Pros: Great beats, interesting mix of genres, appealing melodies
Cons: Well, uh, nothing...
The Bottom Line: Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) has created something special with You've Come A Long Way, Baby. It's a great album from the first track to the last.
lambchops's Full Review: You've Come a Long Way, Baby [PA] by Fatboy Slim
I don’t dance. In fact, I didn’t even dance much to speak of on my own wedding day. But this album from Fatboy Slim always manages to get me moving for some strange reason.
The British born Norman Cook has been making music professionally since 1986. As a member of various house bands including Housemartins, Cook experienced some amount of success. But, it wasn’t until he splintered off to record and create on his own that fame would really smack him across the face. And so Fatboy Slim was born.
Fatboy Slim became Cook’s name in the studio for the release of his 1996 solo debut effort Better Living Through Chemistry. During this same time, Cook lent his musical talent to the remixing efforts of various singles. But, it wasn’t until his second album that the artist formerly known as Norman Cook became a household name…even stateside.
1998’s You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby made a splash both commercially and critically. Two tracks in particular floated to the top. Both Rockafeller Skank and Praise You were huge hits with the latter earning both Grammy Nominations and various MTV moonmen. Cook’s vision became one of the biggest so-called ‘big beat’ albums of all time. But, what makes this particular disc special is the fact that it’s appealing to listeners usually uninterested in that variety of music.
Cook has an eye for variety. He apparently enjoys combining seemingly different musical elements in unusual ways. The overall vision of this album is something remarkable. It’s complete from the first track to the last, with no pauses or problems in between. You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby is imaginative and brilliant yet seems light and entertaining (instead of serious and overbearing as with many so-called brilliant albums).
You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby consists of eleven genre-jumping tracks. Don’t be surprised if you hear electronic beats cleanly mixed with hip-hop and rock and roll. It’s all here, and it’s a perfect length at about sixty-two pulse pounding minutes. This is one of those albums that become more and more interesting with every listen, with each listen consisting of hearing the album in its entirety. Simply put. Go out and buy this Fatboy Slim album if you know what’s good for you.
As I already mentioned, both Rockafeller Skank and Praise You were huge hits in the late 1990’s. In addition to those two outstanding offerings, the other nine tracks prove lovely bonuses to people who have yet to experience the album in its intended complete form.
Rockafeller Skank can be best identified by one simple sample…Check it out now, the funk soul brother originally from The Just Brothers. The combination of this simple line with great guitars and a dance floor ready beat is undoubtedly what led the track to single success. It begins in a deconstructed form, but as the track continues more and more elements (of increasing interest and noise level) are added and multiplied. The track proves just how good Cook’s ear for music and combined styles has become.
I suppose the reason that Praise You got attention was at least in part due to the exceptionally creative Spike Jonze video featuring dancers of the very unprofessional variety. With that little aside out of the way, the track sounds like some bastard amalgamation of gospel, funk, and rock. Once again, the memorable vocals are a sample culled from a relatively obscure artist. This time, Camille Yarbrough lends words to this overall wonderful and commercially successful track.
There is more to this album (thankfully) than just those two tracks I’ve mentioned that most people should be relatively familiar with. The biggest stand-outs of the other nine tracks are Right Here, Right Now (not the Van Halen or Jesus Jones version), Gangster Tripping, You’re Not from Brighton and Kalifornia.
I suppose the thing that appeals to me most about these tracks is the ability they have to each make me happy. Fatboy Slim has created some of the most infectiously groovy music that listeners have heard in a long time.
I am a sucker for the trance-techno-groove of Right Here, Right Now. The single repeated line about Fatboy Slim is F**cking in Heaven isn’t particularly notable in In Heaven, but the backing percussion and programming makes the song seem like much more than it is in actuality. Rap rhythms and hollow samples create an upbeat and user-friendly atmosphere on Gangster Tripping. The drum machines and up tempo beats of Build It Up, Tear It Down make it an outstanding offering…even if there are more impressive tracks on the album. Kalifornia’s homage to the rap track almost of the same name is a creative, brilliant example of Cook’s ability to meld various musical styles. The surprising reggae tint of Soul Surfing presents a very different musical style, yet still fits in nicely with all of the other tracks. The low hip-hop presence of You’re Not from Brighton helps to prove (yet again) just how creative Cook can be (and is). Love Island begins quietly and builds to a frantic pace thanks to the typical elemental addition of various layers. Finally, Acid 8000 (the last track on the album) is much like a typical techno track on the surface, but beneath its many layers the song is actually yet another Fatboy Slim experiment in music.
I could go on for pages about this album. If you’re new to big beats or techno, this is a very easily digestible album. There’s really no way possible to go wrong with You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby aside from not buying it. Cook has proven that the genre is appealing on a wide scale if the beats are unobtrusive and the melodies are full of hooks. I highly recommend this album and give it a deserved 5 stars.
Track Listing:
1. Right Here, Right Now
2. The Rockafeller Skank
3. In Heaven
4. Gangster Tripping
5. Build It Up, Tear It Down
6. Kalifornia
7. Soul Surfing
8. You’re Not From Brighton
9. Praise You
10. Love Island
11. Acid 8000
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If you like this album from Fatboy Slim, you might also enjoy his first entitled Living Better Through Chemistry and his last Halfway Between The Gutter and The Stars. Other artists that are at least somewhat similar include acts like: Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, and Crystal Method.
Also, for reference, the Parental Advisory label exists for no other reason besides that repeated line in In Heaven.
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