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Ten years ago, when Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland of The Crystal Method released their debut album, Vegas, it quickly became a club sensation. The electronic sound was reminiscent of other techno favorites—like the ‘80s New Order—only with a jagged, frenzied, alternative edge. On occasion, when I hit the clubs (though I was more of a live-music kind of girl), The Crystal Method was always one of my favorites. And, like many other music lovers, I credit The Crystal Method with broadening my musical horizons to include this new and unusual brand of alternative techno music.
But Vegas isn’t just a club album. Yes, the frantic beats and the futuristic sound make for great dance music. But as I soon discovered, it fits just as well in rush hour traffic…or the gym…or at the office during crunch time. It was a CD that was often passed from cubicle to cubicle at the ad agency where I worked—because it was just the fuel we needed (well, that and a few extra cups of Starbucks) as we raced to meet our deadlines.
Just like the city it’s named after, Vegas is fast and hypnotic. It’s best when it’s loud. And it never slows down—not even for a second. And, just like the substance that the band’s name plays on, it’s just a little bit trippy.
In the ten years since the album’s release, several infectious Crystal Method tracks (like “Busy Child”) have shown up in everything from video games to movies to TV commercials. And there’s a reason for that—it’s because they’re just that catchy. They’re upbeat. They’re fast-paced. They raise your heart rate. They make you feel energized. They make you want to race cars…or motorcycles…or whatever that particular video game calls for. (On a related note, a word of warning: it’s virtually impossible to drive the speed limit while listening to this album in the car.)
The newly remastered 10th anniversary Deluxe Edition of Vegas also includes a second disc of extras. There are a couple of videos (for “Busy Child” and “Comin’ Back”), some live tracks and demos, and a bunch of remixes by artists like Paul Oakenfold, Hyper, and Myagi. Since I’m not a huge fan of remixes, I didn’t find anything especially thrilling about the second disc, but Vegas as still as good as it was the first time I heard it. Even ten years later, it’s still a fabulously high-energy, get-you-moving kind of album. If you need something to help wake you up in the morning, I highly recommend giving Vegas a spin.
