ONE OF GREATEST DEBUT ALBUMS EVER!!
justified and ancient | chorley,lancashire,england | 09/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I cannot believe no one else has reviewed this amazing album, especially since its Asian Dub Foundation's finest. (I think that its better than Rafi's Revenge and a lot better than Community Music.) Every song on the album is excellent, my favourite being the reggae epic that is Jericho. However what makes the album absolutely awesome is the brilliant combination of the dub sound mixed with drum and bass to make the distinct, unique sound associated with ADF. What makes the album awesome is the angry, in yer-face rapping of Deeder and his ' perfectly capturing the mood at the time' and 'I've been persecuted by English society' lyrics. Ultimately though, what sets this album apart from its more popular counterparts is the sheer energy involved in the music and the raw quality of it. In ADF's later albums the music unfortunately seemed to be a lot more commercial and seemed to be lacking the raw power of their debut. Indeed, ADF seem to give it their all on this album. It wouldn't sound out of place in the 70's where racial tension was rife but sadly 30 years later it still exists to some extent so therefore Deeder views on English society and racism are as valid as ever. Rarely has nineties music sounded so explosive than on this album. I cannot recommend it enough. To all ADF fans who have Rafi's Revenge and Community Music, and music fans who want a masterpiece in their CD collection, Facts and Fictions is a must. It is unfortunate that it was virtually ignored on its release since people and the media were obsessed with the tiresome indie scene and Britpop, but lets hope that as more people discover ADF's music the true greatness of their debut album will revealed."
ADF's Brilliant But Often Forgotten Debut
Mintu Banerjee | Hamilton, ON Canada | 02/08/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Facts and Fictions" was originally released in 1995 and when it came out, sounded like nothing else. Because critics couldn't categorize it, ADF's debut was soon forgotten as most of England was lost in a euphoric haze of MOR Brit Pop. This is a true shame because "Facts and Fictions" clearly foreshadows the birth of ADF's incredible vision. Musically the album combines many diverse styles including early jungle/drum and bass, hip hop, Bengali folk music, hindi filmi, bhangra and good guitar Brit pop, to name a few. There is also an unmistakable Bengali culture stamp throughout the album (two of the members are of Bengali background...Aniruddha Das, A/K/A Dr. Das and Deedar Zaman A/K/A Master D, who incidentally is the younger brother of Sam Zaman of State of Bengal fame). The brilliant "Rebel Warrior" (later to be re-recorded on "Community Music") which was influenced by one of the most famous poems of the great Bengali renaissance man Nazrul Islam (second only to Tagore) ends with a call for unity amongst Hindus and Muslims...truly the greatest issue facing Bengalis today. On the track "Strong Culture" there's also a shout out to Bangladesh...a musical first! But one of the most impressive statements on the album which foreshadows ADF's future brilliance in combining very diverse musical tapestries to create a sonic masterpiece is "Tu Meri". Starting out with some Indian samples, it breaks out into a tight early 90's hip hop attack. By the second half of the track thanks to the highly innovative Chandrasonic (Steve Chandra Savale), we get into a riff of what Brit Pop should sound like, then it is juxtaposed with a Sarangi sample...if this isn't ADF at work, I don't know what is. All the raw ingredients of ADF are on this album, the lyrics, the strong and very successful musical experimentation, and the early stages of Master D's rapping (who was still only 15/16 when ADF recorded this one). "...it's an education, the sounds of the Asian Dub Foundation" ...true dat!"
One of the most talented of our time...
Nicholas L Watters | New Orleans! | 04/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Asian Dub Foundation are perhaps one of the most innovative and talented groups of this era. Master D's rhythmically cound lyrics show a distinct style, along with chandrasonic's trippy eastern guitar riffs and Dr Das' drum n' bass-like bass beats. Almost every song they produce is a pleasure to listen to.
i would buy this album immediatley if i didn't have it, along with their other albums."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1