Leftism

Leftism

Leftism

ASIN: B000002B7I

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Meet Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, the two crafty Englishmen that comprise Leftfield. Their debut, Leftism, is amazingly diverse, ranging from chunky electro, complex textures of beats, to radio-friendly accessibility. The album's 1995 US release helped open up the states for techno-electronic music: The classic single "Open Up," which features ex-Sex Pistol/PIL ranter John Lydon, was one of the first dance singles to push popular radio barriers with its high energy beats and b-line hooks. "Original," with a guest vocal from Curve's moody crooner, Toni Halliday, delves deep into breakbeat territory with purging lyricism and rhythms. --Daniel Shumate

Leftism,Leftfield,Sony,Club/Dance,Dance Music,Electronica,House,Pop,Popular Music,Progressive House,Rock/Pop
Leftism
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Out of Leftfield
  • a real classic
  • Might have been good then.... pretty average today
  • just.....Melt
  • Perfect
 Leftism
Leftfield
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Rhythm and Stealth
  2. Risotto
  3. Dreamland
  4. The Fat of the Land
  5. Exit Planet Dust

ASIN: B000002B7I
Release Date: 1995-10-03

Tracks:

  1. Release The Pressure
  2. Afro-Left
  3. Melt
  4. Song Of Life
  5. Original
  6. Black Flute
  7. Space Shanty
  8. Inspection Check One
  9. Storm 3000
  10. Open Up
  11. 21st Century Poem

Amazon.com

Meet Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, the two crafty Englishmen that comprise Leftfield. Their debut, Leftism, is amazingly diverse, ranging from chunky electro, complex textures of beats, to radio-friendly accessibility. The album's 1995 US release helped open up the states for techno-electronic music: The classic single "Open Up," which features ex-Sex Pistol/PIL ranter John Lydon, was one of the first dance singles to push popular radio barriers with its high energy beats and b-line hooks. "Original," with a guest vocal from Curve's moody crooner, Toni Halliday, delves deep into breakbeat territory with purging lyricism and rhythms. --Daniel Shumate

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Out of Leftfield.......2007-02-09

Leftfield has long since disbanded, but their sound is still around. Most of their songs are still fresh and classy enough to warrant re-sampling, re-using, and re-appropriation. Sasha and Digweed have dug them out of the bin more than once, and just before the duo of Daley and Barnes parted ways, one of their tunes ("Song of Life") was used on the movie "Tomb Raider."

And no wonder. This album may be old, but even for the most modern of house heads, it has a lot to offer. Leftfield (once refered to by Kirkland of The Crystal Method as "the best electronic band period") doesn't break new ground, per se, but they do have a thumpin' good time on the ground they're on.

Consider "Release the Pressure," an ethnic, jungle beat number with high pipe whistles and progressive, organic rhythms. Consider "Open Up," an acid house track whipped into a fantastic frenzy by the clear and incriminating voice of John Lydon (formerly of the Sex Pistols). Consider "Original," a deceptively sweet and itchy song, half-trance/half-deep house, burning with buzzing tracers of synth pop shadows. "Black Flute" and "Space Shanty" are hard-hitting dance numbers, unapologetically grinding out thruster loops against an ever-expanding, ever-accelerating energy. These are songs that don't just encourage dancing -- they almost force it.

Even when they're not trying to tear the walls down with their infectious beats, Leftfield displays the kind of virtuoso that's hard to find these days, at least in such a consistent but versatile way. "Melt" plays like a deep swamp anthem, weaving with toneless beats, muted trumpets, and high electro-chords an unsloughably melancholy ambience. "Afro-Left" takes a tribally techno turn, checkerboarding artful silences with robotic wheezes. And "Inspection (Check One)" is an iron-and-wire industrial/reggae jig that sounds lifted straight out of a Chemical Brothers album.

Even the spots on this album that could be called weak are better than much of the electronica that's being produced these days. For this house fan, it's a wonderful surprise to find an album that is so accomplished and so incredibly fun, and even more of a surprise to find that it's over a decade old. Just when I'd thought I'd heard it all, something worth noting comes flying in out of Leftfield.

5 out of 5 stars a real classic.......2006-08-07

When this came out it was a real revelation. OK I had the single with John Lydon (Open UP) that had come out a while earlier. However the rest is also very very strong such as the track Original with the singer from Curve. Excellent!

2 out of 5 stars Might have been good then.... pretty average today.......2005-06-06

I bought this CD completely on the back of these rave reviews without previewing it, and while I don't regret the purchase, I cannot see what the fuss about it. Back in the early 90s, this stuff may have been quite amazing, but in 2004, it sounds plain dated. It has the production, but no energy. 1st track is great, but the rest of the album pretty much washes over me.... I am big fan of this genre of music, and really gave this album a try, but to my dissapointment, it just bores me.

5 out of 5 stars just.....Melt.......2005-03-15

This album is almost a neccessity for people who have...firstly a head..and secondly two ears on the side....oooook jokes apart..lets get serious...THIS IS SOME GOOD MUSIC(but u will need a head and two ears to praise this great album anyway;-)).

This is an album for everyone...sounds commercial..but theres also some good news for ppl like us who dont want music to b scaled in terms of commercial success.For me,music is something what u feel....and two songs on this album make u feel music....'Song of life' and 'Melt'.Song of life starts with some ambient music(which is just incredible)and then grows into some hard hitting techno..first i thought that it was the ambient part of the song which made me love this song but then i realised that it was the combination of the ambient and the techno which makes this song so appealing to me even after a decade.The other song 'melt' just amazes me...coz it is still growing on me....and sometimes i imagine that im 80...sitting on a sofa with my eyes closed and still tranced into the beauty of this song.Listen to it to believe it.Rest of the album is also as good with some more great songs like 'Inspection(check one)','Afro-left' n 'Original'.

Not many albums produced have such an eclectic range of music(and that too great music) in just one album.And just for the sake of facts...there are two kinds of people in this world...first who own Leftism n second who dont own Leftism.And its for u to decide,after listening to this album,which is the luckier(....or better) half.

I hope this review was helpful.Njoy.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect.......2004-12-12

This album combines exceptional, interesting, stylistically disparate tunes, luscious electronic orchestration, unrelenting drive and an uncanny sense of artistic unity. It is a "dance album" pretty much in a class by itself. Leftfield, before disbanding, also created a formidable body of EP releases and remixes. Their second album, Rhythm and Stealth, is also full of shimmeringly beautiful cuts - though without the unifying "comet ride" impulse of this album and the easy acceptance that often greets the familiar - in the case of Leftism, it's comfortable place in the dance bin.

To repeat: if you like hard-driving dance music and glorious electronica, this is a truly distinguished disk.
Leftism
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great stuff
  • Excellent
 Leftism

Manufacturer: Columbia / Hard Hands
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Rhythm and Stealth

ASIN: B00004TAD2
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

  1. Release The Pressure
  2. Afro-Left
  3. Melt
  4. Song Of Life
  5. Original
  6. Black Flute
  7. Space Shanty
  8. Inspection (Check One)
  9. Storm 3000
  10. Open Up
  11. 21st Century Poem
  12. Afro-Ride
  13. Release The Pressure (Release One)
  14. Original (Live Dub
  15. Filter Fish
  16. Afro-Central
  17. Release The Pressure (Release Four)
  18. Cut For Life

Album Description

Reissue of one of the greatest dance albums of all time with an additional CD featuring seven remixes. This format was originally available from Australia (now deleted), however this version contains Seb Fontaine's classic track selection 'Cut For Life'. Bonus CD tracks, 'Afro Ride', 'Release The Pressure' (Release One), 'Original' (Live Dub), 'Filter Fish', 'Afro Central', 'Release The Pressure' (Release Four) & 'Cut For Life'. Sony.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great stuff.......2005-06-17

I love Leftfield, and was very glad when this bonus version became readily available in the US (for years, you had to hope someone on Ebay would have it). I won't bother reviewing the main album as there's already lots of reviews on its own page. I'll just stick to the bonus disc. Afro-Ride is cool little remix of Afro-Left, sounding quite robotized and more danceable in the traditional sense. This manages to pull off the difficult trick of simultaneously sounding just like and nothing like the original. Afro-Central is based off a very nice drumline, and features the various melody lines from the original floating around. Release One is a very drum-and-bassed out remix of Release the Pressure (although as a side note, it's actually a remix of the version that appears on the 1996 cd single, which is a slightly altered edit featuring new vocals, but is mostly left alone otherwise). Release Four is a laid-back groove-oriented version. Original (Live Dub) is absolutely fantastic, taking the original and stretching it out and making it even better. Filter Fish is a very uptempo song (it wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack of a racing game) and was probably only left off the album because it really doesn't fit with the rest of the songs. Now, there are two versions of the 2-disc Leftism. One has just those six tracks (I noticed in the album notes provided by Amazon that both list all 7 tracks, but one makes a specific reference to having only 6). One has those plus Cut For Life, which is otherwise only available on the vinyl sampler or the limited triple vinyl version of Leftism. It's mostly a more dancable version of the album version (it shortens the slower first half, and extends the dancier second half, so in total it's about the same length). I would recommend this, mostly because getting Cut For Life is hard otherwise. But because all the other b-sides are just as good, if not better (I think that Release Two beats out the versions here, and that Afro-Sol should replace Afro-Central), you should go get the singles as well.


5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2000-06-17

I would recommend this CD for any die hard Leftfield fans. The extra remixes on this album are pure genius, and one may argue even better than the originals. If you haven't really heard any Leftfield songs buy "Leftism" purely for "Melt" and "Space Shanty". A brilliant album with brilliant remixes. I recommend it for anyone.
Leftism
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great album packed with even more
 Leftism
Leftfield
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
HouseHouse | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005Y8U7
Release Date: 2000-06-23

Tracks:

  1. Release the Pressure
  2. Afro-Left
  3. Melt
  4. Song of Life
  5. Original
  6. Black Flute
  7. Space Shanty
  8. Inspection [Check One]
  9. Storm 3000
  10. Open Up
  11. 21st Century Poem

Tracks:

  1. Afro-Ride
  2. Release the Pressure [Release One]
  3. Original [Live Dub]
  4. Filter Fish
  5. Afro-Central
  6. Release the Pressure [Release Four]
  7. Cut for Life

Album Description

1995 Hard Hands/ Mushroom release pairing their 11 track album 'Leftism' with a limited six track bonus remix CD featuring 'Afro-Left' (Afro-Ride), 'Release The Pressure' (Release One), 'Original' (Live Dub), 'Filter Fish', 'Afro- Left' (Afro-Central) & 'Release The Pressure' (Release Four). 17 tracks total, also featuring Curve leader Toni Halliday as vocalist on 'Original' and Sex Pistol/ P.I.L. figurehead John Lydon as vocalist on 'Open Up'. Double slimline jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great album packed with even more.......2005-06-17

I love Leftfield, and was very glad when this bonus version became readily available in the US (for years, you had to hope someone on Ebay would have it). I won't bother reviewing the main album as there's already lots of reviews on its own page. I'll just stick to the bonus disc. Afro-Ride is cool little remix of Afro-Left, sounding quite robotized and more danceable in the traditional sense. This manages to pull off the difficult trick of simultaneously sounding just like and nothing like the original. Afro-Central is based off a very nice drumline, and features the various melody lines from the original floating around. Release One is a very drum-and-bassed out remix of Release the Pressure (although as a side note, it's actually a remix of the version that appears on the 1996 cd single, which is a slightly altered edit featuring new vocals, but is mostly left alone otherwise). Release Four is a laid-back groove-oriented version. Original (Live Dub) is absolutely fantastic, taking the original and stretching it out and making it even better. Filter Fish is a very uptempo song (it wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack of a racing game) and was probably only left off the album because it really doesn't fit with the rest of the songs. Now, there are two versions of the 2-disc Leftism. One has just those six tracks (I noticed in the album notes provided by Amazon that both list all 7 tracks, but one makes a specific reference to having only 6). One has those plus Cut For Life, which is otherwise only available on the vinyl sampler or the limited triple vinyl version of Leftism. It's mostly a more dancable version of the album version (it shortens the slower first half, and extends the dancier second half, so in total it's about the same length). I would recommend this, mostly because getting Cut For Life is hard otherwise. But because all the other b-sides are just as good, if not better (I think that Release Two beats out the versions here, and that Afro-Sol should replace Afro-Central), you should go get the singles as well.
Leftism
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Out of Leftfield
  • a real classic
  • Might have been good then.... pretty average today
  • just.....Melt
  • Perfect
 Leftism
Leftfield
Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Rhythm and Stealth
  2. Risotto
  3. Dreamland
  4. The Fat of the Land
  5. Exit Planet Dust

ASIN: B000003Q5O
Release Date: 1997-11-20

Amazon.com

Meet Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, the two crafty Englishmen that comprise Leftfield. Their debut, Leftism, is amazingly diverse, ranging from chunky electro, complex textures of beats, to radio-friendly accessibility. The album's 1995 US release helped open up the states for techno-electronic music: The classic single "Open Up," which features ex-Sex Pistol/PIL ranter John Lydon, was one of the first dance singles to push popular radio barriers with its high energy beats and b-line hooks. "Original," with a guest vocal from Curve's moody crooner, Toni Halliday, delves deep into breakbeat territory with purging lyricism and rhythms. --Daniel Shumate

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Out of Leftfield.......2007-02-09

Leftfield has long since disbanded, but their sound is still around. Most of their songs are still fresh and classy enough to warrant re-sampling, re-using, and re-appropriation. Sasha and Digweed have dug them out of the bin more than once, and just before the duo of Daley and Barnes parted ways, one of their tunes ("Song of Life") was used on the movie "Tomb Raider."

And no wonder. This album may be old, but even for the most modern of house heads, it has a lot to offer. Leftfield (once refered to by Kirkland of The Crystal Method as "the best electronic band period") doesn't break new ground, per se, but they do have a thumpin' good time on the ground they're on.

Consider "Release the Pressure," an ethnic, jungle beat number with high pipe whistles and progressive, organic rhythms. Consider "Open Up," an acid house track whipped into a fantastic frenzy by the clear and incriminating voice of John Lydon (formerly of the Sex Pistols). Consider "Original," a deceptively sweet and itchy song, half-trance/half-deep house, burning with buzzing tracers of synth pop shadows. "Black Flute" and "Space Shanty" are hard-hitting dance numbers, unapologetically grinding out thruster loops against an ever-expanding, ever-accelerating energy. These are songs that don't just encourage dancing -- they almost force it.

Even when they're not trying to tear the walls down with their infectious beats, Leftfield displays the kind of virtuoso that's hard to find these days, at least in such a consistent but versatile way. "Melt" plays like a deep swamp anthem, weaving with toneless beats, muted trumpets, and high electro-chords an unsloughably melancholy ambience. "Afro-Left" takes a tribally techno turn, checkerboarding artful silences with robotic wheezes. And "Inspection (Check One)" is an iron-and-wire industrial/reggae jig that sounds lifted straight out of a Chemical Brothers album.

Even the spots on this album that could be called weak are better than much of the electronica that's being produced these days. For this house fan, it's a wonderful surprise to find an album that is so accomplished and so incredibly fun, and even more of a surprise to find that it's over a decade old. Just when I'd thought I'd heard it all, something worth noting comes flying in out of Leftfield.

5 out of 5 stars a real classic.......2006-08-07

When this came out it was a real revelation. OK I had the single with John Lydon (Open UP) that had come out a while earlier. However the rest is also very very strong such as the track Original with the singer from Curve. Excellent!

2 out of 5 stars Might have been good then.... pretty average today.......2005-06-06

I bought this CD completely on the back of these rave reviews without previewing it, and while I don't regret the purchase, I cannot see what the fuss about it. Back in the early 90s, this stuff may have been quite amazing, but in 2004, it sounds plain dated. It has the production, but no energy. 1st track is great, but the rest of the album pretty much washes over me.... I am big fan of this genre of music, and really gave this album a try, but to my dissapointment, it just bores me.

5 out of 5 stars just.....Melt.......2005-03-15

This album is almost a neccessity for people who have...firstly a head..and secondly two ears on the side....oooook jokes apart..lets get serious...THIS IS SOME GOOD MUSIC(but u will need a head and two ears to praise this great album anyway;-)).

This is an album for everyone...sounds commercial..but theres also some good news for ppl like us who dont want music to b scaled in terms of commercial success.For me,music is something what u feel....and two songs on this album make u feel music....'Song of life' and 'Melt'.Song of life starts with some ambient music(which is just incredible)and then grows into some hard hitting techno..first i thought that it was the ambient part of the song which made me love this song but then i realised that it was the combination of the ambient and the techno which makes this song so appealing to me even after a decade.The other song 'melt' just amazes me...coz it is still growing on me....and sometimes i imagine that im 80...sitting on a sofa with my eyes closed and still tranced into the beauty of this song.Listen to it to believe it.Rest of the album is also as good with some more great songs like 'Inspection(check one)','Afro-left' n 'Original'.

Not many albums produced have such an eclectic range of music(and that too great music) in just one album.And just for the sake of facts...there are two kinds of people in this world...first who own Leftism n second who dont own Leftism.And its for u to decide,after listening to this album,which is the luckier(....or better) half.

I hope this review was helpful.Njoy.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect.......2004-12-12

This album combines exceptional, interesting, stylistically disparate tunes, luscious electronic orchestration, unrelenting drive and an uncanny sense of artistic unity. It is a "dance album" pretty much in a class by itself. Leftfield, before disbanding, also created a formidable body of EP releases and remixes. Their second album, Rhythm and Stealth, is also full of shimmeringly beautiful cuts - though without the unifying "comet ride" impulse of this album and the easy acceptance that often greets the familiar - in the case of Leftism, it's comfortable place in the dance bin.

To repeat: if you like hard-driving dance music and glorious electronica, this is a truly distinguished disk.
Leftism
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Leftism
    Leftfield
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
    RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B00007LVBO
    Release Date: 2003-02-20

    Tracks:

    1. Release The Pressure
    2. Afro Left
    3. Melt
    4. Song Of Life
    5. Original
    6. Black Flute
    7. Space Shanty
    8. Inspection Check One
    9. Storm 3000
    10. Open Up
    11. 21st Century Poem

    Album Description

    2002 reissue of 1995 album, packaged in a digipak. Sony.
    Leftism + Remix 2cd
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Leftism + Remix 2cd
      Leftfield
      Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD
      ASIN: B000AQFEP0
      Release Date: 1996-11-21

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