Prodigy, The The Fat of the Land

The Prodigy: Keith Flint, Maxim Reality (vocals); Liam Howlett (various instruments); Leeroy Thornhill.
Additional personnel: Shahin Bada, Kool Keith, Crispin Mills (vocals); Jim Davies (guitar); Saffron (background vocals).
FAT OF THE LAND was nominated for a 1998 Grammy for Best Rock Album.
Among the most anticipated releases of 1997, The Prodigy's third full-length album is a bulldozing rock-techno hybrid. But while the guitar/samples/hyper-beats mosaic that made "Firestarter" an MTV breakout are found in every nook and cranny of this album, the overall building blocks are far more diverse, making it a tangible melting pot of pre-millennium pop styles.
There's a definite hip-hop element here. "Diesel Power," which features quality mic control by Kool Keith (of Ultramagnetic MCs and Dr. Octagon fame), is new-style hip-hop sculpture, applying techno and acid-house textures to apocalyptic ends. Both "Funky Shit" and "Smack My Bitch Up" are throbbing dance-floor ejaculations wrapped around, respectively, Beastie Boys and De La Soul refrains. Kula Shaker's Crispin Mills adds vocals to an Eastern-influenced trance workout called "Narayan." All this adds up to proof positive that THE FAT OF THE LAND is just the tip of the iceberg.

• Internal ID: JITRE
• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 12/04/2012