I can see why this was so amazing when it came out. I don't think I've heard any album before this that sounded anything like it - as it was later coined, progressive house. Today it seems rather bland, as the style has been copied numerous times that its commonplace today. I think the best part of the album was the first track, before the vocals came in - that instrumental is sublimely addicting, and I wish an entire track was made out of it. I also think there are too many vocals on here, and I believe his style fits perfectly with instrumental music.

Reviewing this in retrospect, its an above average album. Unfortunately I don't share the memories that others may have with this album, nor any idea of how revolutionary this album was when it came out; the two factors that lead many fans to call this one of the biggest electronic releases ever.

Well, here's what is constantly referred to as the "Best British Electronica Album" of all time.

It doesn't disappoint.

The key word here is "atmosphere". Throughout the album, there is a strange, cold, green and yet compelling atmosphere held through all the tracks. Another key word is "awesome": EVERY single track here is good. Nothing stands out as poor at all. It's hard to talk about such an old classic without going all gushing and over the top like a common reviewer trying to convince themselves they've spent their money well, but this is different...

"Release the Pressure", a careful, mystical start with some great and relevant lyrics. "Afro-Left" - a more powerful, cultural journey. "Melt" - just BEAUTIFUL! "Song of Life" - easily one of my top 5 electronica tracks of all time, it contains so many good parts that drift apart and come back together - this track is AMAZING. "Original" - great lyrics, once again. "Black Flute" - a nice, dancey piece that's almost a filler, but not quite! "Storm 3000" - another OUTSTANDING composition. "Open Up" is the total climax: damning and wonderful. Finally, "21st Century Poem" is a pensive work with simple, but powerful lyrics once more.

It's no surprise that Leftfield produced one, inferior album then broke up. They would never be able to top this masterpiece...

The greatest album ever? Well, in my opinion, I think so, yes. From banging hard house to sweet down tempo and ambient, this for me has got it all. There is never a time or a mood when Leftism won’t fit, an absolute timeless gem. If you like electronic music and you haven’t heard this then get yourself a copy today, if not sooner. Everybody deserves to have heard this album in their life.

OK so everyone knows this is an undisputed classic and virtually every man and his dog owns a copy of the album. Yet I felt compelled to write, as the impact this album had on me was phenomenal. The album opened up my brain to electronica and my collection and tastes broadened as a result. I started to listen to albums by artists i'd never ever considered before, such as people on Warp like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Black Dog, Sabres of Paradise, people like Richie Hawtin, Nightmares on Wax and various downtempo electronic artists as well as the harder stuff. This record opened up the possibilities for what a multitude of creative ideas dance music can encompass. It is an absolute timeless masterpiece - no wonder it took them another 4 yrs to make an inferior album and then they decided to retire!

I picked this album up at a second hand store not expecting too much. I wasn’t disappointed but it wasn’t exceptional. The production has that nostalgic 1995 feel to it, when music wasn’t as unpredictable as it is now. The songs very throughout Leftism from Ambient to Prodigy’s Dub-Big Beat to almost Meat Beat Manifesto style Industrial. The truth is the album would be all right lest lyrics on the majority of the songs with the exception of “Original”. The female vocalist has a beautiful voice and the production would seem itself not able to contain a voice as hers but they mate very well. The Techno/Dance style in which Leftfield experiment with throughout the majority of the album is a bit tired in 2005, ten years after its original release which is a bit of a turn off. I don’t suggest dropping anymore than a fiver on this album or downloading it off your favorite software-sharing program but there are several instrumental cuts that aren’t bad to the ears.

The first I heard of these guys was Open Up on a good compilation called Chemical Reaction, and I knew I'd love the rest of their music. I've often heard from people that they think Rhythm And Stealth is better, but they are WRONG. There is a nice variety throughout, with different male and female vocal tracks as well as sick instrumentals. Song of Life is one of my top 10 tunes, but Inspection and Original are up there, and if Space Shanty & Afro-Left don't make you want to get up and move, check your pulse.

Discogs asks that we refrain from one line comments for reviews, which in this case is a shame because the only review it needs is "absolutely essential - go get this NOW."

"Leftism" touches on every genre in the book and sets an incredibly high bar in each. "Song of Life" starts as a chill track and builds into a classic, acid fueled prog monster. In that vein, "Space Shanty" and "Open Up" (with John Lydon on vocals) will absolutely rip the roof off of wherever they are played. On the other side of the coin, "Melt" is an evocative downtempo piece with beautiful melodies and subtle rhythms. Breaks, ambient, downtempo, progressive...an incredibly diverse album, and an incredibly rare album in electronica in that there are absolutely no throwaway tracks whatsoever.

absolutely essential - go get this NOW.

Possibly a life changing experience when I heard this album....yes it is that good. Confirmed that house, specifically progressive, was here to stay. Although 'Song of life' is the stand out track, '21st century poem' is a haunting track that completely moves outside of house territory and showed the level talent of Barnes and Daley. Sad that they split, but this is a testament to their fine work.

1 my of top 10 too - this album covers a menagerie of styles yet comes together to form a sound that is distinctively Leftfield's own. Along with Underworld, Orbital and to a lesser extent the Chemical Brothers they brought dance into the awareness of the masses (not necessarily a good thing!)
This was recently listed by Arcam Hifi as one of their listeners' best 3 albums (all genres!) to show off the capabilities of their top end hifi equipment. As an Arcam owner myself I could not agree more - the production on Release the Pressure, for example is awesome.

One of my favorite CDs of all time. Rates #2 in my personal top ten behind The Prodigy's 'Experience'. The term 'Progressive House' was coined almost specifically to describe Leftfield's unique brand of music. John Digweed has commented that his favorite track of all time is 'Song of Life', and I've personally had the pleasure of hearing him drop it into his sets twice. Leftfield is one of THE MOST influential dance groups ever.