Issue #81: Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation

Released:  February 28th, 1995

Recorded:  ?

Genre:  Big Beat

Record Label:  Mute

Duration:  78:07

Producers:  Liam Howlett, Neil McLellan

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Music for the Jilted Generation is One of My Favorites

Most of us Americans will remember Prodigy (or is it The Prodigy?) for their successes from The Fat of the Land, though they’ve actually maintained a steady presence within the rave culture of the UK, both before and since their American breakthrough.  I’m nothing close to a “raver” nor have I ever been, but at some point in my late teens I dug into the history of Music for the Jilted Generation and got interested in the almost punk-like stance that Howlett was taking against the British government with this album.  The anti-establishment environment which spawned the album spoke to my teenage ideals and although I’m not sure if it’s really a “pro-drug” record, there’s a certain “live and let live” theme or belief behind the music that suggests a preservation of the rave culture and the idea that the government was essentially trying to outlaw a harmless lifestyle.

Despite all of this, it’s debatable whether one can actually find all of this anywhere in the music.  Howlett later made a few disparaging remarks about the album, especially the title, claiming he never meant for it to be political.  I can certainly see where a bunch of beeps and clicks may not add up to a rousing political statement, but then again, it seems to have hit at a very important point in the British raver culture, and that energy is definitely present on the final product.  This isn’t the Prodigy that most of us know from “Firestarter” and “Breathe,” but it is decent techno nonetheless; more than that, it’s a record I listened to a lot in one way or another and grew fond of when “owning music” was a more finite pursuit than it is nowadays.

Keith Flint wasn’t yet a part of the Prodigy at this point, nor was any other “lead” vocalist, so the vocals that are in Music for a Jilted Generation come mostly from samples.  This is the kind of sound that most people would identify with the umbrella term “techno.”  Unfortunately, if there is one form of music that begins to sound dated even faster than rap and hip-hop, it’s got to be techno.  What were once novel sounds are replicated ad nauseum, and as the equipment for producing synthetic music becomes more advanced, even sounds from a few years ago can sound overly generic.  As such, Jilted sounds like really good semi-generic techno music.  That may sound like a bad thing, and it could be in a way, but I mean it more as a compliment.  For those times when mostly instrumental techno-ish music is needed, this is as good as it gets.  It’s complex enough to warrant attention, yet it can also be relegated to the background without drawing too much attention to itself.

Highlights include “Their Law,” “Voodoo People,” and “Poison,” as well as several bits and chunks culled from the trio of songs called “The Narcotic Suite.”  Many songs have guitar riffs thrown in in a KMFDM-esque style as well as simple hooks to set themselves apart.  “Speedway” uses a race car sounds as part of the beat and represents some of the minor experimental touches happening here.  Rather than individual tracks though, Jilted is primarily an album that works as a whole.  When listened to through the right set of speakers, there’s an appreciable about of bass/sub-bass that gives the music a modern feel, back when “feeling” the bass hadn’t really caught on outside of niche genres.

Had Howlett exercised a little more restraint when compiling Music for the Jilted Generation, I’m sure this album would be more lauded outside of electronic circles.  The flaws are few but weighty.  Howlett specifically commented that he had to edit out roughly a minute of the track “One Love” as well as leave off a song called “We Are the Rhythm,” later regretting both decisions.  I haven’t heard the latter nor the unedited version of the former, but it does speak to how much music he wanted to cram onto the disc.  “Break and Enter,” at nearly 8 and a half minutes, has some interesting sound effects (more of the album’s slight experimental leanings) but goes on far too long.  “Their Law” could end perfectly almost exactly at the 4 minute mark, but instead chooses to repeat its second half for more than another 2 minutes.  Had one or two tracks been knocked off and the rest shortened to 5 minutes at the most, I think Jilted just might have gained more traction with a wider audience.  Even today there are great moments to discover, though I feel they can become obscured by repetition when it comes to casual listeners.

As it is, Jilted is a damn fine example of how electronic music was progressing during the 90’s.  Most of us have heard bigger and better things by now, but back when I was into it most around 1999/2000 and I’d heard much less electronic music, it was kind of “the techno record” that I had for a few years.  The grandiose beats move things along quite well on a reasonable sound system.  This may not become much more than background music for some people, although a record full of great background music shouldn’t be underestimated.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from The Prodigy in this series:

• 1997 – The Fat of the Land – Issue #11

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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