About me:hello, my name is mick kent and I've been a professional writer/journalist/reviewer for over ten yea...
Member since:07.12.2000
Reviews:2
Review rated by 2 Ciao members on average: helpful
With a whirlwind of worldwide success that seems to have taken him by surprise, Norman Cook had to bite the bullet and follow up the huge global sales of his second album.
With a history of blowing it once he'd achieved a certain level of success, "Gutter & Stars" is an important album for him under his Fatboy Slim guise.
Credit should be given for the relatively prompt release, where many artists take years tweaking follow-ups to triple platinum albums.
If you're looking for the light-hearted frippery of "Rockerfeller Skank" you won't find it - instead there's some heavyweight collaborative contributions from the likes of Macy Gray and P-funk legend Bootsy Collins. There's also the atmospheric vocals of long-dead rock icon Jim Morrison on the first single "Bird of Prey".
Tracks like "Drop The Hate" and "Retox" put the meat on the bones of Normans self-proclaimed "darker" direction, and overall the BigBeats do give way to a more solid four-to-the-dancefloor approach.
It may well alienate some general pop fans who picked up on the Fatboy through the recent single chart hits, but it's an album that grows with each listen and is well worth your time. Plus you'll be able to recognise a few tunes next time you go clubbing...
Thanks for the great recommendation. I bought the album and wasn't disappointed. The Macy Gray collaborations are easily the best tracks, but Star 69 and Retox are not far behind. If anyone else is debating buying it, don't put it off. It equals if not exceeds,its predecessor.
mistry, saw him bring big beat to the masses. His first offering of the new millennium,Halfway Between the Gutter and the Starswas his most ambitious project to date. Marrie...
mistry, saw him bring big beat to the masses. His first offering of the new millennium, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars was his most ambitious project to date. Mar...
06.01.2001 08:32
Thanks for the great recommendation. I bought the album and wasn't disappointed. The Macy Gray collaborations are easily the best tracks, but Star 69 and Retox are not far behind. If anyone else is debating buying it, don't put it off. It equals if not exceeds,its predecessor.