Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

...off to a treat and Rhythm and Stealth offers more of the same, if not in a slightly different guise. I suppose that I'm writing this in a way that would suggest that people know a bit about Leftfield and I apologise for this, it's the kind of music that needs to be heard to be understood. I'll start by saying that Rhythm and Stealth is not an album for the faint hearted or a new comer to the genre. If you fancy something experimental and haven't ...
...then I'd stop right here, Rhythm and Stealth just isn't about that. Most tracks, even the chilled numbers such as El-Cid are cold sounding and don't have that quality of warmth and richness that earlier releases such as Release the Pressure possess. The variation in the album doesn't lie so much in the melodies but more in the production work and structuring. Percussion and LFOs fade in and out of being from track to track and the years that the ...

craiggy_boy 03.01.2002 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

...weight of history and with Rhythm and Stealth they joined so many others in failing the difficult second album trial by fire. The thing is Rhythm and Stealth isn’t a bad album. If it had been released by any other band it may have been hailed as something special. However it’s not Leftism 2 as so many people wanted. In fact if anything it’s a step forward as well as a step backwards for Leftfield. Rhythm and Stealth is sometimes ...
...on cheap sherry. Rhythm and Stealth begins in fine style with the track ‘Dusted‘. All dubbed out space fxs and keyboards, sleek techno beats and a planet devouring bass line. Add the icy cool vocals of Roots Manuva to the mix and simmer until your brain is slowly crushed by the slow gravitational pull of the track. ‘Dusted’ is as equally strong as the majority of tracks on Leftism and clearly shows the production skills of ...

SidneyJames 29.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

I can't help thinking that Leftfield could have just released 74 minutes of white noise as their second album and it would still have been hailed as genius after the techno/dub monster that was 'Leftism'. The main problem with this album is that it's just not original enough anymore. Unfortunatly for Leftfield, they waited so long between albums and their first album was so influential, that there are now plenty of other people doing this kind of ...
...this album is pretty good but even tunes like 'Phat Planet' (that one from the guiness advert with the surfers) just sound like an over produced Aphex Twin B-side. Don't get me wrong, i think it's a good tune but i can't help thinking that the only reason that people go on about it all the time is because 90% of those who bought Leftism have never really heard any other grinding experimental electronic music. Rhythm&Stealth still has all the classic ...

crustypaul 19.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

I bought this album purely on the strength of 'phat planet' and 'afrika shox', two astoundingly brilliant songs that are still by far my favourites on the album. Initially I have to admit that I found the album a little disappointing. I think this was just because it wasn't anything like what I was expecting. Normally into groups like the Prodigy, I was expecting an album full of tracks in the standard format. Yet what 'Rhythm and Stealth' presents ...
...of Leftfield's music, rather than Leftfield's songs. '4/6 War', 'Rino's Prayer' and 'Dub Gusset' are more collections of sound ambiences, odd electronic beats and sound stabs than a song in the traditional sense. My problem was that I tried to listen to all the tracks as songs within themselves. This is not where 'Rhythm and Stealth' excels. If you want to enjoy this album, you need to put it on in the background, while you are playing on your computer ...

anotherwiseguy 12.12.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

Before reviewing this album, anyone will automatically look towards the first album, Leftism, before listening. This has mixed blessings. First, Leftism is a classic. It's slow building poularity, to current multi-platinum status, was due to a mix of basslines, songs and a real progression across the album from chilled to big, bouncy stormers. So Rythm and Stealth was always going to be compared. Should it be Leftism part 2? With about 5 years between ...
...quite dark, dub heavy, big beating bruiser. It has songs, yes, but other than Swords, it's mainly the sheer weight and "size" of the tunes which impacts. But taking this as an album of multiple Phat Planets is wrong too. Rythm... varies from MCing on Africa Shox, to gorgeous female vocals on the aforementioned Swords. So possibly another classic? We'll see, but some hell of an album. ...

mowat 30.07.2000 · Read full review
Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

this cd was slated by some people for not being as good as leftism but that is a bit unfair, this is not bad at all. it is hard to describe the style, most of the tracks have a hard techno beat and baseline but are much slower than real techno. you will know the start of 'phat planet' from that guinness advert with the waves and the horses and the single 'afrika shox' is an interesting track (feat. afrika bambaataa). but for me the bast tracks are ...

froze 13.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

this album i'm sure will go down in histroy and be remembered for a long time in one way or another. many may have only heard a few tracks from leftfield without even knowing it. eg the guiness advert with white horses trampling through the waves of the sea 'phat planet', one of the best known songs on the album. this album is definitely much heavier than their earlier album 'leftism', its a great album to dance to but may not be everyones cup of ...
...prepared for alot of bass and some amazingly funky electro sounds, then look know further. these guys pretty much co-founded UK house with Orbital. i love this album and would highly recommend it, the remixes cd is also worth a listen, but i'm sure that will get its own review in time. kings in my eyes. ...

neilskim 03.08.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

This is Leftfields second album, and with such an amazing debut album (Leftism), they certainly had a lot to follow. Clearly the second was never going to out class the original, as it has become 'the' album to own in the 90's, and it's still the best album of that time. This one however has a natural follow on from the original, adding more flavour to the original Big Beat styles, and dancey rhythms. From the second you start playing Dusted you ...
...is a great song that requires extra loud playing, Chant of a Poor Man is fantastic and is one of the best songs from Leftfield. Africa Shox is a truly excellent song also adding some cultural elements to the album as it include lyrics from Bambaataa. Everyone should own the Leftfield albums! ...

gches 17.11.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield

Rhythm and stealth is the follow up to leftfield excellent album leftism, the album comprises of 10 tracks each more weird and cool than its predecessor. The track Phat Planet, is great and has been widely used on television adverts such as the Benson and Hedges adverts, the second best track on the album has to be swords, this was leftfield last ever released song and vocals performed by Nicole Willis, the track hit the charts back at the end of ...

Aibo-Hex 10.05.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Rhythm And Stealth - Leftfield