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![The Prodigy: The Fat Of The Land [CD] by The Prodigy (0100-01-01)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71m8BMjt1hS._AC_UL165_SR165,165_.jpg)
The Prodigy started out as a hardcore rave band that delved into frantic beats with cartoon sound effects and other crazy elements fueling their music. They earned the "Kiddy Rave" moniker from those types of songs, and for good reason. Their second album came along and that started them on the path to a more serious Big Beat sound, but they still couldn't escape the frantic Hardcore sound that defined them earlier. Then came. Fat of the Land. The sound was a night and day difference. While the previous albums were edgy the music felt like for the most part like it shouldn't be taken seriously. This album changes all that.
Fat of the Land is polished, aggressive, eclectic, and shows just how talented The Prodigy really is. Keith Flint, originally a stage dancer for the band, chopped off his hair and styled it into a really cool and freaky style and sang on a few tracks. His contribution launched the band to stardom with the big beat hit Firestarter. From there the album just gets better. It's not just aggressive punk-rave music on this album. There is hip hop, big beat, electronic dance/techno and more. Here are some track highlights:
Smack My Bitch Up - This controversial song samples lyrics from a song from the hip hop group Ultramagnetic MC, and you can get from the title where the controversy comes from. The song only has two lines repeated over and over to a pretty cool rhythm track. The controversy had the record and song pulled from stores and MTV. To tell you the truth this song is entirely disposable and redundant. It's cool when you first hear it (if the lyrics don't offend you), but there isn't anything left after that. Of all the songs in this album this is the least of them.
Breathe - It's a strong big beat tune mixed with cyberpunk sensibilities without having overly harsh and distorted drums like you sometimes hear from the genre. Keith Flint and Maxim trade off the lyrics with style and a hard edge. The guitar track by Jim Davies gives the overall hook to the song while it moves through a very danceable drum beat. This was one one of the more popular tracks aside from Firestarter.
Diesel Power - This is an awesome rap/hip hop track with a bigger than life beat layered with industrial style rhythms. Keith "Kool Keith" Thornton provides the lyrics (ironically a founding member of Ultramegnetic MCs) and it's hip hop poetry. Lyrically the song reminds me of a earlier days of hip hop with the poetry living for the moment of the performance. The beat doesn't variate much, but the lyrics more than make up for it. I love this track.
Serial Thrilla and Firestarter - Both these songs have very similar characteristics. Both are very cyberpunk in style with big beat style rhythms. Serial Thrilla has a slower tempo but way out there beat. Firestarter is the one everybody heard with breakbeat style and angry punk/Brit sounding lyrics. These are the kinds of songs that made the album popular.
Mindfields - This song was in the Matrix movie soundtrack. It's sort of a slow break beat with crazy electro/industrial sound bites to make out the rhythm. Very creative, and reminds me of The Future Sound of London... only with more grit.
Narayan and Climbatize - These songs feel like the furthest departure from the traditional Prodigy that was known before AND the Prodigy that is known on this album. Narayan still has that big beat edge, but it's a pretty well rounded song with actual singing (Crispian Mills) and a traditional song structure. Climbatize has no vocals, but have a VERY likeable dance beat and bass line. These are my favorite songs on the album, and they show a more traditional techno/EDM aspect of the band's repertoire.
Fuel My Fire - While you can likely tag this along with Firestarter it's a lot less big beat and a lot more punk. Keith Flint kind of sings more than screams on this one. It has some hint of the punk/new wave style of writing while still keeping the cyberpunk element very strong. Basically if you like punk and like electronic music this is a perfect marriage of the two.
The Prodigy went into a bit of a hiatus after this album, so I have to admit I haven't heard their newer stuff. However when you look their body of work in the 90's this album is far and above the best they had to offer. There is a reason why Fat of the Land won a mess of "top album of the year" and "of all time" awards. If you just get one album to have a taste of the golden era of electronic dance music in the late 90's this is the album to get.
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