Amazon.com

These scrappy young Brits sound like the bastard children of the Stone Roses and Public Enemy, with a quick Chemical Brothers tryst on the side. All blaring sirens and ruthlessly scratched-up vinyl, shouted slogans and cheeky lyrics, their impact on the placid late-'90s U.K. music scene has been dramatic. How to Operate with a Blown Mind is packed with attitude and irreverence, but what really sets its blissful racket apart is its complete disregard for musical class. On standout songs like "Kool Roc Bass" and "I Used to Fall in Love," the group casts off pretensions and allows real emotion and melodies to shine through the tough exterior. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (66)

By far, the greatest album I've heard in a LONG time!
I remember the first time I popped the album into my CD player...it started up "Dear God...the paitents best intentions have sadly faltered. Despite the patients newly installed varnish brain, and being force fed gallons of viscus demented liquor, he is determined to obtain the new chrome spiders trophy...", well, we know how it sounds...or most of us do, I'd think by now. If you've heard the album. But anyhow, I was just like, "What in the hell?", and then it led into the song. BRILLIANT! The horns boomed in and the turntables were magnifcent in the scratching techniques...Coming from a fellow DJ, atleast. Then we go to "Kool Roc Bass". A seemless lead-in from "Warming Up the Brain Farm". Better that the previous track, in its respect. The 3rd track, "Kasrov's Revenge" was something of a treat, also. Almost like a good old rock song w/ some techno mixed in there. I loved the next 3 songs (I'd explain them, but I'm eager to talk about these next two songs...) Then we hit "Battleflag" (Yeah, I have to mention the one that got them fame in the states. The echo on the word 'Karma' is worth hearing the song everytime. Furthermore the Wrekked Train's screwed up lyrics. Lyrically they're upon the level of Beck...And suddenly we hit my favorite song on the album, if not one of my favorite songs ever...."Lazer Sheep Dip Funk". The name alone implies that it was going to be a ride, but then when the funk bassline gets going, as well as the guitar, you say to yourself "I like this! its, like, funk music.". And now the lyrics begin. I think I spent countless hours trying to figure out what he's saying through the voice filter. Its like an instrament w/in itself. I've figured out PARTS of it...Just not alot. "Will I Get Out of Jail" begins the descent into almost ambience music. soulful R&B almost meshed w/ loud drums and bass lines sounded incredible. And then we hit the 'epic' "Vision Incision"...I'll admit I didn't like this one the first time I heard it, but then I finally really listened to it. Now, save Lazer Sheep Dip Funk, its one of my favorites. You have to hear it to know what I mean. And then the last song, "Nitetime Story" was twice as good as the song prior to it. Almost like a synth piano in the backround, and a mournful woman crying out the lyrics. And then the 70 minutes of bliss ended..."I had no idea it would end in such tragedy", indeed...

Allstars taking over!
One of the most innovative dance albums of 1998, this album is weird, wacky, and rather brilliant. It's intelligent, and thoroughly classy. There are slamming breakbeat numbers (Warming Up The Brain Farm, Kool Roc Bass, Kasparov's Revenge), moodier numbers such as the super-fuzzed I Used To Fall In Love and the title track, , super-funk (of the Lazer Sheep Dip variety) which all builds up nicely to the epic Vision Incision. Since their insane vocalist the Wrekked Train has now left the group, don't expect to hear another album quite like this one ever, this is definitely worth it. Only one fault I can pick as a long-time Lo-Fis and Skint records fan: possibly the "Many Tentacles Pimping on the Keys" version of Blisters on My Brain might have been a better choice... it's a little funkier. Apart from that it's flawless, and one of the most innovative cross-over albums around. A classic.

Overrated and Overhyped
I've had this CD in my collection for a while, and finally decided to get rid of it. I'm a big fan of big beats such as Fatboy Slim and Prodigy, but I don't feel like this CD has any soul. It has more of a rock edge.

The single Battle Flag is great, and I also liked track one. But, I found the rest of the tracks boring and unimaginative. I hate when I buy a cd, and find that there's really only one good track on it. I find that that's the case with this CD.

crack, you're under attack
The reason that a cd like this has garnered so many bad ratings is because people keep trying to classify it. They want to call it dance, dj, hip-hop...whatever. What makes this album great for me is that it defies classification. Its as if rap, trip-hop, house, techno, and disco had an orgy, and the Lo Fidelity All-Stars gave birth to the b-stard child of it all.

Yes, "Battleflag" is an incredible track, and it may be the best track the album has to offer, but its certainly not the only thing worth listening to. For people who just want straight forward dance tracks, there's "Kool Roc Bass", "Blisters On My Brain", and "Lazer Sheep Dip Funk" (which is still one of the funkiest tracks I've ever heard). For people with a desire to bump/grind, there is no better track than "Will I Get Out of Jail", which has a final minute and a half composed of orgasm noises. And "I Used To Fall In Love" is a slow-dance with an open-minded significant other. But with the changes in tone on the cd, it becomes painfully obvious that this doesn't work as just a background cd at a party.

Aside from "Battleflag", my two favorite tracks don't fit the idea of this as a party disc at all. The title track "How To Operate With A Blown Mind" is astounding. Minimal music for the first few minutes, while vocalist The Wrekked Train walks through the streets with a microphone and a bottle, ranting like a quiet maniac. You hear him cough, lose his place, f--- up the meter, and curse randomly, but its natural. It's real freestyling. Likewise the last track, "Nightime Story" has a sound more like Portishead than Chemical Brothers. While the All-Stars could have easily ended their cd with another funky dance hit, they instead sampled Three Degrees and made a somber lament which still plays well with the bass cranked to 11. Its a great end to a great, and vastly underrated cd.

How to operate with a blown mind
Lo-Fidelity Allstars is one of the handful of break beat artists/groups in dance music that I can tolerate. I always thought that they put out some of the most interesting dance music in recent years. Although they haven't really broken through the states with the exception of the minor hit "Pigeonhead" at least they aren't the one-trick pony that Fatboy Slim turned out to be. The group's debut album "How to Operate with a Blown Mind" is a sonic bombast of street poetry and corrosive techno beats. The results is combustible. A former roommate of mine didn't like most of the cd but I didn't think it was as bad as he thought it was. I enjoyed "How to Operate with a Blown Mind". It may not be in heavy rotation in my stereo but every now and then I like to throw it into the stereo to blow off steam. I personally wasn't turned off by the profanity in the album. I must say that the group's second studio album is better because the music is more diversified and mixes other genres of music into their sound. Of course I love "Pigeonhead". I can never tire of listening to that song. "Lazer Sheep Dip Funk"is a pretty cool track in my book. Overall "How to Operate with a Blown Mind" is a solid techno album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For years before the release of Exit Planet Dust, the production duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons were cranking out slabs of the biggest sounds around on the U.K. label Junior Boys' Own. Before screeching guitars and massive breakdowns were par for the course in dance music, they were unleashing monsters like "Chemical Beats" and "Song to the Siren"; their distorted beats and rock mentality were years ahead of their time. And, not surprisingly, they still hold up today, collected and rereleased, along with several newer tracks, on Exit Planet Dust. All the singles that established the trademark Chemicals sound are present, as are explorations of pop-song forms with vocalists Beth Orton ("Alive Alone") and Tim Burgess ("Life Is Sweet").While a more evolved sound can be heard on their follow-up, Dig Your Own Hole, the roots of big beat can be found here. --Matthew Corwine ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Best Techno Album Ever!!
Okay, maybe that is a little strong to say, but Exit Planet Dust by the Chemical Brothers definitely ranks as one of techno/electronica's greatest CDs ever. I remember that I bought this a month ago and after already having Dig Your Own Hole to go by, I was a little disappointed on first listen. However, I decided to listen to it again and really concentrate on the music. I saw this album in a completely different light and it is in heavy rotation in my Maxima with its Bose system right now. The first 4 tracks are outstanding especially Leave Home and Three Little Birdies Down Beats. Then you have other great tracks like Chemical Beats, Chico's Groove, and Alive Alone sung by Beth Orton which is my favorite track on the album and one of techno/electronica's greatest songs. This CD is a little more focused than DYOH and a little more chill-out and ambient but in a frantic ambient way. Much better than DYOH--I should have gotten EPD first. A must-own album!

Decreasingly awesome
It's been a while since the Chemical Brothers released Exit Planet Dust, and things have changed. "Big beat" techno, which this album practically created on its own, has since departed for wherever it is that dead music goes. The chems now seem headed in that direction as well, but let's see how this disc has held up.

"Exit.." isn't as focused or effective as 1997's Dig Your Own Hole, but that's not always a bad thing: it's interesting to hear the Chemical formula being explored, and the tracks meander into one another fairly well. Unforunately, the momentum from bumpin' earlier tunes like "Leave Home" and "Song to the Siren" dissipates midway through, with the badly-arranged "Three Little Birdies Down Beats" and fairly conventional "Fûck Up Beats". (<-- trying to avoid Amazon's confusing profanity filter)
Similarly, "Chemical Beats" tries a rave construction, but the instrumentation is too sparse to get excited about. The slower, wandering tracks like "Chico's Groove" and "One too Many Mornings" are somewhat dull, but pleasant enough.

All things considered, think of Exit Planet Dust as a test run for the Chemical Brothers. It definitely has flaws, and is starting to show its age, but the fact that it spawned "Dig Your Own Hole" forgives all that, and more.

Some fresh air on the scene
How do you describe music that is a very successful mixture of many styles?
Chemical Brothers rocked the world with this debut record. It's a very inspired and energetic album. It's electronica based on break-beat rhythms, which occasionally change for hip-hop-style beats. On top of that there are plenty of driving, rocking your seat, bass-lines, a whole lot of interwoven synthesizers, and many sound samples taken from "real life". It's all plastered together in a very intricate and crafty manner, immediately making sense, and taking you away. While mostly uptempo, a couple of slower tracks do not spoil the atmosphere.

This is an almost-perfect electronica release, which has the potential to rock the listener who wants it, or to be an unobtrusive background music to those who prefer it that way. Superb effort by Tom and Ed.

Excellent example of Chemical Brothers
This is an album you can listen to for a long time. A great cd to listen to while driving. Surreal, out of this world sounds.

Ths shortest but smoothest Chemical Brothers album
The songs on Exit Planet Dust are smooth, fast-paced and beautiful sounding. You should definetly check out Chemical Beats and Three Little Birdies Down Beats. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

One of the Best Electronic Albums
First of all, it's Prodigy. In case you didn't know, Prodigy is one of the greatest musical forces of our time. Liam Howlett, the brain behind the Prodigy, is one of the greatest musical minds of our time.
Music for the Jilted Generation is Prodigy's second full-length album. In my opinion it is, so far, their most worthwhile. I haven't listened to any other Prodigy album more than I have listened to this one.
Music for the Jilted Generation begins with an interesting, atmospheric introduction, with a vocal sample of "So, I've decided to take my work back underground. To stop it falling into the wrong hands." Supposedly this was Prodigy moving away from the pop sounds they had been accused of producing earlier with, for example, the hit rave single "Charly."
The sounds on Music for the Jilted Generation are more dark. That is not to say they're depressing though. They are actually a combination of many things. Whatever the case, they evoke a response. Some words to describe it are energetic, insane, euphoric, nostalgic, adventurous, and futuristic. An interesting thing about Prodigy's music is that it often manages to sound classic and futuristic at the same time.
If you are not already a fan of some electronic, or techno, music, or haven't even heard much, this album may take some getting used to. The first song I knowingly heard from this album was "Poison," which I loved almost right from the start. When I listened to the rest of the album, I was put off by it. Eventually I discovered the skill, talent, and beauty behind it.
"Break and Enter" is a fast techno-type song, with a nice vocal and cool synthesizer sounds. A nice breakbeat and good percussion, as well.
"Their Law" also has a nice beat, with heavy metal type guitar sounds. There's a synthesizer hook on this one that sounds very English to me, and very cool.
Anyway, "Full Throttle" contains a very nice piano hook. "Voodoo People" was one of the more popular songs, and indeed it is good, but not my favorite. "The Heat/The Energy" is reminiscent of horror movies.
"Poison" is one of the best songs I've ever heard. If you hear the song you'll probably not forget it. It's a hip-hop style track, but not like anything you've heard. It has very neat electronic effects, and the whole track is very cohesive.
"No Good (Start the Dance) and "One Love" are somewhat more accessible songs, and sound more pop than the other songs. They sound like a lot of rave or techno music, but still with the Prodigy touch. "No Good" has machine-like sounds that sound kind of harsh.
"3 Kilos" is a very laid-back song. If you're in the mood for it, it can be very beautiful-sounding.
"Skylined" is perhaps not as memorable a song, but still very nice. It's more atmospheric and "soundtrackish."
The album closes with "Claustrophobic Sting." It's one of the most scary songs I've ever heard, and it's pretty good, too.
Admittedly, the production on this album is not as tight as on Fat of the Land. But that doesn't keep it from being great. There is very little wrong with this album, and the work put into it really shows. To me, Music for the Jilted Generation is more of an experience. Moreso than Fat of the Land, it takes you somewhere. This is a classic album, one of my favorites.

Mindblowing Techno With Slamming Beats!
I've got all of Prodigy's albums - but this is their best. Many people have argued that this wasn't Prodigy - but they missed the fact that every album of theirs is different (Experience is hard dance, Fat Of The Land is more rock/hip-hop, and Dirtchamber Sessions Vol.1 is a DJ mix album!) This, however, is simply superb - every other track on here deserves to be a single and on the radio, the others deserve listing again and again until you're asleep...

Break And Enter - despite the 8 minute running time, is by far and away the best track on the album - very hard beats, tough sounds, with a sweet sounding vocal sample gliding over the top - replete with breaking glass and alarms, and awesome kicks starts.

Their Law is the most metal track Prodg. have ever done. Very rocky.

Full Throttle - the closest the album gets to "Experience".

Voodoo People - Good single. Catchy, and fun to sing along to the vocal!

Speedway - goes on a bit, but screams along at a pace similar to the cars in the background...

The Heat(The Energy) - best described by it's title...

Poison - slowest on the album, but still good to chill to.

No Good (Start The Dance) - back to familiar ground. The best out of all the singles that came from this album.

One Love(Edit) - another single, but slightly out of touch with the rest of the album, and I'm not quite sure why...

The Narcotic Suite (3 Kilos, Skylined, Claustrophobic Sting) - is an outstanding bookender to a modern music classic.

The running time - 13 tracks! 78 minutes! - blows away Experience's 12 tracks/60 min, Fat Of The Land's 10/56 and Dirtchamber's meagre 8/51. And the artwork is fantastic - a face rising out of metal makes for a great cover - not to mention the inner sleeve artwork (policemen swarming out from a dark city toward a bridge, and trying to cross it so they can stop a huge hippie festival over the ravine, but stopped by a knive-wielding freak about to cut the bridge ropes, and giving them all the finger! Oops - I've gone on too long.) What more can I say? This album smashed the dangerous The-Second-Album fears of the pop industry by not only being better than its predecessor, but better than anything else pulled off by anybody in Prodigy ever again. This is fantastic - pure technophile's dream. If that's you - get this now.

Absolute Masterpiece
I have been saying that i've always loved early to mid 90s electronic music a lot more than the modern stuff being brought out now. Reason being is because back then songs were so progressive and epic. Starting off smooth and getting hard. But now songs usually start off with a hard beat and stick to it with modernised synths and things. Old Skool music rocks! And this is the perfect example of what i'm talking about with the mid 90s music. Its beautiful. Every track is so well thought out, so well programmed. Liam Howelett knows what his fans wanna hear and he accomodates by giving them awesome music! This is the best Prodigy album out of the 4 IMHO. I say if u like Experince get this. If you liked Fat of the Land then wait for the next album because this is very different than it.

The one Prodigy album that has aged gracefully
When I first heard pre-Fat of the Land Prodigy, I thought it sounded kind of dated, and got a bigger kick out of FotL's blatant pandering to the American Rock palate. But even that was a guilty pleasure, as this was the mid-90's, the heyday of IDM, and I wore my anorak proudly. ;) Since then I've lost my fear of straight-up dance music, and I have to admit that this album in particular sounds far less dated than the music Autechre and Black Dog were making at the time. The underground ethos within is particularly appealing here in post-9/11 America, where even having a burger feels like taking sides. Yeah, all the overused breakbeats are here, but like Nirvana did with those same tired old three chords, they manage to build something special on top - it just took me time and maturity to hear.

As for the music itself? It takes me to the same place in my head as Hendrix, but makes me want to dance until all my troubles have poured out of me like so much sweat. There are sonic and melodic twists and turns that no one else in this style pulled off, even though they had the same arsenal of sounds and beats at their disposal. There is so much in this album to appreciate beyond the superficial trappings of its genre (trappings Prodigy no doubt helped make common) that to try and describe its sound is missing the point. Like an earlier Prodigy album title implies, it needs to be experienced.

Essential Prodigy!
Time flies by, it's now 10 years ago we were danicng to The Prodigy's heavy dance beats on "Music for the gilted generation" when Dance music was on it's peak. It's undoubtly the best Prodigy album to date and one of the true classic techno albums of the 90's. "Fat of the land" is probably their most famous but "Gilted generation" was the one that launces their techno era, they had changed their sound alot since their earlier albums from trance related music to hardcore techno, still with the Prodigy sound tough. This album has 13 songs and all are good, alot of variety aswell. The samplings they made on this album was out of this world. They introduced fantastic samples, flutes and live drums "Poison" which is one very dark song. "3 kilos" live drums and a sound that reminds me of hip hop. Heavy rock guitars "Voodoo People" which also includes fast meliodic techno beats and "Their law" with pop eat itself. Fast dance beats and addictive melodies mixed with vocals on "No good (start the dance) one of my favorites here. "Break & Enter" got some fantastic samples of broken glass, screaming voices and fast breakdown beats, probably the most artistic of the album. A edited version of their previous hit "One love" is also good and "Speedway" from fastlane, a slow developing song, a bit like "Break & Enter" This album is a true master piece of one of the most influentual techno groups of all time, hence Prodigy was almost bigger then teen idols Take That. I recommend you to buy this, play it hard and dance! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Surrender kicks off with a nervous, vibrating whine that brings to mind the first three seconds of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady." But it's just a tease; on their third album, techno's Chemical Brothers have all but turned their back on the rock muscle that earned 1997's Dig Your Own Hole gold status in the U.S. Oh, there are guest rock vocalists galore--New Order's Bernard Sumner, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, and Oasis's Noel Gallagher--but only the latter brings out the crunching big beats that the Chems all but invented. The rest of Surrender hews closer to the thinner, synthesized textures of the electro revival that's swept the dance-music world. Much of the time that's just swell. The leadoff track, "Music: Response," is a seamless trip back to 1985, complete with vocoderized singing and Morse-code beeps. And Sumner's "Out of Control" replicates the thrill of hearing the gloomy Joy Division morph into a swell synthpop band. But without the propulsion that their trademark aggression usually provides, the Chems just barely come up with enough ideas to carry the listener all the way through an album, much less rock a dance floor for an hour at a time. --Jeff Salamon ... Read more

Reviews (228)

Kudos to the Chemical Brothers
I think it's too bad that customers buy a new album, like Surrender, and expect it to be another Dig Your Own Hole, and trash it if it's not. I take my hat off to the boys for trying something new rather than stay with the same old Block Rockin' Beats routine. I enjoy "Hey Boy" because it seems more sarcastic than egotistical (their references to 'superstar DJs' and the cheerful 'here we go!'.. sounds like they are making fun of the hype rather than basking in it) I also enjoyed the retro 80s flavor of music:response. My favorite song on this album is Got Glint?... it's a simple song but there's something fresh about it and the 80s flavor about it really appeals to me. Some of the melodies in this album also have a nice eastern ring to it that is subtle but refreshing. Someone who prefers the older chemical brothers might come away dissappointed but if you're willing to listen to something new and different, give this one a try! P.S. See them live if you can. They are wonderful and the concert's what got me into them!

Stayin' fresh
In an age of comercializing, conforming, and making all music sound like 'pop,' it's nice to know that while other artists are changing over to the pop sell-out side, the chemical brothers are still pumpin' fresh beats. Although this album is a great deveation from their earlier works (DYOH, and Exit Planet Dust), I was delighted to see a brand new sound that didn't flow like a generic "TRANCE-MANIA VOLUME 1 (through 10)." Surrender has by far the most diverse sound I have ever heard on a CD. It would be imposible to put into a certain genre of electronica, because it explores all of them. From the slightly retro Music:Response, to some killer trance in Out of Control, to down-tempo, progressive, and the amazing finale, this album rocks through all genres with equal force. If you're a true block-rockin'-beats fan, you might not like this album because only tracks 4 and 5 mimic the Brother's truly original sound. If you are trance-obsessed, you might be a little better off, but not by too much. Yet, if you love a very diverse compilation of music on one disk, GET THIS NOW!!

P.S. When I saw the Chemical Brothers live, they started the show with Hey Boy, Hey Girl, mixed into Block Rockin' Beats; and then mixed the vocal chorus of Block Rockin' Beats and Music:Response TOGETHER to a background mix of the two songs' beats. These guys are TRULY FANTASIC live.

great begining but trails off
let forever be and out of control are possibly the best tracks ever from the brothers. other tracks are ok but last half of cd is suspect with slower songs and are somewhat weak. music response is a crazy track check it out.

I wouldn't call this a follow-up to Dig Your Own Hole at all
Ok...sure, this album has its UPS for Under The Influence, Out Of Control, Let Forever Be, and Hey Boy Hey Girl...but...I was rather dissapointed on the "style" that they chose to make this album make you SURRENDER to them after hearing the Grammy Award Winner of Dig Your Own Hole. Music: Response was an excellent introduction to the whole CD, but, after that, things started to go a little downhill with songs such as Orange Wedge and The Sunshine Underground. I didn't feel that those songs went anywhere except for in their layed back way...even the song Surrender was terrible. I gave this album 3 stars for a lot of the downfall songs in the album. It is still good to have though if you are a die hard fan of The Chemical Brothers.

Thanks.

My first Chemical Bros. album. Really good stuff.
This was my introduction to the Chemical Brothers. I didn't know what to expect. I heard a few songs off of Dig Your Own Hole, but I kept hearing that this album was completely different. Well, that's not exactly true, but it is a good listen. "Music: Response" is quite interesting. It sounds like 1985 rap beats with some weird robot voices. Under The Influence seems to most liked song from the album. I find it to be ok. Nothing spectacular. Out Of Control has the singer from New Order singing and playing guitar on it. This one is quite entertaining. My absoulte favorite songs would have to be Orange Wedge, The Sunshine Underground, and Hey Boy Hey Girl. Those 3 songs alone are worth the price. Orange Wedge is a attempt to do DJ Shadow-like material. The Sunshine Underground is a very pshycadelic song that just builds and builds. And Hey Boy Hey Girl just rules. The only song I didn't like was Asleep From Day. It never went anywhere. I reccomend this album if you're mildly or really into electronica. Enjoy. ... Read more

Album Description

One of America’s most popular female DJs, Baby Anne has dominated the US breaks scene with numerous singles and 5 top-selling mix CDs to date. Her hi-octane sets of breaks fused with electro and heavy doses of Miami bass have taken the Orlando-based native from DJ booth to dance floor, coast to coast, performing for her legion of dedicated (some might say, slavishly submissive) fans.

2004 Sees Baby Anne come with her most daring mix compilation to date - Mixtress - a 70 minute 'high energy' breakbeat extravaganza featuring tracks from heavyweights Plump DJs, Jackal & Hyde, Freestylers, and Baby Anne herself with the self-titled single "Mixtress". ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Continuous mix of mid-tempo soul/R&B/hip-hop/funk
What more can be said about about this record that hasn't already been said? This disc compiles some of the greatest grooves of Mark Farina's legendary Mushroom Jazz evenings in San Francisco. Some of you have probably heard Farina spin house, but you should know that Mushroom Jazz is NOT a house album. Instead, it is a heady mix of some smoothest mid-tempo underground tracks ever put out on vinyl (and now CD). Some of the glory of this album can be found in the variety of musical styles Farina manages to fuse together in a seamless mix which transcends categorization. But, more importantly, the FEELING this album conveys to the listener and the incredible beats are both unique and fresh. I've searched a long time for another record similar to this one, but I don't think it exists. Snap this album up and you'll see what I mean. Then you'll know why I'll be the first one in line for Mushroom Jazz II.

Mushroom Jazz is good stuff
Mark Farina is a genius. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like this CD. It'll appeal to anyone who likes jazz, hip-hop, house, soul, or good music. If you don't own it, then you haven't heard it enough.

Not outstanding
I ran out and got this album after hearing a DJ friend sample track 2 off of it. The album turned out to be homogenous and unimpressive in my opinion. The tracks meld together in an awkward manner and the production is poor enough that I noticed, and I don't know a lot about production.

An every collection must have...
5 Stars? Doesn't do this justice. This CD ranks up there with Bob Marley and Wailers "Legend" as a CD that every collection must have. You want mood music? You want to chillout? You want to groove? Soothe your soul with music that has become the soundtrack to my life...

Take that Acid Jazz , we have Mushroom....
.......Extremely high quality mix by Mark Farina , utilizing all his skills to rock it the way only he can. Track one is trippy and different. Track 2 has a great beat , but to me is the weakest on the CD(vocals are irritating). Track 3 really starts the Jazz rolling. 4 and 5 are both good , and totally different stylistically......track 6 seems the most mainstream of them all , but is still danceable , although not seemingly as jazzy. Track 7 is more downtempo , but good. Track 8 rocks , and is one of my faves. Track 9 is more trippy , but also good. 10 and 11 are more of the same stuff.....track 11 is different as it is rap , but it is tastefully utilized and sampled through the whole CD , which Mark does with all the tracks to really mess with your mind. Classic !! If you don't own it , and you like Acid Jazz , buy it , and the other 2 volumes as they are also good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco-based Mark Farina cut his DJ teeth in the Chicago house-music scene. In Mushroom Jazz, Vol. 2 his house roots flavor a seamless mix of laidback acid-jazz tracks. Farina doesn't mix the songs by the conventional tricks of the trade, such as slowing the bpm of one song to match the next or scratching the ending of a song to insert another. Instead he uses bits and pieces from each track--a repetitive vocal sample here, a recurring drum pattern there--interspersing them throughout the CD to create a contiguous motif. The result is a DJ record on which the tracks can be identified only by looking at the track number on the CD player, yet simultaneously it has the feel of a complete album. Track 8 is a bit of a diversion: except for the heavily processed vocals, its verse, chorus, verse composition makes for a Mariah Carey-type pop song. In all, a groovy low-ride. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The album with something for everyone
Mark Farina is at his best in the mushroom jazz series. Not once have a played this album and not had someone ask me what it was. It's awesome!! Funky, jazzy, with a suprise bit of breaks keep you grooving. Great music to chill. Creates a fun vibe for lounging.

way commercial
When I first took a look at the cover of mushroom jazz 2. I was ready to buy it. Upon taking it home and listening to it, I was quite dissappointed to say the least. This release is nothing like the original. the laid back, funky jazz samples in the original have stepped aside, and in it's place now stands a huge heaping of hip hop and R&B garbage that you can hear on any radio station. while it still has Mark Farina's impeccable mixing style, and a few good tracks to back it up, the cd lacks the sounds of the underground which were so prevalent on the first installment.

Expected excellence ......
.....from one of the best DJ's in the world. The track selection is creative and flawlessly mixed. I cannot understand what people found so distasteful about track 8 - make me happy- I loved it , and the soulful vocals. I also thought the jazz theme was more than present. Perhaps others did not like this type of music , because they didn't understand what they were purchasing. If you like down tempo house , acid jazz , or great DJ mixes , this is a MUST have. I have this CD on my hard drive , and it's one of 2(Sasha @ Ibiza) that have this priviledge. No weak tracks here folks , no faves to single out , just load it up and enjoy.

Best of the Mushroom Jazz series
I've been a fan and friend of Mark Farina's for years now, and it goes without saying that anything with Mark's name on it is golden, whether it be house or downtempo, he knows what he's doing. The mixing on this alubm is impeccable, but that goes without saying. What makes Mushroom Jazz stand out from both MJ1 and MJ3 is the track selection, which includes some of the best downtempo tracks I have heard to date. Mark's composition of these tracks, as well as his use of a sampler, makes for a seamless, flowing mix that is unrivaled by any other.

If, for some reason, you do not have this album, please buy it, you are doing yourself a disservice without it.

Just never seems to get old...
This CD is great. The music is, for the most part, some of the best I have heard, it even includes a track by Mr. Scruff! Good mixture of hip hop and jazz that is mixed impeccably, the songs are integrated beautifully. Only 4 stars because of some annoying tracks, namely "Make Me Happy" (which makes me want to pour acid in my ears) and "If I Fall". Other than that it is pure jazz and hip hop sounds. Great CD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Besides Tom Rolands and Ed Simons of the Chemical Brothers, few artists have the clout, chops, and DJ wherewithal to change the landscape of dance music. Still, it's not something the duo seems in a particular hurry to do. Since the release of the now-classic Exit Planet Dust, an intensely groove-able rap-stomp hodgepodge, and Dig Your Own Hole, their 1997 breakout record, big beat has been eating itself in a commercialized frat-boy frenzy. Yet the Brothers haven't found--or even really tried to find--that Something Else to turn the masses on in a different, exciting direction. True, their last full-length, Surrender, found them incorporating a house-ier feel, mixing a retro aesthetic with four-on-the-floor beats, but it was really the same old batch of clever samples and rolling thumps. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing; most of us have happily run in place right along with them. Come with Us also finds them pulling all the usual tricks; there's an irresistible dance-floor anthem or two ("Star Guitar," "Denmark"), swooping keyboard tricks ("Come with Us"), guest vocalists (Beth Orton, Richard Ashcroft), and the amazing fluidity that allows a moody song like Orton's "The State We're In" to sound perfectly, logically in its place. While it sounds like they're coasting, their refined, sugary formula is so sweet, it's hard to complain. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (117)

Did you have any doubt? Brothers gonna work it out!
Funky grooves, thundering bass beds, and a heaping helping of that Chemical ingenuity we've all come to know and love are the ingredients that have been lovingly mixed into "Come With Us," the Chemical Brothers' latest bake. While die-hard fans may have been patiently expecting something a little more in line with their earlier releases, "Dig Your Own Hole" and "Exit Planet Dust," the brothers have apparently opted to continue in the vein of 1999's stunning "Surrender," mixing house, trance, and big-beat grooves with a pop sensibility and musicality that is, as of yet, unrivaled in the electronica genre. Of particular note is the down-tempo track, "The State We're In," featuring vocals by Beth Orton, and the epic dance anthem, "Star Guitar." So if you're looking for immense soundscapes, catchy leads, and an infectious groove that finds its home on or off the dance-floor, consider your wish granted.

They're back!!!!!!!!!!!!
After taking a couple years off, presumably for touring gigs, they've returned in full effect.

Dig Your Own Hole was a darn good album and is arguably one of the albums that pushed electronica into the mainstream. After stumbling a bit with 1999's "Surrender" the duo known as the Chemical Brothers decided to return to their roots with straight up high-energy dance floor tracks... and the results are nothing short of stunning!

I was expecting more commercial big-beat stuff, but was shocked to hear tracks that stand on their own. It appears that the Bros decided changes were in order to avoid being cast as "sell outs" or "too commercial." I'm proud to say that they've succeded admirably and have cranked out what will probably be one of 2002's best dance records.

This could very well be their best work to date. The whole album is solid from start to finish. The opening track "Come With Us" is a solid opener and sets the tone for the album quite well. I won't go on rambling about every track since they're all great. Tracks 7 and 9 are a bit weak, but provide the lighter fare that provide a nice break from the up-tempo dance beats that permeate the set.

My faves: "Galaxy Bounce", "Star Guitar", "Hoops", and The Verve's Richard Ashcroft on "The Test"

Highly recommended!

Subtly different album
I generally listen to artists such as Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, and the like., but I found that this album really was a change from Chemical Bro's usual. It seems to be a transitional period to the band, which of course leads to experimentation. If you like this album especially, you should look into early and mid career squarepusher.... one of my favorites.

As good as always (almost)
None of Chems' works have ever disappointed me. I like this album very much. But to be honest it's a bit worse than DYOH.

voy con ustedes---lo mejor
que puedeo decir, es un exelente album, donde la homogeneidad de los beats te hace viajar por un trance de euforia y lacitud continua. comprenlo es un disco genial. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

EXCELLENT ALBUM FOR FANS OF CRYSTAL METHOD & CHEMICAL BROS.
The reason I like bands like "The Crystal Method" and "The Chemical Brothers" is that their music sounds like (and usually is) the soundtrack to a really cool action movie. The music is furious, the lyrics are clever wordplays that don't make sense (and don't need to), and it gets your blood pumping. Overseer's "Wreckage" is almost as good as those two bands.

Dense musical compositions, strange sounds (like an airplane's sonic boom) used for effect, and truly (and I say this proudly) "head-pounding" beats. Unfortunately for some, the reason this all sounds so good is because we've heard it before. There's a song from the "Any Given Sunday" movie soundtrack, two songs from "The Animatrix" soundtrack, and "Horndog", the song played in the Mitsubishi Endeavor commercials (you know the one, where they cut to "Sponge Bob Squarepants" in the middle). I don't mind, as I don't have any of the aforementioned albums, but those that do, you already own 1/4 of the 12 songs on this track, keep that in mind. And they're the best songs on the album.

The rest of the album, however, holds up pretty well. There are a few slow, "trance-y" songs, like "Meteorology", "Aquaplane", and "Sparks", which remind me of Massive Attack or Nick Cave, or even Rob Dougan's classical-electronic sound. They're good, and flow with the rest of the album quite nicely. Also adding variety are some hip-hop influenced songs, tracks like "Doomsday" and "Never", which remind me of a slower BT, in a good way. This all adds up to a wide selection of sounds and keeps things interesting.

All in all, the wait was very long (the album was delayed many times), but it really was worth the wait.

Not exactly original, but pretty darn good.
After years of production and several delays, Wreckage, the debut album from Overseer, is finally here and ready to set the world ablaze. More than likely, you've probably already heard a good number of these tracks, seeing as how they've been used in the soundtracks of multiple movies, video games, and TV shows. While there really isn't anything that hasn't already been done on this album, the songs themselves provide a genuine and refreshing glimpse into the mind of Rob Overseer and his vast imagination, however semi-plagiristic that imagination may at times seem. Let's take a look, shall we?

1. Slayed - 4.5/5: This song sounds like a mix between the Crystal Method and the Beastie Boys. Not my favorite song on here, but not bad by any means

2. Stompbox - 5/5: This track showcases one of Overseer's specialties: mixing electronic-based music with hard rock. It's a good song to be played while participating in atheletic activities, which is quite fitting, as it was featured in the film "Any Given Sunday."

3. Supermoves - 10/5: My personal favorite of this album and quite possibly one of my favorite electronic songs ever. This song is just so fast-paced and powerful that it must be heard to be believed. If you've ever seen the movie "Snatch" or the trailer to "The Matrix Reloaded," you've heard this incredible track.

4. Velocity Shift - 5/5: This is the shortest song on the album, but it's still very, very good. It reminds me a little of a slightly harder Fatboy Slim. This song was one of two Overseer tracks featured in the game "Stuntman", as well as several various commercials.

5. Horndog - 4/5: And now we have the first single which, if you have seen the Mitsubishi Endeavor commercial, you have no doubt heard. It's a rather good mid-tempo song with an excellent bassline, but it's not really the reason you should by this CD (Supermoves is reason enough).

6. Meteorology - 3.5/5: Now the album takes a little break from all the ferocity of the first few tracks. This song is pretty good, but it's not the best of the low-tempo offerings on this album. It's actually pretty weird on the first listen, but not nearly as strange as Heligoland.

7. Aquaplane - 3/5: This is just about the same as Meteorology, only a tad bit slower and done using a different vocal style. Whereas Meteorology sounds like something Moby would do, Aquaplane sounds, in my opinion, very Gorillaz-ish.

8. Doomsday - 5/5: Back to the fast songs. This is my second favorite track after Supermoves. It combines rock, hip-hop, and electronica to produce a song rather reminescent of something BT might do.

9. Basstrap - 5/5: The other song that was in "Stuntman", which sounds very much like it's partner, Velocity Shift, although it's longer and has more vocals. A very catchy song.

10. Sparks - 4/5: This song sounds a little bit out of place. It's more along the lines of something Sarah McClaughlin would do instead of anything else on the record. That having been said, it's the best of the low-tempo songs and is not bad by any means.

11. Never - 2/5: Okay, this is by far THE worst song on the album. Hip-hop I can take, but this... It borders almost on gangsta rap!! While the ambient background music and female vocals in the chorus sound good, they simply cannot make up for the ghetto-centric lyrics. My least favorite on the CD.

12. Heligoland - 3/5: And we end with perhaps the weirdest song of the record, which consists of Moby-like ambient swirls complimented by what appears to be a weather-forecaster speaking complete and total nonsense, followed by a phone that rings for upwards of twenty minutes, only to hang up when someone finally answers and says "'Ello!" It's weird for sure, but it's not the worst thing I've ever heard.

All in all, this is a very solid release from an artist you've probably all heard before but you just don't know his name. Well, it's Overseer. Rob Overseer. And his CD, Wreckage, deserves to be bought. By YOU.

Rocks hard, missed its time
The review given by P-57 is a shallow glance at what "Wreckage" really is, minimizing it when it really is a massive music producing undertaking with mostly great results. Although Overseer sounds similar to other groups like the Crystal Method, it's a great version of the metal mixed with breakbeats sound. How do I disagree with P-57? Let me count thy ways. First off, he says "Doomsday" was the worst track, but it's the reason I bought this cd. P-57 also remarks "any kid with a sequencer could throw together supermoves" or, "It sounds like you'd hear it in a movie..." How naive.. supermoves was not only in Snatch, but remixed for Animatrix. As for the sequencer comment, if you've ever messed with any producing software or equipment you would understand that the guys behind Overseer are MASTERS of producing music. This album took them THREE YEARS to produce. I think its apparent although 3 yrs. does seem a little long.
In fact, if you look back three years, you can reminisce about the chemical brothers, and the crystal method, groups that Overseer sounds very much akin to. I think its too bad this album took so long to produce, because it would have fit in nicely around the turn of the millenium. It's pumped up electro, rocks, and mostly sounds good. Personally I don't like the slower songs slipped into this hype mix.
The song Heligoland is a gyp, and really is 26 minutes of a phone ringing... I think the purpose of the song was to make the cd harder to copy because it makes it longer than 80 minutes. Too bad the album took so long to produce, or that maybe could have been a song.

Derivative, misguided, hastily assembled
We've all heard Overseer's "Horndog" song - the one Mistubishi uses to flog their latest pile of trash. It's a fun little song, except that, like anything else heard over and over again, it gets old and annoying quickly. The rest of the "Wreckage" CD plays like someone dumped Crystal Method, Prodigy, a tiny bit of Rage Against the Machine, and a smidgen of Portishead into a can, gave it one or two halfhearted shakes, and poured the results onto a CD. There's nothing original here, but if you enjoy any of these influential groups, you may find one or two tracks worth your while (emphasis on "one").

"Slayed" starts the album out with such promise, sounding like early Crystal Method, but then makes the fatal mistake of adding a whiny rapper to the mix. He tosses out a few meaningless raps, drops a couple of f-bombs, and ruins the track. This same vocalist also lends his annoying voice to "Stompbox," again detracting from a decent track.

"Supermoves" and "Velocity Shift" are swift-moving big-beat songs that sound like something out of a movie car-chase scene. They are somewhat exciting, but ultimately forgettable - nothing that a kid with a sequencer couldn't throw together in a few hours.

"Meteorology" changes things up a bit. The first half of the track is mostly ambient strings with a German female spoken-word monologue. The second half adds a beat and English singing, which turns out to be enjoyable (a minor drawback being that every repetitive phrase must rhyme with "pours": "scores," "doors," etc).

"Aquaplane," a trip-hoppy sort of track, features the oddest vocal distortion/treatment of the vocalist since Eiffel 65, but still manages to be vaguely listenable. "Sparks" is also in the same trip-hop style, but this time there is no vocal distortion. The singer is quite good and adds a genuine melody to the song.

The extreme low point of the CD is hit with the tracks "Doomsday" and "Never." These are just plain lousy, featuring guest vocalists adding aimless hip-hop rap blubberings about injustice and stealing to support their families and whatnot.

Finally, "Heligoland" is 6 minutes of vague, ambient electronica overlayered with someone reading British sea condition reports, followed by (I kid you not) 20 minutes of the sound of a phone periodically ringing. This would be hilarious, if you didn't suddenly stop and realize that you gave money to this artist so that he could insult your intelligence by giving you a "song" consisting of 20 minutes of a ringing phone.

This is a poor, hasty effort from "Overseer." The CD's title is indeed apropos. It deserves to be relegated to future trivia questions and nothing more: "What was the name of that one song in the Mitsubishi commercial?" "Dunno."

Awesome..... Dance meets hip hop, with alternative influence
I'm not Stephanie, I'm her husband Jared, I bought this cd a day after my friend had purchased the Snatch Soundtrack. Overseer was featured on there, and as soon as I heard him I was hooked. It was awesome. this is for anyone who like dance/electronic, hip hop, and alternative all blended in one. Fatboy slimish, although I have to say a better beginning than Fatboy. It's rare that you find an album where every track stands out in its own right, and is good for that matter. This is one of those albums. I cant wait to see Overseer live. This rocks. You wont be disappointed! Take a chance and embrace music from the UK! ... Read more

Album Description

2002 release on the Eighteenth Street Lounge Music label.14 tracks including 'Mucho Tequila', 'Nightcap' & 'JackieGo!'. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

MADE ME KINDA KINKY!!!
Ursula 1000 delivers an incredible collection of fun songs drenched in Bossa Nova, Samba and 60s Cinematic flavor, embellished with the proper mix of funk, breakbeat and sampling! "Kinda Kinky" is great for all parties--it'll have your guests go-going their tails off!

Great GROOVE CD (w/ no vocals)
I've gotten so used to hearing lounge music with vocals (except of course Buddha Bar) that I was caught off gaurd when listening to this cd for the first time. I love it. I especially like beatbox cha cha. And this is coming from someone who's never listened to Ursula 1000. I'm compelled to dance like the beatnicks in the early 60s. Kinda reminds me of Deee-lite in so many ways. If you like this CD try Bebel Gilberto's latest for a down tempo beat or Dimitri From Paris' first cd Sacre Bleau.

A kinky must-have.
How could any swinger resist buying an album featuring cover art by Shag? I sure couldn't... and that's how I wound up with a copy of Ursula 1000's "Kinda Kinky" in my stereo.

"Kinda Kinky" is the brilliant fusion of two very hip genres: electronic and lounge. Each track is set to the same basic beat with a few extra hums or whistles to allow for variety. The tile theme is the only lyrical piece (other than a few one-liners here and there) and presents the Hammond Organ stylings of Brother Cleve. "Beatbox Cha Cha" doesn't offer up anything new. We've all heard this sound before on revivalist compilations such as "Electro Lounge" and "Verve Remixed," but that's not to say it's a stale routine. Take your standard cha-cha number, add one thumping bass line and a few Fatboy Slim-esque vocals and there you have it. "That Kindu That You Do" is the usual western interpretation of the middle east, filled with gongs, chants & sitars and backed by a techno beat -- an urban snakecharmer's dream come true. "Continental Break Fest," a fantastically upbeat tune, will instantly "da da da" its way into your head. "Mucho Tequila," another latin-tinged number, is not quite in the same league as "Beatbox Cha Cha," but still one of the stronger pieces on this album. Finally, let "Nightcap" set the mood for a tropical getaway as you stir up some fruity concoctions at the bar. After a few drinks you and your company will be giggling right along with the "tee hee"s in this song's background.

The rest of the tracks are great for the hear-and-now, but not too memorable in the long run. "Jackie Go!" is a groovy number complete with hums, saxophones & electronic whistles, "Smokebomb" & "Les Techniques De L'Amour" feature some excellent jazzy flute melodies, & "Samba 1000" sounds like a house-mixed samba.

On the whole, this disc is a must-have. You'll have your favorites and your not-so-favorites, but there isn't anything dull enough to skip over -- this is one cd you'll play from start to finish, every time you pop it in. Fans of this unusual musical hybrid may want to check out Pizzicato Five & Fantastic Plastic Machine for some similar, but less essential, albums.

The best so far.
This is Alex's best CD by far. Well, his "All Systems Are Go-Go" is still a great mix, but this is by far better then his first go round "The Now Sound of Ursula 1000".

Super Hipster Ursula 1000 Does It Again!
"Kinda Kinky" is Ursula 1000's best effort yet. With each release his musical prowess builds and "Kinda Kinky" is so filled with surprises that only after many listenings can you grasp its complexity.

The humor Ursula 1000 infuses into his work is a welcome relief to the times we live in. How we'd all love to cha cha our way to oblivion dressed in the perfect Pucci number pleasantly numbed by champagne. "Kinda Kinky" should be routinely prescribed to anyone feeling down -- you can't help smiling and dancing and perhaps even giggling along with this perfect CD. Magnifico! Mucho Tequilo and Mas Ursula 1000! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Continuing in the darkly epic vein of 1999’s The Contino Sessions, Death In Vegas’s Scorpio Rising layers psychedelic fuzz and electronic scenery over slow-burning dance-rock. DIV’s DJ duo Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes veer madly between new wave revivalism ("Hands Around My Throat") and straight-up rock remakes ("So You Say You Lost Your Baby"), with shoegazer clamor and goth treacle in the crawlspaces. Like Sessions, the record features high-profile guest vocalists; this time, Oasis’s Liam Gallagher, Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval and former Jam frontman Paul Weller are on hand to juice up the record’s pop-dance hybrid appeal. Gallagher has the most success, putting his scruffy rock god pose to good use on the intensely catchy title track. There’s nothing here that significantly changes the band’s formula, but Scorpio Rising stays interesting and relevant with a jumble of high drama and chaotic influences. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Good Stuff
At first listen, I didnt like it as much as the Contino Sessions, which is brilliant in my opinion, but the second time I listened to it, I realized that I did in fact love this album. All songs are really good. I was surprised to see "Girls" in the Lost In Translation soundtrack. (They should have put the Peaches song on it too... You all know which one...Wimps...) Its hard to pick favorites, as they are all good, but I would have to say 'Scorpio Rising', and the 2 Hope Sandoval songs, because I love her. Especially the last song, 'Help Yourself'. OK, so I have an absolute favorite. It is 'Help Yourself'. A very long song, but absolutely worth it. Ill be looking forward to their next album with baited breath. Good work guys. Keep it up.

The Death Are back
This latest Album from Death In Vegas has to be there greatest work yet. The title track Scorpio Rising with Liam Gallagher supplying the vocals has to be the pick of the bunch. This one track is worth the price of the album, however you shouldn't think this album is a one hit wonder all the other tracks are excellent. They will reach out and tenderly rap themselves around your ear drums, until you find yourself play the album over and over again. Well I did away, just buy the album and you will find out.

Hit and miss
I bought this cd because it has the song "Girls" which was used in the film "Lost In Translation". I found that track to be a lovely mix of soothing voices and modern rock sounds. The rest of the album has moments that are just as good if not better, but it also has moments that don't work well. The collaboration with Liam Gallagher on the title track is cool as well as tracks 6 and 10 which feature a very nice female vocalist who you can't really comprehend lyrically. The opening track "Leather" is an upbeat intro and gets the album going on an engaging start. Track 3 "Hands Around My Throat" kind of ruins it for me though. Not much to that one. Unfortunately, the others I haven't mentioned also fall into that category which makes this a 50% listenable experience. I don't know that I could truly reccommend this unless you blow money on music frequently. Nothing amazing on this disc.

England Rules
After the first listening of this CD. My first thought was if the Beatles were the greatest English rock band then Death in Vegas has to be second greatest band out of England. Note: The violin solo at the end of Help Yourself is absolutely brilliant.

Another large step
I have been a fan of Death in Vegas's work since I first saw their video for "Dirt" from Dead Elvis. While Dead Elvis featured the talents of their electronic handiwork, The Contino Sessions focused primarily on the fuzz-guitar - a la Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, etc. - and psychedelic rock aspects. Scorpio Rising is the culmination of those two albums into one. This album would make a great introduction to the group. Or, if you're familiar with their earlier work, you won't be disappointed. The guitar and bass riffs are much more pronounced, electronics swirl back and forth, all while various artists lay out superb vocal performances. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fatboy Slim (also known as Norman Cook, formally of the Housemartins) has composed a collection of tracks so dependent on samples that they'll keep "Name That Tune" fans busy for hours. The single "Going out of My Head" is crafted with funky beats thrown down on top of the guitar riff from the Who's classic "I Can't Explain." Mr. Slim borrows, begs, and steals from some of the best. You'll hear obvious influences from every genre from industrial to house. But these songs do not mimic; rather, Cook takes the established and reinvents it, mixes it up, rearranges it. The result is an energized, motivating, even endearing big-beat album that feels, grooves, and moves from beginning to end. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Good album with several great moments
"Better Living Through Chemistry" is an average album. It tends to feel like a collection of tracks rather than a cohesive unit, and there is a lot more filler than "You've Come A Long Way, Baby". However, it's made worthwhile by four outstanding tracks. "Going Out Of My Head" takes a Who sample and works it into a huge big-beat party number. "Everybody Needs A 303" reaches into the sounds of acid and breaks, as does "Punk To Funk", and makes for techno with a bit more energy than usual. The album's highlight, though, is "Santa Cruz", which takes all the basic elements of Fatboy Slim songs (minus a vocal hook) but with a lot more subtlety and techno vibes than normal. It's one of the best tracks of his career.

The rest of the album is okay, with some good tracks ("The Sound Of Milwaukee", "Michael Jackson", "Next To Nothing"), some filler ("10th and Crenshaw") and one real failure ("The Weekend Starts Here"). The four songs mentioned above, however, make it all worth your money.

Very Underrated Album
When people hear the name of Fatboy Slim, they think of songs like Praise You and The Rockefeller Skank which were on You've Come a Long Way Baby or they think of his latest album, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars because of the radical changes that album has compared to YCALWB. However, they need to look at this album, one that was released in 1997 before he hit it big in the mainstream. You want bass and big beats? Better Living Through Chemistry gives it to you in spades. Songs like Give the Po'Man a Break, Punk to Funk, Santa Cruz, Everybody Needs a 303, and my favorite, Going Out of my Head are great tracks that will make you marvel at Mr. Cook's genius. Going Out of my Head uses a sample from the classic Who song, I Can't Explain that just makes it explode. If you turned up your nose at Fatboy because he "sold out" or went mainstream, then I ask that you seriously give this album a look. Any fan of techno/electronica music could not live without it. I know I couldn't.

i wish i could rate this lower
this is a horrible cd. fat boy slim has for a long time corrupted our music with his mainstream whorthless crap and ive had enough. i sat buy idly until he remixed smells like teen spirit. he ruined a perfect song and runed it into a worthless funk song. i think the populace should boycote his junk to purge the airways of tthis low level crap.

I'm not an expert...
I'm not an expert on Fatboy Slim or similar music genres as many of the reviewers here seem to be. I can only tell you about the practical effects this CD has had on my life.

I suffer from depression, and I've discovered that very often, a good driving beat can help me shrug off my fatigue and get to work. Fatboy Slim is my absolute favorite for chores around the house - picking up trash, mopping the floors, etc. Even if you're bored and you half-heartedly start listening to his CDs, his music has that magic edge that will gradually wake you up and make you want to shake your booty along with it.

"You've Come a Long Way Baby" has been my favorite "cleaning" CD for a year... but lately my mind recoils when the first strains of "Right Here, Right Now" pulse out of the speakers. ("Oh no! Not chores, again!") I decided it was time for a change, and since the reviewers recommended this CD over his new one, I took the plunge.

Yes indeed, "Better Living Through Chemistry" has the same type of energetic, driving beats. Exactly what I wanted. I especially like Track 8 (First Down), which has a jazzy loop with trumpets, that sent me into a twirling dance the first time I heard it. [And is it my imagination, or is the first sample in Track 9 (Punk to Funk) taken from Future Sound of London's "Dead Cities" album?]

I will say, it's a little less lighthearted than the retro-ish sounds of YCALWB, with fewer lyrics. Darker, but not ominous, not anxious, not goth... hmm. Perhaps this is what the "Pi" movie soundtrack would have sounded like if it had been compiled by Fatboy Slim. I'm very wary of anything that would exaberate my depression. Not too dark - not too giddy - just right. This is it.

If you want something to play in the background to get you moving, whether jogging or cleaning or dancing, this is it. Enjoy.

Slim's best
This is undoubtedly Fatboy Slim's best original cd. It has all the fun beats that fatboy slim is famous for. Unlike his other cds You've come a long way baby, and Halfway between the gutter and the stars, this cd is upbeat and fun to listen to, even if your just lounging around, but every song still makes you want to dance or at least tap your feet.
This is his best, and a must have for a techno fan.
In my opinion, Fatboy Slim went downhill affter this recording, expecially with Halfway between the gutter and the stars. I think he was doing too much acid. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

fresh, varietal, get down or relax
I caught him performing on DTV pay per view at this year's Ultra Music Festival in Miami, in 5.1 ... well, he rocked. Hey, why did DirectTV list the show, weekends through the July 16... I was lucky to catch the first weekend. Incredible show :)

Great Album
Junkie XL is one amazing producer and he lets his talents shine on "A Broadcast from Computer Hell." The first disc starts off with one of the best tracks on the album; "Tennis" It then moves on to some very catchy and great tracks That never seem to get old. By midway, "PerfectBlueSky" comes on with a beautiful melody accompanied by an amazing vocalist; Robert Smith. The 3PM cd even includes an Elvis Remix!

The second CD; "3AM" is the Calm after the storm. It takes things to an after hours level with too 12 inch cuts of two of the tracks on 3PM (Angel and Perfect Blue Sky). It also features a track with Sasha. This CD is very good and features a variety of tracks. This CD truly has something for everyone.

STUNNING
This record is stunning, mesmerizing, and beautiful. The tracks are perfectly interwoven together, the guest vocals work magically. The sound is incredible! I highly recommend this CD! If for nothing else the track featuring Robert Smith is amazing.

New Junkie XL Fan
I had only heard the Legacy track off of Paul Oakenfold's Great Wall Album. I then saw this CD at my local music store and decided to give it a try. I was blown away by Tennis. This track is so good and it puts you in a relax mood. The more I think about it, he should have put it on the AM CD. The AM CD was my favorite. Chilled, Casio, Angel, and Dub Zilla are all excellent tracks to bring the night to an end. I also can't stop listening to Perfect Blue Sky which features Robert Smith. Robert Smith just adds to the effect of the great song. He has always had such a good voice and it shines even more on this track. All together Junkie XL did a good job of making this album. I love the name of the album as well. Can't see what he comes out with next.

Very Disappointing
I've been a fan of Junkie XL since 'Saturday Teenage Kick in 1998' and I was very disappointed by this album. This is Junkie XL going mainstream, by forgetting the music that made them great and opting instead for a more pop sound. It doesn't work. With a few exeptions 'Access To The Excess', 'Angels' this album isn't worth listening too, and even the best tracks on here can't compare to their previous work. Go and buy 'Big Sounds Of The Drag, or 'Saturday Teenage Kick' instead. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

This taut thriller bringing Michael Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, together in director Steven Soderbergh's look at the unwinnable war on drugs features a subliminal, seductively ambient soundtrack that pulses with a foreboding sense of doom. Composer Cliff Martinez, who worked for a spell with Captain Beefheart's Magic Band and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, enlists Chili Peppers bassist Flea and jazz keyboard legend Herbie Hancock for two tracks, then fills out the rest with lush symphonic scores courtesy of programmer Jeff Rona. Additionally, tracks from Fatboy Slim, Morcheeba, and ambient pioneer Brian Eno shake things up a bit. One song ("The Police Won't Find Your Car") has been omitted from the film, but is included here as a bonus. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Good stuff...
When I went to see 'Traffic,' I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Needless to say, the movie was great. A good part of what made the movie so effective was this soundtrack. A couple days of really wanting to hear the music from the movie again was enough to get me to go searching for the soundtrack. All of the Cliff Martinez tracks are great, and the addition of the other Herbie Hancock song that'd been edited out of the movie was a bonus. The Morcheeba song is alright, as is the K&D song. The Fatboy Slim song is what drops this from a 5-star to a 4-star. The song is awful. It's the epitome of dull, repetative techno music. It totally breaks up the laid back atomosphere of the rest of the album. Of course, the Eno tune, even though it's almost 2 decades old, fits in perfectly, and provided a perfect end-piece for the movie. Aside from the stupid Fatboy Slim song, this is easily one of the most effective 'mood-piece' soundtracks that I've ever heard.

In the spirit of Michael Mann's visuals...
Perhaps the obvious influence that Michael Mann has over Traffic's director and cinematographer Stever Sorderbergh is not limited to the visuals, but also to the music chosen to accompany his films. It is not surprising therefore, how the soundtrack to the movie 'Traffic' can sound so much like the soundtracks of Mann's 'The Insider' and 'Heat'.

Ex-Red Hot Chili Pepper, Cliff Martinez, put together some incredibly soothing and transporting keyboards lines (such as in 'I can't do this'), sounding at times a lot like master Brian Eno, who happens to play the last track from the album, and joining the ranks of other young contemporary scorers such as Craig Armstrong and Paul Kelly.

Other acts like Morcheeba and Fat Boy Slim round up a very eclectic, yet overall relaxing soundtrack, which deserves five stars without any doubt.

One of the two best soundtracks I've ever heard
One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard. The movie was fantastic, no question about that. But the soundtrack really made the movie.

Depth and profundity
I was highly impressed with the movie itself and then realized that the music is such a large part of the movie. The music forces you into a thoughful state and I enjoy listening to the CD when I have reading or paperwork to do. It's all very meditative and profound and draws the listener into something deep. The same is true with Solaris, also by Clif Martinez. I recommend this CD for anyone who loved the movie, anyone who wants to relax, or anyone who wants to think deeply. A fine ambient work!

great soundtrack
this soundtrack is awesome and i especially like the Brian Eno song at the end. great soundtrack for a great film! ... Read more