Sleeve: Clinical, if what looks like two silver trees getting acquainted can be classed as clinical.
Sleevenotes: Absent, but the size of this retrospective means you’ll need all your time for listening rather than reading anyway.
Content: A 25-track – although, length-wise it feels like twice that – 25th anniversary recap of The Orb’s earlier days across three discs, plus a DVD of videos and Top of the Pops (remember that?) footage.
High point: Little Fluffy Clouds, A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain… and Toxygene. 1990s dance music at its height.
Low point: An uninspired set of remixes and rarities on disc two. And Perpetual Dawn sounds like Aswad. Not sure why.
Any glaring omissions? Nothing here since 2001’s Cydonia, making this a Best Half-Of. A similarly mammoth second edition presumably awaits.
Anything new? Polished-up recordings of The Orb’s early and often mesmerising live shows.
Cheerful or tearful excuse for release? As trailblazers go, The Orb (at least two years ahead of their time when they began), seldom get the credit they deserve. A History of the Future – not comprehensive, but accessible enough to entice newcomers – might help change that.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel