Live On Brighton Beach

The more that dance music insists on minimalism, the more tired it gets, as coherent lyrics, hefty melodies, hook-y song structure and fleshy arrangements are removed from the groove. Norman Cook has for years proved his ability to ingenuously make that little bit go a long way with his Fatboy Slim records and DJ gigs, but Live on Brighton Beach suggests his reliance on instantly gratifying loops and smart samples is finally growing stale.

This mix CD was edited from a set Cook played in his English hometown last July. He leans on Underworld’s “Born Slippy,” Salt-n-Pepa hits and countless disco snippets that have been packing dancefloors for years. Of the semi-recent tracks, Basement Jaxx’s “Where’s Your Head At” remains the freshest because it’s a proper tune with a feistiness few records can replace. Nearly everything else was here yesterday, gone five minutes ago.