Well after reading Hodgson's quite frankly epic description of his choice, I feel a little daunted to be honest. I would say we both love music, but Hodgson old man you seem to love it, or at least describe it with an intensity that I just cant convey.
I found this a little difficult to be honest as albums arent really my thing, I havent had too many seminal musical moments about an album, havent had that many that I absolutely adored and changed the way I thought about anything - it just doesnt happen for me like that. Individual tracks for sure, I mean none of them have been life-changing or made me listen to music differently (djing did that fine) but certainly I can relate to that passionate 'must have' and the times I just played a record to death, but albums, well nah, not so much.
Thankfully however, there have been a few and I literally HAVE to kick off with a duo described by Zane Lowe as having 'a flawless back catalogue' and dammit if he isnt right. I am of course talking about The Chemical Brothers and Im picking their very first album 'Exit Planet Dust'
It is now 18 years since that longplayer came out and it has most certainly stood the test of time. It is an in your face, lets fucking have it, but with some nice chilled bits and getting a bit quirky towards the end vibe, its originality (a consistent hallmark for the chems over the years) made it stand out massively from the crowd. The journos couldnt even pigeonhole it to begin with and came out with the lame 'big beat' moniker so they could talk about the chems and fatboy slim and the prodigy in the same sentence.
Thr brothers are gonna work it out apparently, and that is your first indication that we are not dealing with a normal electronic music album here in 1995. But 'in dust we trust' is where it gets going for me - what a bassline - BOOM ! Have some of that bitches. Then the change down to song of the siren, so original it's obscene - then the change up to 'three little birdies...' try getting that hook out of your head after a listen. And if that wasnt enough, after the pause of 'Fuck up beats', 'Chemical Beats' comes and owns you good and proper - they're still playing that at the peak of their sets now. After that you're just spent and need some chillout, and thankfully the lush deep sounds of 'Chico's Groove' and the comforting female vocal of 'one too many mornings' calms you down. Interestingly, I think the concept for 'Out of Control' from Surrender was born here... relaxed ? Good. Because its time for some lively again with 'Life is Sweet' which turns a little melaancholy for me as the album gets all reflective and moves into the very strangely titled 'Playground for a Wedgeless Firm' where the creativity and originality takes another twist, before ending on the tremendous finality of 'Alive Alone' which like many of the tracks on here is completely unexpected and different to anything you had heard before it.
But thats generally a very good description of what The Chemical Brothers have always been about and why I adore them so much.
One love
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