Xl レコード& CD

Review: Astonishingly, a quarter of a century has now passed since The Prodigy released The Fat of the Land, the inspired rock-rave fusion opus that helped rocket the Essex combo towards superstardom and converted a whole generation of spotty indie kids to the joys of rambunctious rave music. It's certainly worthy of this limited-edition anniversary pressing, which comes on eye-catching silver-coloured vinyl. Of course, we all know the smash hits - the bustling, acid-flecked roll of 'Smack My Bitch Up', ultra-heavy 'Firestarter' and funky, low-slung 'Breathe' - but the set's lesser-celebrated moments, such as hip-hop jam 'Diesel Power', Meat Beat Manifesto-esque 'Serial Thrilla' and punky 'Fuel My Fire' have aged equally as well.

Review: When The Prodigy's The Fat of The Land first appeared back in 1997, it captured the mood of the times. By blending the psychedelic obsession of the Chemical Brothers and the rock-obsessed rhythms of big beat with their usual rave-influenced nastiness, Liam Howlett and company blew the competition out of the water. Almost overnight, they became international dance music's most in-demand live act. 15 years on, the album's lost none of its sparkle. This celebratory edition presents the remastered album in full, alongside a sextet of remixes. While they don't all hit the mark, Major Lazer and Noisia's booming reworks of "Smack My Bitch Up" are pretty darn tasty.