Born Slippy Review

07/13/2005 6:21 AM, AMG


From the moment the drums began pounding out Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life, Danny Boyle's film Trainspotting became as much of a cultural testimonial as it was a user's narrative. The tracks that made the film's soundtrack were culled from across a grim divide -- songs that spoke to people used to dabbling in ugly temptation and open-faced vice. "Born Slippy" was the runner-up benefactor in the collection and the tune that took Underworld from underground electro obscurity to the festival roster. The song's big opening chords, laced with delay and backed up with an ethereal wash of faux electronic voices, made as much of an imprint as any of the great rock riffs of the previous half-century. Seconds in, and long before the kick drum hammers out its thundering triplets, the listener is keenly aware of what they're in for. Lyrically the track appears to document the ecstatically sharp heights of an evening out -- dancefloors, lust, and chemical highs -- and how quickly they are to dissipate. The song's "Lager, lager, lager" chant made the tune a favorite among soccer patrons, who took it up as a hedonistic battle cry of sorts, but the club faithful, more importantly, had another true anthem to reckon with. The single, originally released in 1995, has had several remix treatments put to it, but the "NUXX" mix included in the film is the version compiled again and again. ~ JoE Silva, All Music Guide