Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Not bad - great mix of genres.
Generally fun with infectious beats and cool sounds but something that needs a club to be truly enjoyed. This is not music that one puts on to sit in the sweet spot and listen to. Because of that fact I won't listen to it a 2nd time. And at 1 hour and 10 minutes, it's 30 minutes too long. 2.5 stars
Not a lot to say about this album, since I'm not sure how groundbreaking it is as an electronica album, but it was a fun listen. I'm never excited to get a Fatboy Slim album, but I gotta say that he puts the work in to make them worth listening to 4/5
I did a fair amount of raving in the 90's (I have tinnitus and the short term memory loss to prove it) so enjoyed this
I am not a huge electronic music fan but this album kills it. I think I like it better than other electronic music because there is a lot of guitar and other instruments involved. Just kind of seems like my ADHD brain created this music. Chaotic yet peaceful and catchy as well.
very good, enjoyed that. 3.5
I see this album as a preparation for his next album, so this one is ok, but the next one is much much better.
Ooh boi did I love this album. I'm a real slut for tracks that do that panning thing when the audio shifts between left and right and makes me feel like it's circling my brain, it scratches an itch I never knew I had. Fatboy slim is someone that I've always enjoyed listening to, but never did so religiously so it was nice to sit back and just enjoy this. Favourites were Song for Lindy, The Weekend Starts Here, and The Sound of Milwaukee. Overall it was a solid listen, the album felt cohesive but each track was still it's own which can be a hard balance to strike
Boring, repetitive beats. His other album was better.
Listening to this was fun, but Fatboy Slim definitely has better records.
I loved *You've Come a Long Way, Baby* in my teens, but have not really listened to anything else by Fatboy Slim before. Was fun to broaden my horizons, but didn't find any *Praise You* on this album.
Not what I expected (hip-hop/rap) but I like it better than I would have thought if I knew what I was getting into. Probably not likely to crack my heavy rotation but it’s interesting sonically.
Really love the beats and the production on this one. From the "seagulls" on Santa Cruz to great samples, like Roforofo Fight (from Fela Kuti) in First Down. Well worth a few listens. I've lived with this since it came out...and splurged for the 20th Anniversary set too. It wouldn't be my only desert island disc, but it's in the top 50 for sure.
Pretty good for electronica, not really close to my overall musical taste but fine.
Great album, been a fan for years.
Not to brag but my garageband material is better than this
Dance bop
It’s ok. Not my thing.
8/10 Had “You’ve come a long way…” recently, thought that had aged poorly so was afraid for this one. It was better in every way and sounded great Better tunes, better samples, better ideas. A lot more fun, a lot more interesting Beats here were excellent, and yes this was formative big beat stuff but there was a huge acid house influence too (especially second half) I have heard this before, and forget how many genuine bangers are on it Best: Santa Cruz
I made it through about half of it, but i liked it I think? Not for lack of trying. Mindless enough to listen to at work and fast enough not to get boring.
A little too repetitive, and some of it was basically chiptune before that was cool. I did like a couple tracks though
Terrible
Bit like the previous Fatboy Slim album but whitout the hits to keep you interested
Meh
Subpar compared to the subsequent album You've Come a Long Way Baby. Both albums shouldn't be on the 1001 album list. This one is more rudimentary.
There were 2 things I liked about this album: One, the last song Next To Nothing actually kind of slaps (though this wasn't on the original US release, so only half counts I guess?), and second, there was a synth/arpeggiator patch that clipping. uses in their song The Deep, so that was a fun sort of easter egg. All that said, I didn't really like this album much more than You've Come a Long Way Baby, and probably won't listen to it again.
I didn't care for this one, but it's a lot better than the other Fatboy Slim (You've Come A Long Way, Baby). I think it's because this one doesn't abuse vocal samples in the same way. 2/5
Mid excerpt Going Out of my Head 3.1
Way too much for me. Nothing super special about it. Like Paul's Boutique with less effort.
Joyful, exuberant dance music. Loads of fun samples and catchy hooks. There are some cooler, more mellow songs mixed in too. “Santa Cruz” is actually pretty soulful. I found it kind of calming.
Solid 90s EDM with great builds, drops, and fun. Maybe it's because of the music videos, but I always think of Fatboy Slim as "fun". There's always so much going on and it's for the most part inoffensive music that does it's thing. Sampling is really cool on this one. You can tell he takes a lot of care with integrating them into his music and the results speak for themselves. Solid 3.4/5.
Pre-commercial success Norman here. It's extremely hardcore dance, isn't it. You can feel the rave influence, and you can imagine it might be great fun sweating away to it in the discotheque.
Oh boy! Repetitious repetition, over and over and over and over again! Great for when you're whacked out of your gourd on molly in the club, not so much when you're sitting in an office.
I like it :)
Largely very enjoyable. I've never really listened to Fatboy Slim before, but I might do so in the future. It reminds me of "The prodigy" which according to Wikipedia isn't so strange because they are also one of the defining bands of the Bigbeat genre Standouts Song for Lindy The Weekend Starts Here 4/5
Ich will diese Musik nie wieder hören
cool
Great!
Feel like I'm getting a lot of this stuff lately. And it's all the same
Look, I love random noises as much as the next guy…. Ok maybe not as much as Fatboy Slim… but an hour of them is too much
Enjoyed this on in the background.
The first track gave me You wouldn't steal a car vibe. It got boring very quickly and it never really recovered. this genre does nothing for me
Just not for me
too intense man.
Less awful than the first one. At least he had the good taste to keep his mouth shut on this one.
At its best it’s chill and pleasant and a nice sound to hangout to, but too often strays into annoying synths or too aggressive for my taste. 5/10
Yeah, this was okay. I see what it did but I don’t have to keep thinking it’s the best. VERY VERY VERY repetitive.
Easy listen at the office. Found myself bopping along to beats.
Never heard 'early' Fatboy Slim before. Some of his trademarks are there but without the really instant vocal and musical hooks that gave him monster hits later on. First time through I thought it was still worth a solid 3 stars, but listening again I'm not sure what sets this apart from similar dance albums by less heralded names that I've previously deemed decent background music but ultimately unremarkable. 2.5
Love it. Reminded me of Chemical brothers more than I expected.
Maybe I've had too much electronica in the last week that it was hard for me to focus on this. A lot of it sounded the same, probably in part to the super common drum beat over most the tracks. It felt like I was watching a commercial for Six Flags or something towards the end. I think it's fine music and produced well, it just didn't stand out to me. I think 10th and Crenshaw as my favorite, but it was almost a 12 way tie.
If I was on class As in Ibiza I'm sure I would love it
couple decent songs but this sucked
Bangin
3.5 easily best electronica album so far
A feast for all enjoyers of misheard lyrics and repetitions. Unfortunately, not something I enjoy.
Some good stuff, not sure I need a whole album of this.
74% Best: Going Out Of My Mind, The Weekend Starts Here Must-Hear? No
One thought I had about this is that it's almost like "punk" dance music: plenty of overdriven guitars, air raid sirens... It just feels like a party with huuuuge drum beats. As with all the dance albums on this list, it's easy to get lost in, but it does get me moving. Favorite track: "Give The Po' Man A Break"
They all sound the same: bad
I was digging the simplicity of the music here. Good energy without being overpowering. 4.5
I like techno, I like house, I like EDM, I like some trap music. Thank goodness these genres have evolved into something fully formed, unique, and full of talent. This album is from an era that I'm glad is in the past. I especially don't miss whatever you call this type of drumbeat that permeates every song. If you played this in a club today the crowd would evaporate.
Sounds like the music for a scene in a movie where they're robbing a casino or something. Too long and repetitive
I think the chemistry is a key ingredient, which I don’t have. A couple fun moments but overall not good.
Mixed feelings: I like the music, but it all begins to sound the same after a while.
It's always 3am somewhere and the party is just getting started. This memory brings back fond memories of hearing tracks from this album, not knowing who they were by. I remember being completely blown away when I first heard "Going Out Of My Head" Less drugs and more like copious amounts of alcohol fuelled those times for me. To me this album is still exciting 28 years
Blind album, know the artist from one of my favorite discoveries from this project. I definitely did not connect with this album like the other, and that is okay. It was still good but did not have a lot of notable songs or tracks like the other.
A fatboy slim album with no hits. Actually, not bad.
Rad album. THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE MOTHERFUCKER. SEND TUESDAY MY REGARDS
Chemical Brothers and Prodigy are better but I don't mind this.
ok. it's fun but I get bored of it because I'm working in excel, not on drugs at a rave
I sure am not a Fatboy Slim fan. And while I understand why this album is here, I sure didn't enjoy it. Better Living Through Chemistry, whose cover was a trigger to me, is definitely different from other electronic albums, whether now in 2024 or then in 1996. But god was it boring and repetitive to my poor ears. At times, it felt otherworldly and incorporated jazz and I just. Couldn't care less.
Meh. Just a bunch of beats on loop. It was okay, but it felt very repetitive and incomplete.
How do you not like Fatboy slim?
Go away.
Two EDM albums in a row? This list must hate me. Started ok but after what felt like an hour I was only 3 tracks in and track 4 was annoying as hell and they never got better again. Repetition is not music.
I never got techno. I mean - some of it is cool I guess. This album has some cool stuff, but everything is sooooo loooooong. I think I'd like it (and the whole genre) better if they weren't so self indulgent.
Great Album!
I don't remember hearing of the songs before. The good parts are not as good as his other record, but the filler is a lot better. Favorite song: everybody needs a 303
Going Out of My Head Everybody Needs a 303
Not an album to enjoy without a cocktail of chemicals coursing through the bloodstream. Norman is having lots of fun with his 303 but it's just a lot of knob twiddling.
Less gimmicky and more consistent than "You've Come Along Way", but the highlights are less special. In my memory, Better Living through Chemistry" was the better album, but now I would say: 3 stars for both albums.
I like the sound and catchy phrases but the tracks are too long and predictable overall.
Very much a one-trick pony before he learned new tricks on his funkier follow-up. Always annoyed that his labelmates the Lo-Fidelity Allstars are overlooked, they brought much-needed attitude and grit to the genre.
Super weird, not my thing at all.
Decent listen.
I'm not really a fan of instrumental dance records like this one, but it was fun to have on in the background for a change. I can't say I dislike it.
I used to listen to this album a lot so it was a bit of nostalgia for me and I’m totally biased on this one. Fave Track: Going Out Of My Head Rating: 4
Consistently selecting the wrong album
Right off the bat I like these beats.
Probably the best edm album I've had so far. Not one that is rightly influential yet bland in itself, but one that actually had me bopping the whole way through. A proper feel-good, Bri'ish club night in while home sick after Christmas
# 278 : Repetitive shite, just beats and loops, Terrible music and terrible album choice. May god have mercy on the person that decided to make this an album to hear before you die.
Id give it a fair 3.5 stars if I could. I really appreciate fatboy slim’s grooves and feel. This album was just too much of the same repeated. On the bright side, I loved song for lindy (amazing guitar slide) and the weekend starts here. First down, Michael Jackson and next to nothing were my other notable likes
Good beats but way too long. Somewhere between a 2 and 3 but not everything can hit! Fun enough for one listen through, but I had never heard it until now, so couldn’t rely on nostalgia to carry me through this one. Probably no relisten.
I remember Fatboy Slim as more fun. This sounded like a repetitive demo song on an old keyboard.
Part nostalgia, part good, part meh - like raw samples
We already had the one landmark Fatboy Slim album, so this seems to be an unnecessarily redundant inclusion. The beats are fine, if not a bit repetitive and monotonous with continued listening. It’s just not as good as the other one. Meh.
Techno from a great producer. Not as iconic as his following works, but the quality standard is maintained nonetheless
My techno phase was between 1998 and roughly 2003. Fatboy Slum was definitely on a short list of favorite DJs. Techno/EDM is hard to judge. It’s about telling an audio story in 120BPM 4/4 time. I always appreciated that his was fun, buoyant and integrated a lot of influences from funk to rock to classical. That said I rarely focused on individual songs, but rather feel. Today I listen to techno for its repetitiveness when I need to drown out other stimuli. It’s better than Ritalin (well, almost). I can’t say this is a bad or good album. I might listen to it again but I probably wouldn’t necessarily look for it. For me, it’s a musical capsule of a foregone time between college and reality.
I like this one alright. Was good to work with this on in the background. I'd never heard these songs before. I became familiar with Fatboy with "You've Come A Long Way Baby" when he was everywhere especially all over MTV. I'll have to pick this one up again and give it another listen.
Not much to get excited about
Good stuff but not as good as you've come along way baby
I don’t get it
Album 469 of 1001 Fatboy Slim - Better Living Through Chemistry Rating : 1.75 / 5 More of the Electronica bs I don't care for but this one was just a bit better than the others.
Another fun and entertaining album by Fatboy Slim. Those 90s records have something in them, that specific style which invokes so many good memories. It's still a nice addition to the party playlist.
the acceptable facet of the 90s
A really solid and promising electronic debut, with Going Out of My Head and Everybody Needs a 303 both sounding huge, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its behemoth of a follow-up
It becomes tiring after like 6 songs
Everybody needs a 303. That’s a statement I can firmly get behind. Can I say it’s my favourite instrument? It’s certainly one of my very favourite noises. The more tortured sounding the better. The album is OK. Better than most 90s dance albums. It’s full of half ideas and DJ tools, but Norm is better than most at those things. It’s not a great album, but a good snapshot of a time, noting the direction for Fat Boy Slim and delivering more finished thoughts in the very near future.
It's like the proto Daft Punk. Actually quite enjoyed having this play in the background while I was working. There were some deliciously familiar melodies that I was picking up, which I would say shows just how influential this album was. I did think that the album didn't really flow well, it just seemed like a collection of singles that were haphazardly thrown together without any real care. Individual songs ranged from fine to great. Overall I would give this album a 3/5.
Recognized the name but not what I thought it was going to be. Like an unexciting version of Prodigy.
More Brit techno pop. I enjoyed some of this. Good background music
I recall there was another Fatboy Slim album on this list, which makes 2 too many. I don't hate this album or the other one, but they hover outside my preferred genre or music in general, so for me they aren't essential. I will say, I enjoyed the beats and the heavily instrumental tracks, kind of a charged up soundtrack to play in the background. Overall, I didn't mind it, but I'll probably be happy if there isn't any more Fatboy Slim.
I’d ideally give it a 3.5 because I did like it, but I felt like it got weaker as it went on. But generally good background listening.
it’s good, intermittently interesting, probably better heard very loud at a rave or on some kind of substance. i think he has more interesting stuff he’s released later on, but this one doesn’t really hold up to other big beat stuff like the prodigy or basement jaxx.
I don't have much to say, but I liked it. Pretty cool
Cool
Decent enough for getting some work done. Definitely repetitive in a bad way at certain parts. I feel like some house/electronic artists don't know when to walk away from using the same sample over and over again.
extremely meh. the other fatboy slim album actually had some good tracks and was deserving of its place in the list. this just feels like the cutting room floor b-sides or reheated leftovers of those songs. pass. favorites: going out of my head
Best served with ecstasy
3.5
(Not) free samples
Ritmazo
Man I really didn't need another fatboy slim album on here. It's not even that bad but I just didn't need to hear it. Fav songs: - Song for Lindy - Santa Cruz
Usually have a hard time with these just sitting around listening to electronic music, but this one I didn’t mind. 3.5/5 Might listen again (maybe at a party or something)
Too repetitive - and I don’t live through chemistry. I need some more lyrics to reel me in. When the guitar or the piano jumps in, I enjoy the songs on here a little more. But I could never put this record on again
2.5 Eh. I expected to like this more. Almost smack dab in the middle, but I was waiting for something exciting to happen and clicked back to Spotify to see how many more tracks I had until the end and noticed I was back on track 2. That feels like it deserves a little ding.
Cocozin
I’m not sure how to rate this one. I like electronic…sometimes. But a whole album? I don’t take MDMA, so I’m not sure it’s for me. Some of it might work well for background music when I’m working. It’s a tough call.
Har börjat uppskatta engelsk 90-tals big beat de senaste åren. Älskar hur de stora trummorna och ljuden fyller mina 20 kvadratmeter och omsluter hela lilla mig. Detta album är inget undantag, även om det hade kunnat vara ännu lite hårdare och råare. Mjuka låtar som 'The Sound of Milwaukee' är inte så mycket att ha. Bättre är t.ex. 'Santa Cruz', 'The Weekend Starts Here', 'Give the Po' Man a Break', och 'Punk to Funk'. Bästa låt: The Weekend Starts Here
Fatboy Slim, one of the big 3 of big beat, was never quite on par with his contemporaries. Sure, he could sample pretty well from a diverse selection, but is beats felt lacking in terms of pushing through to bigger and better songs. Truthfully, Better Living is at its best when leaning more into acid styles because that's when its forced to do more interesting things with the rest of the music; structuring itself around an inherently abrasive squelching loop requires pushing the song forward through the tension and build of the high-pass. When it lacks that acid synthline, it becomes complacent and lazy. Regardless, this album plays a lot better than its more popular brother You've Come a Long Way, so I would recommend this over that.
This oozes the 90s, and I can appreciate the nostalgia. It's just too loop-y for me.
The most mid-90s pilled album possible, this was middling even at the time during the tyranny of Big Beat. No-one needs 2 Fatboy Slim albums on the list.
Eh? It doesn’t really stand out in anyway from other electronic music of the time
Ok for a Friday morning beat I guess
Really charmed by the 1001 Album List including these sorts of albums. Very 90s, very fun, a great time overall! Didn't realize how much the Jet Set Radio soundtrack really seems inspired by Fatboy Slim's music (unless I have the order/dates mixed up here?). So many great moments. Will definitely be revisiting!
OK
Bit ravey
Ikävä sanoa, mutta vähän tylsää. Ajattelin pitäväni tästä enemmän. Tietenkin tiettyyn tilanteeseen sopivaa, mutta yleisesti taustamusiikkia. Sitä perus Fatboy Slimin perus instrumentaali break beattia. Paras ehkä The Sound Of Milwaukee
Not as good as their other stuff, but I loved it nonetheless.
awesome
I didn't really like this album, not a huge electronic music fan I guess
"Better Living Through Chemistry" is the debut studio album by English electronic music producer Fatboy Slim. The listed genre is big beat. That sounds about right....lots of samples too. The album title is a play on the advertising slogan of Du Pont "Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry." The album had generally positive reviews and, commercially, hit #69 in the UK. Whirling, space synths sounds open "Song for Lindy." The beats start with a sample of Steve Winwood's "I'm a Man." The melody comes in - a piano sample of Jimi Polo's "Better Days." The third single released "Going Out of My Head" samples extensively the Who's "I Can't Explain" both the beat and melody. Traffic noises begin the song. There's always some different noise intros to these songs. He also throws in samples of Zeppelin's "The Crunge." The first single released "Everbody Needs a 303" actually hit the US charts...well, at #193. This one has a deep bass groove and beat. I like this. A Edwin Starr sample. In "Punk to Funk," he lays down a hard and repetitive drum and bass beat. A robotic "Punk to Funk" vocal repeats. Various noise samples throughout. This album was alright. The songs made me work too hard to figure out what and where the samples he was using were coming from. The use was fairly creative in that, besides everything being big beat, he took the songs into ambient, chill, bluesy and club areas. I didn't find the samples "Paul's Boutique" creative though and, if you want, the downtempo, which he sometimes goes to, check out DJ Shadow. But, if you want the club beat circa 1996, this is all you. His next album "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" is much better.
This was a lot less energetic, less reliant on samples, and a lot more house than the other fanboy slim stuff I’ve listened to. This also makes it not quite as fun as those other records. The weekend starts here was fun though.
I know Fatboy Slim. never sat and listened to one of their albums. I know what they're about and really look forward to listening to this. Pretty cool. Not as intense as I thought this album would be. I do like this album. It's good. Fun.
Jesus Christ. Another one?? Worse than multiple Blur albums. 2.
I actually liked this a lot better than I thought I would. I'm not into the genre, but it was good music to listen to while working. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
High 3. Enjoyable music to work to
Just not my vibe
Bunch of noise
Loved this. But then I do really like a bit of Big Beat. Does exactly what it says on the tin!
Excellent album for studying or working. Chill, expressive vibe throughout the first three tracks.
i enjoyed this! good background music, repetitive but that's the point. Would be fun to listen to in a different context. 3.5!
Haven't heard this, but first thought is why is this necessary when You've Come A Long Way Baby is in the book? Ugh, it was alright I guess
Да все супер качово, очень классные есть треки отдельные Очень сильно колеблюсь между 4 и 5, но пусть будет 5 исходя из того что другому альбому поставил 4 Алкоальбом: что-то из коктейля в hotline miami
смак, просто вот доставку вайба в уши пожалуйста вам, оставим у двери
Where is the music?
Banging ! High 3, low 4* ?
I was disappointed. Expected more...
Repetitive & repetitive. I'll take the Go! Team instead.
Hmm. While I didn't dislike this one, I have to question its inclusion on this list as it's the second Fatboy Slim I've gotten (in my first 100 no less) and in my opinion, the lesser of the two. It's fine but I probably won't listen to it again.
Precursor to something great.
Big beat. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
goat 4.4/5
Every 90s movie soundtrack. Dope tunes but not my skyle. Fat boy slim always barefoot tho. Which I agree with
I feel pretty neutral towards this album. My one-year-old, however, absolutely loved it.
Son debut album, j'avais bien aimé celui de lui que j'ai déjà écouté. Électro instrumental. Bien par moments malgré certaines chansons gossantes. Les chansons sont longues, un 3 pour l'originalité!
Its an ok album. I listened to it while playing games, but I don't really see myself listening to it any other time. I don't really feel like listening to the rest of the album.
I enjoyed the beats.
For what this album is is great. I personally lost intrest after song 9 or 10. But that doesn't make the rest of the album bad. I was just bored. Rounded up on stars
Maybe it was genre creating and revolutionary for its time, but I don't think this album has aged all that well. Just a lot of sounds and repetitive patterns, but not a lot of depth to the instrumentation or samples and just a bit too overtly digital sounding for my tastes.
No vocals. Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it.
If you’ve ever wondered what the concept of coolness would sound like, then look no further.
Good
love this..takes me right back to my clubbing days
This isn’t the album with all the hits and Spike Jones videos. Not bad at all. It’s really cute. Definitely 90s. Nice, energetic, upbeat. Good for background music while working out, cleaning or studying.
I'm familiar with a few Fatboy Slim songs, but I've never listened to one of his full albums before. I tend to enjoy electronic music, and this album was no exception. I really enjoyed how energetic this album was from start to finish; it was really easy to stay engaged with this album, and I feel like that made it really interesting to listen to. This album felt like it had a certain depth to its sound that I really appreciated as well. I also liked how certain elements in each song would drop out at certain points, but come back in to the mix to blend in with new elements. I don't really understand a lot of the mechanics of music like this, but I still enjoyed listening to it, and I'm looking forward to reviewing Fatboy Slim's other record.
Eh! It's okay, I would probably listen to it again in a few years
This was a bit tough for me. However there was so much repetition that I found it hard to listen to periodically. Not something that I would listen to regularly but then I think it is not intended for casual listening.
Two things: these songs are way too long and way too repetitive, and none of them are as good as Weapon of Choice and Praise You.
Kult!
Terrible
3.5 really. fun record
Wanted to like it, liked it for like a track, got tired of it rq.
This album is actually kinda interesting as far as electronica goes, but who the hell wants to listen to THIS for SEVENTY minutes?!
3-4
Good
I listened to Fatboy Slim's second one... Are you sure I needed to listen to this one too?
Slightly disappointed with this one. I have been quite enjoying this genre recently and finding new albums and Fatboy Slim was on the radar. He has some great songs and I do love his sound but this album just did not do it for me. Started really song but it did the sin of just constantly going downhill and just did not resonate with me like other albums. Also 10th and Crenshaw was awful just very annoying and served no purpose. I would have loved to have just ended the album after the first 5 to be honest. Not terrible music but no more then a 2 unfortunately. Stand Out Songs: Song for Lindy Santa Cruz Going Out of My Head
This is no You've Come a Long Way, Baby, but then, that title was quite apt. On the other hand, all of the things that make Fatboy Slim great were clearly born here.
As much as I enjoy Fatboy Slim and was more than happy to listen to this album (which I have listened to a time or two before), I think that this may be another artist that is overrepresented on the list when there are so many other artist that are absent from it. For my money, just give me You've Come Along Way, Baby as the one that I must hear before I die.
Very fun, very groovy. Any need for this AND You've Come a Long Way on this list? I don't think so but I had a good time.
When I saw this I wondered what new things another Fatboy Slim would bring to the table after having already had the hit-packed “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby” from a few years after this. I’m not sure if there was anything new or not, but the infectious melodies quickly dispersed by desire to judge and I just really enjoyed the music. Terrific!
Didn’t know what to expect as I haven’t always been as bid a fan as others. But was an interesting mix.
Generic 1990's action movie music. Pretty cool, but less than desired from an artist that's a famed dj. I much prefer house music from the time, and this album doesn't do house. But it was fun to learn of other dj albums from the time period.
OK. More repetitive and less melodic than I was expecting. Good for the morning commute but I won't plan to come back to this. I'm giving this a modest 3 for it's influence.
Easy listening decent tunes
I listened to this on a run and it was perfect! Fatboy Slim just managed to deliver happiness and ultimate party every time. A Brighton icon and sweetheart.
It's not as banger filled as other fatboy slim but I think this is undeniably a fantastic album. I really enjoyed having it on at work.
I just couldn’t get into this album. It was predictable and repetitive and didn’t seem to be pushing the genre forward in any way. It was fine in the background, but focused listening did not do too much for me. It was also too long for how repetitive it was.
More electronica, or at least electronica adjacent. This actually has some musical sounds, so more tolerable than most.
I like me some Fat Boy Slim…. But I don’t know any of these songs! Best tracks: Going Out of my Head, Punk to Funk 3.5
Dance music not my thing. Some of this is ok, but much of it is annoying and repetitive. How many times in a row do we need to hear “Give the po’ man” or “Michael Jackson?” Sheesh. Won’t listen again.
First 2 songs were very good
This hit just right! Not normally a genre that I’m into, but I wish I’d given it more attention in the 90’s
Amazing that they fit the album on a 3.5" floppy but that explains the compression.
There were several times, while listening to this album, that I thought it was going to trip over into a 5-star review. It's not. It's a 4-star album... but only barely. Every one of these songs is meticulously composed and assembled and the production values are out of this world. "The Weekend Starts Here", in particular, is an unstoppable monster of a jam. Slaps so hard. Unfortunately, Mr. Slim kept tripping over his own beats and falling back on lazy repetition. He picked himself back up every single time and got back to those beautiful, layered grooves. But it fell just a few too many times for me to give it full marks. But, again: only just barely. Strong 4 stars.
Just awesome. Not his most famous work but full of life and energy.
The songs are repetitive and go on for too long. If they were more focused and didn’t take so long to build, it’d be way better. “Going out of my head” is the standout.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Still not a fan of the genre and the frequently repetitive loops, but something hit me right about this today.
Apple Music classifies this as Alternative which is a big fatboy lie. This is electronic music and I do not like it.
I don't know man, I danced the whole way through this. Loops be damned, I had a good time.
Top-tier beeps and boops. I think it's excellent dance music. Is it brilliant from a song-writing or musicianship perspective? Nope.
I hadn't heard much of Fatboy Slim's earlier stuff but this album is a cracker. Loving the retro album art too (although it wouldn't have been retro in the 90s obvs)
I like this a lot more than “Homework.” It’s more melodic and uses more interesting samples.
A popular one from my childhood and one of the best examples of the Big Beat subgenre. Is it a great album? Maybe not. It's all surface level repetitive dance music without much substance. But it sure is fun to listen to.
Yeah its just the same 5 second beat over and over
very very repetitive but overall not tooo bad
Classic
Bland 90s take on electronic music. 2/5
When I seen this albums my initial thought was we didn’t need another fat boy slim album on the list. But actually enjoyed listening to this today, pretty good album, will I come back to it, probably not but glad it’s on the list.
I did not think I was a Fatboy Slim guy, and then I listened to this entire thing and wondered why I never listened to them when I would write. It's: very good.
Another surprisingly good one. Some of the songs are very similar, but the entire album was a good groove.
probably a great album to do drugs at the club too
Fun at times but thought I would enjoy it more.
1.5/5. It was too long, and most of it sounded the same.
A Moogtastic panoply of zounds with a surprise around every corner. Wish I was there to see it! I like most of what Fatboy Slim does. This one is not quite as taut as "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" but has similar punchy rhythms and tasty synth oscillations as its successor. If you like "Praise You" and its ilk you'll like this.
Predictable, repetitive but pretty groundbreaking I guess.
Man this hits hard, can’t imagine being in a rave when this landed in 95’ I can only imagine. If you’re into 90’s house this is it. 3.4
It reminds me of those old WB commercials, the ones with the dancing frog with a cane. In fact, I think Going Out Of My Mind may have been the song… Anyway, great production, fun beats, and dance-inducing songs. It is only slightly dated, but this music, EDM, has evolved so much that this is now a relic.
Tedious. Just 60 minutes of the same boring loops. I got the other Fatboy Slim album almost 750 albums ago and I said then he has one trick and I agree. It's just tiring.
This was a slog to get through. Boring and repetitive.
Gave it a listen. Good electronica, but electronica isn’t my favorite thing. 3/5, but I want to note that this is my favorite Fatboy Slim album.
Kinda makes me anxious
..(.
Had its moments.
Michael Jackson Tina Turner Michael Jackson look what you've done I love this album. Literally every track is fantastic. 5/5
Disliked the first half of the record but starting with track 7 it turned around for me. I ended up liking the songs that were not attempting to be overly lyrical and were closer to the more straightforward rhythm-forward electronic styles I prefer. 2.5 rounded down to 2.
i am 38, this can only be chore music for me now
This was pretty fun! I don't normally love this type of music, but it did make me want to move.
this was a lot more subdued than the fatboy slim i am familiar with. not mad about it, will probably stick this whole album on a background noise playlist for future workin'
This didn't really grab me until Give the Po' Man a Break which is unfortunately at least halfway through the album, depending on which version you're listening to. Mine had Michael Jackson (the song) on it, which I also enjoyed, and I liked Punk to Funk. Maybe it's an issue of having or not having a vocal sample to catch my attention vs it feeling more like a soup of electronic music.
Techno-dance with heavy synth and drum beats. Songs seem like a compilation rather than a single cohesive album narrative.
It's fun and well made, but it just isn't my vibe.
This was just fun. Favorite tracks were The Weekend Starts Now, Going Out Of My Head, and The Sound Of Milwaukee.
The type of music that works great as a single, but really wears out its welcome as a full album. Some good high points, but the songs are too long and the sample lyrics approach starts to grate on many of them.
Boing, Zip, Buzz, Schlap, (with an occasional Squeak) over good techno drum beats. I listened to this while running and it worked. High energy, extremely repetitive, and fun. (Not sure how people listened / danced to these eight minute songs back in the day - musta been the drugs.) 303 is the best song in my opinion, but a still a bit lame compared to other electronica I’ve been exposed to (and liked). No need to listen again or download any songs. Loretta OUT —> this list is “1001 Albums to make you die before your time .” That said; (1.6*s)
Fatboy Slim has a recognizable sound and this album is a fun listen (even more fun if you get the title). That being said, I don't think he's a standout in this genre, just more recognizable and consumable to the everyday goer. Even if you aren't grinding your teeth while listening to this (and therefore don't get the title), this setlist is still great in the background while you're doing other things, like if you need to take a shower but are in a hurry for example. "Give the Po' Man a Break" had me smiling but "Michael Jackson Tina Turner" was a bit silly. Still not a bad take and I presume there's another FBS album on here, because this isn't his top work.
Ah yes, the 90s electronica revolution. I remember hearing "out of my head" on a cd mix I bought and said I need to listen to this guy more. Later found out that the who "can't explain" rif is what got me. I did delve into slim along with the Chem Brothers, prodigy, and crystal method. Slim lagged in my opinion. This album is good but just didn't have as much of an impact on me and still doesn't. If this made the list for 90s epectronica, there are much better to come.
Whether it's from Christopher Walken videos, FIFA soundtracks or some other organic reason I've always had a soft spot for Fatboy Slim. This is my first exposure to BLTC and I enjoyed it. Despite doing nothing I would consider groundbreaking Fatboy Slim has a uniquely identifiable sounds. Something about it works for me. I'm not sure this album belongs on the list. I would have deferred to their 2nd release which includes their larger and more identifiable hits. 2.6 stars
Quite a milestone, an album for everyone, brilliant.
This is a rather solid album that. It embodies the sound of 90s electronic music and the Fatboy Slim sound. I think Fatboy Slim's next album is way more iconic, but this album is still good.
Fatboy Slim is consistent. Can see why he's had a career spanning the decades. Respect.
Eins og hefur komið fram áður, þá er ég í big beat liðinu og Fatboy Slim þykir mér skemmtilegur. Hér er hann aftur á móti ekki kominn alveg á flug. Lögin helst mikil clúbbamúsík fyrir minn smekk og ekki eins eftirminnileg og það sem síðar átti eftir að koma út. Fínt samt.
::repetitive beat:: ::whimsical melody on top:: ::spoken word:: ::extra long buildup before beat drops:: no.
excellent, really a beginning of something new in music that has blossomed into a big and beautiful scene. Would listen again
I love some Big Beat. This is not quite as good as Fatboy Slim's later offerings though. Standouts: Going Out Of My Head, Michael Jackson. A high 3, close to a 4.
Lucky to be a three star as it was a bit too trance for me. Favourite track: The Weekend Starts Here.
9/10, love the style and bopped to every single beat on the album.
I've always kind of liked "Better Living..." better than "You've Come a Long Way..." by Fatboy Slim. It is more straightforward in what it is doing, electronic music-wise, but that makes it feel more consistent, even though the tracks were recorded at different times. It doesn't feel quite as exciting this many years out, for me, but I still think it is really great and has a lot of really great tracks and is also still very much a view into that time when electronic music really started to take over, and we got so much in the following 5-6 years...
i want to like it more than i do but there’s something embarrassing about it
? Why would anyone listen to this on purpose?
Abwechslungsreiches Techno-Album des Projektes, dass sein Geschichte im Indie Genre nicht vergessen hat. Man merkt dem Album noch die Experimentierphase der Jungs an, so dass insgesamt noch recht unrund wirkt und auch noch keinen Top-Song vorweist … aber das Cover ist Klasse .. es leben die 3,5 Zoll.
Drive a la techno Infectious you best dance beats Samples, sounds, on point
With so much great music out there I would never waste my time on this. But I did try.
Tunes to work to
The good: I just met this hot girl and she wants to take me to a rave? The bad: They put blood in the emergency sprinklers? How do you even keep it from coagulating? The good: Oh hey, is that Wesley Snipes? The bad: Why does he have a katana? Two stars.
Great background noise!
I was excited to listen to it, but I was disappointed, it was rather bland
It's a pretty solid race big beat hybrid
I feel like this is one of the better examples of what this is but it does not hold my attention for very long. There are better albums.
To give it some credit, there's a degree of playfulness on these tracks that are appealing. However, to be probably enjoyed, these thrusting dance anthems need to be experienced in a packed warehouse rave, as opposed to the rather more pedestrian confines of my living room.
Good to know they have more than one song
If this project has taught me anything, it's that I don't care much for electronic music. There is only so much looping I can take before I go mad. That said, this is one of the more fun albums of that genre that we've had. The beats are fun, and slightly more fleshed out than just noise. But yeah, this is intended to be rave music. It doesn't serve much of a purpose outside of that environment.
Great techno-type sound, very little lyrics. Good for movie soundtracks, exercise workouts, dance clubs.
Not my jam at all
it was ok, dragged on a bit and i wasn't very impressed
Tengo que robar un banco con este álbum blastin en mis audífonos, si o q vencent
Mid. Pero kanye le hizo sample a algo de aquí so theres a whole star for it. Si no fuera por eso, its as much a 1/5. Not my favorite.
Ta hype
I might put it on in the background or listen to a couple tracks on the treadmill.
*Better Living Through Chemistry*. Given the innuendo pointing to drug use in the title of this record, I'm gonna assess the latter the way a drug dealer measures the content of his "product": Big Beat formula = 3 points. It's lively and you can dance to it (4/5?), but it's not a genre that aims for "substance", very ironically. It's all about *style*. (No, 3/5!) Peremption date : - 1 point. This thing already sounded pretty dated only a few years after its release. Electronic music always points towards the future, yet the future is often unkind to it. You need a few specific addition to examples of this umbrella genre to make them hold water one or two decades later. Can't pinpoint this specific additions in the album. No instantly recognizable and memorable hits : - 1 point. "Going Out Of My Head" points towards the bangers that would make Fatboy Slim famous with album *You've Come A Long Way, Baby* (this one's a keeper!), but the man wasn't quite there yet with this track. You have the "fake rock", copied-and-pasted guitar riffs, but not the infectious vocal samples that could allow you to file this cut with the best Chemical Brothers and Prodigy hits. Worse, the rest is a little "meat-and-potatoes" when it comes to electronic forays. See the next paragraph. A few groundbreaking arrangements that hit the mark : +1 Some of those arrangements are still too much indebted to older examples to house music and techno to allow me to give more than one bonus point to this thing (which only emphasizes the "dated" aspect of this record). But you gotta recognize that *Better Living Through Chemistry* was at least groundbreaking because it helped spawn new sounds now associated with that Big Beat thing. Too bad that this subgenre had a very quick peremption date itself. End score: 2/5 for the purpose of this list gathering "essential albums". Which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes. Next, please. Number of albums left to review: less than 300, approximately (I've temporarily lost count here) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately. Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me, including this one)
War nie ein großer Fan, 2-3 Songs sind ok, ansonsten eher langweilige ewig lange Loops
Solid stuff. 4 stars.
Veel loops, veel herhaling. Als je dat storend vind is dat kut, als je je gewoon lekker mee kunt laten voeren heeft het iets fijns. Op maandag zou ik hier niet zo kapot van zijn, maar op donderdag vind ik het wel een aangenaam album. Bevat eigenlijk geen enkel nummer wat ik los in een playlist zou zetten, maar als album werkt het voor mij. Makkelijker te luisteren dan die Dj Schaduw van laatst, daardoor ook wel net iets minder indrukwekkend. Dikjongen Tenger heeft al eens een 5 gehad. Dit album bevat niet die iconische tracks. Geen zomerlange FIFA herinneringen. Ik denk dat een 4 een mooi cijfer is hiervoor. Wel wat aan de lange kant.
I like Fat Boy Slim well enough, but this isn't my favorite album of his. It's okay at best. Favorite Song: Going Out of My Head.
1.5
This album sounded so different to the dance music being spun up at the time.
Mjög chillað, gott i roadtrip
Very fun to coast through, enjoyed it mostly while doing things instead of purely sitting and listening
Fun album. I always dig Fatboy
It must have had something to do with the circumstance but I found this to be an effective way to shake off some cobwebs. By this point, Fatboy Slim's deft touch of the materials at hand resulted in some of the more enjoyable and all around effortless songs in his catalog, especially with the one-two-three punch of Punk to Funk, The Sound of Milwaukee and Michael Jackson towards the end. Is it better living through chemistry? In my experience, I best believe.
Pretty solid dance album.
I really liked it some songs reminded me of grunge which is cool but I did think I’ve heard more hardcore electronic music and though fat boy slim is not about being hardcore I didn’t feel like I loved it more than some other albums
Not gna rate this one cuz it’s out of my wheelhouse - really not my type of music. Didn’t really fuck with it, but I can see how other blokes might. Big shrug from me - Boring asf
Some danceable funky beats in here, i liked it. Dont think it needs to be 58 min long tho
90s Big Beat fun
Great 2bf. The weekend starts here was a treat
I like some of the smash hits off of "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" as much as the next guy, but this album is a stinker. Talk about plain, muzak-esque electronic music. This album is souless, void of unique elements, and to top it off way too long. I will not be listening to this again. 1/5.
Cool