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...
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How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Good
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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...
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...
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...
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