out of space

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was written by liam howlett and released by the prodigy in 1992. amazingly, it's a decade old this year. it was possibly the first hardcore single i ever heard, completely @ random on some cheapo import sampler a friend's cousin had in '93. like ethan and the pinefox say, let's talk about it.

― jess, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i still think it's the best thing they've ever done, but i've never been able to decide if it's particularly high place in my personal panetheon is owed largely to nostalgia.

― jess, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bloody fantastic record. The way the reggae record (by Max Romeo?) is picked up and roller-coastered through that hardcore mayhem was and still is really thrilling.

― Daniel, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, Max Romeo 'Chase the Devil' (Lee Perry produced). can't think of much to say re: the Prodigy, except that it's by far their best track. good example of the 'magpie' nature of hardcore/sample-based music, whereas as 'Charlie' etc are annoying after a few listens. where's the other vocal sample from? ("i'll take your brain to another dimension...")

― michael, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

is it the Ultramagnetics?

― michael, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

you're not wrong at all. it IS their best track. one big thrill was hearing it near the end of a riotously good Fatboy Slim DJ set in Minneapolis, summer '99. fun fun fun.

― M. Matos, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Funny, I got it on a Now That's What I Call Music-type cassette sampler when I was on vacation in Ireland in '93 or thereabouts. I thought it sounded incredible but I had no other info on the band at the time. Maybe the electronica/Maverick media blitz (and that stupid looking guy) turned me off to them later on, but I, too, have never really like anything of theirs quite as much. Although I only know the big MTV hits. I wish I still had that cassette.

― Arthur, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

that stupid looking guy

Just the one?

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, the other ones didn't bother me so much, just the punker fella. Liam Howlett's actually kinda cute.

― Arthur, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

everybody in the place is the only single of theirs that i ever bought. i do like out of space tho. then it all tails off after that.

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it's great. But I think everything they've done is fantastic. Fat of the Land still sounds like the future as far as I'm concerned.

― Ronan, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Out of Space = great. Charly is my perosal favourite since it has THAT Sound.(although Everybody in the Place arguably = their best track).

― Omar, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Everybody in the Place is fucking brilliant. One of the other tracks on the EP is even bettah, I seem to recall.

― N., Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

while the early prodigy tracks were quite good, only Your Love (single version) achieved greatness.

― gareth, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm.... Omar - don't agree with you about EITP ... i think its the worst thing Howlett has ever done.....

Out of Space is a good track - but it isnt a patch on Charly or Your Love....

As regards the Prodigy's best single... im afraid that has to go to Firestarter.... Q Magazine's latest poll (Most Exiting Tracks EVER! , natch) places it at number 2 just behind "God Save the Queen" by the Pistols... but its the b-side that was the killer... "Molotov Bitch" ... it out chemicals the Chemical's IMO.

Best track by the Prodigy? Its gotta be "Diesel Power" with vocals supplied by KoolKeith on the FOTL record.....absolutely wicked track - and i go along with fellow Dubliner Ronan in his estimation that tracks like that still sound v fresh today...

Dave.

― dave C, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

that sample *is* the Ultramagnetics, isn't it? so that make three Prodigy tracks with Kool Keith vocals on.

Firestarter easily the worst/most annoying Prodigy track. it has noisy guitars on it IIRC. i didn't listen to rave music to hear guitars, grumble grumble

― michael, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I said that Firestarter was their best _single_ Mike... which i still think it is - easily the most intruiging number 1 single in the UK in donkey's years.... it doesnt put itself forward as having a message to communicate.. a facet shared by all the best dumb party music.

And Howlett has indeed sampled Kool Keith on three occasions , yes. Dave.

― dave C, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sampled him twice/collaborated once.

Whoops.

― dave C, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dave, does that include the use of "Give the Drummer Some" on The Dirtchamber Sessions?

― M. Matos, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Michaelangelo,

Dirtchamber sessions wouldnt under normal circumstances count as being "Prodigy" material though would it? Its a mere (albeit ace) mix record...

I would say that Howlett sampled the Beastie Boys on the Fat of the Land record - but his use of the Beasties lyric "..the girlies i like are underage..." on the Dirtchamber Sessions mix constitutes a classy barbed retort - but not strictly a sample - in my book.

But youre right - Liam does have a certain fondness for the 'Magnetics.... and Give the Drummer Some was used on the DSV1 record....

― dave C, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Out of Space/Smack my Bitch Up/Diesel Power/Dirtchamber Sessions

4 instances of Kool Keith's association with Liam Howlett.

― dave C, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually loved Narayan with Crispian Mills (shudder). It just fuckin rocked. For about 7 minutes.

― Ronan, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, you people need to examine your heads! Absolutely classic Prodigy tracks which are BETTER than "Out Of Space" (admittedly, it's a good track, but so CLEARLY not their best) would include:

"Crazy Man"
"Android"
"Your Love" (Original Mix)
"One Love"
"Poison"
"Diesel Power" (any version)
"Music Reach (1, 2, 3, 4)"
"Charly" (Original Mix for being so creepy, Alley Cat Mix for being so fun)
"Rhythm Of Life"
"Claustrophobic Sting"
"G-Force"
"Break And Enter"
"Climbatize"

Actually, I could go on and on and on. Really, the only singles they've put out which haven't been excellent are "Wind It Up" (their only bad single) and "Firestarter" (which was merely okay and doesn't measure up to either "Breathe" or "Smack My Bitch Up").

― Dan Perry, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I love Poison but I always felt instinctively if it was a few beats faster it would be absolutely classic. It's just a tiny bit too slow to dance to. or something. I think that's what it's missing anyway.

― Ronan, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dude, "Poison" is EXCELLENT. I guess I can understand how people could find it difficult to dance to, but I've never had a problem dancing to it. The whole stutter-stop thing is what drives it to GENIUS.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Poison was never the same after "Talk Dirty to Me".

― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 7 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"G-Force" - that's the one I was thinking of, I think. "Poison" is great but was there there a widely heard mix that was different to the one on the album? I seem to remember it being less stop-start and faster.

― N., Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Theres a mix on the single that used to get played in clubs here for a while. It's faster yeah, but it's not great. I forget who mixed it, I think it might have been just another version they did themselves.

― Ronan, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ronan - i dunno what clubs in Ireland would have played the "Rat Poison" mix of Poison - Kitchen? RiRa? RedBox? - but maybe thats the "faster mix" you refer to? or was it the dub mix by Environmental Science....?

As a side issue - by all accounts "Rat Poison" Howlett sampled the riff from "Smells like Teen Spirit" and reversed it... sweet.

― dave C, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kitchen yeah. Redsettaz played it in the summer sometime aswell. And its the rat poison mix I was thinking of also.

― Ronan, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Let's have a moment for the underrated Prodigy singles. How can people forget the brilliance of "Fire" (either the edit or the Sunrise mix)? And was there ever a full version of "One Love" (the CD single and album both have the edit, and I want that song to go on for about 10 minutes)?

Actually, as a full package (mixes and b- sides combined), the best singles The Prodigy ever released were probably "One Love" and "What Evil Lurks". I swear, everyone must go out and find a copy of "Android" NOW.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ahem...I never was impressed with 'Android'. But yeah 'Fire' = THE underrated Prodigy single. Probably because it was fourth in such an amazing run.

― Omar, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You can get an extended (and v superior - with different start and finish) of One Love on the 12" i think its called "original mix"... its ace Dan!

Fire really caught my ear when i heard it first... hearing the Sunrise Mix live was cool when Liam played it in 1994... he seems ashamed of those early singles these days... amazing since he should be proud of 'em i reckon... he's a bit snobby about the old stuff.

What Evil Lurks... 'king amazing that Howlett was only 18 when he wrote it.... what a genius.

Most under-rated single by the band.... Poison without a doubt... that track KICKED.

the chemical brothers mix of voodoo people - best prodigy remix IMO.

― dave C, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nine years pass...

these days I would not rate "Poison" above "Out of Space" but I still stand by the rest of that petulant list fit upthraed

― I just like… I just have to say… (Starts crying) (DJP), Friday, 22 April 2011 17:08 (fourteen years ago)

eight months pass...

holy shit

20 years old and still bangin

― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 17:17 (thirteen years ago)

^ I used to have that on a T-shirt

― Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Monday, 9 January 2012 23:05 (thirteen years ago)

It is, very possibly, the greatest thing they've done.

― I want your nose, your shoes and your unicycle (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 January 2012 11:52 (thirteen years ago)

Apart from maybe Break & Enter.

― I want your nose, your shoes and your unicycle (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 January 2012 11:52 (thirteen years ago)

"Everybody in the Place" > "Out of Space" > "Smack My Bitch Up" > the field

― Poppy Newgod and the Phantom Banned (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 10 January 2012 12:05 (thirteen years ago)

Smack My Bitch Up? Really? I guess the impact of that one (discounting the supposedly misogynist lyrics) was softened because it came out months after Firestarter and Breathe, which was that album's general downfall. I wish FOTL had come out just after Firestarter but they pussyfooted about and it ended up being a bit of a disappointment.

― I want your nose, your shoes and your unicycle (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 January 2012 12:27 (thirteen years ago)

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