Critic's Review
Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide
Drum 'N' Bass for Papa is one of the great elder albums of drum'n'bass. Plug, aka Luke Vibert, twists so many strange, tweaked out sounds into his cosmic stew that the album takes on a life of its own from the word go. The chief difference in this import version over the Nothing-released domestic version is that the import includes the monumental "The Life of the Mind." The song wasn't included on the domestic version due to problems with sample clearance. Fans of the Coen brothers don't know what they're missing. "Life of the Mind" is a sinister, even wicked, ride. Sampling John Goodman's scream-fest freakout in Barton Fink, the song is a true delight. The title song is the other standout track. Vibert blends throbbing basslines with warp speed breakbeats, creating perhaps the crowning achievement of the genre. The album presents one decadent pleasure after the next. Though the domestic release includes the earlier EP releases as a bonus disc, the import version of the album is the one to track down. Who would have thought that one song would ever make such a difference on an album? Drum 'N' Bass for Papa is an amazing album, and this import is the preferred version, as it hasn't been excised of its demonic underbelly.
