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<  PRODIGY QUESTIONS & OPINIONS  ~  My review of "Invaders Must Die"

PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:24 pm
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 2107Location: Berlin, GermanyJoined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:53 pm
I dunno if there was a topic where you can write your impressions of the
album - your own review ! Post it here...


Now "Invaders Must Die" album is out and here is my review of that album:


01 INVADERS MUST DIE
--------------------
What to say about this track? The Free download edit version of this tune splits the fans into
lovers and haters, discussions if it´s just a kind of Justice or Pendulum tune or if this will
be the new Prodigy direction/sound? I´m not into Justice or Pendulum music so this tune sounds
fresh and new for me and I still love it. I played it again and again and it doesn´t need to grow
in me, cos it was a energetic, positive slap into my face from the beginning, the aim, Liam wants
to reach with every track he does - especially the opener. I will never forget the time after downloading it
for free from their homepage, full volume over headphones on and after that short intro the sample
"We are - the prodigy" and than those beats - yee-hah.

Yeah, what a great opener for this album and I don´t care about the moaners which said these were the weakest
arranged beats Liam ever has done. Yes, the beats
are easy and not really miscellaneous, but is there a formular for a good track to say, this track
is better cos the programming /arrangement is more complex? Take a listen to "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson or "Seven
Nation Army" by The white stripes .... very easy, uncomplexed music and those are great tracks, too.

Sometimes too much complexity also can destroy a tune, too and I found good example on this prodigy-album, but
this maybe is only my opinion - you will see ...

What about anything that´s added in the album version of "Invaders Must Die" in comparison to the edit version ?
I like the longer sub-bass beginning and the ending without the beats that leads into Omen - the rest is okay
but not really neccessary - I like both versions of this track.


10 / 10 Points



02 OMEN
-------
The first single of the album and it is different to the video / single version. I see this as a good alternative and you
can compare it with "Spitfire" album version and the 2005 version. "Omen" on album has less beats and little other
changes in the arrangement. The newest thing on "Omen" for me is the kind of way how Maxim sings and it fits well into this
tune - I never expected such singing from a prodigy tune. "Razor" went this way a little bit, but this is more different.

I really like both versions but the only small critic I have is, that both versions are too short. But this isn´t a
problem cos of music editing software. Now you can make your own version combining both "Omen" tracks and maybe more
and more xylophone elements. Thanks to Liam for putting this version on album and not the single version.

Success for this track concerning the charts ? - no way IMO, cos it´s too hard and special for the common society especially
in Germany. Like "Girls" and "Spitfire" - great tunes, but less people were really interested.


10 / 10 Points [also for the single version]



03 THUNDER
----------
During my first listen I only said one thing : "Wow!" What a beginning of a track - awesome!" First that rising synth
along with those small beats, than these unexpected raggae sounding vocals "I hear thunder but there´s no rain, this
kind of thunder break walls and window pain, I hear thunder but there´s no rain, this kind of thunthunthun... " and
then BOOOOM! Very Industrial / EBM like influenced beats - Liam knows how to bring you to scream "Fucking hell" in your
own home.:lol: Massive, indescribable.... And then the melody parts and the quiet synth in the background during the vocals -
yeah ! That´s what the Prodigy stands for .... reminds me on good old days where Liam movin his head behind his keyboards
in the 90´s .... Nothing to say more to this track - it´s like "Invaders Must Die" - it don´t need to grow in me, that´s
pure prodigy music from the beginning - I hope this is


10 / 10 Points



04 COLOURS
----------
I must admit, this tune is 80 % a mashup of old prodigy-tunes: Breaks of "Memphis Bells" [or "Back 2 School"], main beat
like "First Warning" melodic synth-line intro just slowed down from "First Warning",too , guitar elements of "Shoot Down"
and the main synth line discussed here before in the forum is similar to the one from "World´s On Fire". "Liam lacks on
ideas ?" was the question... No he doesn´t IMO. I guess he just wanna show what you can do with recycled things just by
adding new elements and he does it very well. If you´re not into prodigy you will believe it´s a totally fresh and great
prodigy tune. I like it a lot, cos the new elements are way enough to say, yeah, this tune is unique enough to bring
it on the album. I assume, it´s Liams answer to the question "Will be there are "First Warning" with Flints vocals on it
available soon?" and he answers "No - take this one! It´s not "Second Warning" or something like that, but it is similar to
it"

"I can see the freak in your eyes" - part is cool alson Keith´s lyrics fits good into this track.


09 / 10 Points



05 TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL
--------------------------
Back to the roots - yes, that´s what Liam wanted to put in the album without beeing repetitive like in old "Experience"
days when he was bored after "Wind It Up" single, starting a new era in his own music production. And after 15/16 years
... why not ? Is it brave or lacks it on ideas ? No, cos it´s not 100% "Experience" - style. It´s in a particular way
different and more modern. Elements like some breaks reminds me of "Out Of Space" and the high pitched sample of "Fire
[Sunrise Version]" and the whole old british rave days the prodigy is still missing.
It´s like to say Liam wants to say: "Thank you for this good old days".
The main beats - like them - of "Take Me To The Hospital" reminds me a little bit of the "Bouncy Ladie" - beats Liam
used to play at the end of the gigs in FOTL days.

The climax of this tune starts at 2:20 with the melody that changes the mood of the track from funny dance rave music
to a kind of poitive sentimentalism. I really love this passage and without this the track wouldn´t be so special as it
is.

I also would like to interpret, that Liam don´t want to say, that this kind of "Back 2 the roots" stuff doesn´t only refer
to the Prodigy... No, it stands for a lot of acts from the old scene, especially The Chemical Brothers. You will find
similarities to the "Leave home" album by the chems.

Full points for this tune - never change that masterpiece, Liam !


10 / 10 Points



06 WARRIORS DANCE
-----------------
Sorry - I´m just honest and I tried to get into this track, but I can´t. I dunno how to describe it, but let´s say it
this way: The only thing that annoys me is the female vocal part sample in it, else it is a good track. Don´t misunder-
stand me, it´s not crap, but I don´t like it. I hear some differences especially at the end of the track to the first Live
performed version... but this also could be the fact of the shitty audio recordings, who knows ?

So - what is it, what annoys me ? It´s the fact that this tune sounds for me like 90´s euro-dance shit like "Mr. Vain",
"Max don´t have sex with your Ex" and all that stupid eurodance-stuff I hated in the early 90´s , just because of
the female vocal part here. Kind of played happiness ....

I hated those kind of music in the 90´s and that was for me one reason why I loved the Prodigy in this time.
They were a million times better with their unique sound than this common everybody-is-doin-the-same-crap in the 90´s.
I ever said to my friends "Fuck eurodance and listen to the prodigy - that´s cool music!" And now, 15 - 16 years later
Prodigy themself doin tracks like that ??? :shock:

I couldn´t believe it - for me it is a step backwards, not forward. It´s not bad to say, we go back to the roots, but
this IMO was the wrong path. The right path was "Take Me To The Hospital"

Liam reworked that tune [maybe?] like I said before and I still like that added synth sounds starting at 3:50. There are also
high sounds at 4:26 beginning - reminds me on "Halloween"-theme. The end ? What´s this ? Haha ...

I know a lot of poeple loved this tune from the beginning and I was one of the first moaners. Maybe it has something to do
with my age. Would be interesting how old the people are which love and which hate this track?


05 / 10 Points



07 RUN WITH THE WOLVES
----------------------
The guitarr riff intro is the same riff as from their website - and that means badass quality! It sounds tinny and weak! It needs more
power in my opinion.

The main melody is cool [starting at 0:36], sounds dangerous, mean and dirty, that´s what I like on Prodigy. And I also
like the drums supported by Dave Grohl - but there is something that says, Liam could do this drums alone and don´t needed
him for this track. The tune itself is nice, the lyrics by Keith fitting great and especially that silent part in the middle
is a good brake in that tune, but something destroyed it in an unexplainable way.

I think that raw deep synth line starting from 1:30 - it´s too dominating and too weird for this energetic
tune. If it depends on my taste or on my stereo system, who knows ... it doen´s really fit into this tune. Maybe this
track will grow in me after a few more listenings ? I will give it a chance. Maybe it depends on the weak guitar riff
concerning the sound quality ???

It sounds by the way very AONO-ish for me and if I would have the chance to decide, I would prefer "Hotride" with
Juliette Lewis.


07 / 10 Points



08 OMEN REPRISE
---------------
Yeah - the brake for takin a deep breathe during listening through the whole album... It´s very atmospheric and a cool
interpretation of "Omen" - it should be longer. It reminds me a little bit to the "Weather Experience" Live-brake, where Maxim
wants to see everybodys hands.... Yeah, way too short, we want more of this, Liam. More such melodic tunes like "Climbatize",
"3 Kilos", "Skylined" ... all those outstanding tunes with their SPECIAL melodies.... A - sadly - short masterpiece

Liam used some synths from good old Amiga 500 times IMO


09 / 10 Points [longer track would get 10 Points]



9 WORLD IS ON FIRE
------------------
I talked about complexity in music during "Invaders Must Die" track of the album. This track is a good example
in my opinion for makin a good tune not as good as before it was, cos of changin some parts with adding more breaks or
changing some bridges. It´s my taste and the track now is more complex than before but with the bigger complexity
it get´s into something like "Look, I put this here and there inside, now it´s sounds more proffessional and felixible with
the added brakes..." - compare it with the version they aired on BBC live.

I wouldn´t say, Liam destroyed this version now, but why in hell he changed the fast played really
cool melody [starting at 1:08] with a repetitive brake? Especially this melody makes that track in it´s early version
fresh and added a particular coolness in it.

Does Liam has read the forum where someone said "Oh, well the melody in "World Is on Fire" is similar to the "Colours"
one and that could be a lack of inspiration!" - I hope he wasn´t influenced by these words?

Also there was a brake into the piano line Liam throwed away on the
album version... this brake was very neccessary IMO, cos it raises the tension for a just a second where you can ask yourself
"What happens next - that track is great so far, I´m hungry for more on it..." ... hard to describe.

I still love this track and totally happy with it and don´t want to be fussy, but I preferred the BBC version -
the problem is, it is not possible to recreate the BBC version via music editing software. The brake part is not a
problem, but sadly the melody part. I still hope for a single where the older version will be available. Please, Liam !


09 / 10 Points [10 Points for the BBC Version]



10 PIRANHA
----------
This tune was not the best one after first and second listen, but know I´m into it and prefer it to "Run with the wolves".

A very weird intro, but if the track starts along with the beats you say "Yes, that fits very well!". I really like that
track, a nice powerfull beat, old-school synths in the background and used as bridges and something noone expected - scary
movie noises from old horror movies.

What a great and funny idea Liam had with that one. Maxim shouts the vocals along with a sexy voice in the background,
that´s great. Not the newest idea, but never wrong to do that. There´s a break similar to "Hot Ride" El Batori, but this
is acceptable here. "Piranha" is a good Prodigy track with no specials, but it´s just for entertaining like "Razor" or
"Fuel My Fire"

The whole track is very cartoonish IMO and you don´t get it the first time you´re listen to
it. I think this cartoonish style results in that weird melody, that scary cartoon-like synth sound and especially this
fact I noticed later: It needs more cowbell.... hahaha.... :lol:
You cannot take this track serious - it´s still rockin´ but also a good party tune - wicked track.


09 / 10 Points



11 STAND UP
-----------
After such a nice symbiosis between Party and Rock there is something nothing new for us: Liam brakes the rules in an album
and brings us [let´s quote Monty Python] "something completely different" :cool:

But this is new, HOW he brakes the rules on this album. No snotty dirty punk, no dance, no easy-listening track ... It´s a slow down
track along with brasses and very brit-pop like IMO. Prodigy goes Pop ??? I bet a lot of people will hate it and I guess
the critics say "This doesn´t fit into the album!" Oh, really, it doesn´t ! Or does it ...??? Who cares !?

Prodigy stands for surprisings.

Liam seems to wrote a
kind of hymn that you can use in lot of circumstances i.e during an ice-hockey game, at the end of a gig, movie credits, you
can play this in a circus if you want, it will fit....

.... something to say "Good Bye" and some kind of "Hello, I´m back after such a long time". I guess, there will be a second
part on the next album, but there this tune will be the opener... maybe something like "Stand Up Reprise" ...

A very great idea is the end of the track which I´ve never heard before: The music changes into some kind of old radio thing
and is attended with a whistle.... The last things I wanna hear are some steps after that, someone leaves the room and shuts
the door. Disc ends and we must wait for the next album. :roll:

Next album ? Will be there a next album ? I appreciate a second picture inside the cover of the next album, where Liam walks
behind the STOP sign on the ground :roll:


09 / 10 Points



Summary:
--------

Overall this album is a masterpiece - it isn´t better or worse than all the other prodigy albums, cos it
is different again. It´s Prodigy and NEVER an album will get 100% for me, cos every album has his good and bad points, and
never really everyone is satisfied with someones work. Mine good points can be your worst points and the other way
around, but that´s why there are discussions about.

I guess it wasn´t easy for Liam, Keith and Maxim to decide, what will be on the album and what will not
be on the album. There are some tracks left we all wanted to have. i.e "Mescaline", "Dead Ken Beats", "Heatwave Hurricane"
and we all should hope they will be released, cos we - the fans - have different opinions about releases than the band
members and sometimes we´re maybe disappointed about some decisions the band is doin.

But, we all should be grateful for the Prodigy to have a good time and I guess everyone is entertained and happy with the
actual album.

"Invaders Must Die" - It´s a masterpiece in it´s own with good and bad points and
by the way, if it isn´t as good as I expected I would know, it´s far better than most other shit I see in the charts today.
We are not chart freaks - we are The Prodigy

Total 9,5 / 10 Points

Thank you Liam, Maxim and Keith :oldsmile: :oldsmile: :oldsmile: :oldsmile: :oldsmile: :oldsmile: :oldsmile:



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:43 pm
User avatarThe Orange AuthorityThe Orange AuthorityPosts: 4748Location: NetherlandsJoined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:39 pm
I just wanted to say I really took my time to read it, and I must say it was a very good read! It's not too much analysis, but also not so much personal taste. It's right there in between, so thanks. You must've really loved writing it, I can see. :wink:



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:48 pm
User avatarProdigious ArabPosts: 4204Location: The Dark SideJoined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:22 pm
warriors dance 100/100 my friend

but amazing review i must say, i couldnt be bothered to ever write a review that long and with all those details.



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:19 pm
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 1430Location: HungaryJoined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:04 pm
Hey, man, nice review. I have read it from beginning to end. Almost got the same opinions, but not about WD...


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:22 pm
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 3847Location: USAJoined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:56 pm
i feel "warrior's dance" sounds wicked live, but lacks on the album. dunno, maybe since i heard it so many times, it's just too predictable now for me. out of the album, this is my least favorite. i don't hate it, just my least fave.

just my opinion.



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:41 pm
GruntGruntPosts: 43Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:24 pm
Invaders must die 10/10? and Colours is a 9?

I'd give Breathe a 10 and Out of space a 9. Don't think the top 2 compare. Good review though, well written. Just in my opinion some of the marks are WELL out.


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:53 pm
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 2220Location: DenmarkJoined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:55 pm
Was a nice read man 8-)

even though I don't agree on it all it was a nice read...



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:48 am
CorporalCorporalPosts: 314Joined: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:08 am
ive also spend good few minutes to read your review, appreciate your work

good to read clear and extended opinions on every track. but, to be honest, most of it is obvious for everybody, nothing really new there though. anyway, its nice to read sometning logical.... ive got a feeling u wrote more like journalist than like a fan .... not too much personal impressions there ..... :) well i may be wrong at this point

notes..... imao they tell nothing - becos music is too complicated thing to be described and compared in 1/10 scale ..... so when u give 9 or 10 grade to every next track then it really tells nothing ....

warrior's dance - for me its one of the most danceable prodigy track since no good. i'm totally into this tune. it refreshes this kind if vibe, which was always very important for me, in prodigy music .... of course it is not an ideal tune. anyway, im a fan of it, since ive heard it for the first time - that black&white video on yt :) so surely i cannot agree with you at this point ..... ah, by the way, i doubt if age is important to like WD or not, anyway i'm 27

P.S. when i will have really a good day, im gonna torture u here with my own extended review :)


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:39 am
User avatarCaptainCaptainPosts: 679Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:55 pm
I don't want to make somebody feel bad, but Molotov ruined my experience, when i got my hands on Warriors..



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:58 am
User avatarModeratorModeratorPosts: 2661Location: Zagreb, CroatiaJoined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:15 am
wow Flachcracker , so many words man :D , great read this was and i must say i agree wth most of the things you said.

Especially the part about Run qoute:"I think that raw deep synth line starting from 1:30 - it´s too dominating and too weird for this energetic tune".

Wish i can write a review like this but i'll just qoute my dear friend EP


Quote:
i couldnt be bothered to ever write a review that long and with all those details
:lol:

Long live The Prodigy



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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:44 pm
User avatarSergeantSergeantPosts: 418Location: Worcester, EnglandJoined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:22 pm
Hope you don't mind me adding my own review to your thread?

anyways..

INVADERS MUST DIE - A great start to the album, and the perfect opener that sets the scene. Like a letter of intent.

OMEN - An anthem I reckon. Prefer this album version to the single version, but I can see why the single version is different. Every time I hear this I just naturally sing to it.

THUNDER - This track was a surprise to me, first time heard today, and WOW! I nearly crashed my car I was just buzzing so much! Heavy beats, great old school sounding synth, just a great track!

COLOURS - This was the only track that didn't blow me away. Again, this track was a surprise for me. Like the beat, but then I love memphis bells/ice so..

TMTTH - Do I really need to write anything here? Most people will agree that this track is awesome. It combines every era of Prodigy on one track. Rave style synths, big FOTL style beats, huge breakdown, just a lovely lovely track!

WARRIORS DANCE - Eurphoric! I fell in love with this track after watching it for the first time on youtube way back in may last year. A fresh take on 'No good' IMO, but done 100 times better. I love the horns, makes the hairs on my arms stand up!

RUN WITH THE WOLVES - A great punk track with so much energy. Keith really sounds angry on this track. Personally I love the mad synth effects, infact I love everything about it!

OMEN REPRISE - Got to be honest, after hearing everyone on hear rave about this track, I had very high expectations. And after hearing it for the first time earlier, I was a little dissapointed. It's a great atmospheric track, but not the track I was expecting.

WORLDS ON FIRE - This song feels old now, so I understand why Liam remixed it for the album. I'm convinced that this will be the last single from IMD - why else did all the TV chanels show this track from festivals, and why else would 2 versions exist. I still like the track, but at the moment, the other songs are newer and fresher to my ears. Maybe after a month or so it may end up being a favourite.

PIRANHA - Reminds me of fuel my fire in so many ways. I like it, like the scooby do type sample too. Not one of my favourites from the album, but I have a feeling this one will grow on me! This was another surpise for me!

STAND UP - I'm in 2 minds over this track. On one hand I love it, reminds me of 'Hey jude' by the beatles for some reason. I can see it being an anthem in ibiza chill out bars/clubs. A great beach song, a song that suits sunny weather. BUT, on the other hand, I prefer darker tracks normally. Overall though I am a fan.



So yeah, half the album was a surprise. Prior to today, i'd only listened to the tracks that i'd heard live.

I aint gonna start marking tracks out of 10, but i'll give the album 9/10.

I wish wild west could have been included. Would fit well between Piranha and stand up I reckon.



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:44 am
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 2107Location: Berlin, GermanyJoined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:53 pm
art of noise wrote:
Hope you don't mind me adding my own review to your thread?


Oh - I started this thread for everyones review for IMD :wink:

Thank you for all the comments / critics of my review.... :cool:



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:00 am
LieutenantLieutenantPosts: 573Location: ScotlandJoined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:27 am
Invaders Must Die - Pendulum-esque shite.

Omen - Love the catchy chorus on this. Pity parts of it sound like Pendulum.

Thunder - Oh yes. This is ace! Glasgow warehouse party stalwarts Mungo's Hi-Fi's MC Simon Fajemisin's vocals are sweet as fuck on this.

Colours - Recycle bin filler pish.

Take Me To The Hospital - Feckin brilliant. Classic Prodigy.

Warriors Dance - Already a classic. Superb.

Run With The Wolves - Fuel My Fire / Warning etc. all over again. Sort of works. Sort of doesn't.

Omen Reprise - 2 minute filler of lovely sounds, just to annoy us by showing how much better Omen could have been if it sounded less like Pendulum.

Worlds On Fire - Belter. Great live, great on record.

Piranah - Utter, utter shite. Like Baby's Got A Temper played backwards at the wrong speed with some rubbish vocals on top. Recycle bin filler.

Stand Up - Like this. Nice closer.

6/10



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:40 pm
CorporalCorporalPosts: 314Joined: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:08 am
Techno4yourhead wrote:
Piranah - Utter, utter shite. Like Baby's Got A Temper played backwards at the wrong speed with some rubbish vocals on top. Recycle bin filler.


whats wrong with u ? u should better wait with such oppinions untill u'll hear piranha live

generally your review sounds so childish like u've listened to the album just once..
u just repeat all the same shits which ignorant ppl use to say..
do you really think half of albums are fillers ? lol


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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:46 pm
User avatarGeneralGeneralPosts: 6933Location: Scotland UKJoined: Wed May 23, 2007 2:57 pm
well the prodigy tracks shouldn't need to have a wait before you like them, because all your doing is trying to get yourself to like them, if u like the tune from the first time its an amazing tune, sure i love piranha but thats his opinion to it



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