FEATURE:
Vinyl Corner
The Chemical Brothers - Surrender
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I have investigated The Chemical Brothers before…
IN THIS PHOTO: The Chemical Brothers (Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
but I don’t think I have thrown a spotlight on Surrender. Maybe 1995’s Exit Planet Dust and 1997’s Dig Your Own Hole are seen as bigger and more important albums, Surrender cannot be overlooked. In fact, it is a masterful creation and one with its fair share of classic cuts. A special series of shows went down on BBC Radio 6 Music over the weekend (and on Friday night), and you can check out Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons speaking with Lauren Laverne about the album. I think there is a lot of fascination regarding the album, because there is nothing like it in the market today. On 21st June, 1999, this enormous, instantly fantastic album arrived that would help see the decade off in style! I was familiar with The Chemical Brothers when Surrender arrived – I experienced Dig Your Own Hole first-hand and then tracked back to Exit Planet Dust. Whilst we have Electronic innovators today, nothing really packs the same punch and memorability as groups such as The Chemical Brothers. Not only do people celebrate albums like Surrender because it takes them back to a moment in time; it also enhances the present and, to be fair, there are more than a few artists out there inspired by the Manchester duo. I am not surprised there was celebration on BBC Radio 6 Music; just over twenty years after Surrender arrived, there is still so much affection for it. On 10th June this year, The Chemical Brothers announced a 20th Anniversary special edition of the album, featuring B-sides, new mixes and a book.
You can check out the package here but, if the vinyl there is a bit pricey, you can get the original album for a much more reasonable price. Not only does Surrender feature some of the most daring and thrilling compositions from Rowlands and Simons, but there are some excellent collaborators who add that extra sprinkle of magic. Among the artists on the album are Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) and Bernard Sumner (New Order). I think a lot of artists collaborate because it will help their streaming figures, or it is a commercial move. I wonder how often they consider which artist would be the perfect choice for a song and bringing it to lie, rather than bringing in someone who will is popular and will get them a lot of attention. Listen to the vocals of Noel Gallagher on Let Forever Be and, together with a hearty nod to The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows, it is a wonderful blend. Unlike their previous two albums, there is more experimentation and variety in terms of genres. There is some Rave on Hey Boy Hey Girl and that incredible Psychedelia on Let Forever Be. Maybe commercial success gave The Chemical Brothers the impetus to push boundaries and explore new territory. Whilst Beth Orton – who did collaborate with the duo on their first two albums – did not appear on Surrender, there is still an embarrassment of riches when you consider the names who help shape and guide this fearless record. I love the fact everything hangs together and sounds so right. There is not a filler track on the album, and Surrender is such a kaleidoscopic and busy album that it is impossible to dislike or ignore; one does not have to be a fan of Electronic music or Rave to appreciate Surrender.
Riding such a wave, The Chemical Brothers received a lot of praise for Surrender. In their review, Pitchfork talk about the high-profile guest appearances and the instantaneousness of the music:
“Surrender will receive a ton of hype based on its superstar guest appearances, and none more historically relevant than “Out of Control” with New Order’s Bernard Sumner on vocals. Being electronic dance music freaks from Manchester, New Order is like the holy grail to the Chemical Brothers and it’s easy to see why. The Chemicals share with their Manchester predecessors an obsession with hypnotic, melodic, dance beats. “Out of Control” works so well it could be a lost track from Low Life. After his turn on “Setting Son” with the Chemicals in 1996, Oasis’ terminally out- of- style Noel Gallagher returns for another psychedelic, Beatles-esque anthem on “Let Forever Be,” again snagging the rhythm track from “Tomorrow Never Knows” off Revolver.
Surrender is both the Chemical Brothers most immediately satisfying work and, perhaps not coincidentally, the most like a rock album of their career. Unlike a fair share of techno, these songs feel like “songs,” not a collection of clever samples and a race to the fastest BPM on the planet. Yeah, you can go out and buy your jungle, your trance, your trip-hop and your ambient, but why would you when you’d be sacrificing the greatest gift of all: Surrender’s love and understanding”.
A lot of albums from the late-1990s have not survived that well, or they sound a bit dated and of their time. Surrender definitely captured a mood and lit a fuse, but I still feel it is inspiring and head-spinning today. Grab the album on vinyl, as it sounds even better when you drop the needle and hear songs like Music: Response fill the room. When we consider these decades-enduring albums like Surrender, I wonder whether they will still be lauded and covered so passionately in another couple of decades. As I said, maybe it comes down to the fact Surrender has no modern comparison and it is ageing so gracefully. In this NME review, they highlight the eclectic nature of the music and, at the same time, underline the fact that there are fewer revolutions and revelations than their previous work, perhaps:
“And as it happens, 'Surrender' is excellent. From the opening faux-naive Kraftwerk simulation of 'Music: Response' right through to the final, Jonathan Donahue-assisted fry-up 'Dream On', it's simply a joy to listen to. Tellingly, the pair are most successful when they try something new (for them, at least). Like the irrepressibly sleek techno of 'Under The Influence', or 'Out Of Control', the best collaboration Bernard Sumner has sung on. Bobby Gillespie's also there, apparently, moaning. Its rumoured Sasha remix makes perfect sense.
'Hey Boy Hey Girl' you know, suffice to say it's a great moment in acid-bongo-pop fusion, while the Brothers' take on silken Chicago house, 'Got Glint?', even slides into graceful Balearic homage. These aside, though, and we're back on familiar ground. The album's nine-minute centrepiece, 'The Sunshine Underground', is essentially 'The Private Psychedelic Reel' smeared with glitter, and 'Asleep From Day', featuring Mazzy Star's permanently 'dreamy' Hope Sandoval, replaces previous folk-scarred outings with Beth Orton. Nice, but not quite the ticket”.
It is obvious The Chemical Brothers have influenced other artists, such as Fatboy Slim and Basement Jaxx. There are even playlists collating artists who have been influenced by them. The Chemical Brothers released No Geography earlier this year and showed that, two decades on from one of their most important albums, they have lost none of their step and brilliance. Even if you were not around to experience Surrender back in 1999, you can play it now and it will leave its mark. It is such a bold and wonderfully exciting album that you will need to play it a few times just so you can take everything in! Just one taste of The Chemical Brothers’ Surrender and you will be hooked. It is an album…
IMPOSSIBLE to resist