When the first UNKLE full-length dropped in 1998, some electronica fans were hoping that the supergroup featuring Mo' Wax founder James Lavelle and production wunderkind DJ Shadow would become to electronic music what Radiohead had become to rock: an act with commercial clout, artistic importance, and the rapt attention of music critics everywhere. Psyence Fiction instead engaged only a small coterie of curious listeners interested in the concept of epic trip-hop -- or the parade of star collaborations. UNKLE full-length number two, Never, Never, Land, finds James Lavelle with a new conspirator, singer/songwriter Richard File, a talented writer whose blasted yet sweet vocals unfortunately recall Dirty Vegas as much as Thom Yorke. Lavelle's vision for music is still in wide focus, replete with sweeping strings, driving breakbeat passages, and tender balladry (from File) as well as raging, angsty metal (from guest vocalist Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age). Massive Attack's 3D gets another chance to excoriate Blair and Bush on "Invasion," while Ian Brown shambles through another guest appearance on "Reign." Lavelle's interests and themes haven't changed drastically from Psyence Fiction, and with fewer star guests (anonymous contributions from Jarvis Cocker, Brian Eno, and Graham Gouldman notwithstanding), Never, Never, Land ends up with little more to say than the U.N.K.L.E. debut. [The U.S. release, which followed a year after the British, included two bonus-track remixes.] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Ian Brown (Vocals), Cameron Craig (Engineer), Richard Matthews (Studio Assistant), Scott Shields (Bass), Richard Flack (Mixing), Jarvis Cocker (Effects), Chris Goss (Remix Producer), Richard File (Sound Effects), Damian Taylor (Waterphone), Antony Genn (Organ (Hammond)), Chris Elliott (String Arrangements), Antony Genn (Omnichord), Richard Flack (Programming), Antony Genn (Vocals (Background)), Jarvis Cocker (Sound Effects), Lucy Wakeford (Harp), Howie Weinberg (Mastering), Antony Genn (Guitar (Acoustic)), Prime Cuts (Turntables), Will Bankhead (Photography), Rose Blake (Vocals (Background)), Joel Cadbury (Vocals), Richard File (Hi String Guitar), Antony Genn (Piano), Gavyn Wright (Orchestra Leader), Will Malone (String Arrangements), Mani (Guitar (Bass)), Antony Genn (String Arrangements), Chris Wilcock (Studio Assistant), Damian Taylor (Voices), Robert "3D" del Naja (Vocals), James Lavelle (Design), Antony Genn (Harmonica (Glass)), Corey Miller (Engineer), Jimmy Hogarth (Guitar), Ben Drury (Art Direction), Graham Gouldman (Vocals (Background)), Psycho Pab (Programming), Damian Taylor (Programming), Antony Genn (Audio Production), Melissa Jaques (Vocals (Background)), Cameron Craig (Mixing), Josh Homme (Bass), James Book (Engineer), Joel Cadbury (Guitar (Acoustic)), Richard File (Vocals (Background)), Josh Homme (Tympani [Timpani]), Chris Goss (Remix Arrangement), Will Malone (String Conductor), Richard File (Guitar (Acoustic)), Damian Taylor (Harmonica (Glass)), UNKLE (Producer), Neil Davidge (Vocal Producer), Robert "3D" del Naja (Session Producer), Josh Homme (Remix Producer), Alain Johannes (Reconstruction), Antony Genn (Waterphone), Patrick Byrne (Guitar), Antony Genn (Producer), James Lavelle (Sound Effects), Ben Drury (Cover Design), Richard Barrie (Studio Assistant), Jack LaVelle (Sound Effects), Philip Sheppard (Cello), Antony Genn (Voices), Melissa Jacques (Vocals (Background)), Jarvis Cocker (Synthesizer), Shawn Lee (Drums), Barney Bankhead (Cover Photo), Melvyn Lim (Layout Design), Pablo Cook (Percussion), Richard File (Group Member), Richard Matthews (Glockenspiel), Melvyn Lim (Design), James Lavelle (Group Member), Psycho Pab (Synthesizer), Francesco Cameli (Studio Assistant), Andy Peace (Drums), Richard File (Guitar (Electric)), James Lavelle (Mellotron), James Lavelle (Layout Design), Robert "3D" del Naja (Original Paintings), Barney Bankhead (Photography), Josh Homme (Reconstruction), Warren Du Preez (Portraits), Richard File (Audio Production), Josh Homme (Drums), Antony Genn (Synthesizer), Josh Homme (Vocals), Cameron Craig (Programming), Antony Genn (Guitar (Electric)), Tom Taterson (Studio Assistant), Brian Eno (Effects), Damian Taylor (Synthesizer Bass), Jim Abbiss (Mixing), Richard File (Programming), Damian Taylor (Bass), James Lavelle (Art Direction), Alain Johannes (Remixing), Antony Genn (Bass), Will Malone (Conductor), Antony Genn (Keyboards), Alain Johannes (Producer), Aiden Lavelle (Synthesizer), Brian Eno (Sound Effects), Richard File (Synthesizer), Damian Taylor (Engineer), Josh Homme (Remixing), Robert "3D" del Naja (Vocal Producer), Shawn Lee (Guitar (Acoustic)), Patrick Byrne (Vocals (Background)), Kate Nielsen (Art Coordinator), James Asher (Engineer), Jimmy Hogarth (Guitar (Acoustic)), Patrick Byrne (Piano), Richard Flack (Synthesizer), Brian Eno (Synthesizer), Damian Taylor (Synthesizer), Beccy Byrne (Vocals (Background)), Natasha Shneider (Piano), Richard File (Vocals), Neil Davidge (Session Producer), Philip Sheppard (Electric Cello), Chris Elliott (Conductor), Martin Slattery (Organ (Hammond)), Ben Drury (Photography), Luke Bullen (Drums)
Cover of 2004 double-CD edition Never, Never, Land Revisited
Never, Never, Land is the second album by the Britishelectronic music act UNKLE, released on September 22, 2003 (2003-09-22). On October 24, 2004 (2004-10-24) an expanded edition entitled Never, Never, Land Revisited was released. The original album debuted at #71 in Australia. It was promoted by four singles: "Eye for an Eye", "In a State", "Reign" and released only as a 12" promo "Safe in Mind".
Some CD versions of the album feature a hidden track. The track can be heard by playing the beginning of track one and then using the rewind/search button to go back 0:18.
The track Glow was used as one of the insert songs of the 2009 film Push starring Dakota Fanning.
