Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Pretty good. Like a lot of techno though, it does tend to get a bit repetitive, especially since these are pretty long songs.
Not enough ecstasy on a normal day I. The US for this
О, харош. Останнім часом щастить з альбомами.
Boring and uninteresting
I can see why it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I fairly enjoyed it.
While listening to this album, I had, in the abyss of my mind, those glimpses of modified muscle cars going full speed on the interstate at night, of snowboarders doing ollies above ranges of saplings. Well, lo and behold, the Chemical Brothers have been featured in every kind of racing games out there : WipeOut, Gran Turismo, Forza, Need for Speed, DiRT, The Crew, Project Gotham Racing, etc. A load of various sports games too, from FIFA to NBA titles ; and yes, SSX 3, a snowboard game, would you look at that. Because it's perfect music to accompany exhilarating action. Why? Because it's intense and repetitive, and can help focus on your task, I guess. But see, that kind of music is like salt. It can absolutely elevate a meal, but would you eat salt alone? No. Similarly, listening to this album alone is... not a great experience. But I'll definitely put in on next time I'm chased across the Golden Gate Bridge by the cops in my Lamborghini Diablo SV.
made me sweat
54
Having listened to a handful of 90s and 2000s electronic/dance/club music from this list, I think I can safely say that it just really doesn’t belong on this list. It doesn’t do anything that interesting musically, and feels very hard to focus on for the duration of the album because it’s just such repetitive, unspectacular sound. There are very seldom lyrics or melodies to make you think, so it comes down to feel, and I don’t need endless days of dance music while I sit in a car or do chores. I like being able to find a good dance song or two from these albums, but the whole package is just too much.
More textured than Exit Planet Dust, but that also means it loses a little of the visceral quality that made that record stand out. Still, a fantastic big beat record, goes down like a smooth beer and flies right on by despites its hour long runtime.
Music fills many different roles in our lives. It doesn't take a lot of analysis to know what kind of music the Chemical Brothers make. This stuff is for raving. And in that context its great. I personally don't enjoy just listening to it. I have to dance as well, and I'm too tired to do that much any more. It's fine. THREE STARS
Best Tracks: Block Rockin' Beats!, Setting Sun, Electrobank, The Private Psychedelic Reel, Dig Your Own Hole. Pretty solid for the genre. 4/5
Electric rock and roll, simply great
Good music for computer work.
That first song is so good the mediocre album sounds better just because of the adrenaline from the first song
meh
This experience has shown me I don’t fully dislike this genre - it is more the nonsense and often irritating vocals which subtract. The last few songs on this one suck independent of that, though.
Elektrozeug, unruhig
Formative and still goes hard
3 1/2 Stars: In this new era of EDM where DJs are celebrities, this 90s era trailblazer sounds a little dated, but the mastery is present. Some of these were the soundtracks of my college days, so it feels very nostalgic. If there's a downside it's that several tracks are quite bloated (9 minutes?!!) and the album starts to feel a little long in the tooth. At album length I'm good to never listen to this front to back ever again. But to have some of these on a mixtape, I wouldn't be mad about it.
Not terrible, but very repetitive. Can’t listen to the whole thing in one sitting
Pretty sweet. Some great songs, but some boring ones too. Very unique and experimental
Decent classic EDM. Only a couple songs stood out to me, but the rest was enjoyable.
Not the greatest follow-up to Exit Planet Dust. I wanted to like this more, but the album leaves a lot to be desired. There are some good moments, but overall it feels like a step down from their debut.
Bien.
I enjoyed this recording much more than I thought I would. Good gritty, innovative sounds.
que extraño pero esta bueno
Sounds like you’d expect
Wow, this brings me back to the time when I got to see them live. It was a spectacle. Completely forgot about them and so glad this for this experience introducing them back into my life.
4/10
If you like it I guess that's ok Will I listen to again: 0%
pretty good vibes here little bit samey though suppose it's good if you want a rock/edm hybrid 💥block rocking beats 💥elektrobank
They should max out their albums at about 20-25 minutes. At that point you realize that each song is the same beat over and over and over again. And when they start repeating the same line 100,000 times over and over... no. Just stop.
Shit slaps. Do you like drums?
Some cool songs, 4/5 alone for Block Rockin Beats
Great in small doses. Too much and you need a Rave.
Chemical Brothers kind of are a 1 of 1 group, and this album is emblematic of that - what a show.
I understand that some artists really started their own wave and took the media by storm, but sometimes that’s one song or their general atmosphere, and not really a whole album. Block Rockin Beats is fun but even that one gets annoying after a while, so logically I don’t fault anyone for wanting to call it quits after Elektrobank. That one’s got a really annoying sample and just leaves a bad taste in your mouth for repetition for the rest of the disc.
2 - more electrónica
Probably something you have to be in the right mindset to appreciate, but I found it struck a chord with me on this particular day. Repetition is the order of the day, the boys hit a groove and just stay with it for extended periods, and it's a damn effective strategy. Highlights for me would be 'Block Rockin' Beats' and 'Setting Sun', and I'm always a sucker for a Beth Orton vocal ('Where Do I Begin') and the last track provides a soothing comedown after an hour of madness. Not something I'd listen to on the regular, but nice to visit once in a while.
Really liked it. Never a club or rave guy, but this hit those types of vibes for me
Musique techno de dégénérée qui m'a donné mal à la tête pendant mon gym.
3 étoile pour l'aspect nostalgique, et la présence salvatrice de Noel Gallagher. et le titre rigolo qu'est "Lost in the K-Hole"
vind sommige delen wel leuk, maar heb hier eigenlijk even geen geduld voor, en het is m net niet
feeling so cool right now, though some songs felt a bit useless there but the beginning was chefs kiss
Pretty, pretty, pretty good
Great album but not so into it anymore
For an electronic music album. Not terrible.
Big Beat masterpiece of the mid 90s. This was one of the first electronic albums I bought and it's epic. I admit it took some time to grow on me as a teenager, but it's groovy in a kind of industrial, grimy way. It has slow moments, but the big moments are pretty foundational for electronic music. 5/5
I expected to like this...then, as I listened, I thought I would be disappointed...until, late on, this album really rallied. I know Block Rockin' Beats and Setting Sun from the first time round, and it was nice to hear them again; they don't crop up much these days. Some of the rest was a bit anonymous, but I really enjoyed the last three tracks in particular. I'd definitely listen again.
I hated this album about as much as I expected I would. If I never have to hear another block rocking beat I'll be a happy man.
Album was a jam. Block Rockin Beats is an absolute classic.
I smiled throughout. A cracking album
I had been putting off listening to “Dig your own hole” until I got this one a week later, so I decided to listen to both twice and do a double review. It is definitely not made for a concentrated listening experience, so I did a bunch of work while I listened. The more I heard, the more I started to enjoy it actually - buuut, I think it’s because I just started to not expect anything. I get how this might have sounded somewhat revolutionary once, but their sound is just so dated in my opinion. The harder stuff just sound like the soundtrack to a mediocre action film, and every time there’s an interesting sound or a lead of any sort, it’s mixed way in the back. I do enjoy the samples though, and the softer and more psychedelic stuff is better on these albums. I have the third album a try to, and generally enjoyed it more. But this is not really for me. It’s just fine, occasionally interesting, but never really moving. I guess if I heard this really loudly in the middle of a bad dj set, I would really dig it, but eh. The second is slightly better I guess 5/10
Ugh
Sick beats above everything else, in the best way possible.
I probably don't give techno albums enough time of day. Despite falling into the unavoidable trap of every track feeling three times too long, it's impressive to hear the variation between songs on this one. I've always known Chemical Brothers were very talented, but I've never observed how much genre bending they do. The psychedelic elements of this album come as a genuine surprise. Not all of it is enjoyable - there was a fair share of really grating noises that just didn't get the blood pumping, but for the most part, this was a surprising testament to electronic albums.
I think I had this. Anyway, liked enough at the time but big beat quickly got boring as I heard more electronica. But this is cool enough. Tracks are way too long, but different times and audiences. I remember way more of this than I thought. Quite good! 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 102/383 (26%) Will I get: Already have
Definitely not to my taste. Repetitive and dull. Clearly music that needs the right ambiance, and the right substance support.
I generally enjoyed this album. I did find I had to make sure my mood was matched to the high energy levels of the music. So it’s not really an ‘Anywhere, Anytime’ album but enjoyable all the same.
I was genuinely excited for this one but it just felt like I was in the more boring bits of the Matrix.
good!
weird one. thought every song was good/great, but at the same time thought every song went on for too long. 3.5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Its really FULL. There is a ton going on, the music is fast and changing. Its takes you on journeys, its layers and builds perfectly. It has little psychy elements that kind of tease your brain. This was really fun. Its essential to have headphones on to enjoy to the fullest capacity. It also helps if its 2:00 AM and you're soothing a sick baby back to sleep.
Hard for me to not wanna move while listening to this album. Nearly wall to wall bangers. Like all good electronic music, it's just a little annoying haha
nicwe
2,5
I appreciate a lot of their music, but a full album is just not for me.
Heck yeah, this album slaps!
So it turns out that the drugs you take as a senior citizen are very different from the drugs you need to take to enjoy this mindless repetitive nonsense. Who knew!
I'm not much as far as techno goes, but I do like the Chemical Brothers. No one can deny that "Block Rockin' Beats" is a great song. The rest of the album is good, but my critique (as it generally is with most kinds of electronic music) is that it gets a little repetitive. The beats are varied enough that it remains interesting for the most part, but some of the songs are a bit long. So overall, it's good, a bit long, but scratches that techno itch when you happen to have it.
1. "Block Rockin' Beats" 2. "Setting Sun" 3. "Lost in the K-Hole"
A mix of some cool beats with a lot of beats that overstay their welcome.
C'est un petit peu moins poche que Prodigy. 2.51 étoiles
Dig your own hole was a chapter in Len houmous’ sex manual. 4.7 1/11 Block Rocking Beats
It was fine. I'm getting pretty tired of breakbeat/big beat/ grime albums though. This lost has way too many. If I had heard this earlier, it may have been higher
This genre at this time period is just so dull to me
Extremely corny sounding in the year 2026, pass
The first few brought back memories of awkward university friends trying to dance faster than their feet could safely carry them, and I thought I’d been rash when I dumped this CD back when it came out. But it’s half an hour too long and its unsubtle pleasures are deadened in uninspired iteration: the hooks are frontloaded, though the closer tries to claw some credit back with some crowd-friendly psychedelia
Ubiquitous in every wanker's CD player throughout 1997, I wasn't thrilled to see this here but approached with an open mind. Brash, basic big beat - so far, so boring; oh, here's Beth Orton again. Unfortunately, "Setting Sun" pushed me over the edge - appalling and offensive in so many ways it hurts my ears; is to "Tomorrow Never Knows" as Duran Duran's "911 Is A Joke" is to Public Enemy.
catchy. up beat. fast. fun.
Electro rock funk house - not really sure. it's ok 2.5
An electronica masterpiece. Yeah, a lot of the songs have the same beat structure or song structure. Yeah, a lot of the songs can get a bit samey, because they're just laying different samples in there. But you know what? This album invites, no, DEMANDS, that you get up and dance. It completes the mission of electronica to make you want to get up and dance. And they do it in the most infectious, solid grooves. For that one thing, I applaud them all day long. The Chemical Brothers deliver big beat dance music with expertise and aplomb. No stress, no filler, all killer. My Rating: 5/5
Se escuchan a gusto empastillados y en una rave. Si no, pierden mucho.
Got out of bed this morning and immediately stepped in a pile of dogshit. Lol. Fucking Mondays. When the day starts like that it can only get better. Thankfully it did, the first track on this album is a straight banger. Some real grooving basslines on this, it's a nice way to start my week. The Beth Orton tune was standout. I got her album at #61 from the generator, it's worth a revisit. Dig it.
A techno album that wasn’t that bad a listen
I liked this more than expected. Obviously it would pair best with disco biscuits and being swedged off your nut, but the big hits hit big and the album flows brilliantly. Way ahead of some of it's peers on the list.
Block rockin' beats er banger, Setting sun er fínt ( Let forever be er mun betra) og restin er ánægjuleg síðtíunda danstónlist. Er það þristur eða fjarki?
Some really good shit in here, especially in the first few tracks
Block Rockin Beat is a killer song and I expected to grow tired of the rest of this song, as I do with these but I....didn't. Surprisingly solid with a great flow between songs.
Bit repetitive and just not my vibe ig
Whatever happened to these guys?
Mmmm, tasty tasty breakbeat.
Oh man that was pretty pretty nice! I've missed that one initially, however, have zero regret to come back. Very very good
Notable Textzeile: Sunday morning, I'm waking up Can't even focus on a coffee cup Don't even know whose bed I'm in Where do I start? Where do I begin? Irgendwas zwischen Soundtrack, lass uns mal möglichst viele nervige Soundeffekte ausprobieren und coolen Beats und Brakes, zwischendurch ruhiger, fast klassische Songskizzen. Das jemand das einst zu Hause auf dem Sofa nach einem Tag Steuererklärung machen hören wird weil es als Album (!) in einer super wichtigen Liste ist - das zu imaginieren hätte schon sehr sehr viel Chemie gebraucht. Es ist anstrengend. Ein Track irgendwo nachts intoxicated auf einer Tanzfläche sicher okay, ein anderer in einer Playlist auch. So aber als ganzes, als Album (?!) nicht hoch zu bewerten. 2,5.
Ja, Kinners, das waren halt die 90er. Klatsch zwei Genres zusammen, finde eine gute Beatidee und dann melken,melken, melken, weil Menschen noch Alben kaufen und es daher Sinn macht einzelne Hits mit auf Überlänge aufgeblähten vorher verworfenen Ideen aufzufüllen. Wir machen vorher noch ne Checkliste um Sicher zu gehen dass jeder Track ganz schrottige Drums, irgendwie psychedelische aber auch abgehende Beats, unnötige Wiederholungen und so ein bisschen digitale Klimperei hat. Oder: Schuster bleib bei deinen Singles
This Album could have been a Need For Speed Soundtrack.
Meni työpäivän lomassa mukavasti taustalla, mutta eipä täälläkään mitään hirveän päräyttävää BANGERIA ollut
Muutamat ihan kivat biisit työnteon taustalle, mutta olihan tuossa vähän erikoistakin settiä.
Väkevää tykitystä. Tätä seuranneella levyllä tais olla enempi viel isompii hittejä. On tässäkin toki änkyräveljes saatu jo feattaan. Pändinä ja levynä oman leikkikenttänsä kärkiosastoo.
Ihan sinällään mukava levy kesäloman, kaljanjuonnin ja illalla parvekkeella istuskelun taustalle. Ei ollut entuudestaan tuttuja biisejä kun avausraita, mutta jotenkin kyllä viihdyin tämän parissa. En tiedä mikä olisi ollut tuomio jos ei olisi ilta-aurinko paistanut ja kylmä kalja ollut lasissa, mutta nyt selkeä kolmonen. Hauska homma kun rupesin miettimään että ne kovimmat hitit on varmaan seuraavalla levyllä, sitten menin katsomaan Spotifystä ja totesin että en kyllä sieltäkään tiedä kun Hey boy, hey girlin. Tajusin lopulta että Chemical Brothers ja Fatboy Slim oli muodostunut päässä yhdeksi ja samaksi asiaksi, ja muistelin sitä Fatboy Slimin levyä missä on Rockafeller skankit sun muut.
Might be my new go to work album. Challengers only for high performance occasions
Ehhh, yeah nah
At the club, and high as a kite, I would probably really like this. But I'm not, and I'm not. An extra star for effort because I'm feeling generous today.
#392 Gave this a headphones listen on my commute this morning and it sounded better than ever. I could only imagine being at festival or in a club listening on the train but this transported me there. I am fortunate enough to have seen them at Glastonbury although the deep cuts here would not likely have been played. Private Psychedelic Reel remains a masterpiece, and an almighty way to close the album. Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): The Private Psychedelic Reel; It Doesn’t Matter; Lost in the K-Hole Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Developed a small soft spot for big beat albums because of this list
Didn't enjoy it.
Not for me
no boring
I'm liking their electronic beats.
Elektrobank is one of my Napster songs. I remember seeing the music video on MTV one night and was so amazed by it. the end.
Y cuanto pensé que odiaba la música electrónica de baile llegaron a mi vida los Chemical Brothers y ya nada fue igual. Me guardo: Block rockin' beats, Dig your own hole, Electrobank, Setting Sun, Don't stop the rock, Wher do I begin y The private psychedelic reel. Discazo. Debería ser 4 estrellas o casi 5.
Yeah I’m into it. I’m digging
just imagine... the year is 1997 and I'm like 22... i have a hackey sack... me and the boys are hitting the quad...
Pretty cool album, I enjoyed it a lot. Very nostalgic.
Solid from who I consider the OGs of EDM
says electronic music, knew right away what it was about and ehh. it didn't change the more I listened. 2
Really enjoyable album, listened to it back to back with fat of the land and hard to pick a favorite but I think this falls just short of the other, 4.5 rounded down.
Drums working overtime, adding “chemicals” and “excess fat” to the other tracks. It’s bombastic and if I were dancing to this at the club, I’d probably wonder why I’m hearing the same motif like 20 times for each song. Like for example Don’t Stop the Rock is giving meme brain rot vibes (air horns, phonk-type synths). I’d vibe more if each song was more simplistic (2.5-3).
Really good Techo. of course it’s a bit repetitive and it’s a little bit too dissonant for me at times
4 stars
This was a great listen! almost a 4 but not quite. Block Rockin Beats is an awesome track. Although a bit repetitive in some spots, this type of music needs it!
This brought back some good memories and overall I enjoyed it - I did think at several point I might have a panic attack, and some of the noises are super repetitive to the point of discomfort and needing to stop it for a bit, but a solidish album.
2/3
Very VERY excited for this one, they have some absolute bangers. It’s a lovely short album which I always love, some funky songs on here !! Fav song is ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’.
1. block - 3 2. dig - 2 3. bank - 2 4. PIKU - 1 5. zun - 1 6. matter - 2 7. rock - 2 8. like - 1 9. lozt - 1 10 . begin - 1 11. reel - 0
Hell yeah
Not my kinda music, but I think The Chemical Brothers are better than others of their ilk.
YES! I love this album and have ever since I first heard it the summer of 1998. The killer beats, the psychedelic mélange of sounds, the amazing collaborators (Beth Orton!) all come together in such a sick album.
I liked this way better than other Chemical Brothers records. This is not my scene but the mixture of energy and psychedelic flourishes made it worth the listen.
2/5 - The only way that I'll ever make it through an entire big beat album is by walking into the other room or putting the volume on zero. I promise I try to like this.
I have never rated an album a 1 on this list … until now. Brainless and relentless 160 bpm meth music, which is nearly salvaged toward the end of the record where some variety and musicality creep in. Alas, not enough. Shit sandwich.
#253 You know I enjoy Fat Boy Slim and The Prodigy but this doesn't work for me at all!
I've still not figured out what I enjoy about electronic music. It's usually not much, and this album reinforced that feeling. You'd think with a bunch of different electronic albums on this list that I'd find something that appeals to me but so far, nothing.
This is music by, of, and for my generation, so I know it well. And of all the albums in this genre, this is my favourite, despite the presence of my generation's second-biggest dickhead, Noel Gallagher, on Setting Sun. Number one being his brother, obvs. The biggest dickhead on here is the writer of the top-rated review of this album (as of today). Fuck me, I hope I never bump into that grumpy old goat at a party! Anyway , I could listen to Where Do I Begin? all day, every day, and never get tired of that drop! Absolutely bloody brilliant!
Highlights: Block Rockin' Beats, Piku, Setting Sun, Down The K-Hole. In a nutshell: where worlds collide. A heady mash up of electronica, hip-hop and rock. I mentioned "did anyone get a rave flashback?" in one review. This must be an analogy for a rave- from the moment you line up to the comedown. Overall: 6/10 PS. To the people who think this is boring, well, (a) fine if that's your opinion and (b) you should reconsider and look for the nuances on one of the singles. This is innovation in art. Manipulating music by hand, creating tracks by recording then pasting sounds together? That's art. And it's still music. Most electronica is SUPPOSED TO have repetition. You build up a track, you ride it out then you tear it down or you keep it going until you feel that it's run its natural course. It's made for dancing or winding down. If the music is boring, either it's not your thing or the artist is doing it wrong.
Excellent
Listens: 1.5 Standout Tracks: None I honestly couldn't get through a second listen. I had a mild headache and this was driving me crazy while I was trying to cook lunch. Repetitive, loud, chaotic, obnoxious. None of the qualities I like in my electronica music. And then there was Noel Gallagher randomly on one of the tracks for some reason. I think at this point I would have rather listened to My Chemical Romance over this😧
Really good. Just have to really be in the mood for it
i dont like these noise/repetitive noise albums. not for me. makes me feel like a grandma who took in her teenage grandson and is like 'honey can you keep it down in there?' and he's like 'no grandma fuck you' and i'm like 'i should've left you on the streets where you belong'
I liked some portions of some songs, but overall it was overlong with not enough to back it up. Highlights-Setting Sun and Don't Stop The Rock.
On the spectrum of 90s electronica between Fatboy Slim (good!) and Moby (fucking horrendous!), this falls somewhere in the middle. I especially liked the back half of the record, and the vocal contributions from Noel Gallagher (which I'd heard before because it was a single at the time) and Beth Orton (which I hadn't).
I’ve been on a really good run for the last week, having three 5 stars and four 4 stars, but when I saw this generated I was ready for it to come to a crashing halt given my general dislike of Electronica. Surprisingly though this was great, there was no point where it started to drag or I got bored of it. It’s not something I’m going to rush to listen to regularly but I could definitely see myself going back to this at some point. Top Track - Setting Sun
Lyrically and instrumentally repetitive almost industrial techno dance. A 3 if you’re in the mood for it; otherwise a little noisy to just put on and listen to.
block rocking beats - although some of it is heavily processed, and obvious
Energy..yes. Warmth..very little.
I hate dance music; it is like someone is drilling into my head. At some parts I thought the track was skipping, no that was just the song. I can tell that Setting Sun was the lead single as I thought that was good, reminiscent of Depeche Mode, but the rest was very jarring.
This was really cool to listen too especially because I have a few of their recent songs saved and I had no idea the history of their sound. Enjoyed.
Where do I begin is the best song
Il secondo album dei chemical brothers segna un'evoluzione importante, e infatti mi è piaciuto di più
Loved it.
Looove the opening track. Great music to get work done to.
More British EDM. Yay.
A collection of tracks which are pretty good. Listening to one after the other is pretty irritating. I bought this album on cassette when it came out and it's a great illustration of why people stream their favourite tracks rather than listen to albums. You can't listen from start to finish unless you're off your nut on something. Again, each track is great but I'd argue this isn't to be listened to as an album but seperately in a random collection of individual tracks by multiple artists - a playlist. This album is illustrative of why albums became less popular in the 21st century. So, sure, have a listen to hear what an album should not be.
Like rave music for people who've never been to a rave. The more it went on the less I liked it.
Hated by Americans/jazz lovers/wizard rockers
one of the best electronic albums ever
Why do I get so many Electronica albums on the weekend, particularly 1990s British varieties on Sundays? That is the million dollar question It's just another mid-tier British Electronica album. Favorite Track: "Lost In The K-Hole".
This was one of the better sample production records of the 1990s. So many ideas pursued that had not really been done, quite in this way, by the time it came out. "Block Rockin' Beats" was one of those tracks that transcended its form and was embraced by people from many genres. "Setting Sun" is quite probably the best track that Noel Gallagher was ever a part of. Admittedly there are spots where the experiments hang around for too long. Worthy for the 2 songs and the genre smashing production ideas that were fairly new at the time.
- Not my cup of dried rhino beetles - no thank u
straight ahh icl. Nothing like their first album which was a banger. This one is just noise pollution atp. No good beats other than track 1 and just made me depressed because it totally ruined the chemical brothers for me, I don't wanna go through that ever again.
While I am not a huge techno fan, I did find the listening an enjoyable ride.
So close to a five. Feels very influenced by the big beat era (ala the prodigy) but still has more of those trancey, psychedelic, and even beautiful moments to it. My fave chemical brothers record will likely not be on here at this point. Honestly eff it a 5.
80
The Chemical Brothesr are obviously talented and creative and I like some of the sounds they employ in their compositions but ultimately it is not my type of music
Weird, but some good builds & resolutions.
Oh man, this was a turning point in my early teens. There are some absolute bangers on here that will get you vibing, dancing, running and throwing yourself around like a crazy man. Definitely play it loud and get your mum and me in for a dance party
It's an album from my youth so of course I'm gonna rate it higher than the others. We have a bias towards music we used to listen when we were in our prime. For me this album popularized electronic music, I knew it existed of course but I didn't care. The Chemical Brothers and a few others made me care and I still vividly remembers some of their shows. So yes it's probably a 3.5 or 4 but with the "album from my youth" bias I'll give it a solid 4 maybe 5.
Great album but my cat hated it
Lazy cut-and-paste electronica that consists of static hooks repeated ad infinitum. Prolly would suffice in da club but the lack of harmonic movement in these "songs" makes this boring as hell to listen to anywhere else.
I can’t with repetition
Great energy on this one, starting off hot with Block Rockin’ Beats. Electrobank and Piku play nicely back to back. Good album to work to or workout to. I know they get compared to Prodigy but the Chemical Brothers music goes down so much smoother than anything those skids have done. Great album art on this one as well. 4 stars
Industrial tangerine dream?? My first impression was that this was just noise - reminding me of Nurses With Wounds (which is NOT a compliment!). But I appreciated it more after listening through a couple of times. I still did not find any flashes of genius. More like flashes of “musicality” embedded in a sea of mildly interesting colored noise.
Nope
This one reeks of late 90s, but not in a bad way! Block Rocking Beats indeed.
Definitely that late 90s sound, “Block Rockin’ Beats” was everywhere. You might not know the artist, but you definitely knew this song.
It's been a long time since I enjoyed music outside my personal taste; this was a beautiful electronic music album.
Another example of an album in this list evoking that post Britpop late 90s hangover period. This album does not really work as a listening experience, more of a 'vibe setter' for a room or hall. It appears dwarfed by two number one hit singles: Block rockin' beats and the collaboration with Noel Gallagher from the previous year, 'Setting sun' that was unquestionably buoyed by its Oasis connection. Beth Orton also appears as another guest vocalist but doesn't lift the album out of the 'gets dull after a while' mark band!
I like the Chemical Brothers. They do not need to have multiple albums on this list.
no skip banger
I liked it, and I’ve always loved Block Rockin Beats. Album is ultimately not my thing though
I’m sure there’s a time and a place for this album. Sunday morning in my kitchen is not it. I never want to listen to this again. Never.
Pre Listen: Hrggggg, the album cover and release date make my heart sink. Please don't be uninspired loud noises, please. I haven't heard of them, but from the title and art, low expectations going in to this. Notable Tracks: Block Rockin' Beats - Pleasantly surprised! Wasn't punk rock, awesome. Elektrobank - POV you are playing on a Gmod RP server and a random is desperately trying to communicate with you via a 2004 Mic. It Doesn't Matter - Least favorite track. It "Doesn't Matter" that I skipped it 2 minutes in, I hope. The Private Psychedelic Reel - Probably my favorite track on the album. Feels like a good sampler of everything good about this band, while minimizing everythinf bad. Post Listen: I think it's somewhat unlucky that I got this album when I did, as I got it right after DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing..." album. Both are "Beats and Samples" type albums, but DJ Shadow did it so, so much better. This one did have more of an electro, clubish sound to it, so it was distinct. Overall though, the listening experience was mixed. Repitition is a clear, intentional theme throughout the album, and sometimes it works. The Chemical Brothers find a sound loop, copy-paste it six to eight times, then move on to the next loop. Great if the sound loop *sounds* good, but incredibly annoying if it doesn't. The vocals were pretty good too, all around. Teetered around the 2 to 3 range, but the album finished strong. 3/5.
Very interesting inclusion. I definitely enjoyed it but I don’t have much to say. Some good sounds but I don’t feel like I’ll ever be listening to this again.
I’ve always thought of Chemical Brothers as an evil jamiroquai and I don’t think I’m wrong about it?
Amazing how elitist people get over electronic music when they'll get hard for every mediocre Beatles rip off on this list
I never did get into The Chemical Brother like I did with The Prodigy. It was interesting to listen to a full album, and did find a few highlights after the mega hit Block Rockin' Beats, but all in all didn't grab me. Too high tempo.
Too long. And fairly uninteresting, tbh. Energetic, though. I yearned for more vocals (which often worked on the album) and, well, something that seemed less . . . plastic/mass-produced.
“Widely regarded to have nicked our sound” - Super Hans
sick
Good album, felt like I might have been a bit too sober to enjoy it to its full potential. Second last song was a belter.
Not the first time this list has given me a headache tbf
Love it!!!
Favorite Track: Block Rocking Beats
A lot to like in the EDM arena. Sounds a plenty, mixed around a funky beat. Stand up and shake it!
Not really my taste or preference. There is something here for someone but not I.
unusual but amazing, dance rock type shi
Really enjoyed 😉
just loud and annoying
Pretty good for electronica. But it borderlines on great with "Where Do I Begin", featuring Beth Orton on vocals. The album needed more of her.
The sound of the 1990s in one fell swoop.
There was some good stuff in here, but overall not particularly my vibe. This music would have fit better in a club than cleaning at work. It was a little too long and could be very repetitive at times. Don't really see myself revisiting this. Favorite Track - The Private Psychedelic Reel Least Favorite Track - It Doesn't Matter ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Second Chemical Brothers album in a week and, instead of being sick of them, I like them more every time I listen.
Another 90s electronica. Not bad, but background music doesn’t entice me as much. Very atmospheric, which is fun, but it gets repetitive quickly.
This did not get off to a good start as the aggressive drums and driving noise of the first few tracks caught me at a bad time at the end of a long week. But the last few tracks which were a bit more (relatively) mellow redeemed the album for me. I particularly liked the last 3 tracks "Lost in the K Hole," "Where Do I Begin," and "The Private Psychedelic Reel."
2 out of 5. I felt the energy from this one, probably one of the better EDM albums on this list so far.
This is not a genre I'm wild about, but there were parts of this that I liked a little more than I was expecting. I like that it felt more like an electronic rock album at times than a techno album (apologies if this album is actually a subgenre of techno or something like that, I'm not well-versed on the subtleties of the genre as a whole). When I listen to music, what really pulls me in is an emotional hook - generally that's through lyrics/vocals, although music can certainly do it too - and this is just music for music's sake. It's hard for me to be sitting at my dining room table and have this on and be like "Fuck yeah I FEEL THIS". Maybe in a more appropriate context, I could appreciate this more, but as it stands I'm not gonna search it out to listen to again.
This made me want to rave
so sick
This album is carrying me through an early morning at work after a late night at work. Like that Hunter S. Thompson quote about music putting extra gas in your car or whatever he said.
Not my thing and you probably need to be on drugs in a field to enjoy fully. But for what it is, it has its merits. Quite liked Setting Sun, and Where do I Begin.
2/5
Za każdym razem, kiedy myślę, że to będzie dobry kawałek to chwile później dzieje się z nim coś innego. Jakby zespół cierpiał na osobowość wieloraką. Nie jestem w stanie tego docenić 5/10.
One is enough. I like them. But we’ve had one already.
And the beat just gets bigger. Top shelf album this, Where Do I Begin with the fabulous Ms O is an outright gem, getting Noel on board to do the best homage to Tomorrow Never Knows, Block Rockin, damn it is all good. Another great example of just what top decade for pop and rock and rolls the 90's was. Dig it deadbeats.
I like music that sounds like shit. By the back half of the 90s, I was losing interest in new rock music. The mainstream industry had, in the previous five years, plundered and commercialized alternative music, sucked out all the juices and left the dry and withered husk behind. The mainstream industry had codified 'alternative' into a generic label, reduced it to a series of tropes, sold as many records as they could, and were losing interest. There were still occasional good records by exciting rock bands, but many of the most exciting rock bands of the decade were running out of steam -- Kurt was dead, Radiohead delivered a final great rock album in OK Computer and then abandoned the field for electronic music, and so many bands had split -- replaced by increasingly interchangeable and faceless 'rock' bands or, even worse, nu-metal. Part of the appeal of alternative music had been that it was (often) excitingly fucked up. Ironically, rock music was becoming increasingly and expensively crafted to give the appearance of being fucked-up, but it was actually highly polished (even if polished with noise. I had a freind who was a tape-op at a large Sydney studio, and he recounted to me the tedium of days spent over-dubbing finger noise onto guitar tracks to make them sound more 'exciting'). A good example of that was the way that Andy Wallace, mixer de jour for 'alternative' rock in the 90s, would replace the drums with triggered samples of drums. I reacted by drifting more towards the work of Steve Albini or Gabriel Roth's "shitty is pretty" recording aesthetic. Generally, rock was losing direction and relevance and that trend has continued to this day (a few twitches of the corpse, notwithstanding). When Dig Your Hole came out, it captured a lot of what I really liked about rock music (without, technically, being rock). It's got loud drums, fuzzy bass, driving rhythms and a lot of loud noise. It sits on the fine line between smart and dumb that is, to my mind, the essence of rock. A lot of dance music is too clean for me; too digital, too synthetic, too quantized, too strictly to the grid. But this I like because it is funky and noisy and loose and loud and organic and funny. You could say it is just breakbeats and sirens, but it just hooks into a part of my brain. Nice guest appearances from Beth Orton and Noel Gallagher, too. It rocks and I love it.
Not a fan
I'm having an insane run of albums lately. Dig Your Own Hole is a downright masterful piece of electronica, particularly the '90s Big Beat scene. It encapsulates everything great about the sound. The beats are incredibly dynamic, powerful, versatile and layered. The odd appearances of vocals and the various different soundbites sprinkled throughout are perfectly placed. Every track has a wonderful flow to it and every single progression feels very natural. The album's centerpiece is a brilliant homage to The Beatles featuring Noel Gallagher. The rest of the tracks are just as great, though. It's hard to pick a favourite, each one offers something different and serves the album tremendously, aside from a couple of slightly weaker moments, which is to be expected with a runtime slightly exceeding an hour. The only flaw of Dig Your Own Hole is that it's not Surrender, an album that somehow manages to sound even more vibrant, creative and diverse. Sadly, it's not on the list, but I encourage everyone who enjoyed this album to give it a listen. Favourite track: currently, The Private Psychedelic Reel
This album challenges and soothes my ND brain. The beat is predictable then shifts with complications afford in. Mini explosions within each song provide hits of excitement. Brings me back to the 90’s when I was young and athletic and all the other 20-something’s were at raves loaded up on X, not me though.
Mostly meh.
Got in the zone and cleaned the whole dang house to this
Made me want to rewatch Trainspotting- just saturated with 90s British club vibes. Disjointed, though, in structure (is it a transitioning DJ mix or an album of distinct tracks) and in sounds (is it dissonant or supposed to be grooving)
great EDM album with enough variety to sidestep the usual monotony pitfalls of electronic music 4/5
I dig it. Even features Beth Orton on a track.
Not my favourite genre, but this is probably as good as it gets
I quite like bit i need singing little sing song like mary and the Peter rabit double tap the screen if you get it
buns
First Listen; 3.5; Fun electronic album. Songs are varied, but flow together well. For me, a good album for running. Favorite Track: Block Rockin' Beats
Some decent grooves, but it gets repetitive and tedious quickly.
It's not my typical kind of music, but I liked it. Kept me moving asI listened and I think that's what this is for.
Better than I was expecting! Nicely orchestrated rather and good variation between songs. Some songs go on too long and a Gallagher turns up, so it can't be higher, but I was happy with this. It had a good understanding of the drama needed in a song, which many modern club beats fail to realise
This begins with some bangers, but really starts to fade and become repetitive in its second half. While you could certainly make a strong argument that any list of 1001 albums I must hear before I die would be incomplete without a Chemical Brothers effort, I can definitely question the inclusion of TWO CB albums, especially when the list completely shuts out Warren Zevon.
This is some some EDM/electronica. But that’s not for me. I find it most engaging when the reporting ate broken up with catchy, hooky lyrics, or overall changes in structure. Too many track feel like they are on repeat. Block Rockin’ Beats
Ca prend un peu plus de drogue que j'en avais dans le sang à 8h43, mais ya un côté à mi-chemin entre The Prodigy et early Daft-Punk plutôt rigolo.
Party beats. DJ filler. But of a good quality
Listening session: may 10th, while chilling at home Listened to before: no Thoughts: this is not my genre, but when I’m in the right mood I can enjoy a track or two. Not an entire album though Favourite track: Elektrobank
When anyone over the age of 45 talks crap about "techno" and how much they hate it, they're talking about a specific song from this album, even if they don't realize it. The song 'It Doesn't Matter' perfectly embodies everything people think of when they describe "techno" whether it's good or bad. It has a nonsense vocal line, seemingly self-aware in its meaning. It's both hypnotically repetitive, as the bass is just one simple note that sounds atonal when compared to every other element of the song, while the drums remain undanceable as they scatter all over the beat with every measure. There is no melody to speak of, as all the high-end is either skating along the top of the drums or playing with this annoying, incessant "wew" sound. It doesn't make a lick of sense, the bass doesn't do anything, there is little to no progression at all in this song. But I loooove that song. It's my favorite from Dig Your Own Hole. In fact, I love the entire back half of the album, and the short suite of songs that kicks off with It Doesn't Matter. That first bass hit is just bliss to me. This entire album gives me that same feeling. I'm not a huge big beat fan. My knowledge of it doesn't really go past the greatest hits from The Prodigy and the debut Crystal Method album. But this album has always stood out to me, ever since I heard it for the first time in high school. It's uniform in its presentation, but when you dig deeper, there are so many eccentric nuances that get you hooked. Weird sound design choices, strange drums, near-gibberish vocal samples, not to mention the real psychedelic edge throughout the whole album, especially on the last track. I know that almost no one on this site enjoys techno, at least not the ones selected for the 1001 books. That's because they hear songs like It Doesn't Matter and are thrown off-balance by its awkwardness. That's fine. I love that shit.
Exit Planet Dust set the bar, so hard not to compare this one to that. Good overall.
Me gustó mucho. Tiene muy buena energía y un montón de detalles que me atraparon. Aguante los 90s
Entré sin ganas y no me pareció mal la verdad eh.
This is what pumps me up!
Rave music before it was cool. Dig Your Own Hole is like that one kid in school who was just always a little too eager to show off their latest toy. But unlike that kid, The Chemical Brothers have actually earned it. Their ability to blend so many different influences into their music is kind of genius. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Block Rockin' Beats - Setting Sun - Where Do I Begin
Not loving this one either. Quitting it early.
This was some Block Rockin’ Beats.
100% love.
Mucha energía, hasta agresivo, pero bien. Siendo que no escucho electrónica, es lo más rock de electrónica que he escuchado.
Liked it a lot. Middle of the album kind of lost some steam, but it started strong, and ended well.
Yeah sure!
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-chemical-brothers/dig-your-own-hole/ Not every song is a hit, but so many are. Starts and finishes with two absolute club bangers, has great vocal tracks with Noel Gallagher and Beth Orton, and all other songs are also good fun.
1 hour of boring-ass beats
An album to nod along to for an hour or so - it’s good! Favourite track: Setting Sun
Piku was my favorite track. It’s my first time listening to this front to back I’m very much reminded of late 90s and early aughts video games and movies. Unfortunately it doesn’t really do much more for me than scratch a vague nostalgia itch.
Some of the drum and bass type beats made for good listening while I was doing yard work. For me it’s really good background music, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but this is also probably the ceiling.
Good
The Private Psychedelic Reel had some fun drum lines. Block Rockin' Beats was one I'd heard before. Everything else wasn't too bad.
did not finish / will not finish. Couldn't do it while working. Maybe if I was trying to run or cycle at a 120bpm rate this would suffice. I was not /will not be in the right place, right state of mind, right age for this. sorry chemical dudes.
I had to hightail it to a riverboat casino ballroom at 6am this morning to set up a power point for a regional realtor conference and this seemed appropriate soundtrack. I suspect it’s what they had in mind.
I sort of conflate these guys with Fatboy Slim — they’re from the same era of electronic music, their styles are similar and they both broke big commercially in a genre that always clung to its faceless, underground profile. Chemical Brothers bring a lot of aggressive rock textures and funk samples to the mix, making them often seem often like electronic music aimed at people who don’t like electronic music. I’m squarely on the other side of that fence, and I like this best when they emphasize house and techno flourishes and not just the noisier elements, as on “It Doesn’t Matter,” with its throbbing, hypnotic bass. But I admire and enjoy the mission nonetheless.
Dull.
Music you need to take drugs to enjoy but also can't really dance to. No thanks! I appreciate this led to good stuff (daft punk) but on its own not working. I'm imaging two disgusting pale brits high on ketamine.
Irritating and boring at the same time
This era of dance music makes me nostalgic. Its so maximalist and the percussion is much more interesting than what I hear today. It also feels like a cousin to hip hop at the time (far more so than it does now). I didn’t love a lot on this album (I actually like the Chemical Brothers), but none of it bothered me either. Where Do I Begin and Private psychedelic reel are ones worth sticking around for.
Surprisingly enjoyable
The pinnacle of Big Beat EDM. Great album. The guest vocalists are just icing on the cake.
Starts off strong, but quickly gets repetitively repetitive and repetitive. Setting Sun is good because of the inclusion of Noel Gallagher.
Hadnt ever listened to a chem bros album from start to finish before. Enjoyed this!
Perfect. One of my favourite dance albums of all time. Up there with Justice, Daft Punk and The Prodigy Favourite songs were all of them
Dig Your Own Hole by Chemical Brothers is cool music in small doses for me. I really like the music for a while, and I loved usage of music of this style back in the day in movie soundtracks, like the Matrix or Fight Club. I don't love it in large doses however. I could tolerate this for an hour, and I felt like the album did "land the plane" on the back half of the record.
One of my favorite chemical bros album this is such a cool frickin album some classic songs!
Tried to like this, just, nope.
While I would never choose to listen to this of my own free will, it did put me in a trance long enough to finish most of the chores I needed to do… meditative I guess?
Pas aimé du tout
Noises. Just noises. Basically Ross from Friends with his keyboard. Extra point for the sheer gall to release this tosh
4/23/26. Some cool songs, but don't think I'm a fan of this genre based on what I've heard so far. I find it repetitive, although there are a few Chemical Brothers songs throughout their discography that I enjoy.
This list has way too many 90s British electronic
Alright, check this out *insane bass tune*
I did really like some of this, though it was long and a bit samey
I have to be in the mood for this kind of sound but as far as electronic music goes it seems pretty good to me.
Second review of this cause of the group, but I feel the same: I’m a simple man. If it makes me want to dance, I’m in
at first i was like noooooooo but then i gave it a chance and tbh it was really fun and innovative and i fuck with this
Not for me
This was all a bit much. Like Fat Boy Slim I think I had to be younger or seeing them live to really enjoy. Some big tunes though, including the first track.
Fantastic first track and then proceeded to completely lose me
The first track here is great, feels like they wrote a cool film sound track. Obviously I'm familiar with that song, so I was excited for the rest of the album... Currently I'm on track 4 and I'm getting a headache. Everything else has been so samey, bass heavy and boring as hell. I've been regretting the review I wrote for 808state cos it was very dismissive, but this album is reminding me why I wrote it. This music is not only annoying but it puts me on edge, like I'm quicker to anger when listening to this in the same way I am when I'm driving and someone does something stupid in a car nearby. Every so often it's a bit more prodigy and its alright... Such as setting sun... The weird siren riff in that track is cool too but the bits in-between that and the vocal parts are just that same angry drumbeat forever. It carries on for a while. Where do I begin was a nice departure. But 3 minutes of reverse sounds with a mumbles vocal isn't enough to reverse my headache. Man it just never seems to end. If it wasn't for track 1 it'd be a 1/5. And to be honest considering I never want to hear it again it might still be. Yeah, I just don't like it.
3 or 4 layers on repeat every 4 bars. Introduce another layer, then shift the volumes. Repeat over and over.
Not really for me, each track was just repeating itself for much longer than necessary.
Absolute smoke.
Not for me
I like the sunshine underground better, but this was still a great time
biggest BS I've ever listened to
I have no idea if the big-beat sound is considered dated now but it’s still the coolest shit to me and RIGHT up my street. I was locked in from beginning to end and this stuff makes literally any activity feel like the most badass thing you’ve ever done.
Wii, končno neki, kar mi bo verjetn bolj všeč. Začetek albuma z "Block Rockin' Beats" je amazing. Poleg tega komada, mislim, da še kakega poznam s tega albuma, sicer se pa veselim razširit moje Chemical Brothers obzorje. So far, it's all nice. Všeč mi je kako so tapravi bobni vpleteni v elektroniko. Pa zmer cenim, da tko posnamejo, da se ti komadi prelivajo en v drugega, če poslušaš cel album. O, ja, "Setting Sun". <3 "It Doesn't Matter" in "Don't Stop the Rock" sta bla fakin intense. Ampak, se ne ustavljamo, takoj te fukne v "Get Up on It Like This", še zmer se komadi prelivajo en v drugega. Na "Where Do I Begin" poje Beth Orton! Od nje album sm dobila proti začetku enkrat, ampak imam v spominu, da mi ni bil tok ljub takrat (dan 16, tri zvezdice je dobil). Fajn komad. Ful mi je všeč kako se do zdaj razvija zadnji komad, "The Private Psychedelic Reel". In ja, glih so bobni pršli zraven - amazing.
Strong 3 altogether. A fun time for sure. Maybe not as fun as Prodigy and Fatboy Slim from the genre, but still a good one.
hole
Not my thing, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Actually glad I stuck with it to the end, since I recognized Beth Orton’s voice immediately.
vraiment trop cool j'adore le style
special mais sympa
C'était excellent jusqu'à Where Do I Begin. Album un peu trop long pour ce que c'est
This is the first one I haven't finished. I made it about halfway and was ANGRY that there was still so much left. F this album
главный герой агент под прикрытием на секретной миссии уклоняется от погони тайп бит. сабвэй серф кор. индастриал мотивы. техно грувчик. укуталась в лист стали, обернулась в провода и закурила. въебывает на ура если куда-то тороплюсь.