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Music for the Jilted Generation

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Music for the Jilted Generation
Studio album by
the Prodigy
Released4 July 1994 (1994-07-04)
StudioEarthbound, The Strongroom
Genre
Length78:07
Label
Producer
The Prodigy chronology
Experience
(1992) 		Music for the Jilted Generation
(1994) 		The Fat of the Land
(1997)
Singles from Music for the Jilted Generation
  1. "One Love"
    Released: 4 October 1993
  2. "No Good (Start the Dance)"
    Released: 16 May 1994
  3. "Voodoo People"
    Released: 12 September 1994
  4. "Poison"
    Released: 6 March 1995

Music for the Jilted Generation is the second studio album by English electronic music group the Prodigy. It was first released on 4 July 1994 by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom and by Mute Records in the United States. As with the group's debut album, Experience (1992), Maxim Reality and Liam Howlett were the only official members of the group to contribute to the album. The other two members, Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill, were not credited on any tracks (although all four individuals were pictured in the liner notes).[1]

A remastered and expanded edition of the album, titled More Music for the Jilted Generation, was released in 2008.[2]

Music and content

[edit]

Music for the Jilted Generation incorporates elements of rave,[3] breakbeat techno,[3] techno,[4] and hardcore techno.[5]

The album is largely a response to the corruption of the rave scene in Britain by its mainstream success, as well as the United Kingdom's Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which criminalised raves and aspects of rave culture.[3] This is exemplified in the song "Their Law", with the spoken-word intro and the predominant lyric: the "Fuck 'em and their law" sample. Many years later, after the controversy had subsided, Liam Howlett criticised the album's title, referring to it as "stupid", and insisted that the album was never intended to be political.[6]

Many of the samples featured on the album are sound clips from, or inspired by, films. "Full Throttle" contains a reversed sample from the original Star Wars film, and "The Heat (The Energy)" features a sample from Poltergeist III,[6] while "Claustrophobic Sting" includes a recreation of dialogue from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

When Liam Howlett arrived at the cutting room for the final stage of the album's production, he realised that all the tracks he had planned would not fit onto a CD. As a result, "One Love" was edited down to approximately 3 minutes and 53 seconds, "The Heat (The Energy)" was slightly shortened, and "We Eat Rhythm" was omitted. "We Eat Rhythm" was later released on a free cassette with Select magazine in October 1994, titled Select Future Tracks. Howlett later stated that he felt the edited versions of "One Love" and "Full Throttle" could have been omitted from the track listing altogether.[6]

Artwork

[edit]
Inner sleeve artwork by Les Edwards

The album artwork for Music for the Jilted Generation was designed by Stewart Haygarth (cover) and Les Edwards (inner). The inner artwork, which alludes to the conflicts between ravers and the police during the era of the 1994 Criminal Justice Act, is particularly well-regarded.[7][8]

Critical reception and legacy

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Boston Phoenix[9]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA[10]
The Guardian[4]
NME9/10[11]
Q[12]
Record Collector[13]
Rolling Stone[5]
Select5/5[14]
Smash Hits4/5[15]

Music for the Jilted Generation received critical acclaim. In his review for NME, Dele Fadele called the album "a stormy requiem for those under siege by the heavy-handed, almost fascistic Criminal Justice Bill", adding that the Prodigy "show that you don't need elaborate texts to send a message across, just hints by way of titles, sampled voices and dialogue, and a wide-ranging musical mood that fires the imagination."[11] Andrew Harrison of Select deemed it "possibly the best electronic pop record you'll hear this year, the instant headrush of hardcore techno studded over with irresistible hooks and harnessed to a series of merciless grooves."[14] In the United States, Robert Christgau praised it as "one of the rare records that's damn near everything you want cheap music to be",[10] while Rolling Stone reviewer Paul Evans noted that although its political subtext may be overlooked by American listeners, the "truly trippy" album "generates universal dance fever."[5] Comparing it with the Prodigy's 1992 debut Experience, Alternative Press found that Music for the Jilted Generation "throws much darker shapes" and "slams harder and rawer and covers more ground".[16] At the end of 1994, Music for the Jilted Generation was named the year's ninth-best album by NME,[17] and it was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.[18]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, John Bush lauded Music for the Jilted Generation as "an effective statement of intent" in response to the Criminal Justice Act and noted the Prodigy's move towards a "grubbier" and less sample-reliant sound, "away from the American-influenced rave and acid house of the past and toward a uniquely British vision of breakbeat techno that was increasingly allied to the limey invention of drum'n'bass."[3] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis said that the record "broke free of Experience's rave conventions into a style that was entirely the Prodigy's own."[4] "Under the booming breakbeats, thrash guitars and inflammatory soundbites," commented Record Collector, "Howlett's supernova talent was on overdrive".[13] In 2003, David Bowie named it among his favourite music from the 1990s, remarking that it "was just an amazing record. It impressed me quite a lot."[19]

Music for the Jilted Generation was listed by Spin as the 60th-best album of the 1990s.[20] The album was ranked number 83 on Mojo's list of 100 "modern classics" released from 1993 to 2006.[21] It is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[6] In 2008, radio presenter Zane Lowe profiled the album on an episode of his BBC Radio 1 Masterpieces series.[22]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Liam Howlett, unless indicated otherwise. Tracks 5-9 from the second CD are previously released

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro" 0:45
2."Break & Enter" 8:24
3."Their Law" (featuring Pop Will Eat Itself)Howlett, Pop Will Eat Itself6:40
4."Full Throttle" 5:02
5."Voodoo People" 6:27
6."Speedway (Theme From Fastlane)" 8:56
7."The Heat (The Energy)" 4:27
8."Poison"Howlett, Maxim Reality6:42
9."No Good (Start the Dance)"Howlett, Kelly Charles, James Bratton6:17
10."One Love (Edit)" 3:53
11."The Narcotic Suite: 3 Kilos" 7:19
12."The Narcotic Suite: Skylined" 5:56
13."The Narcotic Suite: Claustrophobic Sting" 7:13
Total length:78:07
More Music for the Jilted Generation disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Voodoo People (Radio 1 Maida Vale Session)"4:18
2."Poison (Radio 1 Maida Vale Session)"4:42
3."Break & Enter (2005 Live Edit)"4:56
4."Their Law (Live at Pukkelpop)"5:27
5."No Good (Start the Dance) (Bad for You Mix)"6:49
6."Scienide"5:49
7."Goa (The Heat The Energy Part 2)"6:03
8."Rat Poison"5:31
9."Voodoo People (Dust Brothers Remix)"5:55

Samples

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In addition to the film samples mentioned above, Liam Howlett incorporated a significant amount of musical material from other artists:[23]

  • "Break and Enter" contains a sample from Baby D's "Casanova," which was also remixed by Liam.
  • "Their Law" includes a sample from "Drop That Bassline" by Techno Grooves.
  • "Voodoo People" contains a sample from "You're Starting Too Fast" by Johnny Pate. The guitar riff is based on "Very Ape" by Nirvana and is played by Lance Riddler.[24][25]
  • "The Heat (The Energy)" samples "Why'd U Fall" by Lil Louis, "Thousand" by Moby, and 2-Mad's "Don't Hold Back The Feeling."
  • "Poison" contains samples from "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps, "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons, and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's "Heavy Soul Slinger."
  • "No Good (Start the Dance)" samples "No Good for Me" by Kelly Charles and "Funky Nassau" by Bahamian funk group The Beginning of the End.
  • "One Love" features the "Arabic Muezzin" sample from the ethnic vocals section of a Zero G sample CD by Time + Space Records. The same sample was also used in "Everybody Say Love" by The Magi & Emanation, which was remixed by Liam Howlett.[26]
  • "3 Kilos," Part One of The Narcotic Suite, is based on a riff sampled from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's "Good Livin' (Good Lovin')."
  • "Skylined," Part Two of The Narcotic Suite, features a Proteus/3 preset also used in the musical score by Mark Snow for the The X-Files episode "Deep Throat" (season 1, episode 2).[27]


Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[50] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 50,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[52] Gold 20,830[52]
Poland (ZPAV)[53] Gold 50,000*
Sweden (GLF)[54] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[55] 2× Platinum 600,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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The Prodigy[1]

  • Liam Howlett – performing, synthesizers, keyboards, sampling, drum machines, production (on tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 13) at Earthbound Studios; co-production (on tracks 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10) at The Strongroom; mixing; engineering
  • Maxim Reality – co-writer and vocalist on "Poison"
  • Leeroy Thornhill – dancing (no musical contributions; appears in booklet photos and music videos only)
  • Keith Flint – dancing, live vocals (no musical contributions; appears in booklet photos and music videos only)

Other personnel

  • Neil McLellan – co-production and mixing (on tracks 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10) at The Strongroom
  • Pop Will Eat Itself (Graham Crabb, Clint Mansell, Richard March, Adam Mole, Fuzz Townshend, Kerry Hammond) – performer on "Their Law"[56]
  • Phil Bent – live flute
  • Lance Riddler – live guitar on "Voodoo People"
  • Mike Champion – management
  • Les Edwards – inside sleeve painting
  • Stuart Haygarth – front cover
  • Jamie Fry – rear sleeve

References

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  1. ^ a b Music for the Jilted Generation Credits (liner notes). XL Recordings. XLCD 114. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  2. ^ "More Music for the Jilted Generation", 2008 release [1] (Retrieved 26 May 2008)
  3. ^ a b c d e Bush, John. "Music for the Jilted Generation – The Prodigy". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (1 August 2008). "Electronic review: The Prodigy, More Music For the Jilted Generation / Experience Expanded Rermixes & B-Sides". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Evans, Paul (20 April 1995). "The Prodigy: Music For the Jilted Generation". Rolling Stone. No. 706. p. 80. Archived from the original on 13 January 2002. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d MacDonald, Bruno (2006). "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 750. ISBN 978-0-7893-1371-3.
  7. ^ Nesbitt, Huw (4 July 2014). "Music for the Jilted Generation: the artwork". Dazed Digital.
  8. ^ Hans-Christian Psaar (1 November 2008). "Commodities for the Jilted Generation". Datacide Magazine.
  9. ^ Freedberg, Michael (3–9 January 1997). "Prodigy, Music for the Jilted Generation (Mute)". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. 26, no. 1. p. 33. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  10. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (2000). "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 254. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  11. ^ a b Fadele, Dele (9 July 1994). "Stash and Spurn". NME. p. 44. Archived from the original on 13 October 2000. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  12. ^ Taylor, Sam (September 1994). "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Q. No. 96.
  13. ^ a b "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Record Collector. No. 354. October 2008. p. 83.
  14. ^ a b Harrison, Andrew (August 1994). "Essexpress!". Select. No. 50. p. 81.
  15. ^ Frith, Mark (20 July – 2 August 1994). "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Smash Hits. p. 61. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  16. ^ "The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Alternative Press. No. 81. April 1995. p. 84.
  17. ^ "Digsy's Winner!". NME. 24–31 December 1994. pp. 22–23.
  18. ^ "Previous Shortlists". Mercury Prize. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  19. ^ Lowe, Steve (March 2003). "David Bowie". Q. No. 200. p. 62.
  20. ^ Reynolds, Simon (September 1999). "The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s – 60. The Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation". Spin. Vol. 15, no. 9. p. 150. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Modern Classics: The 100 Greatest Albums of Mojo's Lifetime". Mojo. No. 150. May 2006.
  22. ^ Lowe, Zane (4 December 2008). "The Prodigy". Zane Lowe's Masterpieces. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  23. ^ "The Prodigy samples used in Music For The Jilted Generation era". theprodigy.info.
  24. ^ Moy, Ron (2015). Authorship Roles in Popular Music: Issues and Debates. Routledge. p. 101. ISBN 9781317672746. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  25. ^ James, Martin (2015). Dave Grohl - Times Like His: Foo Fighters, Nirvana & Other Misadventures. Bonnier Zaffre. p. (No page number). ISBN 9781784187637. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  26. ^ "Everybody Say Love (Radio Edit) - The Magi and Emanation 1993". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  27. ^ "The Prodigy - Samples, Covers and Remixes". WhoSampled.
  28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  29. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  32. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "The Prodigy". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 205.
  33. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  34. ^ "Charts.nz – The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  35. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  36. ^ July 1994/40/ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  37. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  38. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  39. ^ July 1994/7502/ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  40. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  41. ^ "The Prodigy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  42. ^ "The Prodigy Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  43. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1994". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  45. ^ "Tónlist – Árslisti 1994 - LP/CD". DV (in Icelandic). 5 January 1995. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  46. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  47. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  48. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1997". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  49. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  50. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  51. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". Music Canada. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  52. ^ a b "Prodigy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  53. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1997 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  54. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  55. ^ "British album certifications – The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation". British Phonographic Industry.
  56. ^ "Song Details: Their Law". Universal Music Group. Retrieved 13 September 2024. specific songwriters for "Their Law
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