The Greatest Hits: Why Try Harder

世界最強DJファットボーイ・スリムの初ベスト・アルバムが、お買い得価格となって再登場!"Right Here, Right Now"や"Rockafeller Skank"など一時代を築いた世界的大ヒット曲がぜんぶ入ったマスト・バイな名ベスト盤で、2006年の初リリース時には全英2位を記録。今のEDMにも負けない、バカになれるビッグ・ビートやレイヴ・アンセムは永遠に踊れます!!

世界最強DJ、FATBOY SLIMのデビュー・アルバム20周年記念エディションの発売に合わせ、彼にとって初となるベスト・アルバムが、廉価版となって登場!世界的大ヒット曲を多数含む、全音楽ファンにとってマスト・バイな名盤。2006年作品、全英2位を記録。

NME (24/06/06, p.43) - 6 (out of 10) - "Norman Cook - underestimate him musically at your peril."

After ten years of big beat mayhem, Norman Cook, former bassist with the Housemartins, presents his first greatest hits collection. From the raw, sample-laden sounds of his debut, through the polished, commercial releases that yielded his biggest hits, to the more organic, song-based work of late, this provides an excellent introduction to the career of a hugely popular and successful artist. Includes his remix of Cornershop's 'Brimful Of Asha' as well as the new single 'That Old Pair Of Jeans'.|

Who could have predicted that the bass player from a Smiths-ish pop combo called the Housemartins could change the face of dance music with a controlled noise jumble that was ridiculously infectious and extra thrilling, all while sounding virtually impossible? The story behind Norman Cook's evolution into dance music's savior is fascinating, but you won't find it here. With one of the most honest titles for a compilation, The Greatest Hits: Why Try Harder goes for the big numbers -- and sometimes the smaller numbers from the big full-lengths -- without pretending to be a history lesson or an attempt to define the scattershot career of Cook. Maybe it does try a little harder by including his remixes of Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" and Groove Armada's "I See You Baby," both of which went "Ka-Boom!" across dancefloors worldwide. While it would complete the trilogy of important Cook remixes, the absence of his take on Wildchild's "Renegade Master" is telling, since the hit is just as important but a bit more underground and raw. Instead, Why Try Harder goes for the gloss, and does so triumphantly. "Praise You," "Weapon of Choice," and "Right Here, Right Now" are all instantly recognizable tracks and packed so tight together that they create a whirlwind of big beat excitement. The curious can now skip the so-so Palookaville since its best is here, but those bitten by the big beat bug will have to go further, because Cook's best productions weren't always his singles. Two new numbers -- "Champion Sound" and "That Old Pair of Jeans" with Lateef of Blackalicious on the mike -- fail to thrill, but with so much imagination and over the top brilliance elsewhere on the disc, they can't keep this collection from being vital for budget-minded clubbers. ~ David Jeffries

延期中だったファットボーイ・スリム初のベスト盤がW杯開催に合わせて（?）登場! “Right Here, Right Now”など一時代を築いた名曲群を聴き返せば、懐かしのビッグ・ビート時代から似たことをやる人はいたけど、ノーマン・クック級にバカになれる人はいなかったな～と改めて思い知らされますな。数々のビッグ・チューンの他、グルーヴ・アルマダ“I See You Baby”などノーマンのリミックス仕事も収めた無敵盤!
bounce (C)高橋 玲子