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<  PRODIGY MUSIC / GENERAL  ~  Looking back to look forward

PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:06 pm
ColonelColonelPosts: 853Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:31 pm
So before I review No Tourist, I think it's fair to look back first. Some stuff I hadn't played for years except for the occasional live performance. Since I write music myself too I wondered how would I like the old stuff? Don't know about you guys but after obsessing over them for years I found myself listening more to the live shows than to the studio stuff as I had heard that 100000000 times. So after a break from all that, I like to establish what I think of each album. Feel free to join the discussion.

Experience
So after enjoying we live forever, I decided to play Experience loud back to back in my car. This is the album I haven't listened to in YEARS.
First thing that I noticed is how much I prefer it when it's just Liam mixing it. You can play those tunes LOUD because it's not overcompressed and pumped up. The beats are the most incredible thing on Experience. They are so made for dancing. They are so funky. "It's all about the beats" applies to Experience 100%.

What's also very nice is the variation. Every tune has a second part in it, like ABAB structure. I wish Liam did that more often and not as in "Nasty", where it does not really add to the track. Most tracks have a different beat halfway through + different melody. Also, the production is immense. Try and create an experience like track in Ableton. You won't succeed. There's plenty of subbass, moving beats, incredible sounds to enjoy. + Weather experience, still the best slow tune they done.

Highlight for me was actually Music Reach. How come we never talk about that one? The melody is so catchy, the vocal hits just right. Amazing forgotten tune that should be played live.

Are there no bad points? Well there are. For starters, the record is really made for the rave dancing crowd. Meaning that the songs repeat the beats + melody much longer before there is a break. I found a lot of tracks getting tired while listening in a car. I prefer Liam's current 3-4 minute output (except for tunes like climbatize where it just works). It keeps it more interesting. Also the sped up vocals get tired fast. It feels a bit kiddy after a while. I didn't mind that they left rave behind them. I actually prefer the 2009 version style with Thunder etc, as the beats and the rest have more meat behind them.

Conclusion: It's a fucking great album, but I was under the impression that it was all perfect and that the new stuff didn't touch the old stuff. I'm not so sure about that now.

Up next, Jitled..Will keep posting


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:19 pm
User avatarGruntGruntPosts: 31Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:14 pm
Quote:
Highlight for me was actually Music Reach. How come we never talk about that one? The melody is so catchy, the vocal hits just right. Amazing forgotten tune that should be played live.

Finally. I was always disappointed on how many people point at that track as the worst side of the album. I don't understand that. It has everything - great vocal sample, powerful melody, great groove and perfect arrangement. I always found it as one of the best ravy tracks in that era.
The biggest problem with Experience for me is selection. As I mentioned in "No Tourists" thread - Liam's choices often surprise me in a bad way. It is like that also on his first LP. Why did he choose EITP (155 & Rising), Charly (Trip Into Drum & Bass Version) and Fire (Sunrise) instead of Fairground Edit, Alley Cat Mix and Fire video version? They are so significantly better!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:16 pm
User avatarLieutenantLieutenantPosts: 597Location: MontréalJoined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:58 am
I discovered The Prodigy with Everybody In The Place, then I heard Out Of Space, Wind It Up and Fire. I just had to buy it.
When I played Experience the first time, I couldn't believe that the single versions were so different from the album versions, it was quite a dissapointment. That was my only low point.
I went and bought the singles as well and I was happy again. Luckily, there plenty of cool b-sides in that time. I never grew tired of Experience, it's the original The Prodigy Experience (duh...). Oh and I ended up liking 155 and rising despite of the Woody Woodpecker melody.



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 8:45 am
GeneralGeneralPosts: 1782Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:52 pm
Liam didn't want to do an album. He and the rave scene were about releasing singles. After he was persuaded to release an album he didn't want it to be a collection of the already released singles. He thought it was better value for the people to have new, remixed versions of the tracks.

Now you expect an album to be a compilation of singles. That wasn't the case in 1992 for a rave band. For example, Altern8's album also contains different versions to the singles. Same with Acen.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:45 pm
ColonelColonelPosts: 853Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:31 pm
yeah I discovered the single versions MUCH later, like 2002 I think. His choice for singles baffles me sometimes.


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