TheProdigy

AONO wasnt, at the time, what Prodigy fans were expecting so it got shot down before anyone gave it a fair go myself included. It was at first very repetative to me and a lot of the tracks didnt seem to go anywhere for me with exception of Spitfire. Over the years ive grown to like AONO and have massive respect for Liam to have the bollocks to go and do something that went against the grain. Having said that its not my fav album nor my fav piece of work that Liam has done.

Liam pulled the whole FOTL era down when he wrote it and in my opinon it needed to happen plus the band were not getting on so he did his own thing to let people know he is The Prodigy! People were missing the point of what The Prodigy were about and AONO was his way of taking it back from the world and making it his own again which again very much needed to happen. The band had turned in to something of a cartoon band with the main focus being poured towards Keith and his character during that period. AONO was a way of going back to what Liam & Co wanted from the start.

AONO was not a masterpiece but its still a very good piece that demonstrates where the band were at that time and agreed with whats been said about it being ahead of its time. If it was to be realesed today it would possible be much better receicved.

I never really understood why people thought it wasn't representative of the Prodigy. When I first bought it and listened to Spitfire it was instantly Prodigy to me, like it was the Smack my Bitch Up of the album as an opener. I really enjoy the album save maybe two songs. Girls is probably one of the best songs Liam has written in the past few years. But like many others I wouldn't consider it in my top albums. It really depends on the mood I guess. It's similar to FOTL for me in that I really enjoy the album but there's two or three songs that I always skip.

Also it was exactly what I wanted the band to do at the time. Don't get me wrong I don't absolutely hate Keith on vocals but it's not my favorite part of the those songs. When I started hearing about stuff like Nuclear I was afraid that it was going to be FOTL 2, which wasn't the worst thing but I thought it would be kinda stale. So making it Maxim and Keith free was a good direction because it was great to hear Liam do his thing.

The one thing that sucks about AONO and that era is the loss of Leeroy .

If I had read this thread when it was posted I woulda told Wayne to go fuck himself, but lo and behold, like an aging wine, it's an album of the 2000's that stands out clearly and prominently.

I see it as MFTJG part 2; loops and beats, none of the FOTL 'standard song' FS chorus-verse stuff, just straight up ear fucking noise.
That said, I still can't listen through to the end, I always cut off somewhere after halfway mark.

i'd consider FOTL to be better than AONO, AONO for me is their worst album... thats not to say its a bad album, not at all, but it was a tad repetitive at times, and Shoot Down is fucking awful

Agree

AONO is their weakest album. There aren't enough good tunes on it and I've never tempted to play it. Which is odd - I still listen to Experience every now and again and that's like 20 years old

Weakest? yes
DO i still like it? sure

Gonga21 wrote:

that.

Girls and Spitfire are wicked tunes though

for me AONO has always been my favourite album since I heard it for the first time. and not simply my favourite Prodigy album but simply my fav album considering every album that I ve met. I think AONO is the most creative album from the most creative band in the world. I ve never felt it repetative. the only thing that comes to my mind about it is Spitfire sems a bit repetitive compared to the faster 05 version from the video. and I think it is the most agressive Prodigy album , with tracks like Wake Up Call and Get Up Get Off and others too.
I can not express how much I'm in love with this album. and I don't understand why you hate Shoot Down so much , it s a fucking great track just like Trigger and Guns. all three of em are wonderful but for me Shoot Down is the best. I like Liam Gallagher's vocals it goes with the track really well. Action Radar is beyond imagination usally that is my favourite track from the album. that song is so strange and wonderful , I really love those distorted vocals. Phoenix is a fuckin sick track and I really love it. Hot Ride is super cool , Memphis Bells sounds fuckin awesome , Medusas Path takes me to a journey. The Way It Is and You ll Be Under My Wheels is simply fuckin great. it s great to hear the "roll and rock rock and roll" lyrics from past gigs. I m in love with girls too and also with it's video. and I'd like to mention that the video for Spitfire is the best music video that I ve ever seen.
I really love the AONO era Liam was unbeliveably creative that time. simply remember Warning. that song is my absolutely favourite live track. or there is Dead Ken or Back To School. omg how great they are. and I know that s a strange thing that Maxim and Flinty was not involved in the process of making AONO , like for many it is strange for me too. but still the album is beyond awesome. but I m sure it would be similarly great with Maxim and Flinty too . the Flint version of Hot Ride convinces me about that. and one more thing: I fuckin love the artwork and style that AONO and it's absolutely great website has.

my opinion of the album, tune by tune...

Spitfire-absolute belter,5(out of 5)
Girls-One of my favourite Prodigy tunes ever, 5
Memphis Bells-A good tune, but no where near their best, 3
Get up get off-not mad about it, hate the vocals and very repetitive, 2
Hotride-love the bass on it, and love Julliette Lewises voice, but for me its their weakest ever single, 3
Wake up call- this is a tune... love the flutes in it, 4
Action Radar- another great tune, vocals are so filthy and brilliant, 4
Medusa's Path- for me this is the hidden gem of the album, 5
Pheonix-meh... its ok at best, 3
You'll be under my wheels- love it, and the classisal sample is very very cool, 4
The way it is-Good tune, but too obvious for me, just irritates me after a while...3
Shoot Down-Shite Down, 1

invaders_gotta_fuckin_die wrote:



Get Up Get Off-2 Shoot Down-1 ?????

WHAT THE FUCK???...are you fuckin serious man?...GUGO is one of the sickest tunes I've ever heard, and besides that it is blowing my fucking mind just like all the other tracks on the album(Shoot Down too). I think you bought/downloaded something wrong cuz AONO is fucking awesome

Respect

I do believe it's the weakest album, but it doesn't mean the whole album is rubbish. Girls is an amazing track, and I still listen to it now. Spitfire, Medusa's Path and Under my Wheels are all good too.

Spitfire, Girls, and Wake Up Call deserve to be mixed in the live set here and there.

Back To School and Warning as well. Theyre from that era.

I haven't been on this board for literally years...

Anyway....

I'm pretty sure none of us were expecting the style of AONO and how it delivered throughout the record. It was different to a point where there was nothing really dark and gritty to it, except for perhaps 'Spitfire' (and that was arguably the only track that travelled well in the live sets) and that caught people off-guard.

It's a good record, but to me, it felt like it didn't have enough ''play-life'' and I soon got bored with it, but again, that doesn't necessarily mean I thought it was poor. It's probably at the bottom of my list of their records, but I still really appreciate it for what it is... and that's the best I can do.