The Fat of the Land
Encyclopedia
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
. The album title comes from the old English phrase 'living off the fat of the land', which means 'living well' or being wealthy.
of Soundgarden
and later Pearl Jam
, who is falsely credited as "Mark" in the liner notes, is also understood to have contributed samples to the album, though it is not clear where.
chart. The album has since gone double platinum, selling over 2 million copies in the U.S. In 1999, the album entered the Guinness World Records
as the fastest-selling UK album and was also nominated for a Grammy Award
.
It has been featured in a number of music publication lists:
The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. The album was also nominated for the 1997 Mercury Music Prize.
In 2004, KISS
co-founder Gene Simmons
covered "Firestarter" on his second solo album, Asshole
.
The album also caused some controversy. The National Organization for Women
objected to the seeming misogyny
of "Smack My Bitch Up", though the band maintains that its true interpretation is "doing anything intensely".
Additional musicians
Other personnel
Singles
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 by 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...
on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by 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:...
. The album title comes from the old English phrase 'living off the fat of the land', which means 'living well' or being wealthy.
Composition
Samples are used on a majority of tracks on the album (see the Samples section for more details). Matt CameronMatt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
of Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and later Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, who is falsely credited as "Mark" in the liner notes, is also understood to have contributed samples to the album, though it is not clear where.
Reception
The Fat of the Land has received critical acclaim, with many Prodigy fans considering it their best album. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 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...
chart. The album has since gone double platinum, selling over 2 million copies in the U.S. In 1999, the album entered the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the fastest-selling UK album and was also nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
It has been featured in a number of music publication lists:
- In 1998, Q magazineQ (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...
readers voted The Fat of the Land the ninth greatest album of all time. - In 2000 Q placed it at number 47 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. It has also been ranked number 43 in Q
' s "Best 50 Albums of Qs Lifetime" list, and was included in their "90 Best Albums of the 1990s" and "50 Best Albums of 1997" lists. - Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling 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...
included in their "Essential Recordings of the 90s" list. - SpinSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
ranked it number 20 on their list of the "Top 20 Albums of the Year [1997]" list. - Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
ranked it number 13 on their list of "Albums of the Year" for 1997 and number 29 in their 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll. - NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
ranked it number 17 in their 1997 Critics' Poll.
The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
. The album was also nominated for the 1997 Mercury Music Prize.
In 2004, KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
co-founder Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
covered "Firestarter" on his second solo album, Asshole
Asshole (album)
Asshole is the second solo album release by Kiss member, Gene Simmons. It was released in 2004 on Sanctuary Records. Due to its controversial allusion to a portion of human anatomy, the album's title does not appear on the front cover of the album...
.
The album also caused some controversy. The National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
objected to the seeming misogyny
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
of "Smack My Bitch Up", though the band maintains that its true interpretation is "doing anything intensely".
Track listing
Personnel
The Prodigy- Keith FlintKeith FlintKeith 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'...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - 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:...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Maxim RealityMaxim RealityKeith 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....
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Additional musicians
- 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 ("Smack My Bitch Up") - Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Jim Davies – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- 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...
– vocals ("Smack My Bitch Up", "Diesel Power") - Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
– vocals ("Narayan") - Tom MorelloTom MorelloThomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
– guitar ("No Man Army")
Other personnel
- Christian Ammann – photography
- Jake Holloway – illustrations
- Alex Jenkins – art direction, design, photography
- Neil McLellan – engineer
- Pat Pope – photography
- Alex Scaglia – photography
- Lou Smith – photography
- Terry Whittaker – photography
- Konrad Wothe – photography
Samples
- The main vocal sample from "Smack My Bitch Up" is taken from "Give the Drummer Some" by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCsUltramagnetic MCsThe 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...
. Thus, The Prodigy invited group member 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...
, who raps the portion sampled by the Prodigy in the original track, to do the lyrics and vocals for another track, "Diesel Power". The track also features a looped sample of the bassline and drums from the beginning of "In Memory Of" by jazz musician Randy WestonRandy WestonRandy Weston , is an American jazz pianist and composer, of Jamaican parentage.-Biography:Weston studied classical piano as a child. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he ran a restaurant that was frequented by many of the leading bebop musicians...
and a sped-up riff from "Funky Man" by American funk group Kool and the Gang; both of these samples remain uncredited on the album.
- "Breathe" samples sound effects from American hip hop group the Wu-Tang ClanWu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
's music video for their single "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'".
- Three credited samples are present on "Funky Shit": the main vocal sample which gives the song its title is sampled from "Root Down" by American hip hop group the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, the horn riff that appears throughout the song is sampled from "Theme from "S.W.A.T."" by American disco-funk group Rhythm HeritageRhythm HeritageRhythm Heritage was a 1970s American disco-funk band, best known for their 1976 US #1 single "Theme from "S.W.A.T.". It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 1976...
, and the "Break!" vocal is sampled from "2, 3, Break" by American hip hop duo the B-Boys.
- "Serial Thrilla" features a sample of a riff from "Selling Jesus" by English rock band Skunk AnansieSkunk AnansieSkunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
.
- The main riff on "Mindfields" is sampled from English composer John BarryJohn Barry (composer)John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
's "Hip's Trip", from the 1974 film The Man with the Golden GunThe Man with the Golden Gun (film)The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
.
- "Climbatize" samples a horn riff from "The Horn Track" by Egyptian Empire, the stage name of electronic musician Tim Taylor. The main drum loop was sampled from "Air Drums from Outer Bongolia" by English electronic duo The Jedi KnightsGlobal CommunicationGlobal Communication is an electronic music act, composed of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. Their debut LP, 76:14 is one of the most acclaimed albums from the ambient music genre and from 1990s electronic music in general....
; 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:...
sampled the drums without the group's permission, and The Jedi Knights threatened to sue The Prodigy. However, Howlett already knew that The Jedi Knights themselves had sampled the drums from an older track entitled "Bongolia" by American funk group Incredible Bongo BandIncredible Bongo BandThe Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive at MGM Records. Viner was called on to supplement the soundtrack to the virtually anonymous B film The Thing With Two Heads. The...
without permission; XL RecordingsXL RecordingsXL 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...
, the Prodigy's record label, bought the rights to the Incredible Bongo Band track and threatened to sue The Jedi Knights. The media coverage cornered around the event attracted film producer George LucasGeorge LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
, who sued The Jedi Knights for taking their stage name from the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
term "Jedi KnightJediThe Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
", which Lucas created.
- "Firestarter" samples a guitar riff from "SOS" by American rock group The BreedersThe BreedersThe Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
, and the "Hey!" vocal from "Close (To the Edit)Close (to the Edit)"Close " was a single by Art of Noise, released on various formats in May 1984. It was closely related to their earlier single "Beat Box", though the two tracks were developed as separate pieces from an early stage....
" by English dance group Art of Noise (the vocal was also previously used by the band in "Full Throttle" on Music for the Jilted GenerationMusic for the Jilted GenerationMusic for the Jilted Generation is the second album by English electronic dance music band The Prodigy. The album was released through XL Recordings in July 1994...
). The drums on the song are sampled from a track on the Time + Space Recordings drum recording album Jungle Warfare, Vol. 1; another Time + Space Recordings album track was sampled on The Prodigy's previous single, "One LoveOne Love (The Prodigy song)"One Love" is a single released by the British electronic act The Prodigy on 4 October 1993. It was the first single from the album Music For the Jilted Generation, and their sixth single.The ring on the cover is made by 'Stussy' and is solid silver...
".
Sales chart positions
Album| Chart (1997) | 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 |
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA 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... |
1 |
| Finnish Charts | 1 |
| U.S. 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... |
1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Swedish Albums top 60 Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Firestarter" | UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| 1996 | "Breathe" | UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| 1996 | "Firestarter" | Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 22 |
| 1996 | "Breathe" | Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 2 |
| 1997 | "Smack My Bitch Up" | UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| 1997 | "Smack My Bitch Up" | Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 41 |
| 1997 | "Smack My Bitch Up" | Canadian Singles Chart | 12 |
| 1997 | "Firestarter" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
| 1997 | "Firestarter" | U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 11 |
| 1997 | "Firestarter" | U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 24 |
| 1997 | "Breathe" | U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 1997 | "Smack My Bitch Up" | U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 19 |
| 1998 | "Smack My Bitch Up" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 89 |
Appearances in other media
- "Mindfields" appeared on the soundtrack of the film The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
- "Smack My Bitch Up" has appeared in films Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels (film)Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
, Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 parody film. It is the second film of the Scary Movie franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movies tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied"....
and CloserCloser (film)Closer is a 2004 romantic drama film written by Patrick Marber, based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name. It was produced and directed by Mike Nichols and stars Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen...
. "Firestarter" and "Breathe" are both featured in the second instalment of Charlie's Angels. It also had an appearance in the show "Chuck" Season 2 and "Misfits" Season 1. - "Funky Shit" appeared in the trailers for the film Event HorizonEvent Horizon (film)Event Horizon is a 1997 science fantasy horror film. The screenplay was written by Philip Eisner and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill...
and also played over the end credits - Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
, who contributed lyrically to the track "Narayan", later adapted "Narayan" and elements of "Climbatize" for his own band'sKula ShakerKula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
2007 album, StrangefolkStrangefolk (album)Strangefolk is the third album by Kula Shaker, the first album since the band reformed. The album has received mixed reviews since its release...
as "Song of Love/Narayana". - "Climbatize" appeared in the pilot of the TV show "Harsh RealmHarsh RealmHarsh Realm is a science fiction television series about humans trapped inside a virtual reality simulation. It was developed by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files and Millennium, and began airing on the Fox Network on October 8, 1999. The series fared poorly in the ratings and was removed from...
", also appeared in the trailer for Lara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success...
.