TS: "Rockefeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim VERSUS "Block Rockin' Beats" by the Chemical Brothers

I realize these are slightly offset chronologically and that on many levels it makes more sense to compare BRB to "Breathe" or "Trip Like I Do" or some other more blatantly electronica-y thing that was a hit on alt-rock radio. But I was, and am, pretty vague on a lot of the genre distinctions in play here and to my ears in 1998 it was all just kerrazy new music that probably used turntables or computers or something and both of these songs are based around running a sample into the ground towards key moments of climactic chaos. And they both seemed blatantly like the unstoppable future of music. Where are they now?

(My first idea was to do a thread where I sing along to "Rockefeller Skank" but I'm not sure how far that would have really gotten.)

The Rockafeller Skank was and is super epic and it was fuckin E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. Nothing beats it. Although it took me a month or so to figure out the name of the song. I don't even remember how I ever found it.

i never liked Rockafeller Skank as much as the other Fatboy singles, and the best bit of it is the breakdown...which is the bit that sounds most like a Chemical Bros track. Block Rockin Beats otoh just kills then and now.

in fact i remember being disappointed with RS when it came out because the beat itself seemed kinda weak compared to the Wildchild remix and Everybody Needs a 303 etc etc, APART FROM the comically massive drums in the breakdown, which to me in those days were the whole point of big beat, not so much the comedy retro cheese stuff like the surf guitar. these days i dig the surf guitar too but BRB still wins.

this needs to be a poll.

I'm experimenting with novel new thread formats, bear with me.

Actually, maybe the discussion will shake out other plausible contenders for said poll.

HATE both of these, not sure why, i can normally tolerate most types of music but these are just 90s ugly.

I don't think either was anywhere as good as TRS but "Bodyrock" was a contemporary, as was the Fatboy Slim rmx of "I See You Baby," and I think are more natural competitors vs Block Rockin Beats.

xpthat's sort of how I feel. when Rockefeller Skank came out it was probably the most awesome song you could imagine but I can't think of any piece of music today that's aged less gracefully

See, the funny thing is, out of all of these I would rather dance to TRS in 2008.

But I wasn't going to clubs or anything when it came out, so I don't have any battle scars or anything.

"or anything"

RIGHT ABOUT NOW
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/WidowOfDestiny/Jiggle_Panda.gif

THE FUNK SOUL BROTHER
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/WidowOfDestiny/Jiggle_Panda.gif

CHECK IT OUT NOW
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/WidowOfDestiny/Jiggle_Panda.gif

keep it going Whiney

BRB got me 'into' 'electronica' so it gets my vote on this experimental nonpoll thread

Me too, (admittedly I was only 10 at the time and remember referring to it as techno).

Much better song anyways. Rockefeller Skank was a bit too teen movie, BRB always seemed the more dark, serious counterpart.

The Rockafeller Skank was and is super epic and it was fuckin E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. Nothing beats it. Although it took me a month or so to figure out the name of the song. I don't even remember how I ever found it.

I was at a party this song came on and everyone danced to it and I was like what the hell was that, and then when I got home I googled (or more likely yahoo'd) "funk soul brother" to find out the song. It felt like the perfect song that night. If only Norman Cook had pulled a Burial and stayed anonymous.

"Block Rockin' Beats" always seemed like it was trying to hard without being a great dance-floor song.

RS is responsible for the most ridiculous prom scene ever.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=MqiYAp4hxAU&feature=related

"The Rockafeller Skank", easy. "Block Rockin' Beats" just makes me want to listen to 23 Skidoo's "Coup".

I never really got "Block Rockin' Beats" (it seemed a bit forced in a way that the rest of Dig Your Own Hole wasn't) until I saw The Chemical Bros play live, at which point it all clicked into place. It really is just completely massive.

Being a 90s indie kid I thought Block Rockin' Beats was awesome at the time, but I actually disagree with Tim here. I saw the Chemical Brothers play an incredible set in Portugal earlier this year (best I've ever seen them possibly, mostly huge acid versions of their album tracks) and they tacked Block Rockin' Beats and Leave Home on as an encore (presumably out of obligation, it all seemed a bit half arsed) and it sounded a bit limp in comparison, possibly because it sounded like a totally different era.

The Rockefeller Skank on the other hand still stands up. Mostly because surf guitar >>>>>> slap bass.

It occurred to me last night while dancing to Wearing My Rolex for the nth millionth time in the nth millionth totally different setting that it's the first British dance record to achieve that level of ubiquity, well, since the 90s really. It sort of felt good to think that there was a record around like that again. Maybe that's another thread.

"everybody needs a 303" is the best fatboy slim song, "rockerfeller skank" is ok, but a bit too wacky imo.

Chemical Beats vs. Praise You

Matt I saw them live about 8 years ago so I dunno how our experiences correlate.

If only Norman Cook had pulled a Burial and stayed anonymous.

bit late for that 12 years into his career!

'rockefeller skank' was never a particular favourite of mine ('right here right now' on the other hand is IMMENSE) - i prefer fatboy slim generally (w/the usual caveats) but 'block rockin' beats' is one of the 3-4 chem bros tracks i unreservedly love (though not quite as much as 'hey boy hey girl').

I usually prefer Chemicals, but pick "Rockefeller Skank" over their worst ever single.

i stumbled across a 10th anniversary edition of you've come a long way, baby in the shops earlier!

think i'll lean toward 'block rockin' beats'. (amazing b-sides too - 'morning lemon'!)

This place I karaoke at has "Rockefeller Skank" in the songchoice list. One of these days...

Block Rockin' Beats mainly for reason Tim gave - haitch OTM re Morning Lemon too

Rockerfeller Skank has the better more ridiculous video

Both of these songs sound really dated now but as an album Dig Your Own Hole still sounds really good.

I like TRS but I think it's the weakest single from that album.

I think they're equally good tracks but I prefer the goofy abandon of Rockefeller Skank to the serious-about-dancing intensity of Block Rockin' Beats.

good thread. Rockefeller Skank for me but as Lex said, the real poll for me would be 'Right Here Right Now' vs 'Hey Boy Hey Girl' (although the latter would win this easily in my book)

Renegade Master trumps everything named on this thread.

"Renegade Master" does not trump "Chemical Beats", "Praise You", "Right Here, Right Now" or "Hey Boy Hey Girl," Matt CP (CrazyPants)

I didn't notice Chemical Beats, I'll let that one slide.

"Praise You" always really got on my nerves, not really sure why. Really loved the album for a while though...have recently come to give it new appreciation for indirectly leading me to "I'll Do A Little Bit More" by the Olympics (the "With your love...turn you on" sample)...

I just realized something important - "The Rockafeller Skank" literally does not have an ending.

fat boy slim = mud
chem bros = status quo

Block Rockin Beats is fine enough, but it dosen't improve much on its source material:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQADXqHKmEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kluTStX_Y

The answer to this question kind of depends on whether your movie is a comedy or an action film.

I am going to listen to both of these albums tonight

hey this is brab hey this is brab hey this is brab

fatboy slim is fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it fucking it

https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000268787924-syn90l-t500x500.jpg

god the Chems are so much better at this, its like Globetrotters vs. a real NBA team

wait WHAT my copy of Dig is just two of the first LP

someone out there has to have a copy that's two of the second

if you're on here hit me up

I was at university in Brighton during peak Brighton big beat, and good lord it got tiresome quickly. Too much of a so-so thing. Better at hedonism than music.

The Chemicals don't feel like part of that scene (i.e. they were actually good).

aaaaah frogbs that sucks

also i forgot i started this thread!

I did not know there was an edited version of "In Heaven" until I queued this up on Spotify this morning

lol it was on the CD I bought when I was 12. I remember reading about how vulgar it was and getting frustrated because I had no clue wtf they were talking about. it didn't occur to me there was another version of it out there. fwiw it's a pretty funny way to earn a Parental Advisory sticker - real "baseball manager deciding to get his money's worth after getting tossed" energy there

The answer to this question kind of depends on whether your movie is a comedy or an action film.

― earlnash, Thursday, June 28, 2012 9:54 PM (eight years ago) bookmarkflaglink