Norman Cook

Fans of producer and DJ Norman Cook in his various incarnations as Beats International and, most recently, Fatboy Slim should be warned not to jump at this disc without reading the fine print on the front cover. Although it does include what looks like 11 new tunes, these actually are bare-bones drum loops and samples designed not for listening or dancing, but as raw material for use by other producers and DJs. In the case of "Prince of the Beats," for example, the entire track consists of a single drum loop and a repeated three-word vocal sample; Leisure Boys is similar, with electronic drums and the occasional incursion of synthesized bass. "Disco Dubwise" is an almost completely unadorned house beat, while "Lock It in the Socket" harks back to old school hip-hop with a spare breakbeat and chirpy vocal sample. Tracks 12 through 62 consist of very brief vocal samples, many of which will be familiar to fans of Cook's previous albums. Only the most devoted fans will find this album worth listening to, but for practitioners it's a treasure trove of fun and funky beats, effects, and scratches. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide