Music for the Jilted Generation is the second studio album by the English electronic music group the Prodigy. It was released on 4 July 1994 through XL Recordings.

The album combines a variety of genres, including electronic and breakbeat, with heavy basslines and energetic, aggressive beats. Tracks such as "No Good (Start the Dance)" and "Voodoo People" exemplify a sound which helped define the 90s electronic music scene. As with the group's debut album, Maxim Reality and Liam Howlett were the only official members of the group to contribute to the album. The other two members, Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill, were not credited on any tracks (although all four individuals were pictured in the liner notes).

Music for the Jilted Generation was widely acclaimed for its innovative approach to electronic music, pushing the boundaries of dance and rave genres at the time. Music for the Jilted Generation was a commercial success, solidifying The Prodigy's place as one of the more influential acts in the genre. A remastered edition, More Music for the Jilted Generation, was released in 2008, featuring additional tracks and remixes.

Music and content

Music for the Jilted Generation incorporates elements of rave,

Many of the samples featured on the album are sound clips from, or inspired by, films. "Full Throttle" contains a reversed sample from the original Star Wars film, and "The Heat (The Energy)" features a sample from Poltergeist III,

Artwork

thumb|right|Inner sleeve artwork by [[Les Edwards ]]

The album artwork for Music for the Jilted Generation was designed by Stewart Haygarth (cover) and Les Edwards (inner). The inner artwork, which alludes to the conflicts between ravers and the police during the era of the 1994 Criminal Justice Act, is particularly well-regarded.

Critical reception and legacy

Music for the Jilted Generation received critical acclaim. In his review for NME, Dele Fadele called the album "a stormy requiem for those under siege by the heavy-handed, almost fascistic Criminal Justice Bill", adding that the Prodigy "show that you don't need elaborate texts to send a message across, just hints by way of titles, sampled voices and dialogue, and a wide-ranging musical mood that fires the imagination." At the end of 1994, Music for the Jilted Generation was named the year's ninth-best album by NME, and it was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, John Bush lauded Music for the Jilted Generation as "an effective statement of intent" in response to the Criminal Justice Act and noted the Prodigy's move towards a "grubbier" and less sample-reliant sound, "away from the American-influenced rave and acid house of the past and toward a uniquely British vision of breakbeat techno that was increasingly allied to the limey invention of drum'n'bass."

Music for the Jilted Generation was listed by Spin as the 60th-best album of the 1990s. The album was ranked number 83 on Mojos list of 100 "modern classics" released from 1993 to 2006. It is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

Samples

In addition to the film samples mentioned above, Liam Howlett incorporated a significant amount of musical material from other artists:

  • "Break and Enter" contains a sample from Baby D's "Casanova," which was also remixed by Liam.
  • "Their Law" includes a sample from "Drop That Bassline" by Techno Grooves.
  • "Voodoo People" contains a sample from "You're Starting Too Fast" by Johnny Pate. The guitar riff is based on "Very Ape" by Nirvana and is played by Lance Riddler.
  • "The Heat (The Energy)" samples "Why'd U Fall" by Lil Louis, "Thousand" by Moby, and 2-Mad's "Don't Hold Back The Feeling."
  • "Poison" contains samples from "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps, "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons, and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's "Heavy Soul Slinger."
  • "No Good (Start the Dance)" samples "No Good for Me" by Kelly Charles and "Funky Nassau" by Bahamian funk group The Beginning of the End.
  • "One Love" features the "Arabic Muezzin" sample from the ethnic vocals section of a Zero G sample CD by Time + Space Records. The same sample was also used in "Everybody Say Love" by The Magi & Emanation, which was remixed by Liam Howlett.
  • "3 Kilos," Part One of The Narcotic Suite, is based on a riff sampled from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's "Good Livin' (Good Lovin')."

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

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! scope="col"| Chart (1994–2026)

! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position

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! scope="row"| Croatian International Albums (HDU)

| 5

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!scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 1

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Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1994)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

| 52

|-

! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

| 71

|-

! scope="row"| Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)

| 10

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1995)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

| 72

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 89

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1997)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

| 64

|-

! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)

| 17

|-

|}

Certifications

Personnel

The Prodigy

  • Phil Bent – live flute
  • Lance Riddler – live guitar on "Voodoo People"
  • Mike Champion – management
  • Les Edwards – inside sleeve painting
  • Stuart Haygarth – front cover
  • Jamie Fry – rear sleeve

References