The Future Sound Of London – Teachings From The Electronic Brain (The Best Of FSOL)

At long last, FSOL (or Virgin Records, whichever suits the equation) decided to release a "Greatest Hits" album. I must say the tracks are very well chosen and each song deserves to be on this release.

However there is something missing to this album. Something which is very hard to describe in a written review. Eventhough the songs are great and eventhough they all genuinely deserve to be called "FSOL greatest hits", this compilation has a very sterile feel to it. What I'm trying to say is that I'm having doubts about the added value of this "Best Of"-album.
The album as a whole doesn't seem to make any sense. It doesn't quite compare to epic albums such as "Dead Cities" or "Lifeforms", albums which tell a story, take you on a musical journey. The latter albums are thought through, have been meticulously engineered from the beginning to the ending. Unfortunately this isn't the case with "Teachings from the electronic brain", or, at least, it doesn't show. It's as if each song has been ripped out of its musical context and has been put on display for the onlookers. Quite frankly, listening to this record almost made me feel like a pervert, tainted by the lack of respect to the higher good.

By all means, don't get me wrong! I do realize I'm sounding like a raving lunatic making a big deal out of something, but that's only because I truly do believe FSOL's music IS a big deal and something that shouldn't be thought of lightly.

To summarize, this IS a great album if you're looking for a CD which has all of FSOL's greatest tracks, because that's what it is and you'll get what you pay for. But just don't expect to get carried away by this record. You might get disappointed.