Preemptive Strike

DJ Shadow | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 1998)
• Original Release Date: January 13, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fontana Island
• ASIN: B000005DQU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,012 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > Dance & DJ > Turntablists
  • #29 in Music > Indie Music > Dance & DJ > General
  • #37 in Music > Indie Music > R&B > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This set compiles much of DJ Shadow's pre-major label material in one convenient package in an attempt to foil bootleggers and bring new fans up-to-date in the curriculum. The results are naturally varied, but all point to a marvelous evolution of talent. The collection is kept together primarily by its propensity for jazzy beats and psychedelic loops. Shadow (né Josh Davis) moves through everything from old school funk ("In/Flux") to grungy '60s-style guitar raveups ("High Noon"). The centerpiece of the set, however, is a four-part composition called "What Does Your Soul Look Like," which is likely to be the first ever entirely sample-driven rock opera. It's a brilliant piece of work, laced with intriguing sounds, sound bites, and a detectable set of motion. It is also quite possibly better than anything on the critically -acclaimed Entroducing. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description

Japanese edition of his 1998 offering for Mo Wax with two bonus tracks: 'The Number Song' (Cut Chemist Remix) and 'Painkiller' (Kill The Pain Mix), both from the 'Pain Killer' 12in that was limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. Also has different artwork than the U.S. release & comes packaged in a gatefold miniaturized LP sleeve. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Josh Davis' Soul Looks Like, May 3, 2005

By 

D. R. Locker (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Preemptive Strike (Audio CD)

Enough with the arguments. Everyone knows what Shadow's best tracks are. Some of them are on Entroducing. Some are on Preemptive Strike. A couple are on Private Press. He also did some real magic with James Lavelle on Psyence Fiction. And almost all of his best are on In Tune and On Time.

But if you look at In Tune and On Time, his live album, as a reflection of what Shadow is most proud of and what he is most "into" at the time, it seems pretty clear to me that he is 1) enamored with his recent work (Private Press), but 2) still sees his vision as a product of his early musical conceptions. It is these early musical conceptions (and some revamped ones) that you get with Preemptive Strike.

I am a huge Shadow fan and have been for a long time. blah, blah, . . . I was fortunate enough to see him perform the In Tune set live at Stubbs in Austin when he toured for the release of Private Press. Shadow is a showman extraordinairre and I was blown away. The amount of brilliance that went into his visuals and track order have seen few equals. I remember that he dropped the first track (Fixed Income) after the following words:

"The most important thing for me is that you know how much I appreciate you and have a good time. You see, I view you, the fans, as my employers, and this is my resume . . ."

This kind of humilty and appreciation is sadly missing in most musicians.

Therefore I don't think that it is out of line to view In Tune as a reflection of his own view on his career. The two clear winners are Private Press and Preemptive Strike. Private Press can be explained by recency, but I think the reason that Shadow still plays so much Preemptive Strike is because it still reflects how he views himself.

As much as I love Endtroducing (Building Steam, Midnight, and Stem/Long Stem are clearly some of his best), Preemptive Strike is no less essential listening. Between In Flux, High Noon, and Organ Donor, you have as much of a concentration of greatness as the best tracks on Endtroducing. And then there is What Does Your Soul Look Like, which is like a warm blanket, flowing, changing, and walking you through Shadow's own soul. Just amazing. It seems incredibly ironic to me that Preemptive Strike seems to flow more smoothly than Endtroducing, despite it being a chronological compilation of previous endeavors.

My point is not to pick a fight between Entroducing and Preemptive Strike (or fuel the existing battle), but to encourage any fan of DJ Shadow to make sure Preemptive Strike is on your absolute shortest list of must own albums. Do not underestimate this album because of its origins. Camel Bobsled Race is also great; getting a chance to hear Q-Bert remix/compile Shadow is a treat.

I also think that Psyence Fiction is essential, and it is pretty clear that Shadow likes those tracks too. Also don't miss the bootleg of him live in Austin or his old Soulside tracks. Product Placement is a fun mix, too.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the Intro to Shadow for Buddhists, June 2, 2004

By 

Thaddeus (nyc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preemptive Strike (Audio CD)

This record is getting ripped on by a couple of reviewers for not being Endtroducing... or Private Press. They all agree that High Noon and Organ Donor are all that make this cd worth having and that is some straight-up bull$!@#. This was my introduction to Shadow and it might have taken a little while to really sink in, but it hooked me on his music and made me vow to pick up everything he laid his lily white hands upon. This record is like Neitzche's void opening up in your mind and fixing its dark gaze right into the center of you. I've just heard Joseph Campbell mention that poetry is a metaphor for all the mysteries of existence and this for me is a transcendent poem that has helped glimpse behind the mask of the mysteries.

Preemptive Strike is mostly slow and plodding, but each beat dropped lands right in the center of my head. It builds and builds, creating mischief from disparate sources of sound, weaving together a web that seems to form a story that you could almost make out if some of the pieces weren't missing. Some of the most affecting spoken samples are from "Johnny Got His Gun", as I later found out. Go see that movie if you like this record. If you enjoy "Diamond Sea" by Sonic Youth, "1983..." by Jimi Hendrix or "Revolution #9" by the Beatles, give this record a couple of spins through a pair of huge headphones.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best DJ in hip-hop, February 10, 2000

By 

Alex (Yakima) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preemptive Strike (Audio CD)

This CD is a masterpiece in ambient hip-hop. The sounds are beautiful on this laid-back, heavily sampled score featuring awesome scratching on the one and two. While "Organ Donor" and "High Noon" are the catchiest, with their quicker beats and less trance-ish sound, the other songs are all incredible. The monstrous epic "What Does Your Soul Look Like?" spans 4 tracks and over 40 minutes. The beats vary as much as the samples, and Shadow is at his best with these roving, abstract songs. "Organ Donor", however, will probably stick with you the most. The entrancing organ melody and wicked scratching elevate this song above most DJ music you have ever heard before. DJ Shadow, while comparable to DJ Krush, is not as futuristic, relying more on samples than his Japanese counterpart. He utilizes funkier beats, and it works. Buy "Premptive Strike", and check out Krush while you're at it.