FATBOY SLIM
LIVE ON BRIGHTON BEACH
SOUTHERN FRIED RECORDS/MINISTRY OF SOUND
When electronica's megalomaniac aspirations to music domination flatlined last decade, Fatboy Slim (a.k.a. Norman Cook) found the solution: don't bore people with the grand statement or the blandoid sex music; just give 'em a heaping serving of dumb fun. His dissertations on the glory of stupidity and the big laugh made him one of the few electronica artists to climb American charts, and luckily he hasn't changed his tune on his live album. There's no “Rockefaller Skank” here or really obvious crowd cheering: rather, Brighton Beach is packed with big stadium-shaking beats, naughty chants and mixes by such top-of-the-line DJs as Underworld, Leftfield and Santos. And if you need a utilitarian reason for listen to this mad party music, try his remix of Basement Jaxx's “Where's Your Head At?” It's one of the most joyous confidence-boosting anthems written. No Tony Robbins type could ever compete against Fatboy's prescription for good times.
