32 Songs - Track 22

Block Rockin Beats - The Chemical Brothers

Back with another one of those
Block Rockin' Beats

To quote another of this group's songs - "Where do i begin?"

The Chemical Brothers are another of those bands that drastically altered my perception of songs, music and the world. But I don't think there is anyone who has heard an early track from Tom and Ed that didn't end up having the same response.

I was working in an Adelaide comic shop with a guy who constantly brought new and interesting stuff to play while he worked and would then leave them around for the rest of us to spin. Thankfully the manager of the store was mostly supportive of these aural experiments, i.e. he only hurled a CD across the store on two occasions in four years. It was through this shop and Steve that i was introduced to The Tea Party, Bjork, Dead Can Dance, Belle & Sebastian, The Secret Chiefs 3 and, on one memorable night, Mr Bungle.

It was on a Friday night shift when Steve brought in this shiny new disc and proceded to whack it on the stereo and turn it up loud. And from that first funky bass line of Block Rockin Beats i was hooked. The assortment of sirens, bleeps, scratchings and electronic warpings that followed just sold the deal.

In my mind The Chemical Brothers gave music an almighty shove. Sure Industrial had been around for a while but they pushed it closer to being music while still sounding like they used chainsaws, industrial welders and grinders instead of guitars and drums. Looking for more sounds like this pushed me out into the clubs and the habit of dancing the night away. Through this i discovered even more sounds and expanded my horizons even further, which wasn't hard in Adelaide in the late 90's.

Dig Your Own Hole, the album that Block Rockin Beats kicks off, remains to this day one of my favourite albums of all times and there isn't a week that i don't listen to at least part of it. Like Abbey Road it is also one of the most perfectly constructed albums of all time. Starting with a bang on Block Rockin Beats and finishing with the best double ever Where Do I Begin? and The Private Psychadelic Reel.

The Chemical Brothers were one act that i never thought i would see perform. However earlier this year i was granted one of my dreams when i saw Ed and Tom do their thing at the Big Day Out. Needless to say even with such mammoth expectations the two of them still managed to top it and as The Private Psychadelic Reel started to warble across Homebush things couldn't have been much better. Well maybe i'll see them play one of their DJ sets in a small club in London.

Hey, i can dream can't I?