Poptimists Album Science #6

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

This is about Proving By Science how good an album really is. But in the dog eat cat world of album ranking the Spice Girls have come something of a cropper. Only a 64% score for 'Spice' despite it being regarded by many as the 'most Pop album ever'. This is bad news for those who theorise that Pop music could and should work in album form as well as other genres. Much tutting and furrowing of brows from the white-coated PST boffins continues...

Now, if you please, join me in rating the following tracks from the (The) Prodigy's 'The Fat Of The Land' album out of ten:

[Poll #877851]



If you've not heard or can't hear the song you could either not mark it (if you dislike the artist generally) or give it a 5 for balance if you do like the artist generally.

Comments

Is this really "pop" though?

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I know this album exists but not much more, really.

Maybe in the UK but in other places wasn't this a band and album that garnered more notoriety than airplay / hits? (Alternately, maybe it's a club thing, as I was never a clubgoer.)

Re: Is this really "pop" though?

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Actually, half taking that back as, looking again, I realize I overlooked 'Firestarter'. I think I am always confusing Prodigy and Shamen, though.

Re: Is this really "pop" though?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

one of the more remarkable things about the band is that every single they released reached the top 20 in the UK prior to the ltd. edition release of 'Spitfire' only last year. so they were a hits act tho airplay support was never that big from any one outlet.

Prodigy tracks were bigger at indie/student discos (and later rock/nu-metal clubs) than actual dance clubs. they managed to attract big fanbase of rock kids mainly by playing festivals alongside rock bands (all over Europe)

what makes them as Pop as Pulp for me is Howlett's love and use of simplistic hooks that were either menacing or playful enough to be quite evocative in a cinematic (or indeed theatrical) way. he had a relatively decent ear for melody too, and the structure of the tracks remains reasonably conventional.

before Firestarter there was no controversy surrounding the band other than 'probably take drugs', 'opposed to CJB' and refusal to go on Top Of The Pops.

Re: Is this really "pop" though?

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Hmm... perhaps I will have to go back and Study The Canon (http://community.livejournal.com/poptimists/121711.html) then.