NBrid

The Prodigy - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

After only a 7 year wait, The Prodigy's long awaited follow-up CD to 1997's "The Fat of the Land" has arrived, and this baby's got a temper! But does anyone even care if they are always outnumbered, never outgunned?

In the mid to late 90's, we were all told to get ready for some kind of digital revolution in music. Electronica and Techno was the wave of the future! But as we all know, it never caught on. It just wasn't mainstream radio friendly. People like lyrics. Plus electronica artists are a reclusive beast. America likes star power, and even I couldn't recognize the groups I like (Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Crystal Method, Underworld, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, ect.). However, I actually could pick Prodigy out of a police lineup.

Liam Howlett is the 'brains' of The Prodigy, and if you have seen their video for Firestarter, no, that's not Howlett with the crazy hair. That would be Keith Flint. The other two members of Prodigy would be Maxim and Leeroy (though Leeroy, their 'dancer', left awhile ago... darn). Now that you know who all comprises Prodigy, let me tell you, only Howlett worked on this album. Keith and Maxim stayed at home (and some report Keith has left the "band"... Prodigy is about as much a band now as Nine Inch Nails). Neither of them worked on 99's "The Prodigy Present: The Dirtchamber Sessions, Volume One," but that was more of a DJ mix disc than a true album. They were along on 2002's single "Baby's Got a Temper," but even Howlett hated that song. Maybe that's why they're not back this time.

You know there's a problem when you start sampling yourself like "Baby's Got a Temper" did with "Firestarter". It supposedly was so bad, that Howlett scrapped everything they were working on and started over. Which then lead to what we are given now: Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.

I'm really not sure what to make of this CD. In some respects I really like it, but then again, it can also come across as 'uninspired'. Maybe it's just I'm not 'into' this type of music as much as I was 4 years ago. The music on this CD really is an evolution of "Firetstarter" type 'electropunk' (think Atari Teenage Riot, but clean it up and tone it done a bit, well, quite a bit), so this is not your boring bleeps of Drum & Bass or your sleep inducing Ambiance. While it doesn't have what I would call extensive lyrics, it does make use of the human voice much more than any of their past works. Which brings us to another odd aspect of this album. You have your usual guests in Kool Keith and Oasis's Liam Gallagher, but why is Juliette Lewis on a couple tracks? Yes, Mallory herself. Though she does have her own band now (Juliette and the Licks), and "Mallory" does fit the feel of some of these songs.

Here's a quick track listing rundown (I swear!):

1. Spitfire: You'll instantly figure out what they mean by 'electropunk', and you'll even find out that Lewis actually does a good job.
2. Girls: I really like this throw-back to early 80's rap. But do we really need more songs with the title "Girls"? And who are the "Ping Pong Bitches?"
3. Memphis Bells: A repetitive, but cool bell/guitar beat. Features WB's triple platinum artist, Princess Superstar... okay, I made that up. I have no clue who that is.
4. Get Up Get Off: Features Twista and Shahin Badar and might be Prodigy's best 'rap' track, but that's not saying much.
5. Hot Ride: Not sure why, but I really like this track. Maybe my favorite on this album? A hard, fast beat with dreamy female vocals does that. Juliette Lewis does it again. She can gimmie a ride... err. Yeah.
6. Wake Up Call: Reminds me of Diesel Power in the sense the monotonous rapping is completely overshadowed by the music. Well that and Kool Keith is on it.
7. Action Radar: Another ear piercing 'electropunk', and another guest singer (Paul Jackson from Dirt Candy?) with distorted vocals. I like the formula, but it does wear thin after awhile.
8. Medusa's Path: A more 'traditional' instrumental techno track.
9. Phoenix: This is a really cool track. Much like "Fuel My Fire", this is a remake (of Shocking Blue's Love Buzz), but done 'electropunk' style (there's that word again!).
10. You Will Be Under My Wheels: I like the name, but it's just standard techno.
11. The Way It Is: See my last comment. Except remove the name part, and add that it has a interesting Michael Jackson's "Thriller" vibe to it.
12. Shootdown: Probably the only non-technopunk-esque track I really like. Though it is kinda punky, and Liam Gallagher's singing sounds "phoned in" (and not because it's distorted).

No two Prodigy albums have been quite the same. "Experience" tried to put in album form the 'experience' of a high-octane techno dance rave. "Music for the Jilted Generation" advanced and refined this to a more artsy studio sound. "Fat of the Land" tried to throw the entire thing into disarray with a hard-edge, punk vibe. And "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" continues this theme, but in a high-octane techno rave way.

I was never sold on Fat of the Land's greatness. It took Billboards #1 slot its first week of release due to Firestarter having been around six months already. Yet it was only later I (and others) realized the other CD I bought that day was the classic (Radiohead's O.K. Computer). So when I say I like this new album more, that's just my personal tastes. Experience and Generation are still much better.

As a fan, I do like this album, but it's hard to recommend to non-fans. The 'electropunk' can be cool, Lewis is surprising good, but the rest varies. Maybe if this came out a few years back when I still cared, and before I heard better albums, I would be able to recommend it more highly. As it is, it's a great album to play at level 10 when you're bored and need someone to talk to (coughpolicecough), and it is fun, but part of me wonders if a month from now I'll even remember it. And that's the problem. It's good for awhile, but forgettable in the long run. (Unlike their classic "Music for the Jilted Generation.")

But while it lasts, "Fuck Sid. I'm trying to rock this fucking tune!"

Review: 7.5 (out of 10)