Give fat of the land a listen. Its a great album. I hated them with firestarter loved breathe. Early stuff def sucked lol. Was just starting to like non rock musics then
Fire starter refers to Keith's role in the band, not actual fires. Keith wrote the lyrics to that song. He was annoyed with press describing him as just a dancer. He wanted to get across that he was the one who stoked the fire in the crowed and actually put loads of himself into every Prodigy performance.
Damn, I don't think this ever crossed my mind. I always interpreted the lyrics as some person that keeps pushing for a goal/change but is viewed as a pain in the arse, but overime if goal is to be acheived, you need to join the ranks of "assholes", otherwise nobody bats an eye.
😂😂 wow... I thought it's just about being trouble maker, just stirring sh* and drama just for the f* of it, out chaos or entertainment. Anyway not saying I'm right as I dont know enough about these guys but I wonder if there was any internal conflict in the band between flint and that black guy who used to do vocals in their earlier stuff but later on was shadowed by flint..
Apparently Keith was the nicest bloke in the business. I knew someone who worked on the Poison video who said he was just a top top friendly chatty bloke who gave everyone the time of day. Then when he died James Blunt tweeted: 'At the Q Awards years ago, when Noel Gallagher was saying he was leaving Ibiza because I’d moved there, and Damon Albarn refused to be in the same picture as me, and Paul Weller was saying he’d rather eat his own shit than work with me, Keith Flint came over, gave me a hug, and said how thrilled he was for my success. Keith, I only met you once, but I shed a tear at the news of your death. In our business, there are no prizes for being kind, but if there was, that Grammy would be yours.' So Keith, you were one of the good ones.
I grew up in Poland and when Fat of Land hit it took absolutely everyone by storm. Metalheads listened to it, punks, skinheads, disco folks. It was so monumental it grabbed people from every corner. And the visuals that came with it were incredible for the time, it was like giant middle finger to your usual garnish palette of colours. Hard to convey how mindblowing it was at the time. Seen them live in 2008, what an experience.
Same effect here in Croatia. Punks, skins, metalheads, footbal ultras and electronic people, even pop listeners. When someone played Prodigy at party it was always chaos :D Also seen them live in 2008 at InMusic festival in Zagreb. Helluva good time.
I remember listening to it in school, and us metals were loving it... and then we found out the EDM fans were also liking it. Each thought it was music for them, but everyone loved it together
@@slaven18 Did you guys also had this urban legend that when Prodigy came out of the airplane and were greeted with salt and bread Keith sniffed in all the salt?
I am a Prodigy fanatic through and through, they formed in my hometown in Essex and i used to often see them driving about (i even later had a race across town at VERY high speeds in my Astra GTE 16v with Keith behind in his bright yellow TVR haha!) I saw them live a few times at Bug Jam (the VW meet) once around the time of Jilted Generation. They were EPIC! I had their music on loads in my cars throughout the 90s. On a sadder note, i even went to Keiths funeral procession through our little town, ending up at the church round the corner from me where id got married. Beforehand i drove round town a few times blarring Prodigy full blast (Firestarter, Spitfire and Breathe to hear Keith) seeing all the Prodigy fans arriving in town from the train station carrying Prodigy and foreign flags! Later i also met people from Russia, Poland, Australia, Canada EVERYWHERE there to celebrate the life of a LEGEND of a man! So many turned up that they ended up shutting Bockings roads off. A local pub chucked some speakers at its open windows and played Prodigy for us all to have an impromptu rave in the middle of the road! We were there for hours dancing and remembering. The Prodigy are THE greatest dance act EVER and always will be and were the only ones to transition their sound into other genres and attrack such a following around the world of ALL kinds of music fans. RIP Keith. Love you Prodigy!
I think Fat Of The Land also dropped around the time of a Bug Jam too? The Prodigy were absolutely INCREDIBLE then and we were ALL a lot younger and far more able to properly `av it!
The Prodigy is one of the most influential and important bands from the 90s and they are still a top top act. This band is much bigger than most people think or realise.
@@eriklarson9137what ? hes not wrong. the prodigy were insanely influential. the XL Recording artists were some of the most impactful artists of the 90s.
@@pringles4312 man go do your homework. These guys are literally the biggest electronic band out there. What's more impressive is that they've been a massive influence in rock music as well. Artists like David Bowie and Madonna were asking Liam Howlett to produce their albums in the late 90s.
As a former member of the "gaggle", Prodigy was great because it meant those of us who enjoyed metal, rock and punk but also liked to dance didn't have to go to raves or mainstream clubs 😂
Similar experience. Prodigy was the only band in the mid-90s that got the goths, punks, metalheads and EBM tweakers onto the dancefloor at the same time!😆
Looking back at the 90’s….as others have said: the Prodigy brought together genres into a sound which had a broad appeal to varied musical tastes, aside from purely dance / rave. The same can’t be said of the Darkness who appear to be repetitively rehashing 70’s and 80’s glam /soft rock sound and style for the last 23 years.
I don't know why you focus on Keith's visual appearance. Liam is an absolute legend for music production for using all of the modern production and editing techniques out there: sampled guitar riffs, drum grooves and weird foley; analogue synths, bass, drum machines; used sequencing, sound modulation, automation and effects always beyond what they were intended for and always came up with a dance track that had something new and inspiring in it. All of modern music production owes bands like the prodigy, portishead, massive attack, the crystal method, chemical brothers (and all electronic music artists) for pushing the boundaries of the technology and inventing or refining techniques for putting together a song.
This is a good point, analysing this like a 'band' or a 'song' isn't the right approach. Fundamentally, Prodigy is Liam, making beats, for raves, and it derives from the dance music scene. Prodigy added vocal hooks and an incredible visual aesthetic to great effect, but in its purest form its instrumental beats and loops. And they were the fucking best.
Excellent point. At Prodigys heart was Liam with Leeroy, Maxim and Keith as dancers and front men. It was only later that Maxim became an Mc, Leeroy left and Keith wanted to do more Punk stuff, I think he even had a band... Alot of "club-goers" and boy racers were oblivious to the sample origins, genre or culture which is a huge shame.
I'm a metal head through and through but The Prodigy are an amazing band. They truly did cross boundaries. Firestarter is nothing more than Keith singing about being an MC and hyping up the crowd. He's the FIRE starter!!!
I always thought 'Music for the Jilted Generation' was a better album than 'Fat of the Land'. No Good (Start the Dance), Poison, Voodoo People. Great tunes.
Absolutely. I'd say FotL was them achieving tabloid level cultural mass, and often by the time the red tops get wind of what 'the kids' are into a band is on the back 9 of their career. Not to say it's isn't a great album, just not as stonkingly refreshing as Jilted is.
100%. When Firestarter was released it was a bit 'meh' for me and I actually found.FOTL a little disappointing initially. Grew to like it but Jilted Generation is on a different level imo.
Gotta give Liam his props, great producer. He has managed to keep the early 90s rave sound alive in a sea of electronic music, sub genres and club music
Ive now lost count of how many bands ive seen and The Prodigy are still the best live act out of them all. Saw them at Knebworth in 96 and it was mind blowing ❤️
Death Grips says hi, you cuck(j/k) FRT. I am 100% positive their mosh pits at their concerts are at least 250% more violent, dangerous, and full of more raw kinetic energy being harnessed and subsequently released than the Prodigy's largest crowd in Vladivostok or Moscow at the apex of their popularity, but with that being said, I am still a huge fan of Prodigy and still possess a near-shredded wisp-thin concert t-shirt from a Prodigy event that still has my backstage pass sticker slapped across my left-front breast side, #XoXo!
He is (was) the Firestarter, because he was the one who made engage the audience in the shows. That's why he wanted to sing this one. By the way, he did not invent the look. He was inspired by The Young Ones' Vyvian character.
Open up Leftfield and Lydon is another example of how punk and electronic dance don’t just Co exist but can compliment each other perfectly ❤ who needs labels if it’s good it’s good
Cabaret Voltaire and early Skinny Puppy was pretty much "punks on synths" though obviously better defined as industrial. The Prodigy remains as one the most unique and better produced acts in all of electronic history. They were the perfect gateway band to get you into the harder and darker side of electronic music. They simply rock, which is hard to say about many other electronic acts. RIP Keith.
When you said you were going to review "Firestarter" my heart sank. When I mention to people that I am a Fan of The Prodigy they invariably say "oh Firestarter." It seems this is the one track The Prodigy are most associated with and it is by no means their best or indicative of their vast catalogue.
The lyrics to firestarter is Keith's metaphorical look at his role in the band before this song as a dancer and hype man pumping up the crowd at shows and set's. This being the first track of many the keith had a vocal part on.
I could write about The Prodigy for days. A few things that jumped out. The video mentions Justin was one of the ostracized, The Prodigy were like that but within the electronic music community. If you think about the reaction Justin has to the crowd that listened to club music (for the most part) at the time The Prodigy really wanted to do something different. Broadly speaking, The Prodigy did a few very unique things. Firstly, The Prodigy is, for all intents and purposes, Liam Howlett. He desired to be able to play electronic music on the scale that rock music was played and was aware of a few things. 1) You need a front man, you need a focal point. Flinty was, at the beginning, the dancer, Liam knew early on that you needed a focal point for it to make sense, otherwise, you're just watching a dude behind a stack of samplers which isn't that interesting, in addition, there was nothing dangerous in dance music at the time, all good rock music had an element of menace about it which was incorporated. 2) Club music of the time had a sequence and structure that made sense in clubs, not on stages, so from The Fat of the Land onward Liam Howlett structured tracks more like traditional rock tracks to break them out of clubs and onto stages and 3) the samples... Most people don't realise that the majority of the famous Prodigy riffs are processed samples and it's this part that is the most "punk" thing. No fucks given on what "should" go with what, like a punk kid in 1977 going to a pawn shop, grabbing a cheap guitar and slashing the cone of his 1973 Badger practice amp to get distortion, Liam Howlett mined metal, punk, alternative, funk, soul, hiphop and processed and mashed them together, it's that aspect that makes them very punk to me, not just aping the guitar genre in look and feel but the absolute zero fucks given approach to sampling. Some of my favourites - music that should never have been smashed together but The Prodigy did wonderfully: Firestarter: The Breeders SOS providers the main hook, Art of Noise the vocal hook Breathe: Thin-fucking-Lizzy, Little Richard and Wu-Tang Clan Voodoo People: The main riff is a sample of half the intro riff to Very Ape by Nirvana, as a huge Nirvana fan, that's a pretty deep cut to be sampled for a club track.
I’m having a very strange reaction to this video, firstly someone disliking Prodigy with enthusiasm makes me question their agenda. But then the stopping and starting of Firestarter while waffling about how people danced. I’ve watched this channel for quite a while now but never have I felt more distant from Justin.
He keeps popping on my recommendation at least once a year! A talentless narcissist baffon, surrounded by his own image incl. life-size cutout, criticising actual talent! Gets old very fast!
I couldn't agree more...though in their early days with Charlie Says they really were quite cheesy and disliked by the hardcore Spiral Tribers that I was part of. Fast forward to the gig they did at Bug Jam where someone (that I know, hehe) switched off the generators and blew all the audio kit...a year or so after that they transformed into the dark, malevolent and musically genius outfit that I have come to love so much. Justin comes across as downright snobby in this review. I think "Firestarter" was a poor choice to review, Justin should have looked at "Breathe" - such a dynamic and intricate tune, it holds my interest now just as it did the first time I heard it. Check out this analysis video of Fat of the Land: ruclips.net/video/1uDaJxdXqfs/видео.html
Justin, I say this with great fondness, you are the Alan Partridge of rock. I love your meandering muses that break off into tangents before coming back where you will contemplate whether you agree with yourself or not. Don't ever change, it's what makes you utterly unique.
Yes in more than one way as well, because Partridge (and Tommy Saxondale, thinking about it now, so maybe Coogan himself shared the distaste) has pooh-pooh’ed electronic dance music in exactly the same reductive, if slightly adorable way.
My opinion is that this guy did an amazing job making his music video gripping and entertaining in such a simple way. Like, imagine you were tasked with the same song and video set, how much energy and attitude could you put into it?
@@JF-kv1gm it was just after a place in the sun by stevie wonder so everyone barring us who knew were desperately trying to hold in their laughter and look sad. Loved a bit of awkwardness the old boy!
quite honestly i think any band that sets themselves apart and has a distinct sound and even visual appearance are winning. Im a die hard rocker but you cant deny these boys had all of that in spades on top of some banger songs.
Sleaford Mods are 100% punk and a lot of their music is just minimal beats It's actually quite revealing listening to them because their music kinda shows that punk is not just guitar riffs, it's a specific raw emotion
If you weren't aware, The Prodigy and Sleaford Mods collaborated for a track on The Prodigy's 6th album from 2015. Although it was my least favourite track on that album, it still wasn't bad.
I always remember the prodigy as a great inclusive atmosphere playing live - there were ravers/punks/goths and every other kind of person in the crowd having a great time. Amazing live band.
One aspect that ties punk to the electronic music of the 90’s was the DIY aspect & of both genres/subcultures. Also both were very anti-establishment. Joy Division (later New Order) was a punk inspired electronic band. Also punk’s aesthetically different but culturally similar New York cousin; (pre-recording industry) hip-hop provided a pivoting stepping stone to 90’s breakbeat electronica. Debbie Harry hung out with Grandmaster Flash, Chris Stein & co recorded rhythm tracks with drums & bass for the DJ’s to cut-up in the 1982 hip-hop movie Wild Style, and many of the first white punters to go to hip hop clubs were NYC punks. The Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren even made a couple of hip-hop records in the early to mid 80’s & the Beastie Boys were a thrash punk band before getting turned onto hip hop in the early 80’s.
the song is basically about keith being the hype man at gigs. he starts the fire in the crowd kinda thing. (the twisted animator if you will :) I met him a few times at gigs and festivals and he was one of the sweetest dudes you could ever meet he always had time to talk to people and have a laugh the stage persona defo didn't match who he really was.
His job in the band was to raise the crowd to frenzy - the lyrics came after. The lyrics are about his job as a crowd exciter, and also an analogy of his perception of himself and his relationships/life. One is pride the other is a hint of unhappiness, you chose which is which.
Managed to get to see them 5 times , very very good band, sadly Keith’s passing was I thought the end of the prodigy , but I think he’dve wanted them to continue . I personally think they’re fucking brilliant.
@@666_tim they’re fucking bangin arent they, when I saw them first it was in 96,4 day festival, it was the last pheonix festival,, got quite nasty at a point, I saw the prodigy twice in that weekend,chemical brothers,sexpistols,leftfield,placebo,Bowie and foo fighters and had breakfast ( bottle of vodka at 7:00 in the morning lead singer was very pretty and very nice) with echo belly, saw them in Glastonbury weekend after,then Cardiff uni,Brixton academy,,whats your favourite album, id personally go go jilted generation because i heard the whole album live.
I remember when firestarter hit the charts and it was just different to everything else that was out at the time which is why they had the success they had
The Prodigy were a local band so I'd always been aware of them, but they never really chimed with me as I wasn't a fan of electronic music. When Firestarter and Breath came out, it utterly blew me away. The Fat of the Land was a great album.
@@FaxanaduJohn that’s not what he said . Drink some water , get some fresh air , take your medicine and give your head a wobble . Not every RUclips comment is an invitation to “LOL” at someone. Good luck pet
It sure was different. In those days nobody pressed play on a laptop while a guy repeated one or two phrases for three minutes. They previously went through the pointless process of learning to play instruments and write songs...which of course we know now is just wasted time & energy.
You’re one of the only people I’ve met bar my mother who doesn’t like the prodigy! They’re one of those bands that everyone kind of likes! Although they’re technically electronic, Keith embodied the punk attitude and the angst that comes with it!
The Prodigy are definitely among my top favourite Bands. They're always pushing the boundaries of music to create an energetic violent sound. I was deeply saddened by Keith's death, that i didn't think they'd make any new music but Liam Howlett is always busy writing beats and music even when touring.
As a total metal head, Fire Starter kicks harder than most metal out there, absolutely massive track. A DJ at my local rock club used to do a mashup of Fire Starter and Underworlds Born Slippy, the bar did well after that, we were all knackered 😂 Love the jumper, first class 👌
@@Agentnz Man I’ve been trying to find a recording or something of it for years but he did it old school, on 2 decks live. No phones with cameras back then to record a bit, so it’s probably lost to history but man it was great :)
What's interesting to me is that The Prodigy never got much love from the electronic music crowd, who saw them as watering dowm rave music for broad commercial appeal... the rock scene lapped it up though
I liked them. Hearing them taps into a primal raw energy a bit like some metal genres. But they have stood the test of time more than a lot of metal bands
I’ve followed them since 1991, they have to been seen live to really understand them and what they are about, the shows are pure fire . I went to see them again a few weeks ago in Leeds (Soft Play were supporting them) and even without Flinty, they still bring the rukas ✊
Funny thing about that sweater, supposedly Flint saw it in the window of a thrift store on the way to film the video. So much energy in this music. It saved my life when I had a two hour drive every morning and evening. Personally, "Breathe" and "Serial Thrilla" are my two favorites from this album. I still listen to all the bands, Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Apollo 440, Orbital, and many others.
I think what you ultimately settled on here about Prodigy, that it was less the band and the music and more the fans who listened to it was basically my experience with Led Zeppelin. I grew up in the late 90's and 2000's and I mostly knew Zeppelin through t-shirts worn by people I didn't particularly like and I think in my head associated them with more straight ahead rock like the Rolling Stones which was not my favorite (I was listening to Dream Theater, Genesis, and Pink Floyd). I just never had the motivation to explore them and only heard bits and pieces in passing which fed my assumptions. It wasn't until my early 20's when I inherited a copy of Led Zeppelin 3 when I realized, oh their great, that is why everyone likes them. If I had given them a chance back in high school they would have actually fit in really well with everything else I was listening to. Especially when looking back it is interesting to think about how some much can effect our tastes and preferences that is not actually part of the art we are experiencing.
Just wanted leave a message here to tell something I found interesting. I somehow missed The Darkness, you were coming up in a time when I was very much doing my own thing musically. Then I started watching your videos, which led to me listening, and wow did I miss out. I'm very happy to have discovered it now.
The Prodigy was one of the most hype acts in the entire music business. Very few bands can rank on a sheer energy level with their live shows. The put out consistently epic records right up until Keef’s demise. I still listen to them all the time.
These guys took electronic music and opened it up to millions of people that would have never gotten into electronic music otherwise. love this group. RIP Keith
I mean, no one is more punk than Suicide, and they used synthesizers (I guess technically proto-punk). They sound so dark and brooding, without feeling like it's trying to hard to be that way. Also, the guitar sample from Firestarter is from a Breeders song off of "Last Splash".
Saw Prodigy at Slane Castle with Oasis, what an incredible performance. I was never a huge electronic fan but that one live show changed my mind and lead me to discover some amazing music.
@dorientjewoller113 Yeah, they were a proper legit pro live band. I wouldn't consider someone playing tracks rather than instruments a performance, really. The energy they put out on stage just flooded into the crowd. I was right up front in the pit and on hearing 'Out of Space' begin, turning around and seeing a sea of 90k people go bonkers was an incredibly powerful moment.
One of the greatest shows I've ever seen (and I've seen some good ones) was The Prodigy playing The Masquerade in Atlanta (which fit about 1000 people on one of it's three floors). I can see where the music feels a little bit dated (or at least very much of an era gone by) now, but I remember jumping around so much at that show that my calf muscles were so sore that I could barely walk for the next three days.
Think I was there as well…don’t remember that much as people I went with were a bit chaotic! Cousins was friends with Mr Flint RIP. Funnily enough, I’m definitely not into The Darkness but enjoy Mr Hawkins's take on things.
I used to think the same. In my late teens, early 20s a guy I worked with was a massive Prodigy fan but I resisted his ideas they were any good. Then Fat of the Land dropped and solidified their sonic shift which had started on Music for the Jilted Generation (Their Law, for example). I utterly fell in love with them at this point. The rawness of the performances, the energy and the attitude were so fucking metal. Add to that the sonic qualities of their music and you had almost the complete package. Seeing them live was something I will never forget; they were incredible and on a par with most good rock and metal bands live. Even going back to the first album which is a little out of my normal listening; it's an incredible thing, just so much energy and so much fun. RIP Keith, ripped from us all far too soon!
What a group. Britain really does produce some talent. Huge shout from the US. I'm also loving other various UK electronica based acts like Faithless, Burial, Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Unkle, Massive Attack, Orbital, Leftfield, Stereo Mcs,The Streets, Goldie, The Bug, AllFlaws
I saw them headlining at V97 in Leeds when Fat of the land had just come out. Just one of those right place right time gigs. Absolutely Legendary. They have been much copied, parodied, emulated and inspired many an artist. It's easy with 25 years hindsight to underestimate their impact, evolving from an indie dance band to a genre defining colossus. Thier visuals, not just Firestarter but "smack my bitch up" with the incredible (for the time) twist at the end. I get it, you like what you like, and you don't like what you don't like. But the prodigy are national treasures, RIP Kieth.
I was there too - I remember being surprised by how much Maxim talked lol. My mate's glasses got crushed during the crowd surges towards the stage during certain songs. Epic gig. I also just saw them again on Saturday night in Stuttgart.. they've still got it
I was very close to the front at v97 when the croud surged. Loads of people getting battered, then it eased (the pressure) and it went off... I lost my favourite hat😂
This isnt related to this video but, i just had an idea. Why dont you ask the fans to send in accapela versions of them singing your intro for you to use when you're on voice rest? You could still play the intro of course! And dont worry, i definitely wouldn't be submitting any vocals! 😂❤
I’m not a massive Prodigy fan, but felt they were a band I had to see live, and they didn’t disappoint. What a show, probably the most reactive fans I’ve ever seen at a gig. I have a photo of Keith courtesy of a mate who knew him through racing, where he has a puzzled look on his face looking at a photo of me where I’d said did I look like him. Ought to add I had big helmet hair after being out on a ride 🤣
10:50 That exact thing happens within the first 15 minutes of the movie The Matrix. The Prodigy introduced me to electronic music and Firestarter is still one of my favorite songs of all time. The cover version by Gene Simmons? Complete dogshit.
Punk can be electronic, I think. I always see Underworld as quite punk, as well as original pioneers like "Su*cide" (asterisked to get through content filter!) and early 80s synth bands like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. The guitar on this track was played by Giz Butt, and the "hey"s were lifted from Art Of Noise, sung/shouted by Anne Dudley. Probably the biggest payaway for this track! The comparison between Flint and Lydon I totally agree with, that's what helped me get my head round the Prodigy. This track got played loads at Glasgow rock/metal venue The Rattrap and I used to go nuts to it, one of those gaggle of twats you referred to. Loving your work chief.
Growing up listening to "proper" rock (Zep, Purple, Sabbath... You get the idea) I was stunned when I first heard/saw the Prodigy's live act. You should review a live show of theirs...
Crazy... I've loved the Prodigy since the first time I heard them... it was Firestarter... the concept of combining a bit of rock/punk with techno was an exciting prospect back in the 90's
Something I don't think you picked up, is that all the samples are from rock bands. In fact Liam used tons of nirvana. As much as hip hop was using disco and funk ti create hip hop, prodigy were literally using rock to create Electronica. That's punk as fuck.
The Prodigy are incredible! I’m devastated I missed the opportunity to see Keith live before he passed. They were set to embark on the Australian leg of their tour when he passed. IMO … he reeked of cool. From the moment I first saw him, I was captivated by him. The Prodigy’s sound is something that bridges genres together in a way that is respectful to each individual genre. You often talk down about “electronic dance music” however it’s just as broad in range as rock music. There’s a place for it on the musical spectrum. You can just as easily get lost in a ‘dance’ track as you can in a rock track … just sayin’. 🤔
They actually played a few shows in Australia just a month before he passed. His last ever gig was in New Zealand. They were set to embark on the American leg of their tour, which they cancelled.
The rave scene of the late 80s early 90s was probably the last true punk music scene. It was completely DIY, a scene built by itself, anti-establishment, anti-commercial, indepent label driven and truly transformative for disaffected youth. Being at the forefront of that scene, i reckon that made the Prodigy punk way before they released Fire Starter. Ta.
Yeah, his aversion to an electronic group calling themselves "punk" is especially weird considering that the very first band to ever call themselves "punk" was Suicide, a band that consisted solely of a singer and a synth/organ player. Not to mention the industrial scene - bands like Throbbing Gristle or Einsturzende Neubauten are far more punk than Green Day could ever hope to be. Then there's digital hardcore stuff like Atari Teenage Riot - punk and electronics have a long history of crossing over.
Shit, I somehow forgot to mention the big relation between post-punk and electronic music - Joy Division became New Order, Factory Records was huge in the early rave scene etc.
I think they're the best live experience I've ever had. The bass is biblical. The gaggle were in attendance still, but they were closer to the front than I could handle.
It’s like listening to my granddad talk about the “funny modern stuff” I would say as a fan of the group that they appealed to harder core of Rave fans, to whom Robert Miles Children would immediately cause an adrenaline dump. We danced to The Prodigy and Faithless whilst absolutely off our faces on Xtacy. The three tracks I think really capture our zeitgeist would be The Prodigy Smack My Bitch Up, Faithless insomnia, and The Streets Blinded By The Lights. Keep up the good work Gramps
Guy named tom in my town, his shop burned down, someone thought he did it for the insurance, and some wag wrote "Tom the Firestarter" on the wreckage, in white paint.... for the whole town to see. Always made me chuckle when I see this video and am reminded of it.. The shop was brought back about 50 times better looking after he had the insurance. Though I am sure he didn' start it.
Big fan of your channel Justin. It's a winning combination of fun, analytical, interesting and open minded. Positivity and inclusivity are beautiful tracks upon which to drive your train...... I think we could push further down that track if we dropped the antiquated notion that technical proficiency or compositional complexity are themselves alone, evidence of valid artistic expression. Also the idea that a guitar is necessary if you want to be taken seriously as a punk..... I mean let's set aside the ridiculous idea of being taken seriously as a. punk for a moment and deal with the guitar bit - it's an outdated idea Justin - lets gently put down at the side of the road and move forward without it. If the idea of punk is to rebel or to express your truth then electronic music is an adequate a vehicle as a guitar - bands like Suicide are as punk as they come and not a guitar in sight. Electronic instruments and production. equipment also put the means of expression directly into the hands of people who couldn't afford guitars or the time to learn them
Yeah, his aversion to an electronic group calling themselves "punk" is especially weird when you consider the fact that Suicide was literally the FIRST band to ever call themselves "punk". Not to mention the industrial scene - bands like Throbbing Gristle, Einsturzende Neubauten or even Skinny Puppy are far more punk than a band like Green Day could ever hope to be. Then there's digital hardcore and breakcore and stuff like that - punk and electronics have a long history of crossing over.
Shit, I somehow forgot to mention the big relation between post-punk and electronic music - Joy Division became New Order, Factory Records was huge in the early rave scene etc.
I was just a middle schooler in the Midwest US with little access to anything but terrible radio stations. The first time i saw prodigy on mtv, i was blown away. I hadn't heard anything like that before.
You’re uploading was just interrupted by an advert instructing me how to escape from a car under water so I think armed with that information I might be around for a bit longer 😊
@@cayvzcvlt They now play a remixed version of Firestarter, where just short parts of the vocals are sampled. During Breathe, Maxim sings Keith's parts, while the crowd sings Maxim's parts. They've removed full-on Keith tracks like Run With The Wolves from the setlist, while for other tracks where he has just a couple of lines, his voice is played like a sample.
I remember absolutely hating them and basically all electronic music when I was younger, but I have huge nostalgia for it now and really enjoy it. Makes no sense, but there you are
Tbh prodigy had more grit and cultural value than the darkness. It's easy to write off electronic based music. And people in the rave scene were/are great, It's so easy to be that "rock guy" calling people having fun twats. I was like that when i was 17, its weak and insecure. Rave scene and clubbers are just people enjoying themselves and you assume they are egotists. I've met A LOT more ego maniacs in Metal and Rock scenes.
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Give fat of the land a listen. Its a great album. I hated them with firestarter loved breathe. Early stuff def sucked lol. Was just starting to like non rock musics then
Lol, what prodigy songs do you tell a cock rock fan to listen to 😂
Need someone, or omen maybe..... 🤷🏼
Theres probably others 😂
Commented on here earlier. No swear words, nothing horrible, removed???
Congratulations 🎉 on 500,000 subscribers Justin 👏👏👏
@JustinHawkinsridesAgain can you do a review on a guitarist called Micheal angelo batio he plays a twin neck guitar i think you'll enjoy
Fire starter refers to Keith's role in the band, not actual fires. Keith wrote the lyrics to that song. He was annoyed with press describing him as just a dancer. He wanted to get across that he was the one who stoked the fire in the crowed and actually put loads of himself into every Prodigy performance.
Damn, I don't think this ever crossed my mind. I always interpreted the lyrics as some person that keeps pushing for a goal/change but is viewed as a pain in the arse, but overime if goal is to be acheived, you need to join the ranks of "assholes", otherwise nobody bats an eye.
I thought you where about to make a cover version of firestarter? Not to just cover firestarter..
That makes sense.
I read somewhere that the lyric is a reference to Keith's surname - Flint being used to create sparks and start fires...
😂😂 wow... I thought it's just about being trouble maker, just stirring sh* and drama just for the f* of it, out chaos or entertainment. Anyway not saying I'm right as I dont know enough about these guys but I wonder if there was any internal conflict in the band between flint and that black guy who used to do vocals in their earlier stuff but later on was shadowed by flint..
Apparently Keith was the nicest bloke in the business. I knew someone who worked on the Poison video who said he was just a top top friendly chatty bloke who gave everyone the time of day.
Then when he died James Blunt tweeted: 'At the Q Awards years ago, when Noel Gallagher was saying he was leaving Ibiza because I’d moved there, and Damon Albarn refused to be in the same picture as me, and Paul Weller was saying he’d rather eat his own shit than work with me, Keith Flint came over, gave me a hug, and said how thrilled he was for my success. Keith, I only met you once, but I shed a tear at the news of your death. In our business, there are no prizes for being kind, but if there was, that Grammy would be yours.'
So Keith, you were one of the good ones.
Met him a few times, always so so lovely. Miss him deeply xx
I grew up in Poland and when Fat of Land hit it took absolutely everyone by storm. Metalheads listened to it, punks, skinheads, disco folks. It was so monumental it grabbed people from every corner. And the visuals that came with it were incredible for the time, it was like giant middle finger to your usual garnish palette of colours. Hard to convey how mindblowing it was at the time.
Seen them live in 2008, what an experience.
It had the same effect in Ukraine.
Same effect here in Croatia. Punks, skins, metalheads, footbal ultras and electronic people, even pop listeners. When someone played Prodigy at party it was always chaos :D Also seen them live in 2008 at InMusic festival in Zagreb. Helluva good time.
That’s the real magic of them, they have fans all across the globe, truly unifying music 🤘
I remember listening to it in school, and us metals were loving it... and then we found out the EDM fans were also liking it. Each thought it was music for them, but everyone loved it together
@@slaven18 Did you guys also had this urban legend that when Prodigy came out of the airplane and were greeted with salt and bread Keith sniffed in all the salt?
I am a Prodigy fanatic through and through, they formed in my hometown in Essex and i used to often see them driving about (i even later had a race across town at VERY high speeds in my Astra GTE 16v with Keith behind in his bright yellow TVR haha!) I saw them live a few times at Bug Jam (the VW meet) once around the time of Jilted Generation. They were EPIC! I had their music on loads in my cars throughout the 90s.
On a sadder note, i even went to Keiths funeral procession through our little town, ending up at the church round the corner from me where id got married. Beforehand i drove round town a few times blarring Prodigy full blast (Firestarter, Spitfire and Breathe to hear Keith) seeing all the Prodigy fans arriving in town from the train station carrying Prodigy and foreign flags! Later i also met people from Russia, Poland, Australia, Canada EVERYWHERE there to celebrate the life of a LEGEND of a man! So many turned up that they ended up shutting Bockings roads off. A local pub chucked some speakers at its open windows and played Prodigy for us all to have an impromptu rave in the middle of the road! We were there for hours dancing and remembering. The Prodigy are THE greatest dance act EVER and always will be and were the only ones to transition their sound into other genres and attrack such a following around the world of ALL kinds of music fans. RIP Keith. Love you Prodigy!
I think Fat Of The Land also dropped around the time of a Bug Jam too? The Prodigy were absolutely INCREDIBLE then and we were ALL a lot younger and far more able to properly `av it!
Nothing gives me a better rush then at helter skelter 96 no good for me came on rip Keith
@@ChristopherofEnglandwas that at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes?
Fat of the land is a phenomenal album. Still sounds good today.
listen to it at the gym sometimes.. prodigy 4 ever
"Good" is an understatement. Actually, even "Great" is an understatement.
Listened to it today
Agreed. Minefields is a goodie.
I don't think anything beats Music for the Jilted Generation as their best album, but FOTL isn't far behind.
The Prodigy is one of the most influential and important bands from the 90s and they are still a top top act. This band is much bigger than most people think or realise.
In other news, stuff you like if way better and more important than things other people like!!!
@@eriklarson9137what ? hes not wrong. the prodigy were insanely influential. the XL Recording artists were some of the most impactful artists of the 90s.
@@pringles4312 popular songs mean nothing. they were insanely influential to other famous bands that proceeded them
@@pringles4312 man go do your homework. These guys are literally the biggest electronic band out there. What's more impressive is that they've been a massive influence in rock music as well. Artists like David Bowie and Madonna were asking Liam Howlett to produce their albums in the late 90s.
@@pringles4312 yeah but ACDC have only got like 4 influential songs. ;)
As a former member of the "gaggle", Prodigy was great because it meant those of us who enjoyed metal, rock and punk but also liked to dance didn't have to go to raves or mainstream clubs 😂
Been a metal head since the 80s spent many happy nights at fridge. Dancing my tits off and constantly forgetting names 😂
This.
Similar experience. Prodigy was the only band in the mid-90s that got the goths, punks, metalheads and EBM tweakers onto the dancefloor at the same time!😆
Makes the perfect "seriously get up" alarm song.
Looking back at the 90’s….as others have said: the Prodigy brought together genres into a sound which had a broad appeal to varied musical tastes, aside from purely dance / rave.
The same can’t be said of the Darkness who appear to be repetitively rehashing 70’s and 80’s glam /soft rock sound and style for the last 23 years.
One of the most pioneering and influential musical acts the UK has ever produced.
Sex pistols?beatles?rolling stones?black sabbath?led zeppelin?
@@marioncharleston Yep, those too.
I don't know why you focus on Keith's visual appearance. Liam is an absolute legend for music production for using all of the modern production and editing techniques out there: sampled guitar riffs, drum grooves and weird foley; analogue synths, bass, drum machines; used sequencing, sound modulation, automation and effects always beyond what they were intended for and always came up with a dance track that had something new and inspiring in it.
All of modern music production owes bands like the prodigy, portishead, massive attack, the crystal method, chemical brothers (and all electronic music artists) for pushing the boundaries of the technology and inventing or refining techniques for putting together a song.
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned on a laptop running Reason. It sounded way bigger than that at the time.
PARKLIFE
This is a good point, analysing this like a 'band' or a 'song' isn't the right approach. Fundamentally, Prodigy is Liam, making beats, for raves, and it derives from the dance music scene. Prodigy added vocal hooks and an incredible visual aesthetic to great effect, but in its purest form its instrumental beats and loops. And they were the fucking best.
@@QuantumTheory41 Had a cracked version of Reason then and couldn't believe he made that album on it.
Excellent point. At Prodigys heart was Liam with Leeroy, Maxim and Keith as dancers and front men. It was only later that Maxim became an Mc, Leeroy left and Keith wanted to do more Punk stuff, I think he even had a band...
Alot of "club-goers" and boy racers were oblivious to the sample origins, genre or culture which is a huge shame.
Diesel Power is an absolute sledgehammer of a track. No one can resist the urge to move.
Also memorable because it meant that album had appearances by three vocalists called Keith!
Massive thing while being played live, the current live mix mashed up with Knight Rider theme is M A S S I V E
Keith Flint was iconic and epic. A true one off ❤
Definitely 😊
RIP, well missed.
You forgot to say Legend, GOAT, OG and about 3 other completely useless adjectives
@@Wildeheart79 he was a legend whether you liked him or not.
@@mimilini1 I'm not sure you understand what these words mean
I'm a metal head through and through but The Prodigy are an amazing band. They truly did cross boundaries. Firestarter is nothing more than Keith singing about being an MC and hyping up the crowd. He's the FIRE starter!!!
I totally agree and im exactly the same metal head through and through The prodigy were amazing from the the very first thing they done
The production in prodigy is next level. Sonically unique.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I always thought 'Music for the Jilted Generation' was a better album than 'Fat of the Land'. No Good (Start the Dance), Poison, Voodoo People. Great tunes.
Absolutely. I'd say FotL was them achieving tabloid level cultural mass, and often by the time the red tops get wind of what 'the kids' are into a band is on the back 9 of their career. Not to say it's isn't a great album, just not as stonkingly refreshing as Jilted is.
I agree, Poison and Their Law are my favorite. I also loved Fat of the land though.
100%. When Firestarter was released it was a bit 'meh' for me and I actually found.FOTL a little disappointing initially. Grew to like it but Jilted Generation is on a different level imo.
Jilted Generation is their peak. The narcotic suite at the end is class.
@@ricochetsixtyten who the fuck listen music if it sounds oudated or not, quality is quality no matter the year
Gotta give Liam his props, great producer. He has managed to keep the early 90s rave sound alive in a sea of electronic music, sub genres and club music
Propah numbah 12 yea
@@shadyganley8877 propa bo I tell thee
The man is a musical genius. He writes all the songs, plays the music and does the production. And has been astonishingly successful.
The most exciting band I’ve ever seen live. Nobody else keeps the energy level so high for the full gig.
Ive now lost count of how many bands ive seen and The Prodigy are still the best live act out of them all. Saw them at Knebworth in 96 and it was mind blowing ❤️
Death Grips says hi, you cuck(j/k)
FRT. I am 100% positive their mosh pits at their concerts are at least 250% more violent, dangerous, and full of more raw kinetic energy being harnessed and subsequently released than the Prodigy's largest crowd in Vladivostok or Moscow at the apex of their popularity, but with that being said, I am still a huge fan of Prodigy and still possess a near-shredded wisp-thin concert t-shirt from a Prodigy event that still has my backstage pass sticker slapped across my left-front breast side, #XoXo!
@@clairycontrary1658 I agree. Saw them at Bristol Sound City in '95 when I was 16. The "warm up" acts included Portishead and The Chemical Brothers!
He is (was) the Firestarter, because he was the one who made engage the audience in the shows. That's why he wanted to sing this one. By the way, he did not invent the look. He was inspired by The Young Ones' Vyvian character.
Ah, good old Vyvian... what an absolute legend... :)
Interesting 👍
@@RosieHarp Vivian was always my fav!
@@TheSquidgal yes, him or Rik for me 👍😆
Vyvian inspired Krusty the Clown.
Open up Leftfield and Lydon is another example of how punk and electronic dance don’t just Co exist but can compliment each other perfectly ❤ who needs labels if it’s good it’s good
Punk is an attitude not a sound. The Prodigy are punk and they rock!
exactly!!!!!!
Well said
Absolutely 100% facts!
Naaaaaaah
They make good music though
Cabaret Voltaire and early Skinny Puppy was pretty much "punks on synths" though obviously better defined as industrial. The Prodigy remains as one the most unique and better produced acts in all of electronic history. They were the perfect gateway band to get you into the harder and darker side of electronic music. They simply rock, which is hard to say about many other electronic acts. RIP Keith.
Love Skinny Puppy and Cabaret Voltare I love Industial Music and Prodigy were a little Industrial
Justin has lost it on this one
Prodigy are mint. Still a huge fan till this day. They have an energy thats next level. Was gutted when keith passed.
❤
When you said you were going to review "Firestarter" my heart sank. When I mention to people that I am a Fan of The Prodigy they invariably say "oh Firestarter." It seems this is the one track The Prodigy are most associated with and it is by no means their best or indicative of their vast catalogue.
When The Prodigy played Firestarter last month in Glasgow, Keith's silhouette was dancing there, drawn out by lasers.
cool story bro
awww fuck i missed it!!
Who sings on prodigy nowdays?
@@donitsi6095Maxim's the frontman.
I'd have been in tears! I bet that was iconic
The lyrics to firestarter is Keith's metaphorical look at his role in the band before this song as a dancer and hype man pumping up the crowd at shows and set's. This being the first track of many the keith had a vocal part on.
Fat of the land is one of the best albums of all time in my opinion, from start to finish there isn't a bad song on it
I could write about The Prodigy for days. A few things that jumped out.
The video mentions Justin was one of the ostracized, The Prodigy were like that but within the electronic music community. If you think about the reaction Justin has to the crowd that listened to club music (for the most part) at the time The Prodigy really wanted to do something different. Broadly speaking, The Prodigy did a few very unique things. Firstly, The Prodigy is, for all intents and purposes, Liam Howlett. He desired to be able to play electronic music on the scale that rock music was played and was aware of a few things. 1) You need a front man, you need a focal point. Flinty was, at the beginning, the dancer, Liam knew early on that you needed a focal point for it to make sense, otherwise, you're just watching a dude behind a stack of samplers which isn't that interesting, in addition, there was nothing dangerous in dance music at the time, all good rock music had an element of menace about it which was incorporated. 2) Club music of the time had a sequence and structure that made sense in clubs, not on stages, so from The Fat of the Land onward Liam Howlett structured tracks more like traditional rock tracks to break them out of clubs and onto stages and 3) the samples... Most people don't realise that the majority of the famous Prodigy riffs are processed samples and it's this part that is the most "punk" thing. No fucks given on what "should" go with what, like a punk kid in 1977 going to a pawn shop, grabbing a cheap guitar and slashing the cone of his 1973 Badger practice amp to get distortion, Liam Howlett mined metal, punk, alternative, funk, soul, hiphop and processed and mashed them together, it's that aspect that makes them very punk to me, not just aping the guitar genre in look and feel but the absolute zero fucks given approach to sampling.
Some of my favourites - music that should never have been smashed together but The Prodigy did wonderfully:
Firestarter: The Breeders SOS providers the main hook, Art of Noise the vocal hook
Breathe: Thin-fucking-Lizzy, Little Richard and Wu-Tang Clan
Voodoo People: The main riff is a sample of half the intro riff to Very Ape by Nirvana, as a huge Nirvana fan, that's a pretty deep cut to be sampled for a club track.
I wish it was you that made this video instead of the diatribe I just witnessed. 🤘
I’m having a very strange reaction to this video, firstly someone disliking Prodigy with enthusiasm makes me question their agenda. But then the stopping and starting of Firestarter while waffling about how people danced. I’ve watched this channel for quite a while now but never have I felt more distant from Justin.
He keeps popping on my recommendation at least once a year! A talentless narcissist baffon, surrounded by his own image incl. life-size cutout, criticising actual talent! Gets old very fast!
Yeah pausing the vid the every 2 seconds done my head in, stopped half way through
Oh come on, they're not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Great track though
I couldn't agree more...though in their early days with Charlie Says they really were quite cheesy and disliked by the hardcore Spiral Tribers that I was part of. Fast forward to the gig they did at Bug Jam where someone (that I know, hehe) switched off the generators and blew all the audio kit...a year or so after that they transformed into the dark, malevolent and musically genius outfit that I have come to love so much.
Justin comes across as downright snobby in this review.
I think "Firestarter" was a poor choice to review, Justin should have looked at "Breathe" - such a dynamic and intricate tune, it holds my interest now just as it did the first time I heard it.
Check out this analysis video of Fat of the Land: ruclips.net/video/1uDaJxdXqfs/видео.html
he comes across here as one of those dudes that think if you listen to any other genre than rock you're a poser or whatever
The comparison between flint and Lydon is so well observed. Never occurred to me, now feel like I’ll never be able to unhear it.
It is kind of why John Lydon didn't like them at first.
The Prodigy rule! Punk rock meets electronic, with great energy. RIP Keith Flint.
Justin, I say this with great fondness, you are the Alan Partridge of rock. I love your meandering muses that break off into tangents before coming back where you will contemplate whether you agree with yourself or not. Don't ever change, it's what makes you utterly unique.
Yes in more than one way as well, because Partridge (and Tommy Saxondale, thinking about it now, so maybe Coogan himself shared the distaste) has pooh-pooh’ed electronic dance music in exactly the same reductive, if slightly adorable way.
"Fat of the Land" was a masterpiece and deserves its vaulted place in the big beat electronica pantheon, IMHO. RIP, Keith Flint
Agreed
💯
Goddamn right
My opinion is that this guy did an amazing job making his music video gripping and entertaining in such a simple way. Like, imagine you were tasked with the same song and video set, how much energy and attitude could you put into it?
My dad had this as his last song before the curtain closed for his cremation 😅
Sorry for your loss. But, WHAT a way to go. I bet everyone who was there remembers it so well.
@@JF-kv1gm it was just after a place in the sun by stevie wonder so everyone barring us who knew were desperately trying to hold in their laughter and look sad. Loved a bit of awkwardness the old boy!
Your dad sounds like a legend.
Fucking legend
Such stuff is great. I don't even listen to Pearl Jam, but I know I'm gonna have Alive when everything is over. :D
quite honestly i think any band that sets themselves apart and has a distinct sound and even visual appearance are winning. Im a die hard rocker but you cant deny these boys had all of that in spades on top of some banger songs.
Sleaford Mods are 100% punk and a lot of their music is just minimal beats
It's actually quite revealing listening to them because their music kinda shows that punk is not just guitar riffs, it's a specific raw emotion
literally one second after I wrote this comment you said Sleaford Mods lol
Sleaford mods are amazing. Really loving their cover of west end girls recently
If you weren't aware, The Prodigy and Sleaford Mods collaborated for a track on The Prodigy's 6th album from 2015. Although it was my least favourite track on that album, it still wasn't bad.
They're awesome live. As a Britpopper i went to see Oasis at Knebworth, but the highlight of the show *by far* was The Prodigy.
Yes!! It was my first ever god, i was 13. Best day of my life! ❤ Took me until i was in my 20s to admit that Prodigy were better than Oasis 😂😍
I always remember the prodigy as a great inclusive atmosphere playing live - there were ravers/punks/goths and every other kind of person in the crowd having a great time. Amazing live band.
I saw them in Brighton a few weeks ago..fxxking awesome gig totally diverse mixed crowd, spotted a kid of about 12 and a few 70 Year olds 💪
One aspect that ties punk to the electronic music of the 90’s was the DIY aspect & of both genres/subcultures. Also both were very anti-establishment.
Joy Division (later New Order) was a punk inspired electronic band.
Also punk’s aesthetically different but culturally similar New York cousin; (pre-recording industry) hip-hop provided a pivoting stepping stone to 90’s breakbeat electronica. Debbie Harry hung out with Grandmaster Flash, Chris Stein & co recorded rhythm tracks with drums & bass for the DJ’s to cut-up in the 1982 hip-hop movie Wild Style, and many of the first white punters to go to hip hop clubs were NYC punks. The Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren even made a couple of hip-hop records in the early to mid 80’s & the Beastie Boys were a thrash punk band before getting turned onto hip hop in the early 80’s.
the song is basically about keith being the hype man at gigs.
he starts the fire in the crowd kinda thing. (the twisted animator if you will :)
I met him a few times at gigs and festivals and he was one of the sweetest dudes you could ever meet he always had time to talk to people and have a laugh
the stage persona defo didn't match who he really was.
His job in the band was to raise the crowd to frenzy - the lyrics came after. The lyrics are about his job as a crowd exciter, and also an analogy of his perception of himself and his relationships/life. One is pride the other is a hint of unhappiness, you chose which is which.
Huge band, stunning songs, great visual impact, funniest live gigs to go to. Their music aged incredibly well.
Managed to get to see them 5 times , very very good band, sadly Keith’s passing was I thought the end of the prodigy , but I think he’dve wanted them to continue . I personally think they’re fucking brilliant.
Seen them 5 or 6 times, including this year and last year and they're still killing it live. RIP flinty
@@666_tim they’re fucking bangin arent they, when I saw them first it was in 96,4 day festival, it was the last pheonix festival,, got quite nasty at a point, I saw the prodigy twice in that weekend,chemical brothers,sexpistols,leftfield,placebo,Bowie and foo fighters and had breakfast ( bottle of vodka at 7:00 in the morning lead singer was very pretty and very nice) with echo belly, saw them in Glastonbury weekend after,then Cardiff uni,Brixton academy,,whats your favourite album, id personally go go jilted generation because i heard the whole album live.
I remember when firestarter hit the charts and it was just different to everything else that was out at the time which is why they had the success they had
They were big before Firestarter LOL
But Firestarter was their first number 1 hit on Top of the Pops (I think) and that’s when they stratosphere’d (outta space)
The Prodigy were a local band so I'd always been aware of them, but they never really chimed with me as I wasn't a fan of electronic music. When Firestarter and Breath came out, it utterly blew me away. The Fat of the Land was a great album.
@@FaxanaduJohn that’s not what he said . Drink some water , get some fresh air , take your medicine and give your head a wobble . Not every RUclips comment is an invitation to “LOL” at someone. Good luck pet
It sure was different. In those days nobody pressed play on a laptop while a guy repeated one or two phrases for three minutes. They previously went through the pointless process of learning to play instruments and write songs...which of course we know now is just wasted time & energy.
You’re one of the only people I’ve met bar my mother who doesn’t like the prodigy! They’re one of those bands that everyone kind of likes! Although they’re technically electronic, Keith embodied the punk attitude and the angst that comes with it!
The additional sample from 'Close (to the Edit) by The Art Of Noise, the Hey Hey Hey part, took me back to 1984 when i was 16. Good times.
Ohhhhh that’s what it is
The Prodigy are definitely among my top favourite Bands. They're always pushing the boundaries of music to create an energetic violent sound. I was deeply saddened by Keith's death, that i didn't think they'd make any new music but Liam Howlett is always busy writing beats and music even when touring.
As a total metal head, Fire Starter kicks harder than most metal out there, absolutely massive track. A DJ at my local rock club used to do a mashup of Fire Starter and Underworlds Born Slippy, the bar did well after that, we were all knackered 😂 Love the jumper, first class 👌
I could die happily after hearing that mashup. The epitome of 1997
@@Agentnz Man I’ve been trying to find a recording or something of it for years but he did it old school, on 2 decks live. No phones with cameras back then to record a bit, so it’s probably lost to history but man it was great :)
While I was never a hardcore fan, when I put together an essential 90s playlist for my daughter, Firestarter HAD to be on it.
@@jeffersoncosgrove1910 Absolutely mate, be a crime not to 👍🏻
What's interesting to me is that The Prodigy never got much love from the electronic music crowd, who saw them as watering dowm rave music for broad commercial appeal... the rock scene lapped it up though
I liked them. Hearing them taps into a primal raw energy a bit like some metal genres. But they have stood the test of time more than a lot of metal bands
I’ve followed them since 1991, they have to been seen live to really understand them and what they are about, the shows are pure fire . I went to see them again a few weeks ago in Leeds (Soft Play were supporting them) and even without Flinty, they still bring the rukas ✊
Liam Howlett was a brilliant drum programmer. In another universe he would have turned into an Aphex/Squarepusher figure.
Funny thing about that sweater, supposedly Flint saw it in the window of a thrift store on the way to film the video.
So much energy in this music. It saved my life when I had a two hour drive every morning and evening. Personally, "Breathe" and "Serial Thrilla" are my two favorites from this album. I still listen to all the bands, Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Apollo 440, Orbital, and many others.
I think what you ultimately settled on here about Prodigy, that it was less the band and the music and more the fans who listened to it was basically my experience with Led Zeppelin. I grew up in the late 90's and 2000's and I mostly knew Zeppelin through t-shirts worn by people I didn't particularly like and I think in my head associated them with more straight ahead rock like the Rolling Stones which was not my favorite (I was listening to Dream Theater, Genesis, and Pink Floyd). I just never had the motivation to explore them and only heard bits and pieces in passing which fed my assumptions. It wasn't until my early 20's when I inherited a copy of Led Zeppelin 3 when I realized, oh their great, that is why everyone likes them. If I had given them a chance back in high school they would have actually fit in really well with everything else I was listening to.
Especially when looking back it is interesting to think about how some much can effect our tastes and preferences that is not actually part of the art we are experiencing.
Just wanted leave a message here to tell something I found interesting. I somehow missed The Darkness, you were coming up in a time when I was very much doing my own thing musically. Then I started watching your videos, which led to me listening, and wow did I miss out. I'm very happy to have discovered it now.
I love your British style, moreover you have a lovely easy going vibe. I could listen to you for hours :) (subscribed)
Actually one of the best shows I ever saw. Tons of energy and a killer light show
The Prodigy was one of the most hype acts in the entire music business. Very few bands can rank on a sheer energy level with their live shows.
The put out consistently epic records right up until Keef’s demise. I still listen to them all the time.
These guys took electronic music and opened it up to millions of people that would have never gotten into electronic music otherwise. love this group. RIP Keith
I mean, no one is more punk than Suicide, and they used synthesizers (I guess technically proto-punk). They sound so dark and brooding, without feeling like it's trying to hard to be that way. Also, the guitar sample from Firestarter is from a Breeders song off of "Last Splash".
Saw Prodigy at Slane Castle with Oasis, what an incredible performance. I was never a huge electronic fan but that one live show changed my mind and lead me to discover some amazing music.
Because ... it was played live with a mixture of electro and real instruments. Loved the passage of Rob Holliday/Sulpher in the band as guitarist.
@dorientjewoller113 Yeah, they were a proper legit pro live band. I wouldn't consider someone playing tracks rather than instruments a performance, really. The energy they put out on stage just flooded into the crowd. I was right up front in the pit and on hearing 'Out of Space' begin, turning around and seeing a sea of 90k people go bonkers was an incredibly powerful moment.
Saw them unexpected on a festival, amazing performance!!
Prodigy was a part of the energy coming out from Essex. Independent artists making their mark In the rave scene
Awww mate the prodigy were never my cup of tea but after seeing them live they blew my head off and I became a fan sorta
One of the greatest shows I've ever seen (and I've seen some good ones) was The Prodigy playing The Masquerade in Atlanta (which fit about 1000 people on one of it's three floors). I can see where the music feels a little bit dated (or at least very much of an era gone by) now, but I remember jumping around so much at that show that my calf muscles were so sore that I could barely walk for the next three days.
The live version of Firestarter from Phoenix Festival 1996 is worth watching. Additional live guitar as well.
I was there! Had the time of my life!
Think I was there as well…don’t remember that much as people I went with were a bit chaotic! Cousins was friends with Mr Flint RIP. Funnily enough, I’m definitely not into The Darkness but enjoy Mr Hawkins's take on things.
@@marsy1480 I only remember bits and pieces as well - I won’t go into too much detail as to why that might be! 😂
@@jujutrini8412 🤣🤣🤣🤣 nuff said!
I was there too... Amazing!!!
0:57 "it's not that I dislike them strongly"
Video title: "I used to F***ing HATE The Prodigy.
Voodoo people is my favourite song of theirs. It's fantastic.
I used to think the same. In my late teens, early 20s a guy I worked with was a massive Prodigy fan but I resisted his ideas they were any good. Then Fat of the Land dropped and solidified their sonic shift which had started on Music for the Jilted Generation (Their Law, for example). I utterly fell in love with them at this point. The rawness of the performances, the energy and the attitude were so fucking metal. Add to that the sonic qualities of their music and you had almost the complete package. Seeing them live was something I will never forget; they were incredible and on a par with most good rock and metal bands live. Even going back to the first album which is a little out of my normal listening; it's an incredible thing, just so much energy and so much fun. RIP Keith, ripped from us all far too soon!
What a group. Britain really does produce some talent. Huge shout from the US.
I'm also loving other various UK electronica based acts like
Faithless, Burial, Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Unkle, Massive Attack,
Orbital, Leftfield, Stereo Mcs,The Streets, Goldie, The Bug, AllFlaws
Love all of those, you have great taste, my personal obsession being Underworld
They steal the show in every metal/hard rock /house festival. Everywhere!
Without a doubt one of the best live experience I’ve ever had , Keith insane dancing and the power of this music is something else !
A one off !
I saw them headlining at V97 in Leeds when Fat of the land had just come out. Just one of those right place right time gigs. Absolutely Legendary. They have been much copied, parodied, emulated and inspired many an artist. It's easy with 25 years hindsight to underestimate their impact, evolving from an indie dance band to a genre defining colossus. Thier visuals, not just Firestarter but "smack my bitch up" with the incredible (for the time) twist at the end. I get it, you like what you like, and you don't like what you don't like. But the prodigy are national treasures, RIP Kieth.
I was there too! Great lineup that year
I was there too!
I was at V97 in Leeds , when you look back it was an absolutely epic line up. The Prodigy & Beck were my favourites of the weekend.
I was there too - I remember being surprised by how much Maxim talked lol. My mate's glasses got crushed during the crowd surges towards the stage during certain songs. Epic gig. I also just saw them again on Saturday night in Stuttgart.. they've still got it
I was very close to the front at v97 when the croud surged. Loads of people getting battered, then it eased (the pressure) and it went off... I lost my favourite hat😂
This isnt related to this video but, i just had an idea.
Why dont you ask the fans to send in accapela versions of them singing your intro for you to use when you're on voice rest? You could still play the intro of course! And dont worry, i definitely wouldn't be submitting any vocals! 😂❤
When Charley was released, it was definitely not mainstream, we were also considered outcasts. It’s just not your thing, and that’s ok
I’m not a massive Prodigy fan, but felt they were a band I had to see live, and they didn’t disappoint. What a show, probably the most reactive fans I’ve ever seen at a gig.
I have a photo of Keith courtesy of a mate who knew him through racing, where he has a puzzled look on his face looking at a photo of me where I’d said did I look like him. Ought to add I had big helmet hair after being out on a ride 🤣
10:50 That exact thing happens within the first 15 minutes of the movie The Matrix.
The Prodigy introduced me to electronic music and Firestarter is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
The cover version by Gene Simmons? Complete dogshit.
I just found your channel. My brother was your biggest fan. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago. Love your channel 🤙🎸
Punk can be electronic, I think. I always see Underworld as quite punk, as well as original pioneers like "Su*cide" (asterisked to get through content filter!) and early 80s synth bands like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. The guitar on this track was played by Giz Butt, and the "hey"s were lifted from Art Of Noise, sung/shouted by Anne Dudley. Probably the biggest payaway for this track!
The comparison between Flint and Lydon I totally agree with, that's what helped me get my head round the Prodigy. This track got played loads at Glasgow rock/metal venue The Rattrap and I used to go nuts to it, one of those gaggle of twats you referred to. Loving your work chief.
Growing up listening to "proper" rock (Zep, Purple, Sabbath... You get the idea) I was stunned when I first heard/saw the Prodigy's live act. You should review a live show of theirs...
Yes 100%
I was never a fan until I saw them live in the 90’s. Blew me away. They’re energy live was amazing.
Crazy... I've loved the Prodigy since the first time I heard them... it was Firestarter... the concept of combining a bit of rock/punk with techno was an exciting prospect back in the 90's
Something I don't think you picked up, is that all the samples are from rock bands. In fact Liam used tons of nirvana. As much as hip hop was using disco and funk ti create hip hop, prodigy were literally using rock to create Electronica.
That's punk as fuck.
The Prodigy are incredible! I’m devastated I missed the opportunity to see Keith live before he passed. They were set to embark on the Australian leg of their tour when he passed. IMO … he reeked of cool. From the moment I first saw him, I was captivated by him. The Prodigy’s sound is something that bridges genres together in a way that is respectful to each individual genre. You often talk down about “electronic dance music” however it’s just as broad in range as rock music. There’s a place for it on the musical spectrum. You can just as easily get lost in a ‘dance’ track as you can in a rock track … just sayin’. 🤔
They actually played a few shows in Australia just a month before he passed. His last ever gig was in New Zealand. They were set to embark on the American leg of their tour, which they cancelled.
The rave scene of the late 80s early 90s was probably the last true punk music scene. It was completely DIY, a scene built by itself, anti-establishment, anti-commercial, indepent label driven and truly transformative for disaffected youth. Being at the forefront of that scene, i reckon that made the Prodigy punk way before they released Fire Starter. Ta.
Yeah, his aversion to an electronic group calling themselves "punk" is especially weird considering that the very first band to ever call themselves "punk" was Suicide, a band that consisted solely of a singer and a synth/organ player. Not to mention the industrial scene - bands like Throbbing Gristle or Einsturzende Neubauten are far more punk than Green Day could ever hope to be. Then there's digital hardcore stuff like Atari Teenage Riot - punk and electronics have a long history of crossing over.
Shit, I somehow forgot to mention the big relation between post-punk and electronic music - Joy Division became New Order, Factory Records was huge in the early rave scene etc.
The Prodigy are all-time greats IMO. Just excellent.
I think they're the best live experience I've ever had. The bass is biblical. The gaggle were in attendance still, but they were closer to the front than I could handle.
It’s like listening to my granddad talk about the “funny modern stuff” I would say as a fan of the group that they appealed to harder core of Rave fans, to whom Robert Miles Children would immediately cause an adrenaline dump. We danced to The Prodigy and Faithless whilst absolutely off our faces on Xtacy. The three tracks I think really capture our zeitgeist would be The Prodigy Smack My Bitch Up, Faithless insomnia, and The Streets Blinded By The Lights. Keep up the good work Gramps
Guy named tom in my town, his shop burned down, someone thought he did it for the insurance, and some wag wrote "Tom the Firestarter" on the wreckage, in white paint.... for the whole town to see. Always made me chuckle when I see this video and am reminded of it.. The shop was brought back about 50 times better looking after he had the insurance. Though I am sure he didn' start it.
Big fan of your channel Justin. It's a winning combination of fun, analytical, interesting and open minded. Positivity and inclusivity are beautiful tracks upon which to drive your train...... I think we could push further down that track if we dropped the antiquated notion that technical proficiency or compositional complexity are themselves alone, evidence of valid artistic expression. Also the idea that a guitar is necessary if you want to be taken seriously as a punk..... I mean let's set aside the ridiculous idea of being taken seriously as a. punk for a moment and deal with the guitar bit - it's an outdated idea Justin - lets gently put down at the side of the road and move forward without it. If the idea of punk is to rebel or to express your truth then electronic music is an adequate a vehicle as a guitar - bands like Suicide are as punk as they come and not a guitar in sight. Electronic instruments and production. equipment also put the means of expression directly into the hands of people who couldn't afford guitars or the time to learn them
Yeah, his aversion to an electronic group calling themselves "punk" is especially weird when you consider the fact that Suicide was literally the FIRST band to ever call themselves "punk". Not to mention the industrial scene - bands like Throbbing Gristle, Einsturzende Neubauten or even Skinny Puppy are far more punk than a band like Green Day could ever hope to be. Then there's digital hardcore and breakcore and stuff like that - punk and electronics have a long history of crossing over.
Shit, I somehow forgot to mention the big relation between post-punk and electronic music - Joy Division became New Order, Factory Records was huge in the early rave scene etc.
I was just a middle schooler in the Midwest US with little access to anything but terrible radio stations. The first time i saw prodigy on mtv, i was blown away. I hadn't heard anything like that before.
Justin Fucking Hawkins Rides Againnnnn!!!!! 🎶🎶🎶🎸
Again.......
@@jenniferwright7401 this
You’re uploading was just interrupted by an advert instructing me how to escape from a car under water so I think armed with that information I might be around for a bit longer 😊
Saw Prodigy a few weeks ago in Manchester and they put on a phenomenal performance as did Soft Play.
who's singing Keith's parts now? He had a very distinctive voice
@@cayvzcvlt They now play a remixed version of Firestarter, where just short parts of the vocals are sampled. During Breathe, Maxim sings Keith's parts, while the crowd sings Maxim's parts. They've removed full-on Keith tracks like Run With The Wolves from the setlist, while for other tracks where he has just a couple of lines, his voice is played like a sample.
Brought up in Springfield Essex and went to the same school as Keith! Many years later I was a DJ at 2 of their gigs in Kent UK!
I remember absolutely hating them and basically all electronic music when I was younger, but I have huge nostalgia for it now and really enjoy it. Makes no sense, but there you are
Tbh prodigy had more grit and cultural value than the darkness. It's easy to write off electronic based music. And people in the rave scene were/are great, It's so easy to be that "rock guy" calling people having fun twats. I was like that when i was 17, its weak and insecure. Rave scene and clubbers are just people enjoying themselves and you assume they are egotists. I've met A LOT more ego maniacs in Metal and Rock scenes.
“Their Law” a song the Prodigy did with Pop will eat itself showed what was to come, mind blowing punk anthem in my view
I was a metal head/punk growing up and I still loved Prodigy. Musical brilliance
He is the firestarter because his surname is Flint.
Hmmmm.....I've heard of Keith Flint and Prodigy, but I have never heard of Justin Hawkins.