Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
Encyclopedia
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is the fourth studio album by English electronic dance music
group The Prodigy
. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2004 under XL Recordings
, and in North America on 15 September 2004 by Mute Records
and Maverick Records
. It was the last album from the band to be distributed under the labels. Recorded almost entirely using the Propellerhead Reason program, with the mastering being done on Pro Tools
, the album contrasts with their previous releases, and features a larger use of vocals than the group's third album, The Fat of the Land
(1997). The album title is a play on the name of the Walter Mosely novel Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
.
Despite achieving commercial success upon release, the album is among the band's lowest-sellers. Record labels who distributed Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned dropped The Prodigy after the release of Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005 one year later. The album's singles, with the exception of "Girls
", failed to reach the Top 40, and the album received mixed reviews upon debut; some critics praising it, many others criticizing it for being "a failed departure from the band's previous albums".
", the lead single
from The Fat of the Land
, which was released in 1997 and topped several charts, including the Billboard 200
. The band ended the tour that promoted the album, taking a break from touring and recording and writing material for their fourth studio album. To coincide with the departure of Leeroy Thornhill
during the period, the band shut down their official website for over two years, with its home page replaced with a logo of the band and the text "We will be back" set against a black background, leading to rumors that the band went on hiatus. The website was relaunched prior to releasing a new single in 2002.
The single released in that year, and one of the songs intended to be featured on the album was "Baby's Got a Temper
". Generating controversy upon release for the lyrics by Keith Flint
, which heavily focused on the misuse of the drug
rohypnol, the song was met with mostly negative reviews from critics. Liam Howlett
has since disowned the song. Despite the apparently low popularity, the song reached the Top 5 position of the Canadian Singles Chart
and UK Singles Chart
. The single was intended to be released as a single from the then-upcoming album. Eventually, the group went through another direction, and the plan to include the song on the album was cancelled. Because the single was a non-album single, in 2008, the band's official website's discography classified it as an EP
.
at the time, Liam Howlett recorded the album mostly by himself in similar vein to Experience (1992), using the Propellerhead Reason program installed in his Macintosh
laptop. Moet Mastered, Damian Taylor, and Emily Lazar mastered the album via Pro Tools
on the same computer.
Although the production process started in 1998, Howlett disliked the sound of the new album he initially took a break in 2000, in order to "go out with my mates and get drunk
." He returned to Essex in 2001 to resume work on the record, but after 6 songs were written, he hired producer Neil Maclellan to the frustration of Howlett himself, moving to a house after four months and then returning to the original studio:
Howlett purchased and brought a laptop, a copy of the Reason program, and selected a "Thermionic Culture Phoenix valve compressor and Culture Vulture distortion unit, a Korg
Micro Keyboard, a Manley
valve EQ and a 1980s Korg MS20 analogue keyboard." He would write the songs in "his bed," and then create them using those equipment. With this move, he is able to shift the direction of the album to that of dance punk. After the recording was finished, Taylor, Mastered and Lazar mixed the album with Pro Tools, completing development on the album.
Of the three members of The Prodigy, only Howlett is present on the album musically. Actress Juliette Lewis
, Oasis
frontmen Liam
and Noel Gallagher
, Kool Keith
of the Ultramagnetic MCs
, who was previously featured in "Diesel Power", American rapper Twista
, Shahin Badar
, English hip hop
musician Princess Superstar
, and The Magnificent Ping Pong Bitches were guest musicians on the album. "This album is about reminding people what The Prodigy was always about—the beats and the music," Howlett wrote in a blog of a fansite after finishing the album. He also notes that his intention was to use vocals mostly as an extension of the sound rather than the main focal point, as was the case in The Fat of the Land.
The album opens with "Spitfire
", named after and a tribute to the World War II plane of the same name. The song, which featured Juliette Lewis
on backing vocals, was featured in the soundtrack to the 2005 horror film
House of Wax
. "Girls
" begins with a sample from "Style of the Street" by Broken Glass
. When the beats and bass enter, its structure changes from that of a industrial hip hop song to excessive distortion
and noise. The vocal samples used in this track are from D. Train
song "You're the One for Me". "Memphis Bells" segues from "Girls", and includes Princess Superstar
on vocals.
Other tracks include elements intrepated unusual for a song from The Prodigy. "Get Up Get Off" features Twista
(who co-wrote the song) on lead vocals. "Hotride
" (in which its music video was rejected by Howlett after completion) interpolates elements from "Up Up and Away", while "Wake Up Call" was about waking up in the morning and getting "back on tour". "Action Radar"'s beat was influnced by early hip hop music
, but Howlett does not metion this, even in the booklet.
"Medusa's Path" was inspired by "[Damian] Taylor's parents'" trip to Iran
. This song is a 6-minute long instrumental that shares elements from "Elahaye Naz", and samples a remix of a Jaydee
song titled "Plastic Dreams
". What Howlett called an "analogue shit" was the synthesizer that was used for "Phoenix". When "Medusa's Path" segues to this track, the synthesizer enters. The song is accompanied by a repeating sample of the Shocking Blue
song "Love Buzz". Following the track is "You'll Be Under My Wheels" (Drowned in Sound
middlingly compared it to a BMW
advertisement). The song is the second time Kool Keith collabrated with the band, though his only lyrics are "I rock, I roll
." "You'll Be Under My Wheels" would be later used for the soundtrack to the 2005 racing video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted
. "The Way It Is", largely a re-creation of Michael Jackson
's 1983 single "Thriller
", follows, while the album's final track, "Shoot Down", includes a sample from "My World Fell Down", a song performed by Sagittarius
. This sample was earlier used in unreleased live track "Trigger".
from Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, entering the charts at No. 19. "Hotride
", released 1 November 2004 in the United Kingdom, was not eligible to enter the UK charts as the CD was released in extended play
format with 3 additional 'b-sides', and so did not conform to chart regulations. "Spitfire
" was finally released on 4 April 2005 as the album's third and final single. "Memphis Bells", released on June 28, 2004, was exclusively available online as a digital download via a website promoting the album, in a limited edition of 5,000 copies. Each copy was a combination of customer-chosen instrumental, rhythmic, and melodic options, of which 39,600 choices were available. Five mixes were sold in three file formats, WAV
, two audio mixes in MP3
, and a 5.1 DTS surround sound
mix and all were free of Digital rights management
. The experiment was a success, with all copies being sold out in over 36 hours, despite server problems from the demand.
. However, with three singles, the album did not have any major hits worldwide. A limited edition of 5,000 copies of the album was released, sporting a black, inverted cover variant and no other extras. In Japan and the United States, the album contained a reworked version of Girls, entitled "More Girls" which features Maxim Reality
on vocals. It was promoted by a promotional double A-sided 12' vinyl "Girls/Memphis Bells", released in very limited numbers on 21 June 2004, as well as a tour that lasted over 2 years.
However, it wasn't nearly as successful as The Fat of the Land. The album was released to mixed reviews, despite being commercial successful. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 53, based on 23 reviews. Drowned in Sound
, who rated the album "8/10," described the album's overall sound as, "while Howlett may show his age occasionally throughout Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, minus the circus-freak sideshow, all that remains is some very slightly contemporary dance music to get down to." The Observer
also liked the album, but PopMatters
reviewed the album neutrally. In contrast, Pitchfork Media
, as well as Rolling Stone
, Q
, The Guardian
, Allmusic, and several others were more critical, stating that the album sounded like an underdeveloped recording, with Q' s review commenting the album was too unlikely.
, except where noted.
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
group The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2004 under XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
, and in North America on 15 September 2004 by Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
and Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
. It was the last album from the band to be distributed under the labels. Recorded almost entirely using the Propellerhead Reason program, with the mastering being done on Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
, the album contrasts with their previous releases, and features a larger use of vocals than the group's third album, The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records...
(1997). The album title is a play on the name of the Walter Mosely novel Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned is a 1997 crime novel by Walter Mosley. The book follows the trials and travails of an ex-convict Socrates Fortlow who lives in a tough Los Angeles neighbourhood and struggles to stay on the path of righteousness....
.
Despite achieving commercial success upon release, the album is among the band's lowest-sellers. Record labels who distributed Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned dropped The Prodigy after the release of Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005 one year later. The album's singles, with the exception of "Girls
Girls (The Prodigy song)
"Girls" was the fourteenth single released by the British electronic band The Prodigy on 30 August 2004. It was the first single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. "Girls" peaked at number 19 on the British charts....
", failed to reach the Top 40, and the album received mixed reviews upon debut; some critics praising it, many others criticizing it for being "a failed departure from the band's previous albums".
Background
In 1996, The Prodigy rose to fame with "FirestarterFirestarter (song)
"Firestarter" is a song by the English band The Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from their third album The Fat of the Land, and their tenth single. It was also the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks...
", the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records...
, which was released in 1997 and topped several charts, including the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The band ended the tour that promoted the album, taking a break from touring and recording and writing material for their fourth studio album. To coincide with the departure of Leeroy Thornhill
Leeroy Thornhill
Leeroy Thornhill is a British electronic music artist and formerly a rave dancer and live keyboardist of the British rave act The Prodigy. He has produced solo work under the names Longman and Flightcrank. He was born in Barking but raised in Rayne near Braintree in Essex, and grew up as a...
during the period, the band shut down their official website for over two years, with its home page replaced with a logo of the band and the text "We will be back" set against a black background, leading to rumors that the band went on hiatus. The website was relaunched prior to releasing a new single in 2002.
The single released in that year, and one of the songs intended to be featured on the album was "Baby's Got a Temper
Baby's Got a Temper
"Baby's Got a Temper" is a song recorded by English electronica group The Prodigy, released on 1 July 2002. It was the band's first single in five years, following "Smack My Bitch Up" in 1997, and was their second that was not a song from any of their albums...
". Generating controversy upon release for the lyrics by Keith Flint
Keith Flint
Keith Charles Flint is a dancer and vocalist of the British Electronica band The Prodigy.- Early life :Flint was born in Redbridge, London, England, to Clive & Yvonne Flint and initially raised in East London; in the mid-1970s his parents moved out to Springfield, Essex, but due to his parents'...
, which heavily focused on the misuse of the drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
rohypnol, the song was met with mostly negative reviews from critics. Liam Howlett
Liam Howlett
Liam Paris Howlett known as Liam Howlett , is a member of the English band The Prodigy, occasional DJ, and a music producer.-Life and career:...
has since disowned the song. Despite the apparently low popularity, the song reached the Top 5 position of the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
and UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The single was intended to be released as a single from the then-upcoming album. Eventually, the group went through another direction, and the plan to include the song on the album was cancelled. Because the single was a non-album single, in 2008, the band's official website's discography classified it as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Recording
Pre-production was done at Mews Recording Studios, while recording began on September 1998 and ended on April 2004. Unlike their predecessors, which featured contributions from the entire band, with Keith Flint only appearing on the group's third albumThe Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records...
at the time, Liam Howlett recorded the album mostly by himself in similar vein to Experience (1992), using the Propellerhead Reason program installed in his Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
laptop. Moet Mastered, Damian Taylor, and Emily Lazar mastered the album via Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
on the same computer.
Although the production process started in 1998, Howlett disliked the sound of the new album he initially took a break in 2000, in order to "go out with my mates and get drunk
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
." He returned to Essex in 2001 to resume work on the record, but after 6 songs were written, he hired producer Neil Maclellan to the frustration of Howlett himself, moving to a house after four months and then returning to the original studio:
My studioStudioA studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
is crammed with equipment, but I ended up feeling I was being overcome by it all—it was just too much. I used to go to bed every night thinking 'TomorrowPredictionA prediction or forecast is a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge...
, I'm going to write the tune, tomorrow is going to be the day,' but nothing ever happened. Eventually Neil [Maclellan] pointed out that we'd been in the studio for four months without having anything to show for it. [...] NatNatalie AppletonNatalie Jane Appleton Howlett is a Canadian pop singer and actress who rose to fame as a member of the band All Saints. During All Saints' five years of inactivity, she was a member of Appleton with her younger sister Nicole.-Biography:...
[of All SaintsAll Saints (band)All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
] was doing her own record so we weren't spending a lot of time together [upon moving to the house she purchased], but [admist this situation] there were always dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s to stroke and videos to watch and gardenGardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s to walk round, so I didn't ever feel like I was at work—I was too laid-back. [...] Neil [Maclellan] said we had to get out, get back to London. I knew I physically couldn't sit in my room any more, and for the first time in my life I listened to someone else and realised I actually needed help. It wasn't [the decision of] that I needed help with the writing, just that I needed help finding the right headspaceRelocation"Relocation is the process of assigning load addresses to various parts of [a] program and adjusting the code and data in the program to reflect the assigned addresses."...
to get into the right frame of mind. I wanted to write a good album—[which was the] one I was happy with—but to do that I knew I'd have to jerk myself out of situation I was in and start again.
Howlett purchased and brought a laptop, a copy of the Reason program, and selected a "Thermionic Culture Phoenix valve compressor and Culture Vulture distortion unit, a Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
Micro Keyboard, a Manley
Manley
-Places:* Manley, Cheshire, England* Manley, Devon, England* Manley, Minnesota, USA* Manley, Nebraska, USA* Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, USA-People:* Abe Manley, Negro League Baseball owner* Alexandra Christina Manley...
valve EQ and a 1980s Korg MS20 analogue keyboard." He would write the songs in "his bed," and then create them using those equipment. With this move, he is able to shift the direction of the album to that of dance punk. After the recording was finished, Taylor, Mastered and Lazar mixed the album with Pro Tools, completing development on the album.
Of the three members of The Prodigy, only Howlett is present on the album musically. Actress Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
frontmen Liam
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
, Kool Keith
Kool Keith
Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is the self-proclaimed inventor of...
of the Ultramagnetic MCs
Ultramagnetic MCs
The Ultramagnetic MC's is an American hip hop group based in Bronx, New York. Originally founded by Kool Keith, the group is composed of Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as Roadmanager and backup DJ. A former member, Rooney...
, who was previously featured in "Diesel Power", American rapper Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
, Shahin Badar
Shahin Badar
Shahin Badar is a singer and songwriter who is best known in Europe and North America for her vocals on The Prodigy's single Smack My Bitch Up...
, English hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
musician Princess Superstar
Princess Superstar
Princess Superstar is an American emcee and DJ.Her musical style, as she describes it, is flip-flop — a mixture of 'hip hop, electroclash and electronica'.-Background:...
, and The Magnificent Ping Pong Bitches were guest musicians on the album. "This album is about reminding people what The Prodigy was always about—the beats and the music," Howlett wrote in a blog of a fansite after finishing the album. He also notes that his intention was to use vocals mostly as an extension of the sound rather than the main focal point, as was the case in The Fat of the Land.
Composition
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is a shift in style that differs from previous releases. Although it was recorded heavily using Propellerhead Reason, the album features contributions from various musicians.The album opens with "Spitfire
Spitfire (song)
"Spitfire" is the sixteenth single released by the English cross-genre band The Prodigy. It was initially released as a 12" vinyl record on 4 April 2005, as a digital download from iTunes the following day, and as a CD single on 11 April 2005...
", named after and a tribute to the World War II plane of the same name. The song, which featured Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
on backing vocals, was featured in the soundtrack to the 2005 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
House of Wax
House of Wax (2005 film)
House of Wax is a 2005 horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It shares the name of a 1953 horror film, which was a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. It was released in theaters on May 6, 2005 to negative reviews, but a financial success...
. "Girls
Girls (The Prodigy song)
"Girls" was the fourteenth single released by the British electronic band The Prodigy on 30 August 2004. It was the first single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. "Girls" peaked at number 19 on the British charts....
" begins with a sample from "Style of the Street" by Broken Glass
Broken Glass (band)
Broken Glass was a British rock band active in 1975. It was formed by guitarist Stan Webb. The band released one album.-History:Stan Webb was in the blues band Chicken Shack, but decided to form Broken Glass after playing with blues band Savoy Brown. The new band formed with Robbie Blunt on guitar,...
. When the beats and bass enter, its structure changes from that of a industrial hip hop song to excessive distortion
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
and noise. The vocal samples used in this track are from D. Train
D. Train
D. Train was an American R&B duo, who scored several significant hits on both the Billboard Dance and R&B charts during the first half of the 1980s.-Overview:...
song "You're the One for Me". "Memphis Bells" segues from "Girls", and includes Princess Superstar
Princess Superstar
Princess Superstar is an American emcee and DJ.Her musical style, as she describes it, is flip-flop — a mixture of 'hip hop, electroclash and electronica'.-Background:...
on vocals.
Other tracks include elements intrepated unusual for a song from The Prodigy. "Get Up Get Off" features Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
(who co-wrote the song) on lead vocals. "Hotride
Hotride
"Hotride" was the fifteenth single released by the British electronic music trio The Prodigy on 1 November 2004. It was the second single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and did not enter the UK charts as the CD was released in EP format with 3 additional 'B-sides' and so did not...
" (in which its music video was rejected by Howlett after completion) interpolates elements from "Up Up and Away", while "Wake Up Call" was about waking up in the morning and getting "back on tour". "Action Radar"'s beat was influnced by early hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, but Howlett does not metion this, even in the booklet.
"Medusa's Path" was inspired by "[Damian] Taylor's parents'" trip to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. This song is a 6-minute long instrumental that shares elements from "Elahaye Naz", and samples a remix of a Jaydee
Jaydee
Jaydee is a Dutch/Italian house music producer and DJ duo. The original name was Jei D, which Robin Albers changed to JayDee, after teaming up with Joseph D. a DJ and dance music producer from Rome Italy...
song titled "Plastic Dreams
Plastic Dreams
"Plastic Dreams" is a 1992 song recorded by dance music producers Jaydee. It was the artist's debut single and remains generally considered to be one of the classics of the house music genre...
". What Howlett called an "analogue shit" was the synthesizer that was used for "Phoenix". When "Medusa's Path" segues to this track, the synthesizer enters. The song is accompanied by a repeating sample of the Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
song "Love Buzz". Following the track is "You'll Be Under My Wheels" (Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
middlingly compared it to a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
advertisement). The song is the second time Kool Keith collabrated with the band, though his only lyrics are "I rock, I roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
." "You'll Be Under My Wheels" would be later used for the soundtrack to the 2005 racing video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. The game features street racing-oriented game play, with certain customization options from the Need for Speed: Underground series...
. "The Way It Is", largely a re-creation of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's 1983 single "Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
", follows, while the album's final track, "Shoot Down", includes a sample from "My World Fell Down", a song performed by Sagittarius
Sagittarius (band)
Sagittarius was an American late 1960s studio group, devised by the record producer and songwriter, Gary Usher.-History:Usher had been involved with music as a songwriter since the early 1960s , and soon branched out into production work...
. This sample was earlier used in unreleased live track "Trigger".
Promotion
"Girls" was released on 30 August 2004 as the lead singleLead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, entering the charts at No. 19. "Hotride
Hotride
"Hotride" was the fifteenth single released by the British electronic music trio The Prodigy on 1 November 2004. It was the second single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and did not enter the UK charts as the CD was released in EP format with 3 additional 'B-sides' and so did not...
", released 1 November 2004 in the United Kingdom, was not eligible to enter the UK charts as the CD was released in extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
format with 3 additional 'b-sides', and so did not conform to chart regulations. "Spitfire
Spitfire (song)
"Spitfire" is the sixteenth single released by the English cross-genre band The Prodigy. It was initially released as a 12" vinyl record on 4 April 2005, as a digital download from iTunes the following day, and as a CD single on 11 April 2005...
" was finally released on 4 April 2005 as the album's third and final single. "Memphis Bells", released on June 28, 2004, was exclusively available online as a digital download via a website promoting the album, in a limited edition of 5,000 copies. Each copy was a combination of customer-chosen instrumental, rhythmic, and melodic options, of which 39,600 choices were available. Five mixes were sold in three file formats, WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
, two audio mixes in MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, and a 5.1 DTS surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
mix and all were free of Digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
. The experiment was a success, with all copies being sold out in over 36 hours, despite server problems from the demand.
Release and reception
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned debuted at the top spot on the UK album charts in its first week, and performed well in Australia, reaching the Top 5 spot of the ARIA Album ChartARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. However, with three singles, the album did not have any major hits worldwide. A limited edition of 5,000 copies of the album was released, sporting a black, inverted cover variant and no other extras. In Japan and the United States, the album contained a reworked version of Girls, entitled "More Girls" which features Maxim Reality
Maxim Reality
Keith Andrew Palmer , known by his stage name Maxim Reality or simply Maxim, is an English singer-songwriter and MC, famous for his work with electronica band The Prodigy....
on vocals. It was promoted by a promotional double A-sided 12' vinyl "Girls/Memphis Bells", released in very limited numbers on 21 June 2004, as well as a tour that lasted over 2 years.
However, it wasn't nearly as successful as The Fat of the Land. The album was released to mixed reviews, despite being commercial successful. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 53, based on 23 reviews. Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
, who rated the album "8/10," described the album's overall sound as, "while Howlett may show his age occasionally throughout Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, minus the circus-freak sideshow, all that remains is some very slightly contemporary dance music to get down to." The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
also liked the album, but PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
reviewed the album neutrally. In contrast, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, as well as Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Allmusic, and several others were more critical, stating that the album sounded like an underdeveloped recording, with Q
Track listing
All songs written by Liam HowlettLiam Howlett
Liam Paris Howlett known as Liam Howlett , is a member of the English band The Prodigy, occasional DJ, and a music producer.-Life and career:...
, except where noted.
- "SpitfireSpitfire (song)"Spitfire" is the sixteenth single released by the English cross-genre band The Prodigy. It was initially released as a 12" vinyl record on 4 April 2005, as a digital download from iTunes the following day, and as a CD single on 11 April 2005...
" – 5:07 - "GirlsGirls (The Prodigy song)"Girls" was the fourteenth single released by the British electronic band The Prodigy on 30 August 2004. It was the first single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. "Girls" peaked at number 19 on the British charts....
" – 4:06 - "Memphis Bells" (Howlett/Neil Maclellan) – 4:28
- "Get Up Get Off" – 4:19
- "HotrideHotride"Hotride" was the fifteenth single released by the British electronic music trio The Prodigy on 1 November 2004. It was the second single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and did not enter the UK charts as the CD was released in EP format with 3 additional 'B-sides' and so did not...
" – 4:35 - "Wake Up Call" – 4:55
- "Action Radar" – 5:32
- "Medusa's Path" (Howlett/Maclellan) – 6:08
- "Phoenix" – 4:38
- "You'll Be Under My Wheels" (Howlett/Maclellan) – 3:56
- "The Way It Is" – 5:45
- "Shoot Down" (Howlett/Maclellan) – 4:28
- "More Girls" – 4:27 (Japanese release bonus track)
Personnel
- Liam HowlettLiam HowlettLiam Paris Howlett known as Liam Howlett , is a member of the English band The Prodigy, occasional DJ, and a music producer.-Life and career:...
– producer, programming, keyboards, mixing - Neil McLellanNeil McLellanNeil McLellan is a producer and programmer. Neil McLellan currently works in New York City as the creative director of a family of an international, multi-service production facility - The Lodge, The Station, and The Diner...
– engineer, additional programming, mixing - Damian TaylorDamian TaylorDamian Taylor is a Grammy-nominated music producer born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and currently residing in Montreal in Canada. Taylor's experience also includes audio mixer, audio engineer, composer, programmer, performer, editor and software designer....
– Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
engineer - Matt Robertson – additional programming, "stab creation" on "SpitfireSpitfire (song)"Spitfire" is the sixteenth single released by the English cross-genre band The Prodigy. It was initially released as a 12" vinyl record on 4 April 2005, as a digital download from iTunes the following day, and as a CD single on 11 April 2005...
", "recreation work" on "The Way It Is" - Mike Horner – guitars
- Kool KeithKool KeithKeith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is the self-proclaimed inventor of...
– additional vocals - Juliette LewisJuliette LewisJuliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
– additional vocals - Hanna Robinson – additional vocals
- Louise Boone – additional vocals
- Liam GallagherLiam GallagherWilliam John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
– vocals on "Shot Down" - Princess SuperstarPrincess SuperstarPrincess Superstar is an American emcee and DJ.Her musical style, as she describes it, is flip-flop — a mixture of 'hip hop, electroclash and electronica'.-Background:...
– vocals on "Memphis Bells" - TwistaTwistaCarl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
and Shahin BadarShahin BadarShahin Badar is a singer and songwriter who is best known in Europe and North America for her vocals on The Prodigy's single Smack My Bitch Up...
– vocals on "Get Up Get Off" - David Penmberton – additional production on "Get Up Get Off"
- Scott Donaldson – guitars on "HotrideHotride"Hotride" was the fifteenth single released by the British electronic music trio The Prodigy on 1 November 2004. It was the second single from the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and did not enter the UK charts as the CD was released in EP format with 3 additional 'B-sides' and so did not...
" - Jim HuntJim HuntJames Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
– flute on "Wake Up Call" - Paul "Dirtcandy" Jackson – vocals on "Action Radar"
- Jim Davies – guitars on "You'll Be Under My Wheels"
- Rinse – "recreation work" on "The Way It Is"
- Jan "Stan" Kybert – additional production on "Shoot Down"
- Moet Mastered and Emily Lazar – mastering
- House & Cook – artwork
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
62 |
| Australia | 5 |
| Austria | 8 |
| Japan | 6 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Norway | 5 |
| Sweden | 34 |
| Poland | 12 |