Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is an album by the electronic act The Prodigy. It was released in the UK on August 23, 2004 by XL Recordings, and in the US on September 15, 2004 by Mute Records/Maverick Records. It is the first The Prodigy studio album after 1997’s The Fat of the Land. Its title is a play on words of the title to the Walter Mosely novel Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned.

Of the three The Prodigy members, only Liam Howlett is present on the album musically. Contributors included actress Juliette Lewis, Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher, Kool Keith and The Magnificent Ping Pong Bitches. “This album is about reminding people what The Prodigy was always about — the beats and the music”, Howlett wrote to an internet zine after finishing the album.[1] He also notes that his intention was to use vocals mostly as an extension of the sound rather than the main focal point, as was the case in The Fat of the Land. A limited edition of 5000 was released, sporting a black, inverted cover variant and no other extras. In Japan the album contained a reworked version of Girls, entitled “More Girls” which features Maxim on vocals.

The album peaked at Number 1 on the UK album charts, although for one week only, and performed decently in Australia reaching Number 6 on the Aria Album Chart. With three singles the album yielded no big hits in any country. It was promoted by a promotional double A-sided 12” “Girls/Memphis Bells”, released in very limited quantities in UK on June 21, 2004.