Posted 06 January 2005 - 5:07 AM
A lot has been said on the forum about the future of dance music. But what?s the point about speculating about the future when you have no control over it. Why not live for the moment and enjoy the moment. Sure it?s sad that some of dance bands have faded away, but let?s not forget that the greatest dance band is still around with their sonic artistry. And while the Chemical Brothers are still around making albums of the quality of ?Push The Button?, they are still inspiring a genera and keeping the dance floor pumping.
I do agree this was an important album for the Chemical Brothers. After ?Come With Us? there was a lot of boring speculation about it being their last. And those who remember the original message board when the album was leaked. There was a lot of negative posts, with people saying that the album floating around was a fake or saying some uncomplimentary things about that album. Then again when ?Surrender? came out (the chems finest moment at the time) people were saying where had the beats gone or tracks like ?Dream On? and ?Asleep From Day? were just unchemical filler. I think my point here is you can not please all the fans all the time. In order to keep your music exciting you got to move your sound on and reinvent yourself, otherwise you?ll be committing artist suicide. For me ?Come With Us? was a good album, with some excellent tracks like ?Star Guitar? and ?It Began In Afrika?. But for me it was eclipsed by everything the Chems had done before it. But that?s the great thing about the Chems, they are not afraid to be pioneering and do something different. That?s probably why we are all here talking about their music.
Anyway on to the main subject, ?Push The Button?. I quite enjoyed Ed?s posts on the forum saying the album was going well and how it could be the best album they have made. But it?s easy to be cynical and think well of course he?s gonna big up the album, if he didn?t think that then what?s the point making the album. But this album is every bit as good as we were promised!! I have now been listening to the album for a week, trying to fully digest it before making any comments. And its got everything you would want from an album. Full on dance floor action, melodies, some real sublime moments and music that challenges you. I think that?s where ?Surrender? went so right. I?m not saying though that this album follow the same blueprint as ?Surrender?, it?s just got a great balance of moods and energy. It?s also got many collaborations which almost seemed like have they over done it?? But no, these collaborations add to the chemical experience!!! I love the fact that they have gone for so many unknown artists (obviously excluding Mr. Burgess and Q-Tip). People who have been chosen for no other reason other than they ooze talent. This method of dragging people into the Miloco studio ensures that their albums always sound fresh and probably keeps their interest in what they do.
Galvanize
This is a big track and anyone who disagrees with me better step outside now. It?s big and bold and one of those tunes that sums up what the Chems do best, moving the dance floor. I first heard this at Bugged Out! with the rebranded ?Irish Fan? and we were jumping around like loons to this track. I read somewhere that when they dropped the track that night the whole club reacted like they knew what it was, unmistakeably Chems. When this track was first dropped on Zane Lowe?s show people dug the tune but were a bit sceptical about it. The problem is the edit doesn?t do the track justice. I got a text message from my DJ partner saying ?I heard the new Chemical Brothers single and its shit?. I played him the full version of the track twice in my car and he soon ate his words!!! You need that massive breakdown/build up to get where ?Galvanize? is coming from. The album has a different edit, about a minute short of the full version. This track has so many great sounds, those eastern strings are killer, or the dirty plucked bass note in the build up.
The Boxer
Listening to the opening bars of this track it really hits you the progression of the new Chemical Brothers sound, it?s almost a bit of a shock on your first listen!! But Tim Burgess vocal on this track has done us proud. Where as ?Life Is Sweet? sounds like Tim from the Charlatans, on this track Tims vocals sound unlike anything I have heard him do before. I played this to my mate BeeDee who I went to see the Charlatans with the other week, he didn?t even recognise who was singing even though he knew he was on the album. It?s a very warm upbeat kinda tune. It?s got some awesome squelchy bass notes, and some fucked up vocoded guitar shit going on. And if a Chems fan is biased by liking this tune, then it looks like the Charlatans fans on their forum love it too!!!
Believe
Now I love this track!!! Probably the most DJ friendly tune on any Chemical brothers album!!!! I can?t wait to play this at the next Makoosa for anyone who might come along. Its one of those tunes that a DJ says, yes I got this in my box (or wallet in my case!!). I?m amazed that this wasn?t Electronic Battle Weapon 8!!! Why wasn?t this the flip to ?Acid Children???? Have we another EBW awaiting us during the ?Push The Button? era??? The bass in this track is immense. Anyone without a decent system to listen to this album on better invest sharpish. When I heard this track at Turnmills it made my night, pure four to the floor action. I?ve been mixing this up on my system; even my effects unit loves this track. I have learnt new ticks on my effects unit just by mucking around with this track. It?s the greatest Electronic Battle Weapon that never was!!!!
Hold Tight London
When I first saw the tracklisting for the album I thought here is gonna be a stomper. Then when we found out it was a collaboration from a lady who does more down tempo traditional guitar music I was a little disappointed. But never judge a track before you?ve heard it is a lesson I have learnt from ?Hold Tight London?. It is down tempo and incredibly beautiful. Playing this album to my friends in the background this is the track they ask, ?what is this???, most of my friends are into the more soulful side of music and they love this track. An amazing vocal full of reversed reverb. I can?t decipher the vocal at all, just the odd word or two. But to me they are just using the vocal as a beautiful instrument rather than the focal point. I also love the pallet of percussion they have used on this track, mildly tribal with some lovely crashes. One of the real standout tracks on the album!!
Come Inside
We?ll most of us have heard this tune in one way or another. I must admit that when I first heard the studio version of this track I thought it sounded a little flat compared to the live version, but then I learnt where the volume knob was!!! This tune takes me back to the summer, being in the sweaty civic centre at wolves and hearing the first fruits of this album. I think the live version is more for the moment, where as you listen to the studio mix and hear all the incidental sounds and stuff. I love the break of this track, the brass notes with the loose bass slaps mixed up with the cut up guitar. This is a real track designed for playing live, I can see this being in the live set for many year to come!!
The Big Jump
Funky as fuck!!! This gets your arse shaking without you noticing. The guitar cords are so simple but effective. I think the thing about this track is that like most good dance music it works cos it works! There is no mystery to it, it just puts a great smile on your face. I love the fuck up synth lines that kick in around the 2.40 and the little a-a-ah vocal that reminds me of Ann in Little Britain (sorry only UKers will know what I?m on about but I can?t be bothered to tell the rest of you)
Left Right
This seems to be the most controversial inclusion on the album reading the fans review of the album. It?s certainly the most political track that the Chems have ever done. I think this track boils down to whether you like your hip hop or not. I?m old enough to remember and enjoy hip hop when it was a great art form. I recently heard the genre described as the greatest music art form that never lived up to it potential, which I think is a fair comment. I think it is great the brothers have done a track like this. To me it sounds like Dr Dre let loose in the Chems studio. It?s a track that has something that questions the state of the world at the moment. It also echo?s some of the post on this forum about Bush and war in Iraq. Thing is I love it when the Chems point a nod of respect to the hip hop community. Lets face it the beats from the first 2 albums were fuelled form hip hop. The vocal in this track probably says more about the real world than any other track the Chems have ever done. They normally deal in escapism.
Close Your Eyes
Oh my god this is probably the most sublime moment on the album!!! I think a lot of people will see this as the best track on the album. This track proves the Chems don?t just master the dance floor, but make album tracks that make you feel warm and happy. I love the vocal arrangement on this track, the way that the vocal layers over each other. There is a huge build up in this track, a real rush of energy. I?m not gonna do this track any justice in the words I type, believe me this is one of the greatest moments on the album!!!
Shake Break Bounce
The first of the two tracks that really challenged me as a listener. It?s got a real R?n?B feel to it that was an instant turn off to me the first time I listened to it. But it?s a track that takes a few listens to get into it. It challenged my dislike for a certain style, and as the track goes on it gets more and more Chemical. I mean for fuck sake it?s got deck noises, I?m a DJ of course I?m gonna like it!! But that?s cool as a listener. I want music that makes me think rather than something disposable.
Marvo Ging
Another challenging song for me, although listening to it now I don?t know what all the fuss was about the first time!! It?s a real fun track, sounds like I?m playing it in reverse. In fact I might play it in reverse to see what it sounds like the other way!! I don?t know what to say about this tune. Its quite unlike anything I have heard before on one hand its seems fun and light and on the other its deep and moody. How the fucks do you make a tune that is complete opposite of itself?? A clever tune
Surface to Air
Another tune we all know and love. And this version far exceeded my expectations!!! After hearing the version played on the Chile recording you kinda realize it doesn?t do this tune justice. Hearing the studio version took me back to Creamfield where I remember hearing all the incidental little sounds in the build up. There is a cut up vocal in the beginning of this track that make you think, but what the fuck is it saying?? ?We help to make the world a better?.?. Where would we be without the Chems doing their epic track??? I have learnt that this is a great track to play while you are driving in the car. I have this thing about driving home from a nights clubbing. It?s 5 o?clock on a May morning and I?m driving down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace and I know this is the perfect track for that moment!! The only slight disappointment is this track stops dead, no breakdown, just stops. But I trust the brothers and if that?s how the track end that how it ends. Maybe it was too obvious to break it down to a gentle end.
All in all this album could have been crap, average or good, but it?s more than that. And as I said to Ed on New Years Eve, I fucking love this album. I don?t know what it?s like to put your heart and soul into something you believe in for 18 month/two years. If it?s a nervous time for a fan to hear their favourite band deliver their new album it must be a hundred time more nerve racking for the artist. This album is another classic, but then again was there any doubt!!! The future?s bright, the future?s Chemical!!!
I'm a fuckin doughnut
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