Reviews

A handful of musicians always seem to be a few steps ahead of the culture they love. Take {$the Chemical Brothers}: when they DJ'd in Ibiza a few years into their career, they once made the loved-up, Balearic clubbers start to cry by simply not playing {\house} music. It's likely that if any of those clubbers got a chance to hear {^Live at the Social, Vol. 1} they'd probably be an absolute wreck. Because this mix effort (the band's actual debut mix album) is a varied, monstrous collection of dirty beats and undeniable good times. So open-minded {\dance} fans will rejoice. Truly, the center point of the album nearly says it all. As {$the Chemical Brothers} fade from the trumpeting blare of {$Red Snapper}'s {\hip-hop} to what sounds like mythical sirens of some parallel digital age (in fact a blend into the band's {$Lionrock} remix), there is little doubt that this is not a run-of-the-mill mix effort. The whole experience feels thunderous. It helps that {$the Chemical Brothers} consistently break out of their genre stereotypes. Although they get the credit -- and blame -- for "inventing" what is known as {\big beat}, this mix proves that the band were always about more than that. The rest of the track selection alone is far from superstar DJ predictability. Instead of favored {\big beat} track after {\big beat} track, the band can go from sampling {$Public Enemy} to showcasing the robo-{\house} of {$Davy DMX} to scratching in the locomotive breakbeats of {$Tim "Love" Lee} to even taking the anti-dance culture stance of slipping in British indie stalwarts {$the Charlatans}. Everything feels eclectic as well as coherent. Sadly, it would take them a couple more years to produce a completely stunning mix album worthy of their mixing and live skills (1998's {^Brothers Gonna Work It Out}), but this early mix effort still shines with its own diverse, intense power. Definitely not for the faint of ears. Not for the conservative {\dance} contingent, either While those aching to hear the comforting 140 bpm of {\house} might indeed start to find their chins start to wobble, those in love with any kind of intelligent, eclectic, explosive {\dance} music will only feel like smiling. ~ Dean Carlson, All Music Guide