Prodigy's debut album 'The Prodigy Experience' was released 28 September 1992. The album title was taken from Jimi Hendrix' 1971 posthumous album 'The Jimi Hendrix Experience'. Liam wanted to make a rave concept album along the lines of early Pink Floyd work, but that idea was abandoned when he realized the limitations that it might have on his future musical creativity. Liam told to Melody Maker: "I was going to make the LP a rave consept album at first. Then I changed my mind, because I think The Prodigy are more than just a rave act. We're much more musical. That's why I'd like to do something left field in the future - a real Pink Floyd-type ambient album." Although dance acts, at the time, didn't sell albums well 'Experience' managed to sell over 300,000 in UK alone and it entered the charts at number 12 and stayed in the charts for 25 weeks.

    Tracks

    The opening tune was housey, Jungle Brothers sampling 'Jericho' which was originally released as a single with 'Fire'. The single was release just two weeks before 'Experience' and the single was soon withdrawn but then it was re-released. 'Music Reach (1/2/3/4)' was break beat rave tune with childish "1, 2 , 3, 4" sample. 'Wind It Up' eventually became the fifth single to be taken from the album and the album contained the original version. Circuit sampling 'Your Love' was remixed for the album after it originally appeared on b-side of 'Charly'. 'Your Love' has nowadays "a rave anthem" status. 'Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2)' used samples from Captain Rock's 'Return Of Captain Rock' and Kate Bush's 'Hello Earth'. The part 1 was released on 'Everybody In The Place' single. 'Charly (Trip Into Drum And Bass Version)' was a pioneering jungle mix of the chart-topper. 'Out Of Space' was the fourth single from the album and it went number five in the charts. The song was a great combination of break beat rave and raggae and it stayed in Prodigy's live set till 1995. 'Everybody In The Place (155 And Rising)' made the successful rave track sound like a hardcore trash-metal, but this version was played live in their sets. The stand-out track from the album was Uptown's 'Dope On Plastic' sampling 'Weather Experience'. It was the slowest track on the album but still in its ambient feeling it's the least dated track on the album. 'Fire (Sunrise Version)' was originally released on the single and Sunrise version was the version which they played live. 'Ruff In The Jungle Bizness' had a remix work out for 'Out Of Space' single. The final tune was live version of 'Death Of Prodigy Dancers' (a studio version doesn't exists).

    Releases

    The album was released on XL-Recordings on vinyl (XLLP 110), cassette (XLMC 110) and CD (XLCD 110). A rare promo CD is known to exist - it had the same catalog# as the commercial release but it had a sticker on the front cover, the disc had gold-ish colour, and on the back slevee was a sticker: "THE EXPERIENCE is the long-waited debut LP from THE PRODIGY including TOP 3 singles 'Charly', 'Everybody In The Place' & current hit 'Fire'"

    The album was released in the Netherlands by Torso Dance (TORSOCD 228) and it had a black disc. The Dutch version was later released by Play It Again Sam (826.0110.20). ´ In Japan the album was released by Avax Trax (AVCD-11071), in the USA by Elektra (9 61365-2), in Italy by UDP (UDP CD 1044) and in Germany by Intercord (INT 845.566).

    Experience Expanded

    Originally 'Experience' was released by Elektra in USA. The debut album was re-released in June 2001 by Beggars Banquet and XL Recordings as 2CD edition - titled as 'The Prodigy Experience : Expanded' (XLCDD 110). CD 1 contained the same tracks as the original version and CD 2 contained just b-sides from Prodigy's Experience era singles [Your Love, Ruff In The Jungle Bizness (Uplifting Vibes Remix), Charly (Alley Cat Remix), Fire (Edit), We Are The Ruffest, Weather Experience (Top Buzz Remix), Wind It Up (Rewound), G-Force (Energy Flow), Crazy Man, Out Of Space (Techno Underworld Remix) and Everybody In The Place (Fairground Remix)]. The reason for this re-release was that XL Recordings gained the rights of Elektra releases in 2001. But still, 'Expanded' is, by far, the weakest release by the Prodigy. Unless you're a collector, avoid it.
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