Artist: Chemical Brothers
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 2008
Rating: 3.5/5
Chemical Brothers are an English electronic outfit made up of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. These two studio wizards have spent the years turning out a heap of inventive, unpredictable albums that were nonetheless so listenable that pretty much all of them sat high on the charts. They had similar success with their singles, and those singles are exactly what makes up the album Brotherhood.
Brotherhood is a sort of Greatest Hits compilation, and after six studio albums, the duo have admittedly earned one. And why not? Compilations are all the rage lately, aren’t they? Just look at Radiohead, Genesis and a bunch of other acts. If we compare it with Radiohead and their latest compilation, Chemical Brothers’ collection is a bundle of songs that were far more popular and all got heavy rotation on TV and radio. Radiohead, by contrast, put together a mix of their big hits and more experimental tracks. Chemical Brothers preferred to leave the experimental stuff on the sidelines this time.
Pretty much everyone under 35 knows Chemical Brothers. Their hits are so recognizable that they’re lodged deep in the subconscious of the MTV generation. The duo are hugely influential too, having left their mark on newer acts. They started out in the early nineties, and in terms of influence and popularity you could say they belong in the same category as Fatboy Slim and Prodigy. All of these acts did a lot to boost the popularity of electronic music in the nineties and drove some real innovation within the genre.
Chemical Brothers have always loved playing with different influences, whether that’s world music, rap, pop or rock. Rap is a pretty common element in their music, and they know how to weave it brilliantly into their beats and samples. Their songs feature a whole bunch of guest musicians, like Noel Gallagher (Oasis), who lent his voice to the excellent, brooding Setting Sun. Both musicians have a superb feel for melody and drama, so we often get catchy melodies with a pretty dark undertone. Besides the music, Chemical Brothers’ videos for their singles are phenomenal too, and in my opinion that’s exactly why the band got so popular on MTV as well.
Chemical Brothers are one of those rare bands that rose to fame on MTV but, truth be told, have earned that fame to some degree. The music leans heavily on samples, sure, but it’s made intelligently and it’s interesting. Practically every song on this album is a hit, and those of you who follow popular music even a little will recognize almost every melody. Chemical Brothers have become a kind of evergreen for the modern generation. Almost everyone (from the newer generation) knows at least one of their tracks or one of their melodies. Popularity isn’t a measure of quality, but Chemical Brothers have both – success and good music. So if you want to hear all their hits, this CD is a perfect fit. Enjoy and get dancing.
Lineup
Tom Rowlands – instruments, vocals, samples
Ed Simon – instruments, vocals, samples
Guest musicians: Noel Gallagher – vocals, Ali Love – vocals, Q Tip – vocals, Kele Okereke – vocals, Beverley Skeete – vocals, Seggs – bass, Spank Rock – vocals, Bernard Sumner – vocals and guitar, Bobby Gillespie – vocals, Wayne Coyne – vocals, Steven Drozd – vocals,
Production
Chemical Brothers
Tracklist
1. Galvanize 4:29
2. Hey Boy Hey Girl 4:49
3. Block Rockin’ Beats 5:00
4. Do It Again 3:41
5. Believe 6:07
6. Star Guitar 6:10
7. Let Forever Be 3:56
8. Leave Home 5:07
9. Keep My Composure 5:43
10. Saturate 4:49
11. Out Of Control 3:58
12. Midnight Madness 3:35
13. The Golden Path 4:47
14. Setting Sun 4:00
15. Chemical Beats 4:02
