You've Come a Long Way Baby

I almost gave this one a 4/5, but then a bout of the 'tism hit at the same moment "praise you" started and I said fuck it we ball.

Felt so happy that I discovered it! It feels like this albumhas inspired so much incredible music that I've lustened to. The songs are imperfect but bold, exploratory

Those first two tracks are amazing

Another album I don't even have to listen to. I know the whole thing front to back and back to front. Praise You is one of the low points of the album (and always has been). Starts with two absolute bangers. Track 3 is a meme before memes that I remember saying "Where is he?" "What's he doing" between the lyrics with my college housemates. Core memory unlocked. Overall this was one of the best albums I had ever heard at the time and was part of the small set of albums that drew me into the genre.

Used to have this on CD back in the day. Singles are etched into my brain. Forgot how good the rest of it is. I may indeed have come a long way, baby, but my musical tastes haven't changed in the 25 years since this came out. Fatboy is fucking in heaven and so am I.

Yes!

To be honest i was really in the mood for some 90s music so this review is a little bit biased but overall really liked this

What an album! In my head canon Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy make the big trio of electronic music from 90/2000s. And this record is just amazing from start to finish, with three bangers, that will stay on my favourite lists forever. 10/10

Previous British electronica artists from the 90's got a lot of hate from me. Fatboy Slim is a hard exception from me. He was my personal childhood introduction to the world of electronic music.Especially "Right Here Right Now" and "The Rockafeller Skank" have a special place in my heart. In early 2000's these songs were a defintion of coolness for me. And they still are.

4.5

Right Here Right Now.

Repeatative sure, but why not repeat greatness?

I've come a long, long way together Through the hard times and the good I have to celebrate it, baby I have to praise it like I should

The king of using sampling to create infectious hooks. Overall this album just makes me happy. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I honestly only knew a few songs from the full album and even the ones I didn’t know, I enjoyed.

Love this!

Biased as I have loved Fatboy Slim for a long time, but there just isn't anyone who makes music that sounds or feels quite like this.

It’s funny to think I was listening to this on a tape Walkman in my dad’s car whilst others were listening to it on a cocktail of ecstasy and acid. I really enjoyed it, it was good fun and sums up the 90s well.

Screamer of an album - a worthy first 5 stars.

Slaps

I'm curious if I would like Fatboy at all if I weren't already so familiar with these first two track on this album. But as it is I can only bask in this unholy amalgamation of sound and dance.

Of dit het beste album is van Fatboy Slim weet ik niet. Het lijkt mij wel het album van hem dat de grootste indruk op de wereld heeft gemaakt. Als ik duizend puzzelstukjes op de grond zie liggen en ik maak mij even druk; dan levert dat uiteindelijk het plaatje dat ook op de voorkant van de doos staat. Fatboy Slim neemt waarschijnlijk een hamer mee om de stukjes op een hele andere manier aan elkaar te verbinden. Dat lijkt wel eens wat geforceerd. Maar wacht even op het eindresultaat. Het is weliswaar niet gelijk aan de voorkant van de doos. Maar is toch ook een prachtig plaatje. Sommige delen zijn er zelfs veel mooier op geworden. Het is duidelijk een zeer creatieve geest. En eigenlijk mis je bij het luisteren naar het album nog een deel van zijn creativiteit. Fatboy Slim weet vaak muziek met visuele effecten nog eens te versterken. Zijn krachten komen het meest naar boven in de nummers met meer gekleurde klanken. In de nummers waar hij een vrolijke of funky basis gebruikt. Gangster Trippin is een prachtige voorbeeld. De meer matte nummers als Love Island zijn zeker niet slecht, maar onderscheiden zich minder.

Klik je op wiki big beat aan: Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as The Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, Propellerheads, Basement Jaxx and Groove Armada. Dan weet je dus eigenlijk precies wat je krijgt: Eric-muziek. Het valt me op dat Fatboy Slim redelijk veel van samples gebruik maakt. De schijtlollige clipjes deden het destijds ook goed. Past wel bij hem ook gok ik: schijtlolligheid. Getuige het nummer in Heaven bijv. Maar hey, het werkt wel aanstekelijk, want het tovert een glimlach op je gezicht en je trommelt vanzelf een beetje mee. Ik twijfel een beetje tussen 4 en 5 sterren. Ik vind dit tof om een keer te luisteren, maar ik merk naarmate het album vordert, dat ik niet zo zit te wachten op de nummers die ik niet ken. Het laatste nummer Acid 8000 had van mij niet gehoeven. Ik heb albums voor minder een 5 gegeven, maar ik merk dat ik het ook wel prima vind dat het album klaar is. Dus voor het definitieve oordeel luisteren we het de volgende ochtend gewoon nog een keer. Het begint toch wel met absolute krakers. We ronden het lekker af naar een 5.

So good

Every track a banger. The best of its genre

Favourite songs: Praise You, The Rockafeller Skank, Gangster Trippin, You're Not From Brighton, Right Here Right Now, "Build It Up, Tear It Down", Acid 8000, Fucking in Heaven Least favourite songs: Love Island 5/5

What an album!

I love this 90s shit

One of the best 90s breakbeat albums

Classic

Awesome album!

The band of the nineties, of you wanna call it a band Because it's a one man name

One of the quintessential electronic albums.

Great opener, lots of great tracks. Just as it's starting to get into the weeds at the end he brings out Praise You. Really enjoyed the whole album, discovered some new tunes alongside the well known classics. 5/5.

Creative, fun listening experience

All the way to the stars. Just a fantastic, funky, danceable album with banger after banger and some major hits. 5 stars.

Own it

grew up on this. wrote a review in 5th grade english.

What a great vibe!!

I loved it

Discazo

The GOAT and my best friend in the world.

Awesome

that's my jam, since 6 years old I've been hooked and there is nothing better. sampling used to the maximum, perfect balance of energy, rhythm and the whole spectre of feelings, masterfully created by the master of the craft I can pretty much play the whole album in my head and not skip any sound

Right here, right now: Killer beat, smooth through to the end. Skit at the end wasn't as annoying as first expected The Rockafeller Skank: Loved it until the slow down became painful. A little too long. In Heaven: Great beat, a fun listen Gangster Trippin: Love the ska influence, keeps you jamming through to the end. Build it up, tear it down: Not a huge fan of the sound of this, least favorite so far. Kalifornia: Was not expecting to like this as much as I did. Groovy Soul Surfing: Good song, the ghost in the middle pulled me out though. You're not from Brighton: Solid song, keeps me interested. Praise you: A jam, the buzzing vocal loop got a little annoying. Love Island: Another solid song. Acid 8000: Good album closer, kept me jamming to the end.

Electronic love.

Right Here Right Now.

Nunca tinha ouvido falar do fatboy slim, BOM PARA CARALHO, o melhor DnB/Jungle que eu ouvi em um tempo

My brain absolutely loves this stuff. If I were a hamster I'd press the Fatboy Slim lever all day long. If I had those Christopher Walken moves you'd never get me away from the boom box...

As expected despite not being sure how many I knew it turned out I'd heard pretty much all of these before, a full album of hits which is always pretty cool. A little tacky tbh but I think it was seen so at the time too tho so whatever it's fun

This wasn’t really my vibe back when it came out, and I was missing out!

Finally something fun to listen to.

Like a buttery crumpet, always delightful

Thoroughly enjoyable than Solomon with fantastic samples. That are reason fat boy slim became so popular.

It is very cheerful and fun! Very good album.

All the best parts of 90s electronic rolled into one big fat burrito. I don't know why I hadn't listened to this one sooner, it's a clear inspiration for Hideki Naganuma who's one of my faves. 4.5*

Legendary. Favorite song: Love the bassline and the Atari ST Sound effects. Pushes me back to the 90s.

tbf this does deserve to be up here, it’s got some absolute bangers, like iconic songs for the 90s and early 2000s.

love love love 10/5

Isn't funny how some musical elements are timeless and others...are just...not? I was torn with this review because the stars of this album shine just as brightly as when I first heard them in the early 2000s (Love Island and Praise You among them). Yet there are one or two tracks I actively cringed while listening to and hesitantly had to repeat to see if they were worth deducting from the final score. Alas, there's no competing with an album that still manages to take me on a fresh journey, several decades and listens later

Unexpectedly amazing. Great album

Excellent album. Loved every song.

Definitely got Nostalgia Goggles for this one, but I think the production is great, really good use of samples and seamless movement between material within the tracks. I get the complaints about repetition, but it clearly wasn't enough of an issue to stop these tracks enduring throughout my upbringing.

ΕΙΜΑΙ ΨΎΧΡΑΙΜΟΣ ΟΚ?

This is actually subtly really good. Repetitive, but has a lot of small changes and developments that it's never boring. It doesn't demand your attention to be a really good album, but when you do give it the attention all the small details become really enjoyable.

Memories from past times - still rocks the house

Música electrónica (big beat). Me ha gustado. Vinilo.

Known album by me and highly loved. Reminds me of middle school. Amazing. Innovative. Very influential.

Ok

4.7

I have always loved this album. It feels epic and remains fresh due to no one else really ever being able to copy Fatboy Slim's sound fully. I do wish I could remove "Illin in Heaven," as it is just silly, and "Praise You," while a great song, never felt like it belonged in the flow of the album, to me. Overall, though, I do revisit this album every year or so and have since it was released.

What a fun and exciting album to listen to

Good Album

LOVE LOVE LOVE omg brought back so many memories. I need to learn the She's All That dance. 😅

It's weird- I just reviewed this on another chart ("Greatest Electronic") and although I consider it more dance it really is goog. Lots of hits- hypnotic and good to listen to. This really was the thing when it was first released and I'm amazed at the negativity of some of the reviews. Each to their own- I've always loved it.

Classic.

Right Here Right Now.

- I've listened to this non-stop when younger. Still remember going to see Fatboy in rave when I was younger. Love this record. - "Right Here Right Now" is a perfect opener to this, and the transition to "The Rockafeller Skank" is masterful.

Was In Heaven listening to this Gangter Trippin’ album. You’re Not from Brighton, but You’ve Come a Long Way Baby.

I loved this. I loved this when it came out. I think this is the best of the genre. This sound is iconic.

This is fun to listen to in the right environment, and excellent club or getting in the zone music. Certainly a hugely influential album in terms of trance/trip hop and more. I can see why this would be controversial for some - it's not for everyone and you need to already like this 'trance' style of music in the first place. Fatboy is a legend in this regard - the repetitiveness is the point, but those looking for deeper lyricism or musicality beyond the 'vibe' will be sorely disappointed. One of the few genres that can perhaps be described as based on pure vibes.

Only know the artist by name. Blind. Repetitive and catchy as hell. I don't care what anyone says, this was a great listen and I was bobbing my head the whole time.

Iconic album. I love big beat and Fatboy Slim is one of the greats of the genre. Few people have so perfectly mastered the art of riding the line between humorous and heartfelt as well as he has. On top of that, the songs are just bops.

This one it lit as hell. People complain about it being repetitive, but it’s literally dance techno. What did you expect? This album’s repetitive beats and samples are amazingly put together and make an energetic atmosphere I groove with. I liked this a lot!

Iconic work. Late 90s cultural ecstacy and dance-all-night fun. The last societal high point (ever?). DJing from a living room dance party. A little lump in the throat R.I.P.

O cara está em simplesmente TODOS jogos de PS1, não tem como não ser 5

Right Here, Right Now- 4.6/5 The Rockafeller Skank- 4.8/5 In Heaven- 5/5 Gangster Tripping- 4.3/5 Build It Up - Tear It Down- 4/5 Kalifornia- 4.4/5 Soul Surfing- 4.7/5 You're Not From Brighton- 4.5/5 Praise You- 5/5 Love Island- 4.8/5 Acid 8000- 4.6/5 Total- 4.7/5

Classic college album

Excellent album

It is a very interesting album for electronic music, each song is unique, and to me the album is awesome from beginning to end.

banger from my youth, nostalgia and still a wicked album

Block rock on beats

Will but

An excellent album that feels just as fresh now as it did when it was released. Those opening few moments whisk me back to 1998 like nothing else.

So many iconic samples. Lots of flavor. Probably one of the first breakthrough computer made albums which thoroughly explored the unique sounds which can only be achieved by producing with a computer. So many great beats and moods, with surprising creative twists.

Jotkut osaa.

“If this don’t make your booty move, your booty must be dead!” I like how funky this is, but honestly my main take-away is that I have to hear Acid 8000 on a proper big sound system some time.

LOVED SM

Absolute clasic

тут есть затянутые треки но он дарит столько эмоций, что это 5

Banger

cool

I thought it was ok.

Norman Cook is a genius! Banger after banger. I remember this album coming out. Songs still hit as hard now as back then. Would give more than 5 stars

4/4 choice samples

I....really liked this. I've heard the big hits a ton and they are still so fun to hear. Great to put on and bust out massive amounts of work

One of my favourite albums from this list that I haven’t heard before. I really like it, it reminds me a bit of Moby. 5/5

Res for the memrs

It’s been a long long time since I’ve listened to this album. Every track is a banger! Good to listen to up loud!

5 punkte

Still amazing

25.08.23 - a modern classic that I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the whole way through. Guess what, just bought another piece of land at Milldale (Lot 5006). Right here right now, so good. The strings and that driving beat, so iconic. LP made me a delicious sandwich today, I think it was actually perfect. Prosciutto, gherkin, cheese (cheddar?) and mustard, on baguette. Yum. I love her so much.

Solid electronica with a few timeless and memorable tracks. Can definitely hear how this album influenced electronia in general. Well produced for the time. Very good.

I enjoyed having this on. Fell into a sweet spot for this type of music for me. Between a 4 and a 5

Still a classic of its time and one of the definitive big beat albums

No skip album. Banhmgers front to back. Should be 4 stars due again to electronic music having too many long repetitive tracks. This album is OK on that front and just a great listen

Love it. Great dance album. 5/5

So many choons!

98 vibe is strong with fatboy slim!

Rating: 10/10

Define: Big Beat. This for me is the epitome of 90s dance, along with Prodigy and Chemical Brothers. The whole album is just anthem after anthem. Easy 5

Banger

Great! Lots of great bangers. Trip/acide house big beats.

This album reminds me of Malcolm in the middle and 2001. I had Fatboy Slims Why Try Harder stuck in my car pretty much. Great stuff

I feel like You've Come A Long Way, Baby is music nerd music made by a music nerd. What's better is it makes your butt shake. Can't find fault with it, it does its job well. Unlike Dig Your Own Hole, the other Big Beat record we have reviewed, this one is not fatiguing in the home setting. It feels like an album, I'm not sure if that is because of the interstitial pieces, fades, better programing. I feel like it is a little of all. Like the Chems, Fatboy Slim came up doing dj sets, he applies that knowledge to his first two albums. The Chems never really got that their albums should flow until Surrender, which interestingly enough was after they released a dj style set mixtape (Brothers Gonna Work It Out).

Super album, super original, l’échantillonnage dans l’tapis, that guy kick ass!

The singles from this album are some of my first exposure to electronic music. A ton of great producing of big beat music that has stood the test of time and, imo, a must listen. Would definitely spin this anytime and enjoy it.

Banger of a live show. Extra point for that

This was one of the first albums I ever got and to me it holds up really well! It also got me introduced to Spike Jones who I think directed the music video for Praise You. This album is one of my all time favorites!

This album suffers from having too many overplayed tunes on it, but that's because the tunes are BANGERS and MASH, quicktime ya see. Has funk, has industrial, has some glory samples. What's going on in the background of Praise You is bonkers - bongos, industrial beats, lasers. It's what I imagine kezzle is like. One downfall is the drums, which are pretty much the same all the way through. 4.5 A year after this release Mr Slim played Woodstock and the crowd brought a van onto the dancefloor and set it alight and Fatboy had to escape. I'm not surprised.

The funk soul brother? The funk's so rubber? The funko grubber?

What an excellent electronic album. I've only heard the name Fatboy Slim and never really knew what music he's made, but this album is incredible. 5/5. Favorite track: The Rockafeller Skank

At least one of these stars is for Angela Bassett

A perfect example of the genre

Banger, great start

Awesome album start to finish. Bought on vinyl

Didn’t listen to it, but I didn’t have to. Heard it many times. Solid 5 star for me, lots of really awesome songs. Very 90s defining for me!

What an album! I've listened to most the tracks before. It edges on being just noise sometimes but steers clear into greatness. Love the soul beats, love the scratches and the funk. My only complaint is that it might be a bit too long. The second halft drags on slightly but I would still call it a 5.

That was really good. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album, but I recognized a lot of the song. Also, I thought the lyrics were, “If this don’t make your booty move, then your booty must be gay”. Their lyrics are fine but I like mine more.

It was a 5 when I heard it as a kid and it’s a 5 now.

Soo many hits. This album slaps

Rockafeller Skank is voor mij voor altijd verbonden aan de zomervakantie en Fifa 99 op de PS1 bij de buurjongen. Right Here Right Now en Praise You zijn meesterwerken van bijna buitenaards niveau. De rest van de nummers kende ik niet, maar zijn gewoon prima nummers. De tracks klinken opvallend goed op m'n headset ondanks dat het geen remaster is. Ik ga een misschien iets te makkelijk gegeven 5 uitdelen hiervoor.

Good times.

Good vibes only. Every track is a hit

Fantastic dance album

I really enjoyed this. Some cool DJ mixes in here.

A bit dated, but it's chock full of bangers and creative ideas

Iconic

Un bell'effetto nostalgia per quel periodo tra la fine degli anni '90 e l'inizio dei '00 in cui la quasi totalità delle pubblicità usava brani di Fatboy Slim e Moby.

Hard to refuse a 5 for this one

Just pure awesomeness - one of the best albums out there.

This is great!

So many classics on this album it’s ridiculous

I didn't knew what to expect from this album, but it is really great. It has a lot of "experimental" sounds that are really good for all the songs. However the middle of the album is very similar, so it could became boring, but even that doesn't mean that all the album is boring. It needs that "something" to be better, but in general is very good

We're Gonna party like it is 1998. An album that just has fun is often all you need

Yes, yes, yes, hell yes. Finally some EDM. I already knew several songs from this album as my brother had this CD growing up, and I know I covertly borrowed it at least once. Forgot all about The Rockefeller Skank so that was a fun surprise.

Amazing dance album. This one has always been in my library for a long time. The hits are great but nearly every song on here is a standout to me. Very catchy and fun vibes. Standout Tracks: Right Here Right Now, The Rockafeller Skank, Gangster Trippin', Soul Surfing, Praise You, Love Island

I bought this CD when it was released and I still have it. I must have played it non-stop back in the day cause I can still sing along word for word. Love it.

It's just great fun. Big beat may remain my favourite dance subgenre. A mix of hip hop, electro and house that is all about being big, dumb and funky. I mean, the opening four tracks do it all save for giving you a mitsi and the next three days off work. It's almost saddening that 25 years ago, you had Fatboy, Daft Punk, Propellerheads, Faithless and Basement Jaxx all coming up. Now you have Calvin Harris, Diplo and various interchangeable north Europeans who have cornered mainstream dance all spoonfeeding you the warm sick of late 80s/early 90s revivalism (feat. Flo Rida). It could have gone so much better.

Gives you all the fatbot slim energy and fun you need in life. Right here and right now!

Love this album.

This album got me pumped and reminded me how fun it was to be a twenty-something in the 90s. I was a college kid at UT Austin, and the city was still very weird at the time. I remember clubbing & going to raves...so many weirdos, gays & club kids...so much Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, and Daft Punk. A solid 5 stars for this album.

Such a banger of an album. Ever track is a total banger and it's sounds as fresh as ever.

EDM

Loved it back then - still love it now. Such great anthems, and good fun from start to end.

23/06 5/5 I've known a few of these songs a long long time ago, and listening to them again made me realize how good those songs are, as well as the entire album. Every song is just a banger and the mix of instrumentals and electronic music sounded so good. I loved this album a lot.

I was pleasantly surprised, by how much i enjoyed this album. Usually not my kind of music, i ended up nodding my head the whole time.

I bought this CD when it came out, and it was definitely a favorite. Electronic music can be pretty dull in its repetitiveness, but this is special. There's something always exciting happening in the music and the repetition is actually pretty groovy here. It was so good to hear the whole thing again, it'd been a long while.

I love this album! I have, do, and will listen often! It is perfect for the soundtrack to cleaning the house, cooking dinner, or getting your groove on. I mean, if this don’t make your booty move…

Super fun. I danced all day.

I’ve heard several of the songs before and liked them very much. This is the first time I have heard the entire album. I liked everything on it from beginning to end. Really fun and catchy! In the Wikipedia page for this album it mentioned that this was created on an Atari ST computer using floppy disks. That’s pretty freaking amazing since this was released well after that computer was discontinued. I love this album even more given it’s classic computer roots!

GASA! Le prime due sono due bombe. L'ascolto in metropolitana è consigliato. Love island non la conoscevo ed è un altro capolavoro oltre 'Praise You'

En ihmettele et löytyy listalta. Muistot palasi nuoruusvuosiin ja ihan yhtä täysii maistui

I find EDM repetitive and boring. NOT THIS! Just when it's in danger of becoming boring, he wanders off into something knew. It's a lot of fun, some of those odd, mangled vocals remind me of naughty boys playing with words and fart sounds. It's when he segues into those big beats that he shows his mastery. This is so far above anything in this genre, except maybe Daft Punk.

Definitely makes me want to boogie! Good in small doses, can be a bit on the noise side for my taste

Absolute banger. A classic electro lofi triptastic dance monster.

Literally impossible for me to be objective about this one, due to my fatboy slim tattoo and all. I haven't listened to this album in a hot minute though. I know it's very loopy and very repetitive. It's still a JAM. Love Island + Acid 8000 is one hell of a finale.

Iconic album!

10/10, great feel-good vibes also super impressive for 1990

What a nice baby

Fun to listen to

The undisputed Big Beat king and the epitome of bedroom production. Impossible to not dance to it. Too many classics to name.

Bangers all throughout. Gets you hyped wherever you are

Música electrónica (big beat). Me ha gustado.

Right Here Right Now

Breakbeat sampling is what I love about the late 90s.

A balmy foist of fun and unexpected beats was unleashed to the world in 1998. A beauty

Bangerz!! Only really knew the hits, but man are they absolute choons. Enjoyed the rest of the album too. Makes me really miss festivals and gigs!

Great album with lots of bangers on it. Front to back very cohesive record!

Near perfect, sound of my yoof

Ace! Made me want to jump up and dance.

Senior year. Loving EDM before I knew what EDM really was...

Banger, front to back.

Ai että, tätä levyä on tullut fiilisteltyä aikoinaan ja paljon. Kotona ei näkynyt aikanaan MTV, mutta eräällä kaverilla kyllä ja muistaakseni myös jollain etelänmatkalla hotellihuoneen telkkarissa pyörivät Rockafeller Skankin ja Beastie Boysin Intergalacticin musavideot solkenaan. Muutamaa vuotta myöhemmin tämä lätty oli minulla kopsattuna MiniDiscille ja kovassa kuuntelussa. Ainakin parin kuuntelukerran perusteella lätty on kestänyt hyvin aikaa ja tykkäsin edelleen. Ei kai tälle voi vitosta pienempää arvosanaa antaa?

Loved it

Hur bra kan en skiva med 2-3 textrader på repeat per låt va? Ganska jävla bra

This is a lot better than his first album, and had me boogying in the kitchen. It still feels childish and emptily hedonistic though. Dance music for lager louts.

Ingen, och speciellt inte jag själv, kan stoppa min kärlek till big beat! Ingen!

Som kattmynta för mtv-och-FIFA-generationen. Repetitivt sväng när det är som bäst!

haha jag tyckte att det var fett

A powerhouse of an album with some of the best dance tracks of all time. I can’t help but feel there’s a couple of weak spots on here, particularly in the second half. A 4 but very nearly a 5.

loved it very jumpy i will be dancing to this in the kitchen

‘You’ve Come a Long Way Baby’ might not be my favourite Big Beat album, but along with The Prodigy’s ‘Fat of the Land’, it kicks the shit out of the competition for platinums. The reality though, is that it’s not particularly a genre for considered album appreciation, this is simply an occasional side effect benefit if you’re lucky. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good home/car listen too, but this music is essentially a scientific construct with a 1000 hours of DJ research. Cook applies his accumulated evidence to craft beats and breaks that are guaranteed to inhabit the souls of chemically shifted party people, raising them up, teasing them and slamming them together with the precision of a drop. Outside of that context, we can marvel at catchy hooks, fun samples and an artist who knows how not to take things too seriously. Or we can moan about “real music”, plagiarism, repetition, repetition and repetition. Reduce this simply as drugs music though, and you might as well try to write off 80% of all music of the rock’n’roll age. Personally, my era of increased music enjoyment because of substance abuse was a few years (and a couple of drugs-du-jour) prior to Big Beat, so I have no rave nostalgia here, but while I may have other preferences (Chemicals, Prodigy, Lionrock) I can still recognise and enjoy this as a successful album. And I’m glad it happened for Norman Cook.

I LOVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC. That is one of the bigger things that 1001 albums has shown me- if it is an electronic album or has a lot of electronic elements then I probably love it. Right out of the gate, the opening track sat me back into my seat. Grooving and dancing along right away. Solid album, I will probably return to it. I would say it had a really strong start and strong finish with some weaker tracks in the middle. Pretty good, I liked it.

Nothing I would normally put on but pretty good. I've never listened to the whole album but still somewhat of a throwback to my teens when this was popular.

Great album for a Saturday this. Good energy. Little repetitive if you’re sitting and listening, if on the move, perfect.

Huh, an album of this genre, when done right, can make even me appreciate the effort. Enough changes and variations throughout to keep monotonous sounds from becoming annoying.

Divertido, poco variado.

Thoroughly enjoyed this album.

Very time & place-specific, but all the hits still sound good (if very late 90s too). This was a middle-school/high-school soundtrack album for me, so a lot of my thoughts are tied to that time and are hard to separate when I listen to it 25 years later. Played it loud on a good speaker too - I'm surprised how the fidelity of the production still sounds great. The second half of the album (esp. "Love Island" and "Acid 8000") hit better now than then, though, surprisingly enough. Still a solid album, if not a great one. (4/5)

Bangersarna är riktigt obestridligt bangiga. Resten når inte alltid hela vägen, men överlag mycket bra.

Jävligt härligt o medryckande sound, och topparna är skyhöga men tror flera delar gör sig bättre live faktiskt!

Fun

Crazy to think of the amount of samples represented here. Especially in the pre-find-everything-on-the-internet days. Fun tracks, sometimes a bit tedious. Overall good stuff.

Great album! Iconic 90s dance sounds. Top tracks Right here right now Rockefeller skank

Somehow, I actually just intentionally listened to "Praise You" for the first time in full last week and it was in public. Ironically enough, I don't feel like this has the length issue that a lot of these kinds of records have. Pretty much a blast the entire time.

Holloooooonnnnnnnnn🕺🏾🔥

Great!

An extremely repetitive album that somehow makes it really work. I wouldn't necessarily want to listen to an hour of this again, but there are some tracks I could see myself revisiting: Right Here Right Now, Rockafeller Skank, Gangsta Trippin. Definitely was getting a bit tired of it by the end of the album, but I enjoyed it more than I expected. Favorite Track - Rockafeller Skank Least Favorite Track - Build it up, Tear it Down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i liked it a lot more than i thought i would!

Repetitive, with beats for days. But that's kind of the point. At times, it can get a bit overdone and annoying, but you can't deny the appeal of tracks like 'The Rockafeller Skank', 'Right Here, Right Now', 'Build It Up, Tear It Down' and 'Praise You'. Norman Cooke found a formula which worked for him and he does not deviate from the path for the whole hour of this album.

Supi

3.5 rounded to 4

This album and Play by Moby are the two redeeming 90s electronic albums that I’ve been generated here to almost make up for the crappy trip hop stuff. This is fun. Rockefeller skank and praise you are iconic. Love island is quite fun. Fatboy Slim goes hard

An object lesson in situational listening. I took in the first 70% of this at the gym, and almost took off from a cross trainer with the exuberance that the opening four tracks gave me. It was an absolute barnstormer - the singles in particular. The last section I listened to at work and it was, bluntly, annoying. Praise You still bangs really hard, but the rest was more of a chore. Anyway, that's not Norm's fault - so my rating is largely based on how good this can be given the right environs.

It’s a strange day to have this album as it concludes with me seeing Fatboy Slim playing the park opposite my house. I’m not a big dance music fan, but what i do like is generally like this. Bordering on hip hop beats. There’s no denying to hit of the big singles and front loading the album with three means you get off to a great start. I dont mind ‘Fucking in Heaven’ but part of my issue with dance music is the repetitiveness and it does outstay its welcome. ‘Build it up, tear it down’ manages to get the balance better and is just a great feel good tune. ‘Praise you’ with its piano driven opening and stripped back vocal is unmistakable and impossible to hear without picturing Spike Jonzes dance troop. It is such a great track i dont think its possible to fault it.

I don’t think I appreciated quite how much Fatboy Slim was one of the sounds of my childhood until I listened to this. So much of this album was huge when I was 7 or 8 years old and I remember it so clearly, especially “Praise You” and its music video (despite not remotely being its target audience). I don’t know whether nostalgia played a part in my enjoyment of this, but I really enjoyed large parts of it - especially “the hits”, which still sound great nearly 30(!) years later. Other tracks are giving “standing in a field, off my tits on ecstasy” which, admittedly, is mostly the point of albums like this, but is my idea of hell. Others, frankly, made me feel exhausted and a bit anxious (much like Norman in heaven, bless him - poor lad must be wrecked). Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot more than I assumed I would and the hits gave me a nice, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling. It’s probably a 3.5* for me and I’ve hovered between which full mark to give it; however, I’m on my holidays and the hits are just so good, I’m in a generous mood.

So you really can't listen to this sat in your house, purely attempting to listen to this. The repetition will drive you stark staring bonkers. However at the two opposite ends of the spectrum (tipsy and dancing in a field OR while getting a ton of ironing and washing up done) this works great. There are certain songs that I find it impossible to divorce from the music videos, and "Praise You", directed by Spike Jonze and Roman Coppola, is one of the primary examples. The weird dudes, shot on grainy footage, really badly dancing their hearts out, was such a unique video it stood out so much at the time. My favourite track is probably Gangster Trippin but honestly I kinda like everything. It's not an album I'd actively want to put on and listen to, but I wouldn't ever turn a track off if it appeared on shuffle. I do think as a whole album, it's just too long, but its so, so hooky. I think this is actually a 3.5, but given this appeared on the weekend of Tramlines festival and I spent all evening dancing to live music at the Tramlines Fringe while Fat Boy Slim himself played the main event, it set the right mood and so I'm rounding up: 4/5

Pretty fun! 2nd song was a bit shocking (NSFW) but includes the iconic Praise You and Rockafeller Skank.

Very fun to listen to, and I didn’t realize how much I had heard before!

enjoyed it more than i shouldve, it was a vibe

(8.4) Didn’t know what to expect going into this, but man it was a funky ass record

This was the first album I ever bought so quite a bit of nostalgia for me. I hadn't listened to it since the 90s and wasn't expecting much but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

Fatboy Slim is fucking in credible.

Pretty great. Lots to enjoy, with a couple where I listen for a while and then skip to the next song because it can get overly repetitive.

Pretty enjoyable

My phone wallpaper, lol. Always liked it, listen occasionally. Would have given 4.5 if been without a doubt.

Great listen that combines breakbeat music with crossover pop appeal. I enjoyed the melodies and pop samples used throughout the record. Even though I don't usually listed to electronic music, this was definitely a must listen. As for the commercial hits on this record, I understand why Rockefeller, Right Here, and Praise You songs are certified platinum. They definitely stand out in a cohesive & melodic album such as this one. I can now say I like these songs after not caring at all for them as singles.

California is druggy, druggy, druggy, druggy

I've complained in a bunch of other reviews (mostly of hiphop and electronica) that I hate the repetitive nature. Somehow this album - MOSTLY - managed to avoid that same critique. I think the big difference is that even though there's repetitive parts, they generally only last for around 30 seconds rather than 5 minutes. There's still bits I didn't like, but overall, this album is pretty feel-good and it's hard to resist a head-bob or foot-tap to a lot of it. Honestly, shockingly enjoyable. Low 4.

Лучший альбом Кука.

A more mainstream DJ Shadow? Great album regardless.

Great album.

A couple of bangers that brought back some long suppressed memories and the rest made a great backdrop to my long indoor rowing session this morning.

awesomeeee

Great album.

And then I went straight into the other side of electronica: big beats, lots of noise, high energy, and lots of rock and hip hop influence. The album has plenty of tracks you’ll recognize, mainly ‘The Rockafeller Skank’, ‘Praise You’, and ‘Right Here, Right Now’. I enjoyed most of this record, with the exception of ‘Praise You’, I just really dislike that track for some reason. This would be a perfect 3.5 candidate, but I have to make a choice. I’ll give it a low 4/5; other than ‘Praise You’, I’d listen to this again.

Jako dobar album actually. Ne znam kako nikad nisam slusala. Of course The Rockafeller Skank je classic ali isto nikad nisam povezala da je to Fatboy Slim. Moram jos par puta poslusat.

Ah late 90s pop/club scene… This bothered the charts a lot and still holds up well. Catchy hooks everywhere you turn.

ICONIC

I wore this album out in college. Still good.

Legendary

Close to 5 stars. Maybe wouldn’t be rated the same today, but for when it came out, great. Some songs that still hold up even if some feel a bit long and like he’s still experimenting new things. Praise You is underrated.

Some bangers on here!

5 if I was on drugs

Upbeat, fun, makes you want to move. I would listen to this while cleaning for a boost of energy and to make it go faster. While it does sound dated, I think it leaves a more nostalgic impression than old.

Right here, right now!

dit was echt een danceable album

He is very good at making music to listen to while doing other stuff

big beat at it's finest, maybe

I knew this album and it couldn’t be more ‘of its time’…and yet it stands up pretty well on a first listen for many years.

Oh yeah, lots of nostalgia for this one. I remember learning "praise you" on the piano (perhaps teaching myself ) when I was pretty young, being happy with myself, and playing it all the time. They're very simple chords, but something about the vintage quality of the vocals and production, as well as the bass and everything else in that song keeps me coming back. I've always liked that kind of soulful/uplifting chord progression. even doing my best to look at this objectively, I think it is aged very well. The sampling is noticeably better than many other albums we've heard in this space. He has a talent of finding natural rhythm in spoken conversation, and combining that with other samples and production elements, to convert it into music that is very catchy. I think I feel good enough about it to give it a four

this is one of a dozen or so albums I was listening to as far back as I can remember, long before I knew what acid was, when I was discovering electronic music. Acid 8000 still defines acid for me. And most of the tracks still hold up. The beats are infectious and fun. I remember being conflicted about the repetitiveness, and at times I still think it's a bit much, but moreso I think the repetitiveness makes it dancey, groovy, and is offset by tasteful arrangement, builds, and sample manipulation. I mean it's nowhere near as predictable as typical electronic music. It has a lot more character and wackiness. Fatboy Slim's background as a bassist shines through the record. The bass lines and drum beats are undeniable, with a few exceptions. The main weakness, to me, is the corniness of the vocal samples at times, paired with the cartoonish-ly positive upbeat-ness that lends itself to use in commercials. The first two tracks and last three are my favorites. Tracks 3-8 are a step down. Although Gangster Trippin might be a 5 too. So I'd say half the album are 5's and the other half are something less. Plus the album art is... not for me, so strong 4 overall

I vibed to this album and was surprised to find out I knew some of the songs already, I guess Fatboy Slim is as recognizable as I thought he was just from the name alone

Wow what a vibe!! Feels like a record that influenced a lot of music I listened to as a teenager in the 00s without me knowing it, both pop music and tv show music. Let alone stuff I’m into now like 100 Gecs. Feels like riding a fucking wave! Didn’t realize I had heard Praise Me before until I got to it near the end of the album. Definitely need to be in a specific mood to enjoy the repetition but I do not believe that repetition in music is a bad thing.

Ah, the 90s. This was everywhere at the time, along with Moby's "Play" and other stuff in the same vein... Still super fun.

You've come a long way from Better Living Through Chemistry LOL!!! Seriously though, this is much better. The hits speak for themselves, but what it becoming clear is his ability to create/communicate a very specific personality through this limiting style. "We got to kick that gangster shit!" over a very light and upbeat horn section, which i just learned is from Ann Robinson (deep cut), has a lot of personality to it. Other records in this genre or adjacent genres often feel faceless and aimless. Listening to this I feel like I know who Fatboy Slim is, for better or worse. Many songs are repetitive and this doesn't need to be 60 minutes.

Sean’s review sold me on this album. Getting cheekiness across w mostly just loop and sample choices is impressive. Rockefeller skank was my favorite song at middle school dances. About as good as computer music gets

I love electronic music and I knew a lot of tracks from this album, but its kind of not worth 5 stars from me 4 stars so far Fav track: Praise you

Big dumb fun thats like a party in your pocket. It's hardly deep and it's sloppy, but it bangs so hard. If you're not having a good time with this then I feel sorry for you.

who doesn't love a bit of Fatboy Slim memories of many journeys in the car to see friends and girlfriends

Made me feel so nostalgic for a better time. 3.5

Prior to listening to this album, I hadn't heard a lot of Fatboy Slim and was familiar with just the hits. Turns out a lot of those came from this album, almost felt like a greatest hits. It mostly holds up, even if The Rockafeller Skank has Dreamworks trailer stink all over it. As an album, it is quite long, is very repetitive, and is as a result a bit of a chore to listen to. I like this, but I cannot see myself listening to it as a whole album again any time soon, but it is excellent playlist fodder and I reckon it would still go down well on the dancefloor.

Fatbly slim, what a name. Wish I had come up with that. I could tell he was British immediately. Something about how his music sounds. Could not even make this up. Oh shit, okay. Okay. OHHHH, THE FUNK SOUL BROTHER!!! Yeah, I liked it.

I haven't heard much Fatboy Slim prior to this, aside from classics like Rockafeller Skank and Praise You. This is a cool album! Lots of bangers. Though it's not on this album, I agree with Kori that the Weapon of Choice music video with Christopher Walken is one of the best of all time.

Halfway between a 3 and a 4 on this one, but I think I have to lean to a 4. Although I usually don't get annoyed at repetition, and I don't think this album annoyed me with it. I just think the filler songs didn't have much going for them, so the repetition got a bit stale. The standouts for me were Right Here Right Now, Rockafellar Skank, Soul Surfing, Praise you and surprisingly Acid 8000. Straight bangers. The others were a bit forgettable, other than the one were he was fucking in heaven lol, but didn't really get down with that one. Good electronic album, with some all-timers that would be great additions for a dance party soundtrack. IMO, better to listen to the all-timers than this whole album. 7.5/10

I love breakbeats so much it’s addicting :)

When I listened to this album, I just had to say goodbye to my long-distance partner in person for the next 5 months, which definitely sucked. However, this album definitely DID NOT SUCK, IT'S FUCKING AWESOME. Fatboy Slim is one of the two artists I have seen in person on this list (and Crowded House), and he does not disappoint here. Sure, the hits are the best parts of the album, but the great, polished beats are a treat to hear.

I mean this album is great and also kind of annoying. But I'm also tired :P

This is so late 90’s. Not as good as Moby but still good

This hit with absolute perfection on Friday evening in the gym. Also the first album I had so far with more than one track I know, one of them being an all time favourite in Praise You! Anyway I like danceable electronic beats I can sprint on the treadmill to and I like long instrumental tracks with layered samples that put me in a bit of a trance, so I was looking forward to jamming out to this for an hour and it didn't disappoint. Just pure joyous good vibes. Real turn your brain off music, meant in the best possible way. I nearly gave it a 5 just from how good a mood I was in from it, but I can admit to myself that's a bit high for an album that is mostly loops and breaks when I only gave R.E.M's greatest work 4. Assume all my ratings are subject to potential changes. It occurred to me that I can't really give a complete and true rating for an album on its first, even second listen within a 24 hour period. Because a lot of great albums need some time to sit with the songs, and my instinctual first reactions will probably unfairly favour instantly likable pop like this over a more contemplative record like Automatic for the People. But then, there's plenty of "likable" pop I have listened to and not loved as easily and immediately as You've Come A Long Way Baby. Maybe the 5 stars are warranted. Standouts: Right Here, Right Now, Rockafeller Skank, Praise You, Fucking In Heaven, Acid 8000 man i enjoyed this album so much.

Some classic bangers.

This was really good ambience vibe music

I’m typically not a fan of Electronica, but Fatboy Slim is an exception for me. I’m not quite sure what he does that makes it work. Possibly he changes up the beat and sound more than others? I wouldn’t be annoyed if “In Heaven” didn’t make the cut, but works with the album.

Pleasantly surprised. I was expecting non-stop dance music. Founder of Big Beat electronic music. Wide variety of samples. More musical hip-hop. Samples are vocals as well as instruments.

I don’t get the people who said this was repetitive. It’s house music, that’s the whole point.

Wasn't sure how this 90s classic would hold up, but it's still fun after all these years. Lots of classic bangers and inventive beats. It's not perfect IMO -- a few beats are held a little longer than they need to be for my tastes -- and I still think Prodigy's "Fat of the Land" is the true 90s Big Beat king -- but this effort surely isn't far behind.

Great album

Very cool! Didn't expect much at first, but I suppose that's why you don't judge a book by its cover. Love finding things that are dots along the line to Sonic Rush / Jet Set Radio OSTs. Favorite tracks: Right Here, Right Now & Praise You

Re 2000. Me gustó mucho

This is really good. Definitely not my type of music, but it’s so intricate and catchy and you can tell this is an artist at the top of his game

Very strong first impression with "Right Here, Right Now" I'm loving the complexity. Some of the sounds and effects are a little too much, as I feel they don't fit some of the moments in the tracks. However if I was at a concert or rave this shit would be hype as fuck, but I'm listening through earbuds. Overall good but I wouldn't feel like listening to the album by itself, because I think it's too overwhelming to listen to these tracks back to back. Light 4

Great for driving, will definitely make its way into my regular listening, but maybe not with the kids in the car (bit sweary!! 🤣)

Incredibly influential both generally and for me in my formative years. Takes a dip in the middle section but picks right back up at the end. I imagine a lot of non-Brits will rate this lower but this album basically IS British Culture for the late 90s, encapsulated in disc form.

Yes, its a massive market produce, but I can't mark it down dor that. Had a good time listening to it and the occasional dance too.

When the beat takes you it's a blast. When it doesn't, five minutes seems a long time.

A classic

“Fatboy Slim is fucking in heaven. Fucking 'n fucking 'n fucking in heaven.” “Jack it up, jack up Jack up, jack up Jack it up, jack up.” The beauty is in the repetition. 😎

It's surprising that this kind of music still sounds fresh after 30 years. Groovy feelgood stuff and some extra credit to Norman for being the bass player in the Housemartins.

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby was much better than the earlier Fatboy Slim album, which I gave only 2/5 because it felt more like a test run for this one. Even during work I caught myself moving in the chair like an underpaid office goblin. The style is ridiculously repetitive, but it somehow works perfectly. Spotify showing lyrics is also hilarious when most songs repeat one sentence forever. The hits are great, but the lesser-known tracks surprised me too. Still wondering if the guy on the cover ever sued Fatboy Slim or just accepted immortality.

Certainly of its time for me, and I'm not really into listening to this type of music any more. Also, my favourite song of his - Weapon of Choice - isn't even on this album. But this was massive, and rightfully so, even though a guy from Brighton (Fatboy Slim's hometown) I knew at the time was extremely dismissive of it - that may have been a case of local envy or something.