djmungis's Full Review: Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars [PA] by F...
Norman Cook a.k.a. Fatboy Slim has been plying his commercial take on breakbeat and instrumental hip-hop for a good few years now and helped spawn the now frowned upon genre "big-beat", but with his latest album he seems to be aiming "Halfway..." between the underground sounds of his debut "Better Living Through Chemistry" and the big-beat/pop crossover of the enormously successful "You've Come A Long Way Baby".
The best thing about this album is that no matter what you think about a particular track the next one sounds totally different, which perhaps takes your mind off the variable quality of the 11 tracks.
1:-TALKING BOUT MY BABY
The album's opener kicks off with a piano sample similar to "Praise You" and is apparently a tribute to his wife Zoe Ball with lyrics like "She's shaking like two big ol' balloons in a hurricane".Saucy.
This tune is reprised at the end of the album. 3/5
2:-STAR 69
Just when track 1 seems to be reaching a peak it immediately cuts into a minimalist Jeff Mills-style techno track which contains part of the Roland Clark sample that appears in the closing track "Song For Shelter". Sounds good in a club but is too repetitive to listen to in the house. 3/5
3:-SUNSET(BIRD OF PREY)
The opening single, and features a sampled Jim Morrison droning on about flying high and other hippy nonsense. The backing track sounds like an ancient Detroit techno tune. Try and find the Darren Emerson remix which is much better. 1/5
4:-LOVE LIFE
The first track on the album to feature Macy Gray and she scats over a Funkedelic-style groove. A welcome touch of originality on a Fatboy LP. 3/5
5:-YA MAMA
The best dancefloor track and the one that sounds most like something of his first album. Has a scuzzy 60's rock riff under superb rap samples and gets into a mad Phuture influenced acid breakdown. "Shake what ya mama gave ya". 5/5
6:-MAD FLAVA
Starts off with a mad fairground-organ riff and grooves into a dirty wah-wah guitar riff with ragga vocals. 5/5
7:-RETOX
"Retox the freak in me". Sounds like a garage meltdown of Daft Punk meets Ian Pooley's "Loopduelle". Superb. 5/5
8:-WEAPON OF CHOICE
Best known for the bizarre(and hilarious) video with Christopher Walken shakin' his booty but the worst tune on the album. Sounds like a rejected Funkedelic B-side. 0/5
9:-DROP THE HATE
The Normster gets experimental with this Green Velvet-esque gospel/electro soundclash. 4/5
10:-DEMONS
Macy Gray takes the lead on this gospel-influenced big beat track. Big drums and Macy's mournful lyrics make this an excellent track. 4/5
11:-SONG FOR SHELTER
The best tune on the album. Using a Roland Clark(best known for Armand Van Helden's "Flowers") accapella over a bizarre backing track that sounds like a Roger Sanchez remix of Sgt.Pepper, this track is both spiritually uplifting and funky at the same time. It has to be heard in a club to be believed. It merges into a reprise of "Talking Bout My Baby". 6/5
If you like this album try and check out anything by the Lo-Fidelity Allstars or the Midfield General.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars is the follow up to the global smash You ve Come A Long Way, Baby and features 11 tracks of Fatboy brilliance...More at Buy.com
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