Track Listing

1. Spitfire
2. Girls Feat. The Ping Pong Bitches
3. Memphis Bells Feat. Princess Superstar
4. Get Up Get Off
5. Hot Ride Feat. Juliette Lewis
6. Wake Up Call Feat. Kool Keith
7. Action Radar
8. Medusa's Path
9. Phoenix
10. You'll Be Under My Wheels
11. The Way It Is
12. Shoot Down-Feat. Liam Gallagher (Vocals) & Noel Gallagher (Bass Guitar)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5523 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.co.uk Review
Masters of reinvention, rave stalwarts The Prodigy have undergone another remarkable facelift for their fourth album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. For band leader Liam Howlett, this mutation was less about ambitious experimentation and more the result of crucial damage control: the band's disastrous 2002 comeback campaign, spearheaded by "Baby's Got a Temper" found the band stagnant and on the verge of self-parody. Howlett's response was to scrap the sessions, hunker down with a laptop and hammer out an album that held spontaneity as a virtue. And while the old touchstones--the propulsive breakbeats of old-skool hip-hop, the brooding menace of punk-rock and acid-house--are all here sporting a fresh chrome gleam, here they're joined by new influences: everything from crunk hip-hop to Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" bubbles beneath the surface of "Girls". Maxim and Keith Flint are absent, replaced by a bizarre roll call of stars--Liam Gallagher, Juliette Lewis, Twista--and obscurities… anyone remember the Ping Pong Bitches? Not that it matters: this is Howlett's album, and whether he's rewiring Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz" as Middle Eastern-tinged acid techno on "Phoenix" or clashing with Kool Keith on "Wake Up Call", he sounds back on top of his game. --Louis Pattison

CD Description
'Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned' follows The Prodigy's hugely successful 1997 release, 'The Fat Of The Land'. Stripping back the rock sound of the previous album and ditching the vocal talents of Maxim and Keith Flint, Liam Howlett goes back to basics mixing dirty electro, hip hop, and nu-school breaks. Guest vocals come from actress Juliette Lewis, legendary rapper Kool Keith, and also Oasis' Gallagher brothersto name but a few.

Customer Reviews

You'll love it or hate it, but please try it!
I think, based on the different reviews that are on here, that this is an album you either really like, or really dislike.
It follows on from the Fat of The Land in the same way that the other Prodigy albums follow on from each other - by being different.
I remember the first time I heard Jilted Generation, after listening to Experience, and I thought 'Wow... different'
I got the same thing the first time I listened to AONO.
When the first track (Spitfire) hits, somethings feels familiar but the tone is different. In fact, the first 5 or so tracks have a familiar speed and rhythm about them, but the album is certainly a new style.
The thing that strikes me straight away is the 80's influence that tinges the album, including the use of drum samples that sound like they came from some of the early drum synths. Don't be put off though, this builds a theme and substance below the album and on tracks like Girls it really makes a good track great.
I thought it was odd when I heard an interview with Liam that he said that "You'll be under my wheels" was a filler track that he didn't really like. I think this is one of the gems on the album with its stop start action and hard hitting bass.
I have a feeling that the people who won't like this album are the people who wanted to hear Keith shouting and snorting on more tracks than he did on Fat. Personally I felt this was a poor direction for Prodigy and although it brought in a lot of new fans I think they liked the punkiness more than the electronic side of things. This album sounds like the Prodigy have taken a sidestep and taken the good bits from Fat and Jilted and put them together.
Certainly the album of the month, if not year.

Never Ever Outgunned
As with 'Fat of The Land', my expectations were high. After 7 years (give the guy some credit, he's had a kid and re-wrote this album only 2 years ago!) this electronic monster hits the shelf. 'Girls' was the obvious 'promotion single' which does mean that you may be disappointed at many tracks if you especiallyenjoy - and wish for more of - the 80's-esque, trashy, upbeat electro sound of this. The 'Spitfire' vocals are a kick in the teeth setting a gritty opener to the album, 'You'll Be Under My Wheels' (a re-work of their 'Extasy of Violence' Jilted Generation days track) is brilliantly spontaneous, as are 'Shoot Down' (featuring Liam Gallagher - not Oasis-esque vocals, fret not!) and 'The Way It Is'(another of the upbeat electronic monsters, though quite a formulaic sound on this album).
As fantastic as some of these tracks are though, you can't help but notice any lack of inspiration on tracks such as 'Action Radar', 'Phoenix' and 'Get Up Get Off' (purely a vocal-lead track), much of which seem repetitious. However, there is filler but there is also floor-filler, the latter of which makes this one of the best - and most surprising and enjoyable- releases this year!
(The absense of Keith and Maxim does NOT affect the quality of the tracks - the featured vocalists here provide much more flexibility within the music, and many of the guests tend to replicate the trademark Flint growls and smooth style of Maxim anyway.)

Jilted Experience or Land of the Fat?
I was surprised to get hold of a promo version of this album as I thought that Baby's got a temper had finished off The Prodigy. Coming from an Breakbeat/Electronica slant, The Prodigy are one of the biggest bands of the genre along with the outstanding Leftfield, Orbital and the Chem Bros so I was full of anticipation. I actually felt slightly let down by The Fat of The Land as Liam (lets be honest the others are/were just window dressing), had tried to embrace rock with limited success and created a very good if not outstanding album. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine album but it does not live up to Music for the Jilted Generation which is probably one of the best 10 albums ever released.

Liam has acknowledged this with Always Outnumbered by taking a backwards step. On tracks such as You will be Under my Wheels, Memphis Bells, Medusa's Path we step back 10 years to Jilted Generation. Girls is basically 80's Hip-Hop/Breakbeat Liam-style and you can easily imagine how happy he is with this as he makes no secret of his love for the Ultramagnetic MCs and music of that genre.

Fat followers will still be kept happy with the fantastic Spitfire and also good Hot Ride, Get Up Get Off and Wake Up Call. I'm not a big fan of Action Radar though as its too far in the goth/punk/tramp-rock with bands like The Libertines/Hives etc.

The last two tracks are a little bit different, The Way It is the one with the recreated Thriller bass-riff and it works but does feel a little empty (it does have a twinge of Skylined in it but unfortunately not the power or hook). The last track must be a mistake as I don't think you can get a more Chemical Brothers sound without being them. It even starts off with a similar riff to 'My Little Eye' and uses the Gallaghers in an identical way to the Chems. Not bad though. Am I he only one who doesn't think Memphis Bells sounds very Orbital?

To summarise then, well its good, very good. Not quite as rounded as Jilted Generation or Experience but much more appealing to a wider audience than Fat of the Land. I just wish it was 1993 again :-)

PS:I'd be surprised if Spitfire doesn't make it as a single