The hook here isn't so much the big-beat compilation itself as it is the DJ who mixed the program -- none other than the funk soul brother himself,
Fatboy Slim. Better known to those over 30 as
Norman Cook, bass player for
the Housemartins and later the brains behind the charming reggae-funk outfit
Beats International, he's now the king of big beat, a club music subgenre dedicated to fat, stoopid beats and pure dancefloor fun.
On the Floor at the Boutique was recorded live as
Fatboy mixed it at Brighton, England's Big Beat Boutique, and it's guaranteed to ruin the carpet at any party. There are contributions from artists as established as
Fred Wesley (with his
Horny Horns, not
the Famous Flames) and
the Jungle Brothers, and as obscure as
DJ Tonka (whose "Phun-Ky" is an album highlight) and
Bassbin Twins. It should come as no surprise that
Fatboy Slim himself delivers some of the best moments on the program, including the deeply weird "Michael Jackson" and his irresistible Top 40 hit "Rockafeller Skank." Outstanding. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide