Music Review

Saturnz Return

EW's GRADE
B

Details Lead Performance: Goldie

GOLDIE Saturnz Return (London) Is electronica the new prog rock? This double-disc smorgas-mixing-board by Britain's jungle king makes that case, for better and occasionally worse. The first half is given over to an autobiographical, hour-long symphony that progresses seamlessly from streaking-comet effects and wordless chorales into hard, hissy beats backed by luxurious strings. It's ambitious but monotonous and overlong -- Pink Floyd with a gold tooth. The second disc starts sluggishly, with cameos by Noel Gallagher (wanky guitar squalor) and KRS-One (heavy-handed rapping, as always), but slowly heats to a sensuous simmer. When Goldie slips jungle beats into smooth-groove R&B (''Believe'') and Latin-fusion instrumentals (''Dragonfly''), you finally forgive him for his own overambitiousness. B

Originally posted Feb 06, 1998 Published in issue #417 Feb 06, 1998 Order article reprints

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