We Are the Night

The Chemical Brothers

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2007)
• Original Release Date: June 19, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Astralwerks
• ASIN: B000OV129I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,532 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One can never accuse the Chemical Brothers of consistency. We Are the Night continues their eclectic electronica approach even though the big-beat groove of the title track remains their digital calling card. Spotted with a minimalist keyboard pattern, vocal non sequiturs, and sampled sound effects, the infectious groove of "We Are the Night" eventually evolves into the monotone-chanted dance chorus of "We are the night skies/We are the bright lies," recalling Brian Eno circa Here Come the Warm Jets. However, for every catchy electro-dance, there's a tune that leaves you scratching your head. What to make of the novelty song "The Salmon Dance" is anybody's guess, though you might find some illumination in a salmon recipe on their Web site. With fractured nursery-rhyme lyrics that are sung like an off-color Sesame Street rap, it will drive you up the wall--or at least toward the skip button. Then there's Midlake singing the trancey ballad "The Pills Won't Help You Now," making the Chemical Brothers sound like a sci-fi version of Coldplay. Retro-analog synthesizers dominate, with the electro-grooves of "Das Spiegel," "Burst Generator," and "Saturate," which builds on a Kraftwerk-forged metal framework coupled with storming sampled drums. The circuits of '70s techno-pop artist the Normal are re-soldered on "Do It Again." With Ali Love singing the title-track chorus, it's built to be a summertime anthem akin to Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)," albeit robotically chilled. --John Diliberto

Product Description

UK reissue of this 2007 album featuring new artwork (replaced because of 'legal reasons'). On We Are The Night, their sixth studio album, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons demonstrate that when it comes to supreme beat-based innovation, inspired collaborations and sheer sonic excellence, the two are unsurpassable. We Are The Night displays a myriad of sounds, rhythms and emotions along with an astounding roster of featured artists. This griping body of work slips between something simply fun like 'The Salmon Dance' (featuring Fatlip of Pharcyde) to haunting tracks like 'Battle Scars' sung by Willy Mason. The album would not be complete without a few signature dance anthems including 'We Are The Night', 'Burst Generator' and 'Do It Again'. Other additional featured artists that appear on the album include the very hot Klaxons, Midlake and Ali Love. EMI. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not old Chemicals, New Chemicals!, July 28, 2007

By	Tony Le (SF, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love the Chemical Brothers. As an electronic musician and dj, the Chems are my favorite artist and my biggest influence.

My favorite work of theirs is actually their DJ mix, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out." Just awesome.

I didn't really like their last album, "Push the Button." It was just ok. I didn't play any of the songs from that album in my dj sets(although I did play "Rise Up" which was a b-side to "Galvanize").

I've never loved any of their albums though. I've just thought that certain songs on their albums were mind blowing. The albums usually don't have a very danceable flow to them.

This one does.

"Do It Again" makes a ton more sense now that I've heard it within the context of the album. The sung vocals were questionable to me when I heard this as a single, but after hearing the album, I think it's brilliant.


Songs like "All Right's Reversed" and "The Pills Won't Help You Now" have legendary written all over them.


For the record, I think the "Salmon Dance" is wicked dancefloor material. The funkiest Chemical Brothers track ever. BUT I find it to be the lone mis-step on this album. Clearly it should have been a single; it stick's out of this album like a sore thumb and takes away from the flow.

Even though this album is a bit less in your face than the earlier stuff, it is truly relevant to the current state of electronic music. Although it draws heavy influence from the minimal house/berlin techno scene and the nu-rave scene it manages to transcend all of that.

They make some odd-ball decisions and push songs in really strange directions, all the while keeping their familiar sound pallette. Masterful stuff.

If you want the old (and still great) block rockin' Chemical Brothers, then this is probably not the album for you. But if you want to hear cutting edge dance music, this is it.

Currently my favorite electronic music album. Period.


-The Beat Counselor

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You all stink, this Album rocks!, October 28, 2007

By	loctgruv (phila, pa) - See all my reviews

This is the best Chemical Lp to date! All the naysayers need to listen again. The best most danceable, listenable, psychedelic Chems record in quite some time, and I really find it to be the best yet. They "Do It Again" With the aforementined track (my favorite to dance to), "Das Speigel", "Battle Scars", and my personal fave "A Modern midnight Conversation. Shame on you not knowers and unbelievers; if "Burst Generator" doen't make you want to destroy your chair and freak all over the room in techno giddy-ness then you need to check your head and your feet. What a dope track! This is modern psychedlic music at its finest, and will almost top my best of for the year. What an amazing live show they did in Manhattan in support of the LP!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen to it again..., August 9, 2007

By	N.W. Onknu "downer" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

I have all of the chemical brother cd's, and this one is probably my favorite. Usually their songs are hit and miss on any given album, with this one I genuinely enjoy every track and don't have to hit skip at all. It's not the usual chem type, but it still has the base that is their signature sound. The first time that I heard it I wasn't exactly overwhelmed, but the more I listen to it the more that I like it. It is perfect "commute" music.