32. The Fat of the Land

The Fat of the Land by The Prodigy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good dance music on this one. Darker and heavier than a lot of techno, but I would say for its time it was great rave music. You can definitely hear the industrial influences in "Breathe" with the whip-like noises as if someone is wielding a chain and striking it against a metal railing, along with a faint sound of shattering glass. It's too bad rave culture has kind of died off. I bet this one was fun to dance around to in abandoned warehouses.

"Smack My Bitch Up" may be offensive, but the music is kickin'. It sets you off with a heavy rhythm that is precise and controlled coupled with droning, pulsating electronics that are very machine-like, yet alive with power. "Diesel Power" is another one, with a hip hop flavor that is slickly put together with electronic precision. Again, the music is colder in sound, darker, and futuristic. It's the kind of music you can match up to a movie like The Matrix. In fact, I think "Mindfields" was featured in the movie.

The Prodigy were also very keen on incorporating a mixture of sounds with their signature hardcore electronic beats. "Serial Thrilla" has a punk rock vibe and "Fuel My Fire" is a cover of an L7 song.

Track listing:

1. Smack My Bitch Up
2. Breathe
3. Diesel Power
4. Funky Shit
5. Serial Thrilla
6. Mindfields
7. Narayan
8. Firestarter
9. Climbatize
10. Fuel My Fire

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