YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance. "Praise You" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.

Norman Cook, aka Fat Boy Slim, shows off his big beat-dance style once again with the release of YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY. Packed with pure energy, smart breaks and edgy samples, YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY is a strong follow up to 1997's BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY. The first single, "The Rockafeller Skank" cleverly uses a Lord Finesse vocal sample that dominates the massive-sounding track. In addition, the twangy surf guitars provide a texture not often heard in big beat.

"Gangster Tripping," the second single, is a funky, mind-bending head-nodder that uses smashing drums, horn shots, reggae breaks and filtering techniques. Other tracks to make you move are "Build it Up," the adrenaline wig-out "Acid 8000" and "Praise You," with its catchy, '70s-like piano hook. The title of this album speaks volumes about the state of Fat Boy Slim's work. Catch up or you'll get stomped by the big beat explosion.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (11/12/98, pp.114-115) - "...Cook proves what all pop pros know: that obvious is harder than subtle....Cooks makes the hooks as blatant as a dance-world denizen can..."
Spin (9/99, p.154) - Ranked #68 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."
Spin (1/99, p.91) - Ranked #18 on Spin's list of "Top 20 Albums of '98."
Spin (12/98, pp.175-176) - 8 (out of 10) - "...the thrill-intensive Fatboy Slim approach favors monstrous, often incongruous breaks, bass lines, and riffs, aggressively diced and looped in service of wacky, cut-and-paste juxtapositions....few dance producers working today are as keenly attuned to the pleasure principle as Norman Cook..."
Entertainment Weekly (10/23/98, p.78) - "...Other than the way it deftly blends obscure records, there's nothing subtle about Fatboy Slim. BABY is clever, hectic, relentless--and very of its time. It's music desperate to be noticed above the din of TV, movies, the Net, and the zillions of other records out there..." - Rating: B+
Q (12/99, p.100) - Included in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s."
Q (6/00, p.62) - Ranked #81 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums"
Q (12/98, p.116) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...big beat's boy wonder is aiming to make the honeymoon last as long and remains as much fun as possible....bolshy, stomping, squelching stuff that you either shuffle your feet to, wave your arms in the air with or simply pogo up and down on the spot to..."
Alternative Press (5/00, p.120) - Included in AP's "10 Essential Dance Albums That Rock" - "...Norman Cook's Big Beat masterpiece is dancefloor crossover material at its finest."
Mixmag (1/99, p.49) - Included in Mixmag's "Ten Best Albums of 98" - "...Fatboy turns his 303s up to 11 with a second album that rocks from start to finish."
CMJ (1/11/99, pp.4-5) - "...a lager-soaked romp through big beats, gritty grooves and silly samples..."
Vibe (12/98, 1/99, p.195) - "...Taken together, the songs sum up that Fatboy appeal: a match of brawny rhythms and clever samples that recall milestones like De La Soul's 3 FEET HIGH AND RISING....He's the kind of selector who gets off on ill juxtaposition as much as on grooves..."