Daft Punk's 1997 debut album took the raw foundation of Chicago house to prog rock levels of high concept and grandiosity... looking over the odd photos and scribbles on the inner sleeves, you’d think you were looking at a Supertramp record, not something inspired by DJ Deeon. The videos accompanying the album are even weirder... but none of this high art schlock means anything if the tracks don’t bang, and do they! Seeing “Da Funk” and “Around The World” on late night MTV2 lured me in, when I was too young and too green to recognize any of the names shouted out on “Teachers” apart from maybe Dr. Dre and George Clinton. But I stuck around for “Fresh,” “Oh Yeah,” “Alive,” and perhaps most importantly, “Revolution 909.” Homework is the gateway drug that sent an entire generation of naïve suburban tweens on a quest to find out what records by Todd Edwards, Romanthony, Kenny Dope and Jeff Mills sounded like. The first truly great house *album*, and probably still the best. Double vinyl pressing housed in deluxe high-gloss gatefold with printed inner sleeves, recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
  
• housed in deluxe gatefold jacket w/ printed inner sleeves
• original release year: 1997
• music label: Daft Life 2022

reviewed by hannibal chew 02/2017