Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 03/24/1998
Really, the title says it all --
Decksanddrumsandrockandroll is about as close to
rock & roll as big-beat
techno is going to get. Taking their cue from
the Chemical Brothers, the Bath-based duo
Propellerheads offer a set of pummeling, ultra-loud beats that may dabble in
funk,
house,
hip-hop,
soul, and
rap, but which all come out sounding as aggressive as
rock. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- at its best, big beat is as invigorating as any other music -- but
Propellerheads don't have the finesse, innovation, or style of
the Chemical Brothers, the leading proponents of big beat. When they shake the beat up, whether on the wah-wah-drenched
"Velvet Pants" or the pair of
John Barry/
James Bond tributes (a reworking of their cover of
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and
"History Repeating"), it sounds like a tactical move, since they know they can't spend the entire album on thundering dance cuts like
"Bang On!" and
"Take California." That said,
Decksanddrumsandrockandroll remains a strong big beat album, even if it ultimately doesn't reveal anything new, because the duo knows how to craft a hard-hitting, infectious rhythm track. And while that doesn't make them the next
Chemical Brothers, it does make them the best in this style since
the Chemicals.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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