quoted 2 lines polished, well-produced sound make it a quality album [does this make> polished, well-produced sound make it a quality album [does this make
> Frank Sinatra a genius?].
Pardon me, but Frank Sinatra -is- a genius. Whether you like what he does
or not.
At the risk of repeating points which others have already made...
P & P Hartnoll have quite a good handle on rhythm and counterpoint. Their
sound design isn't particularly distinctive most of the time. I like the
2nd (Brown) album best in this respect, though _Snivilisation_ also offers
a more-than-respectable amount of sonic invention. _In Sides_, like their
other records, is a work of admirable craft and attention to detail, is
warm and engaging (far short of pablum) -- and sounds best if you don't
listen too closely.
Orbital could find mass success in much the same way (if not to the same
level) as U2 or Nine Inch Nails. That is, U2 and NIN pushed at the
envelope of pop culture, but not very hard. Nirvana and REM, too. Pop
culture moved toward all of them, not the other way around.
Speaking of which, I heard the track "Firestarter" by Prodigy on the "Top
5 at 5" on Chicago's Q101 (alternative-rock station). Reminded me of NIN
trying to do early Aphex or something. Is this indicative of Prodigy's
other material?
--Mark