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Review Summary: A much more edgier and matured Prodigy. The Prodigy, an act so hyped it makes Cannibal Corpse seem childish. You won't be happy to know the latter of Liam's people aren't featured at all here, meaning Keith Flint and Maxim Reality. Instead, choppy punk-grunge vocals are supplied by Julianne Lewis. As you can see, they have changed massively since their last official release, "The Fat of the Land" and promised a follow up full of wonderful electronic goodness and crazy mis-matched rave samples. But no, what has been expected is something completely different. Almost as dramatically changed as The Beastie Boys for this one. "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" explains itself with the title.
Its a gore-fest of heavy guitar riffs, crowded siren noises and screeching pop vocals. Sounds very much unlike something The Prodigy would do. Liam Howlett is the ultimate bad boy in the genre, seen as the Metallica of its generation. A one man army so incredible it dwarfs any other associated acts. Wait, where did it go from here? Pretty much down hill, which is a good thing. The Prodigy have had their heads in the gutter for way too long, and built an obsessiveness on themselves. Finally, they have broken out of that shell and into newer ground.
The album starts with "Spitfire", which is a fan favorite live. The middle-eastern flute is key in the song, as well as great drum work and guitar. Its the most hyper-active song of 2005, hands down, and has all the bells and whistles you would expect from Liam. Includes the catchy vocal line "If anybody knows in World War 2, they called me Spitfire". It begins well enough, but then breaks into annoyingly catchy samples and whizzing electronic bass beats. Prime examples would be "Girls" and "Hotride". Both have punk-femme fatale vocals, both have a brain-numbing sample and both have the same amount of hypeness and craziness.
"Medusa's Path" is a played synth repeated throughout the song, well-balanced with bassline and string. The more impressive tracks on the album come without words, as you would hear on "You'll Be Under My Wheels", frequently played BY the likes of video games and TV ads for BMW. It introduces extraordinary violin work, which proves to be the more rock song rather than electronica. Then there's "The Way It Is", which is a thriller (no pun intended). Even Michael Jackson would re-consider this, and Liam taking MJ's most famous work and puts it to the remix. (I guess you all know which song I'm talking about by now). It keeps the same edgy feel of the original song and still you can manage to bust the same groovy dance moves. Sounds rushed and re-hashed, but always a pleasure to listen to.
The weaker tracks unfortunately stand out. "Get Up Get Off" features breakneck-paced rapper Twista. Its more hip-hop influenced than Tupac in a crib full of guitars. Its slightly better than the other half, but relies way too much on Twista's boring formula. "Shoot Down" features Liam Gallagher of Oasis. (Yes, I said Oasis). Not the perfect collab, is it? After Oasis' more-than-perfect run with The Chemical Brothers, Howlett thought he would have a crack at it ...and fails miserably. What he tried to do is keep his signature sound and also try to appeal it to Gallagher. It never work out as good as he expected it to be, and just riddled us with over-the-top guitar riffs and clumsy mixing.
"Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" shouldn't be taken as a Prodigy album at all. It lacks all of the chemicals that made them famous in the first place, and would be better off as a Junkie XL album. However, fans would find their fair share of music here, mostly presenting a much more edgier and matured Liam Howlett. If you a fan of rock, go ahead. If you a fan of dance, go ahead. If you a fan of polka, listen to whatever the hell you listen to. Point being that AONO will not appeal to every listener as they did in the past.
Recommended:
1. "Spitfire"
2. "Girls"
3. "You'll Be Under My Wheels"
4. "Medusa's Path"
5. "The Way It Is"
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I actually like this album a lot. I don't think there is a weak track in the bunch, some lesser for sure but awesome in it's own way. Girls is so damn catchy, Spitfire, Memphis Bells, Hotride, Medusa's Path, You Will Be Under My Wheels, a lot of good stuff here.
A few lines I might point out in your review which felt awkward -
Liam Howlett is the ultimate bad boy in the genre, seen as the Metallica of its generation.
Comparing the Prodigy to Metallica really doesn't sit well.
"Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" shouldn't be taken as a Prodigy album at all. It lacks all of the chemicals that made them famous in the first place, and would be better off as a Junkie XL album.
It's still a very Prodigy album, even if it's got a more modern production and plays with new styles a bit. The same could be said of Experience compared to Fat of The Land.
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Hmm, you're not a very good reviewer. You don't seem to take people's advice.
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no offense AtavanHalen, but people barely comment on this guys reviews. His most commented one is that Timbaland review, and other than Daveyboy, I didn't hear much advice going around.
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"Spitfire" is so badass
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Hmm, you're not a very good reviewer. You don't seem to take people's advice.
I noticed that, point being I don't get comments on my reviews at all. I'm just an average reviewer, not a top-class butcher like the other drones. I understand if my reviews need work or anything, I'll be more than happy to accept (harsh) criticism.
Comparing the Prodigy to Metallica really doesn't sit well.
I meant genre-wise. Has nothing to do with the status, if thats what you meant. This Message Edited On 09.07.08This Message Edited On 09.07.08
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
typical prodigy album. there are about five or six well done tracks on here surrounded by useless filler. decent review, but it could do without the Michael Jackson reference.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I think the Michael Jackson reference is worth mentioning. After all, Liam did sample "Thriller".
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
My main thing is that a few of your sentences just don't seem to make sense. The first two sentences are great examples of that. As you can see, they have changed massively since their last official release, "The Fat of the Land" and promised a follow up full of wonderful electronic goodness and crazy mis-matched rave samples. Why can we see that? Because they changed vocalists? Also, this is another one of those "difficult" sentences. The senteces in the second paragraph are barely even cohesive, and, again, a few don't even make sense.
Also, this album was a let down.
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IF I WAS IN WORLD WAR 2 THEY'D CALL ME SPITFYA!
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CHANGE MY PITCH UP, SMACK MY BITCH UP Oh wait......
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"Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" shouldn't be taken as a Prodigy album at all. It lacks all of the chemicals that made them famous in the first place, and would be better off as a Junkie XL album.
Comment's almost worth a neg. The only thing The Prodigy and JXL have in common is a couple of old JXL tracks wound up on the fake Prodigy bootleg 'The Castbreeder'.
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forget it man, Sam Knight isn't coming back.
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I know, but still. Speaking of JXL, go and rate the rest of his albums Bloc, I just added them
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ah cool, just did.
speaking of, what's your favourite JXL track?
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Probaby his remix of Dig by Mudvayne. Booming Back At You is hella catchy though
BOOMING, BA-BOOMING BACK AT YA
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BOOMING, BA-BOOMING BACK AT YA
catchy as hell, yeah. didn't know he did a remix of Dig, i better look into it.
my favourite is definitely Action Radius.
I USED TO CRYSTAL UP MY DREAMS AS A TEEN IN MY BEDROOM SCENE
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Entire second disc of Radio JXL is win though
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4NKJEseIlU
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oh shit this is awesome. plus the video won't give me nightmares this time.
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lol
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