Artist: Apollo 440 Album: Electro Glide in Blue

Year: 1997
Duration: 0:0-1

Apollo 440's Electro Glide in Blue: A

If you're a fan of electronic music, you've likely encountered Apollo 440 at some point. The British group, composed of brothers Howard and Trevor Gray, Noko, and James Gardner, has been active since the early 1990s. Their genre-defying sound has earned them fans around the world, and their second album, Electro Glide in Blue, is widely regarded as a classic. In this review, we'll take a closer look at the album's history, musical style, standout tracks, and innovations, while offering a critical perspective.
Electro Glide in Blue was released in 1997, two years after Apollo 440's debut album, Millennium Fever. The album features a mix of sounds from electronica, rock, and various other genres, and is characterized by heavy beats, eclectic samples, and an overall frenetic energy. From the opening track, Astral America, it's clear that this is not background music, but rather an album that demands your full attention.
One of the album's standout tracks is Raw Power, which features a sample from Iggy and The Stooges' classic track of the same name. The song's pulsating bassline, distorted guitars, and electronic flourishes combine to create a powerful and immersive listening experience. Similarly, Krupa is a high-energy track that combines breakbeats, saxophone samples, and driving synths to create a track that's equally suited to a rave or a rock concert.
Despite the album's many strengths, there are a few missteps. White Man's Throat is a jarring track that features a harsh vocal sample and unsettling sound effects. While it's certainly a bold experiment, it's not a particularly enjoyable one. Similarly, the album's title track, Electro Glide in Blue, which features a sample from the 1973 film of the same name, feels a bit dated and gimmicky.
Despite these missteps, there's no denying that Apollo 440's Electro Glide in Blue is a trailblazing album that helped set the tone for electronic music in the late 1990s and beyond. Even more than two decades later, tracks like Raw Power and Krupa sound fresh and exciting, and the album as a whole represents a thrilling fusion of diverse genres and sounds.
One of the album's most innovative elements is the way it incorporates samples from classic rock and jazz tracks. From the aforementioned Raw Power to Stealth Mass in F# (which samples Pat Metheny's Phase Dance) and Altamont Super-Highway Revisited (which features a sample from The Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter), the album's use of samples represents a seamless integration of different sounds and styles.
In conclusion, Apollo 440's Electro Glide in Blue is a classic album that should be appreciated by any fan of electronic or rock music. While it's not without its flaws, it represents a bold and innovative experiment in the fusion of disparate genres and sounds. From its pulsating beats to its eclectic samples, there's never a dull moment on this album.