most like it could be on The Fat of The Land. Another great track with some warped vocals. 9. No Good (Start the Dance)- Easily the most straightforward record on the whole album, No Good is straight up hardcore, but hardcore that is fifty times better than your average hardcore track. A dance anthem that probably kept the Prodigy tied to the club scene more strongly than they otherwise would be. 10. One Love (Edit)- This one didn't make the American issue of the album, and Howlett was very unhappy with it, as he felt it didn't fit in with the album he was writing. While it's certainly true that it doesn't seem to fit in with the evolution of the Prodigy, its still a damn fine instrumental hardcore record. 11. 3 Kilos- The Narcotic Suite opening track certainly sounds like the soundtrack to a drug trip, with its slow, rolling piano melody, swirly synths and infectious flute. Very good chill-out music, but may dissapoint many Prodigy fans. 12. Skylined- A bit of a throw away track, but again, effective chill-out music. 13. Claustrophobic Sting- Scary acid-house that makes full use of that dance miracle- the 303. I love this one, as it is a damn hard record. What does all this mean? I'd say the best Prodigy album to date, as it is more experimental and more dancey than FOTL, and nowhere near as dated as Experience. Newcomers to The Prodigy are recommended to start here, as it leaves the gateway open both to their new, more pop sound, and also their old-skool stuff.
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See all 22 tracks on this disc
