This is the most amazing CD I've ever listened to. Honestly, no hyperbole there.

The first Orbital I heard was on the radio. It sounded pretty good, but I didn't really get into it for about another year, when I bought the "Satan" single, and was just blown away by the masterful work on the last two songs (I wasn't much for the "Spawn" version of the song, but it was still good.)

From the initial ambience and thumping of "The Girl With the Sun in Her Head", I knew I was in for a real treat. The song goes for a full 10 minutes, hardly ever reaching a point where you could call it repetitive. (In fact, on quite a few occasions, I just stuck this song on repeat for about an hour.)

P.E.T.R.O.L. has a bit of industrial feel to it, and can get a bit boring; you may like it, you may not.

The album version of "The Box" is a great song, starting out rather ambient, then on the second part adding some definite beat and tune to it.

"Dwr Budr" was a song written about the oil spills off the coast of Wales; it's Welsh for "dirty water," and is perhaps the darkest Orbital song made yet.

You may want to pay attention to the track listing the first time you listen to the CD, because it's difficult to tell when "Dwr Budr" becomes "Adnan's."

"Out There Somewhere?" is Orbital's latest UFO song, after "LC1" and "Are We Here?" At a total of 24 minutes, when it ends it's nothing at all like it starts out.

The second disc of this will either be the "Times Fly/Box" disc, or the "Satan/The Saint/Halcyon" one. To put it simply on "Times Fly" and "Sad But New": Orbital meets Enya. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you don't like Enya. "The Tranquiliser" is, to say the least, just holy. The 28 minute version of "The Box" is, in fact, 4 versions of it: the radio version; another that starts out very industrial-like, and ending with what I believe is a harpsichord; a version using quite a few bells; and a vocal version. It's worth every minute.

The other second disc of "In Sides" isn't quite as impressive as the first, but it's still got some good stuff on it. However, you will probably be sick and tired of "Satan" after a while, as it has two versions of it, one lasting 3 minutes, and one lasting 7 minutes. There's also "The Saint", as well as a remix of it (or, as Orbital calls it, a "diversion"; they take the original tune, and go off in a different direction with it). The disc also has the fabled live version of "Halcyon" in which they use samples of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" and Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven On Earth." (The reason for this? They found the tunes quite similar, so they decided they'd let other people in on it.) This is the last you'll hear of the Bon Jovi/Belinda Carlisle mix, because they're going to be doing it anymore. (Well, they'll still be performing "Halcyon," but, oh, nevermind...)

All in all, one of the best techno albums. Ever.

8 of 9 found the following review helpful:


Orbital's electronic progressive masterpiece  Jul 21, 2001 By Tracher
Orbital are one of the most important bands at the end of the 20th century, and "in Sides" is here to prove that. This is Orbital's fourth album, their most complete, beautiful and most progressive edition - their best yet. And i honestly doubt that we'll hear something like this ever again, not just by Orbital but in all of the electronic music out there.

It will make you cry, it will make you smile, make you dance, but most importantly it will make you listen to it all the way - from beginning to end. It's unbelievable! A landscape of sounds going in and out of your head, swirling around and around, again and again. You won't just listen to the music, you'll be able to SEE IT. That's how amazing this album is.

It starts with TGWTSIHH, a very sad song, dedicated to Sally Harding, the girl that photographed Orbital. A true electronic ballad.

P.E.T.R.O.L. is a total contrast to TGWTSIHH - very powerfull, hard.

On to THE BOX. A long time favorite among Orbital fans, today it still remains the most famous and most recognized Orbital song.

Then we have DWR BUDR and ADNAN'S, both row, but also very emotional, ballad - like tracks in a way only Orbital can do it.

And the best for last. The 24 minute OUT THERE SOMEWHERE?, spacey, trance - like. While listening to it every single time, it always make's me find something different in it, something new, something magical. Listening to it is like floating in space. It's that good!

You're still reading this? Hey, haven't you figured it out by now? There aren't words good enough to describe this to you. Go on, get it. Buy it. It's the only way you'll understand what i'm trying to tell you.

A truly life - changing experience. Listen to it, enjoy it... I know i did...

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:


a masterpiece. it's a trip!  Sep 04, 1999
i can't even begin to explain the magnitude of this work. it's truly a masterpiece of techno music. nearly every track is jaw-dropping. when i first bought the cd, i popped it into my portable stereo, pushed play, and was basically in a trance for the whole first track. (the girl with the sun in her head) the way they manipulate sound and put layer after layer of beautiful melody and harmony with an incredible set of percussion loops, and when you think you've figured out the main tune, they'll bring in another electronic noise to absolutely blow you away. i highly recommend the tracks the girl with the sun in her head, P.E.T.R.O.L., Dwd Budr (or whatever it is), Adnan's, and ESPECIALLY out there somewhere? pt.2. adnan's uses trash can beats and drip of water into their percussion, while out there somewhere? pt.2 weaves the melody in and out for almost fourteen minutes of great music. this song lovely.. got to be my favorite orbital song right now, it nearly brings me to tears every time i hear it. this cd, along with diversions has placed orbital as one of my favorite bands, and this cd is in my top five of all time. if you're a techno/electonica fan, get it!

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