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Rating: What a great decade the '90s were! I realize that many of the bands I loved most (and have reviewed) have roots precisely in those mythical 10 pre-millennium years, and Leftfield shine among them like few others...
I don’t know how long I have been waiting in vain for a new "ear-splitting" album from them (and I don’t think I’m the only one), but better few and good as they say, although I don't believe anything terrible could ever come from these two Brits.
Paul Daley (previously a member of A Man Called Adam and then the Brand New Heavies) and Neil Barnes masterfully blend the soul of the early American House scene with the burgeoning techno trend of the '90s to create wonderful IDM sounds...
Their first album Leftism remains a milestone in the genre, but this Rhythm and Stealth is more than a worthy successor... a fusion of club/dance and progressive/house that keeps you glued from start to finish, one of those albums worth every cent spent on it, a real gem for devotees and a great discovery for newcomers... very catchy and stylish like every production of theirs.
The choice of tracks is very varied, starting with the "rap-infused" Dusted which opens the journey moving on to the pounding and driving rhythm of Phat Planet to reach the "song of a poor man" which in turn slows down the previous rush and expands the spaces...
Double Flash quietly picks up the dance trot while El Cid is a stunning downtempo that melts the soul as if it were wax, but we are only halfway through the CD and already with our souls lost in an ethereal limbo.
It’s the turn of Africa Shoxx, the album's single which was also made into a stunning video, where Africa clashes with "the West", where melody and lyrics live in perfect symbiosis bringing the listener to the opening of Dub Gussett, a track that literally makes the brain travel backward...
There is still time for Swords, another gem of the album, a track for which, I believe, the title already suggests everything ;), 6/8 War which proceeds like an amphetamine-fueled limp and Rino's Prayer which concludes this epic album.
I assure you that a small reference was necessary for every single track of this magnificent CD characterized by great originality and strong personality; a "must-have" that needs to be listened to and listened to again... then when you really can’t get enough, you’ll go looking for everything about them online (I strongly recommend the two Essential Mix, one from '94, one from 2000, relating respectively to Leftism and Rhythm and Stealth, plus the live Breezeblock ;)... Byez!
P.S: the rating is 4+/5
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Dusted (04:43)
LOVE OF SELF I POSSESS
THRU LIFE 2 DEATH
YIGGY YAR YESOME
IT'S DA UPFRONT FRESH
MY LEVE IS SELDOM SEEN
FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
THEM FOOLS THEY COULDN'T
DOUSE MY KEEN
LEAN 2 DA MEAN
THOROUGH BREAD
PICKYHEAD
STRAPPED IN A BRASS TRAP DOWN I GET
SUNSET TO SUNSET
WE DON'T SWEAT YET
COOL WE DON'T FRET
WHILE THE DUBS DEM HOLD WE
I'M PICKY WITH PERCISION
NOW DEATH IT'S SELF
CAN'T HOLD THIS DOWN
COZ THE SEEDS OF PROGRESS
THEM DONE GET SOW
MY TUFF BACK
BROKE THE CANE IN FOUR
FACE FLAT TO THE FLOOR
BUT I FOUND THE STRENGTH
TO COMMERENCE WITH A BRAND NEW
SENSE OF SELF
EUROZULU COMING THROUGH
TOKYO TRAIN STYLE HIPPER 2 DA
COUP
DOWN LIKE DIRT MAN WE
DUSTED (GET UP)
NUFF OF DEM AH QUESTION MY
REBELITE FLEX
BUT I WON'T WASTE MY TIME
I LET ACTION SPEAK
ALTHOUGH THIS FEAT STANDS
TALLER THAN THE PEAK
OF EVEREST
I VISUALISE EMBRACE
THE PROGRESS
CHIN HIGH PUFF CHEST
I STEP RIGHT TO IT
THE CHOICE IS THERE AIN'T NO CHOICE
BUT TO PURSUE
SOUL ON THE MIND
MIND ON THE SOUL
MY STUGGLE REMAIN
BUT MY INSIGHT REMAIN
BUT MY INSIGHT GROW
MOVMENT TIGHT PLANET WIDE
GAINING NUFF GIRTH
GAINING NUFF GROUND
MOVEMENT TIGHT PLANET WIDE FLIGHT
INNER SIGHT SET 2 STEP TO THE
HEIGHT
LEFT OF THE FIELD NOW LOOKING GOOD
WED TO THIS WAYWARD BOUNCE
I PROUD PRONOUNCE
I STOOD FAST
STUCK IN MY WAY
I HEED NOT NO HEARSAY
I PUT MY TRUST IN MY OWN
PERCEPTIONS OF KNOWLEDGE OF SELF.
02 Phat Planet (05:25)
(instrumental intro)
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
(instrumental)
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
(instrumental)
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
(instrumental)
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
phat
planet
(instrumental)
phat planet
(instrumental)
phat planet
(instrumental)
phat planet
(instrumental ending)
03 Chant of a Poor Man (05:57)
EARTH, WHAT A SUFFERATION, YEAH, SUFFERER. I WOULD RATHER LIVE MY LIFE AS A POOR MAN, THAN TO LIVE INNA CORRUPTION, FROM WHEN ME BORN ME GROW IN SUFFERATION, A POVERTY DON'T NO, NO COMPLEXTION, INNA THE GHETTO ITS THE SAME SITUATION, DOG A EAT DOG SO YOU CAN'T TRUST NO-ONE, INFORMER THEM A GATHER INFORMATION, PUT A NEXT MAN ME SEH DOWN INNA DETENTION. VICIOUS, BOOM SOUND. A THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN, THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN, ME HOLLA RISE UP, FACE THE ENEMY SHOW DEM WE SOLID, AN WE READY, RISE UP FACE THE ENEMY, SOLID AS A ROCK AN YOU KNOW SEH WE READY, IT IS THE TIME THAT YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO FIGHT, WE HAVE TOO STAND UP AND DEAL WITH THEM RIGHT, IT IS THE TIME THAT YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO FIGHT, WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DEAL WITH THEM RIGHT. THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN. THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN. ROUGHOUSE, WATCH THIS, WELL ALRIGHT. JUS WARMING IN MAN, SELECTOR, DO IT. FORM A CIRCLE, LIGHT THE CHALICE, MEK WE CALL THE RASTA MAN, MEK WE BEAT THE BINGI DRUM, MEK WE CHANT DOWN BABYLON, IT'S JUS NATURAL, YOU KNOW TUE HERB INNA ME LIFE ME BURN ITAL, ME NO WANT NO SEED, NO STALK, A ME NO BURN NO PETAL, IT'S JUS THE BUDS ON THE HERB, TO WHICH ME PARTIAL, BURN IT BY THE KEY AND BY THE OUNCE COR ME A GENERAL, LICK IT INNA ME PIPE, WE WIN ANY BATTLE, BATTLE, BATTLE, BATTLE. IT IS TUE TIME THAT YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO FIGHT, WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DEAL WITH THE RIGHT IT ID TUE TIME THAT YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO FIGHT WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DEAL WITH THEM RIGHT. A THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN, HELP ME OU FARTHER WITH YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM, THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN. HELP ME FARTHER GIVE ME YOUR PROTECTION, THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN, HELP ME OU FARTHER WITH YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM, THIS IS A CHANT OF A POOR MAN. WELL ME BAUL AN SING, ALL SUFFERERS, A NATURAL MYSTICAL, EARTH FORCE, CONTINUATION, MUSIC WILL NEVER CEASE, ALL SUFFERERS.
06 Afrika Shox (05:38)
AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
FEEL THE RHYTHM OF THE AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEW AGE
THEY ARE SETTING THE STAGE
FOR THE RENEGADES
TO CONTROL YOUR MIND
THEY PLANNED IT YESTERDAY
FFFFFFF-FREE
ZULU NATION HERE TO STAY
LETS GET ELECROFIED
PUMP IT, ROCKIN' IT, STICKIN' IT, FUNKIN IT AFRIKA
PUMP IT, ROCKIN' IT, STICKIN' IT, FUNKIN' IT ZULU NATION
Z-U-L-U THAT'S THE WAY WE SAY ZULU
Z-U-L-U THAT'S THE WAY WE SAY ZULU
ZULU NATION
CITIES OF ANGELS
AFRIKA BAMAAAAAATAAAA ZULU NATION
ELECTRO FUNK, ELECTRO FUNK, ELECTRO FUNK FUTURE SHOCK
WEEE WANT YOUR FUNK - AFRIKA
WE WANT YOUR FUNK
LET'S GET ELECTROFIED
THE WORLD IS ON FIRE, CAN I TAKE YOU HIGHER
THE WORLD IS ON FIRE
ZULU NATION
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUTURE
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUTURE
ELECTRO GET GOING AND THE FUNK DON'T STOP
TIME TO CLEAR THE FLOOR AND LET THE ZULU'S ROCK
THE YEAR 2000 IS ON THE WAY - SOME SAY
THE YEAR 2000 HAS BEEN HERE SINCE YESTERDAY
ELECTRIC BEATS
ELECTRIC BEATS
WE'RE ZULUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Z-U-L-U THAT'S THE WAY YOU SAY ZULU
THAT'S THE WAY YOU SAY ZULU
08 Swords (05:08)
Danger, in every corner.
I have become pure water.
I can identify.
I close my eyes.
I wear my sword at my side (x2).
Cleanse me.
Deep in the fire.
I have become pure water.
I wear my sword at my side (x4).
I have become pure water (x2).
I have become pure water (distorted and echoed)
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