Fatboy Slim

Live on Brighton Beach
Ministry of Sound Music
www.ministryofsound.com

At one time the bass player in the Housemartins, Norman Cooke — aka Fatboy Slim — has enjoyed astonishing success in the electronica world. On Live on Brighton Beach, his nasty skills as a DJ are on display, showing why his big-beat-turntablism style has become a global phenomenon.

Mesmerizing and inventive, this nonstop set capitalizes on Cooke's ability to fuse big beats with infectious hooks. The album, however — recorded in July 2001 and since dubbed “Normstock” — rarely sounds like a live recording. From Underworld's “Born Slippy (Nuxx)” to Fatboy Slim's “Sunset (Bird of Prey),” Cooke's deft cuts and segues leave room for only the occasional snippet of crowd noise. Nevertheless, Fatboy Slim weaves a dense tapestry of grooves that will make even the rhythmically challenged get up and dance.

Rating (out of 5): 4

Various Artists

Pledge of Allegiance Live
Concert Recording
Columbia
www.columbiarecords.com

Those who've grown tired of the nu-metal scene and its cookie-cutter angst can only hope that the music industry will soon move on to something else. But if faceless, tortured bands are your thing, there's Pledge of Allegiance, which documents last year's tour of the same name.

From the one-dimensional crunch of Mudvayne (which evidently took lessons for putting on makeup from Mercyful Fate) to the empty testosterone posing by Slipknot, American Head Charge, and No One, Pledge of Allegiance feels less like an affirmation of musical baaadness than an exercise in who can yowl in the deepest baritone over tuned-down guitars.

However, thanks to System of a Down, this set has a few moments worth noting. The band's songs, marked by stuttering rhythms and vocalist Serj Tankian's unusual delivery, hint at what metal could be.

Rating (out of 5): 1.5

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