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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZPRODIGYUK alternative dance/rock phenomenon. The band which linked the underground rave scene of southern England in the early '90s with the world-wide explosion of dance crossover music in the late '90s began in the bedroom of keyboard player, programmer and songwriter Liam Howlett (b c'72). A classically- trained pianist and hip-hop fanatic who took his first step to fame in a band called Cut to Kill, Howlett produced a home- recorded demo cassette entirely by himself, from which four tracks were lifted to become Prodigy's first single, 'What Evil Lurks' '91 on vinyl only, selling a modest 7,000 copies but establishing Prodigy on the club/party circuit. The follow-up 'Charly' same year was a no. 3 UK hit, propelling both Prodigy and the music of the rave generation itself into mainstream consciousness. But whereas most dance/rave acts of this era were faceless, DJ/producer/backroom types, Howlett was committed to turning Prodigy into a must-see live attraction. Thus, while he continued to write and record virtually everything the band released, Howlett recruited an eye-catching crew of dancers and MCs to bring the music to life on stage. They were Keith Flint (b c'70), Maxim Reality (b c'67) and Leeroy Thornhill (b c'71). 'What we do is the music unleashed,' Thornhill explained, referring to Liam Gallagher of the guitar- band Oasis: 'When Liam's busy writing tunes, I'm at home thinking ''How can I fuck with people's heads?''' Debut album Experience '92 peaked at UK no. 12, further broadening their fan base, and paving the way for top ten singles including 'Wind It Up', 'One Love' and 'No Good (Start The Dance)' '93-- 4. Second album Music For The Jilted Generation '94 was a masterful collection of anti-establishment anthems and in-your- face beats which topped the UK chart and was short-listed for that year's Mercury Music Prize. But the best was still to come: single 'Firestarter' '96 was the first Prodigy record to feature the demonic Flint on vocals; thanks to a video full of subterranean menace, Flint's much-pierced face and devil's haircut became a household image, reviving talk of a generation gap in pop. It was a massive UK no. 1 hit and also took off in America, where it reached the top 30. Follow-up 'Breathe' '96 was an even bigger hit, again topping the UK chart, and expectations had reached phenomenal extremes by the time the third album The Fat Of The Land '97 was released. A coarse and at times gratuitously offensive collection, the album was an exhilarating concoction of pounding, machine-generated beats and ingeniously syncopated electronic tunes and went straight into both the UK and US charts at no. 1, confirming Howlett's status as an uncompromising innovator and Prodigy as a world- class act. |