Screamadelica - Primal Scream

"Just what is it that you want to do?
We wanna be free
We wanna be free to do what we wanna do
And we wanna get loaded
And we wanna have a good time
That's what we're gonna do
We're gonna have a good time
We're gonna have a party"

(Peter Fonda, Wild Angels as heard on Loaded)

OK so it's 1991, Nirvana have put out Nevermind altering the field of play for rock music and Primal Scream release Screamadelica, changing the rules for dance music to this day.

Screamadelica brought techno, acid house and the whole rave scene into the mainstream. It also ripped up Primal Screams own rule book. Before the release of the album they were a mediocre indie rock band, forgettable in almost every way, but boy did they change that. That's not to say that Screamadelica doesn't tip its hat to their penchant for Detroit rock and the Rolling Stones. One listen to Movin On Up the opening track is clear proof of this, it is unmistakeably a giant leap forward for this little Scottish band.

The great debate about this album is who is actually responsible for it. It is such a monumental change for Primal Scream that it would, on paper, seem clear that producer Andrew Weatherall is the prime innovator here. Primal Scream have however taken responsibility for its innovations. True enough, they are the writers, but one can't help but feel that Adrew Weatheralls production role is of significant importance to the success of the album.

It is trippy, imaginative and almost certainly of its time, but it has also stood the test of time. Its influence on British music cannot be understated. It brought the psychedelic weirdness of the 60's and rocking 70's onto the 90's dance floor. Don't forget your groove thang this Thursday morning, for the Critical Junction is a floor filler.

Track Listing

1. "Movin' on Up" – 3:47
2. "Slip Inside This House" – 5:14
3. "Don't Fight It, Feel It" – 6:51
4. "Higher Than the Sun" – 3:36
5. "Inner Flight" – 5:00 (instrumental)
6. "Come Together" – 10:21
   
7. "Loaded" – 7:01
8. "Damaged" – 5:37
9. "I'm Comin' Down" – 5:59
10. "Higher Than the Sun [A Dub Symphony In Two Parts]" – 7:37
11. "Shine Like Stars" – 3:4