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14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Groundbreaking album Aug 28, 2005
By Marcell Orosz
Much has been written about this album in the past 8 years since its release and it has been appraised by many people - they were right. However, this is not your kind of music, if you're not into experimental music or you turn away from unusual patterns. Anyway, this album is Chemical Brothers and techno music at their best.
The album's first part manages to mix big beat techno music with rock and it blows down your head. Tracks 1 to 5 are as exhasuting a trip as they can be. Most people know "Block Rockin' Beats" which was a hit single in the UK and in the US as well. The song really rocks and is a perfect starter. However, as we move towards "Setting Sun" the threshold is pushed forward (especially with "Elektrobank") and the album reaches its first climax in "Setting Sun", in which Oasis' Noel Gallagher sings with a electric-guitar-vocoded voice and the track rocks like nothing I've ever heard before or eversince.
The second part of the album, namely "It Doesn't Matter", "Don't Stop The Rock" and the remix of "Get Up On It Like This" are pure techno (repetitive, loud but still interesting), while "Get Up On It Like This" heralds a different sound. I didn't like this part for the first few times I listened to the album but it grew on me.
The third part is a trip into the unknown. It is a completely unexpected turn which elevates this album into an array where only the best albums ever made belong. It begins with "Lost In The K-Hole", a chiller that has soothing beats and relaxes you. Then comes "Where Do I Begin", a superb song that features singer Beth Orton. After a slow start and a surprise twist it is mixed into the closing track, "The Private Psyhedelic Reel". And this is the point where you will be stunned. This is pure psychedelic music, nevertheless it is techno. It has a mesmerizing effect and it makes you want to go back to Track 1 and start the experience once again. The sooner you do this, the better it will be.
So here is my opinion: this is the quintessential techno album, far better than the Chems' debut album, Exit Planet Dust (which is still damn good), it is a concept album with a concept that works. It surpasses even Orbital's Orbital 2 which held the throne before Dig Your Own Hole. This is a must have.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
One of the top five albums of the 90s Oct 23, 1999
Ignore the semi-illiterate "music fans" that give this masterpiece one star. The Chemical Brothers have made an album that easily outpaces any other electronica, dance, techno, or whatever you want to call it album ever made. Whether or not you like the brothers Gallagher, "Setting Sun" is a masterpiece of techno-rock fusion. "Block Rockin' Beats" is the answer to the critcs that call "Dig Your Own Hole" a "rock" album -- try not dancing to it. In short, buy this album. Ignore the kindergarten music critics, and do yourself a favor.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
The Album that Defined Breakbeat Electronica for the 90's Jun 23, 2000
By Dr. TV
The Chemical Brothers first gave us a taste of their genius on "Exit Planet Dust", and it was certainly a good album. But "Dig Your Own Hole" is even better. The pounding break beats would set the pattern for genre over the next few years. This album, along with Prodigy's "The Fat of the Land" was essential to the rise of electronica into mainstream popularity in the U.S. It opened the door to the top of the charts for artists like Moby and Fatboy Slim, who are now possibly more popular than the Brothers themselves. It is easy to see why "Dig Your Own Hole" was so popular, with powerhouse singles like "Setting Sun" and "Block Rocking Beats" and a great album to back them up. The banging drums and driving synth form a distinctive and powerful sound that set the Brothers apart from the rest of the electronic world. This album should be a part of any electronica collection.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Not perfect, but the next best thing. Nov 25, 1999
By Jonathan Williford
First of all, my review is takes the point of view of one who likes electronica music. If you don't like electronica chances are you will not like this CD. If you do like electronica, then most likely you will either like this CD or absolutely love it. At least one of the songs is repetitive to annoyance. Most of the songs are good, while a few (like "lost in the k-hole" and "where do i begin") are absolutely great. Considering that no album has reached the utmost peak of perfection, I recommend this CD. This CD was the one that got me hooked on electronica.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
An amazing psychedelic reel Dec 23, 1999
By Cookie Jones
This album is downright amazing. Not all the songs are great, granted, but it has many strong tracks, unlike so many albums that have one good song amidst mediocrity. Starting off with the ever-popular Block Rockin' Beats and working its way into the meaty breakbeatiness of Piku, the traditional fat sounds of the Brothers are established early on. Thrown in the middle is "Setting Sun," a widely popular track in Europe. The album takes a turn midway with "It Doesn't Matter", going for weird vocoder-ish effects. The album gets very strange with "Don't Stop The Rock", featuring funky guitar licks with mildly cheesy bell-like things. Near the end, "Where Do I Begin" is a sweet ballad reminiscent of "One Too Many Mornings." Overall, this is a great piece of work, well deserving of the grammys it garnered. Buy it. If you already have it, go listen to it. Straight through, in one sitting. Now.
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