Palookaville

Fatboy Slim | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 5, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Astralwerks
• ASIN: B0002W4USY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,045 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Working with Blur on their Think Tank album clearly made an impact on Norman Cook. Palookaville, his fourth outing as cartoon dance hero Fatboy Slim, has a distinctly beatnik theme running through it. It also relies more on real instruments and proper songs, rather than Cook's laptop and fun floor fillers, swapping instant thrills for something longer lasting. That said it's unmistakably a Fatboy Slim record, and a pretty phenomenal one at that.

The trademark beach party anthems are still there. The Latino shake of "Wonderful Night," "El Bebe Masoquista"'s electro-funk, and single "Slash Dot Dash" with its snarling surf guitar all prove that there's life in Bigbeat yet. But it's the mellower tracks that stand-up to constant rewinds. "North West Three," a dreamy twilight tune dedicated to wife Zoe Ball, is a gorgeously romantic swayer and plinky hobo ditty "Put It Back Together" delivers a ramshackle shot of optimism in the Think Tank style, complete with a drowsy Damon Albarn. Meanwhile, the moody sub-bass rumble of "Long Way From Home" and road movie rocker "Push and Shove" find the middle ground and demonstrate that Cook's imagination is as active as ever.

All the usual cut'n'paste musical bric-a-brac's there. All the wackiness and cool grooves remain. It's just that this time they sound just as good in the living room as they do on the dance-floor. --Dan Gennoe

Product Description

Includes the bonus tracks "Close To Home" and "What They R Looking For". --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Force Centrifugal Reaching up to Your Pinnacle, November 30, 2005

By 

My Uncle Stu (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Palookaville (Audio CD)

Whenever I have a strong opinion, I'm usually wrong. And it's my loss. Being opinionated only gets in the way of a good time. I guess I'm Amazon-confessing this because there was a period in my life where I was a hard-core jazz and blues fan, and I looked down upon techno, or trance or house or however you choose to label it. My bias was towards live music.

I liked improvisation, still do, and I had the preconceived notion that the highest form of musical art was spontaneous musical communication. Techno is on the other end of spectrum, the music is mapped out, planned, composed. But, when the music takes hold of you, it ultimately doesn't matter how it was created. The sounds matters, and how you respond to it matters.

I learned that driving up Boulder Canyon in the summer of '97 and hearing the Rockafeller Skank for the first time. I liked it five seconds into it, I cranked it up, and I couldn't deny the ecstasy. My mountain drive instantly converted into a rapturous video game. I know this isn't cool, but I can admit to you, since we're friends, the only other time I liked a song that quickly was Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Let's be fair, it may be hard to imagine now, that was the winter of 1989, I had grown up in the suburbs, and everybody was a Billy Joel fan back then. Anyway, my point is, I've been a Fat Boy Slim fan ever since I heard that famous Rockafeller hook, and it nudged me on my way to overcoming my knee-jerk musical snobbery.

The beats vibrate a certain part of my consciousness, I can slip into a hypnotic state, but then things change up, vibrating a different part of my consciousness. Then Fat Boy turns up the intensity, the two regions start bouncing energy back and forth, the humming and tug-of-war snaps opens those doors, the old clichéd doors, you know what I'm talking about. Consciousness is expanded. Catecholimines flow. Chi courses through meridians. Shakras ignite. The reaction is real, it can't be repressed, it can't be denied, and once you've had a taste, you can't be deprived.

Palookaville isn't classic Fat Boy Slim. As others have commented in these reviews, it is more hip-hop than techno, and it's great. Who can argue the simplistic brilliance of the libretto:

Girl I want it you got it
Your body's like a narcotic
The thought is auto-erotic

Pure Id. Not even a dewdrop of Ego or Superego on display. And it feels good. Live improvised music is still great, the very fact of your presence makes you a participant, Ohm-Ohm-mMm-ing and collaborating in the act of Creation creating. And it doesn't diminish that experience one bit to enjoy studio music composed with painstaking precision. Futhermore, electronic music is not encumbered by the limits of having to use the sounds one person can get out of one instrument at one moment in time. But I don't have to tell you this, you already know. I'm the idiot, right? But it's a good reminder because we all do this in all different ways throughout our lives. Once we've attached to our identities, there is a constant entropy of the consciousness, a momentum to narrow, to fine-tune and refine our own plane through the collective consciousness, oblivious to the richness of the dimensions above and below.

Anytime we view things in the context of a genre or label, whether we're talking about music, movies, books, people, clans, states, or nations, we're betraying a lack of sophistication in our tastes, or a lack of developmental maturity in our intellect. Was that a little heavy-handed? Was that a little off the point?

In a nutshell: Thumbs up, buy this album. Can be enjoyed straight but also goes well with tranquilizers or stimulants (but please, please, always consult a doctor before abusing substances). Thank you for listening, bye bye.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different -- but good, February 16, 2005

By 

Jennifer Haynes "neverending college student" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palookaville (Audio CD)

Palookaville is a great cd. However, it's obvious that Norman Cook is changing his style. Fans of the older (but wonderful) cds like You've Come a Long Way, Baby, might not enjoy this if you're expecting more of the same. There are a lot more mellow tracks and fewer "get up and dance" tracks.

When I'm in a jumpy, happy mood, I'll turn on "It's a Wonderful Night." It's got a catchy, bouncy tune, and some cool lyrics. When I'm in a more somber mood, I turn on "North West Three" or "Long Way from Home." There is some repetitiveness in some songs, but I personally enjoy it. "Slashdot" is fast, and very repetitive, but it's also the shortest song on the CD (around 2:30 minutes).

I'd recommend listening to the song samples wherever you can find them before you purchase this cd. It's not a perfect cd, hence the 4 out of 5 stars, but it is wonderful if you can accept a new style of Norman Cook. Some of the good old Norman Cook is still there, but it's obvious that he's trying a broader range of ideas. I also liked Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, but I believe Palookaville is better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loving my stay in Palookaville..., September 17, 2005

By 

pezzalini (SoCal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palookaville (Audio CD)

...okay, this is my first review on Amazon. I've read tons of them, and own quite a bit of music, covering many genres. So, why was I compelled to write a review of this album? Because this is not a 3-star album.....no, I'm gonna call it 4.5....not quite a 5 (which equates to a classic in my book)....I think every track should be stellar for an album to be rated 5 stars, but this one is close.

First of all, keep in mind that electronic/dance/whicheverofthe50namesinthegenreyouprefer is not my main preference in music. However, I do appreciate good beats and phat bass lines.....and really dig this kind of music when it gets creative, melodic, and funky. And that's what the slim fatboy does here. You're not gonna get a formulaic album of club /rave songs. Which is probably why I like it so much.

What you will get is a slightly eclectic mix of great songs, with plenty of danceable beats, but this is more of a party album....you know.....a nod your head, shake your booty a bit with a drink in your hand and a smile on your face kind of groove. As opposed to dance yourself sweaty in big room with a light show while you ride the E train kind of groove. A lot of the beats lean towards hip hop, and all are accompanied by catchy samples, loops, vocals, and riffs that will stay in your mind and have you nodding to the music in your head hours after a listen. Exactly what I would hope for in a Fatboy Slim album.

I won't get into every track, but will call out some of my favorites - "Put it Back Together" and "The Journey" both feature guest vocalists and guitar riffs and slower hip hop beats....excellent songs, including the lyrics; probably my two favorites. "Don't Let the Man" is a great start to the album.....trademark Fatboy bass line, cowbells, and a repeating sample from the song "Signs" (Five Man Electrical Band?). "The Joker" is a funky remix version of the familiar classic - you gotta love Bootsy Collins' "shizzle my nizzle dizzle"..."Wonderful Night" is an upbeat gem, I dig Lateef on both tracks...not familiar with him, but I will be. "Push and Shove" has a nice guitar lick and driving bass line, but I think an edgier vocal would be a better match, especially when the reverb kicks in. I love the refrain on "Long Way From Home", just would like to get to it a little sooner.

Bottom line, Mr. Cook his given us another GEM.....easily stands next to "You've Come A Long Way, Baby".....different, but every bit as good. If you appreciate creativity, originality, musicianship and hooks....then get this album, you'll love it. If you prefer the type of songs or mixes you expect to hear at a rave, check out some samples first, then mix with ice and your beverage of choice, and enjoy.