Star 69

by

Fatboy Slim

Edit

"Star 69" is the most high-energy track from Fatboy Slim's 2000 album _Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars_. Unfortunately, this dancefloor stormer is sullied by profanity in its centerpiece male vocal sample. In the full version, there are 46 prominent instances of the F-word, plus echoes. Although it is invoked in its least-offensive (almost neutral) sense, I wish Norman Cook had chosen a better sample. "Star 69 (Full Version)" is basically just the album version with the addition of a brief DJ-friendly intro and the removal of the shrill noise at the end.

As one would expect, the radio edit is a shortened and cleaned-up version. (The four letter word is reduced to just one letter.) Various other alterations were made to sample placement and effects, some of which work, and some of which make the track sound silly or rough around the edges.

"Weapon of Choice" is a fine & funky track that really deserves its own single. As a double-A-side (so to speak) to "Star 69", it is excellent. The vocals in this version sound more like a normal human voice than they do on the album. One gets the impression that Norman Cook doesn't quite know how to end the song, because a scratching sound loops incessantly for almost half a minute before finally being put out of its misery.

For those who already own _Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars_, the only compelling reason to purchase this CD is the "Weapon of Choice" music video on the 'enhanced' portion of the disc. Note that it requires QuickTime (not included). The video is hilarious because it stars actor Christopher Walken, who completely defies his common perception by dancing around like a maniac.