View source for Better Living Through Chemistry (album)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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{{Infobox album
| name       = Better Living Through Chemistry
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Fatboy Slim]]
| cover      = Better Living Through Chemistry album cover.jpeg
| alt        =
| released   = 23 September 1996
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Big beat]]
| length     = 57:47 (UK version)<br />70:52 (US version)
| label      = {{hlist|[[Skint Records|Skint]]|[[Astralwerks]]}}
| producer   = Fatboy Slim
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[You've Come a Long Way, Baby]]
| next_year  = 1998
| misc       = {{Singles
| name        = Better Living Through Chemistry
| type        = studio
| single1     = [[Everybody Needs a 303]]
| single1date = March 1996
| single2     = Punk to Funk
| single2date = August 1996
| single3     = [[Going Out of My Head]]
| single3date = 21 April 1997
}}
}}
'''''Better Living Through Chemistry''''' is the debut [[studio album]] by English [[electronic music]] producer [[Fatboy Slim]]. It was released on 23 September 1996 in the United Kingdom by [[Skint Records]] and in the United States by [[Astralwerks]]. It was Fatboy Slim's first work to chart outside of the UK, with the single "[[Going Out of My Head]]" notably charting in the US,<ref>{{cite web|title=Fatboy Slim Chart History|work=[[Billboard Charts]]|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/fatboy-slim/chart-history/mrt/|access-date=16 February 2018}}</ref> and was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]].<ref name="bpi"/>
==Background==
[[Skint Records]] founder [[Damian Harris]] has described the album as having been "more of a compilation than an album", as some of the tracks had been recorded some time before its release, due to Norman Cook's other musical projects. Three songs from the album were previously released in Skint's first volume of their ''Brassic Beats'' [[compilation album]] series, which is advertised in the album's booklet.
The album's cover features an image of a 3.5-inch [[floppy disk]], paying homage to the cover of [[New Order (band)|New Order]]'s "[[Blue Monday (New Order song)|Blue Monday]]" single, which featured a 5.25-inch disk. The album's title is a variation of a [[DuPont]] advertising slogan, "[[Better Living Through Chemistry|Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry]]".
==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/better-living-through-chemistry-mw0000027676 |title=Better Living Through Chemistry – Fatboy Slim |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=15 September 2011 |last=Prato |first=Greg}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm2}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1232 |chapter=Fatboy Slim: Better Living Through Chemistry |access-date=15 September 2011 |title=[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s]] |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Muzik]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Fatboy Slim: Better Living Through Chemistry (Skint) |journal=[[Muzik]] |url=http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik017_october_1996.pdf |issue=17 |date=October 1996 |last=Newsome |first=Rachel |page=128 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403133658/http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik017_october_1996.pdf |archive-date=3 April 2022 |access-date= 16 July 2022}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev4score = 6.8/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/f/fatboy-slim/better-living-through-chem.shtml |title=Fatboy Slim: Better Living Through Chemistry |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=15 September 2011 |last=Wisdom |first=James P. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041009225547/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/f/fatboy-slim/better-living-through-chem.shtml |archive-date=9 October 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/better-living-through-chemistry-19971007 |title=Better Living Through Chemistry |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=7 October 1997 |access-date=15 September 2011 |last=Brackett |first=Nathan}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]''
| rev6Score = A−<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=fatboy+slim |title=Grade List: Fatboy Slim |publisher=[[Tom Hull – on the Web]] |access-date=February 13, 2022 |last=Hull |first=Tom}}</ref>
}}
The album received generally positive reviews from critics. A 1997 review from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' claimed the album to be "of the most fun, shamelessly genre-hopping dance albums of the year".<ref name="rollingstone"/> ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' called the album "the first to open the drums 'n' bass world to naturally occurring rhythm patterns... The terrific ''Better Living Through Chemistry'' offers a parade of block-rockin' beats not born in a test tube."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moon |first1=Tom |title=New Recordings |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=5 October 1997 |page=F12}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] rated it four stars out of five, recommending the album to "those who can't get enough of the popular technoid-sampled alternative dance style of the late '90s".<ref name="allmusic"/>
==Legacy==
The album was included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=23 March 2010|publisher=Universe|isbn=978-0-7893-2074-2}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
The song "Give the Po' Man a Break" is featured in the 2000 film ''[[Traffic (2000 film)|Traffic]]''. The song "The Weekend Starts Here" is featured in the first episode of the British sitcom ''[[Spaced]]''.
== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = [[Fatboy Slim|Norman Cook]], except where noted
| title1 = Song for Lindy
| length1 = 4:50
| title2 = Santa Cruz
| length2 = 7:30
| title3 = [[Going Out of My Head]]
| writer3 = {{hlist|Cook|[[Pete Townshend]]}}
| length3 = 5:14
| title4 = The Weekend Starts Here
| writer4 = {{hlist|Cook|[[Idris Muhammad]]|[[Grover Washington Jr.]]}}
| length4 = 6:41
| title5 = [[Everybody Needs a 303]]
| writer5 = {{hlist|Cook|[[Edwin Starr]]}}
| length5 = 5:49
| title6 = Give the Po' Man a Break
| length6 = 5:50
| title7 = 10th & Crenshaw
| length7 = 4:20
| title8 = First Down
| length8 = 6:18
| title9 = Punk to Funk
| writer9 = {{hlist|Cook|[[Keith Mansfield]]}}
| length9 = 4:57
| title10 = The Sound of Milwaukee
| length10 = 6:18
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = US [[Astralwerks]] release bonus tracks
| title11 = [[Michael Jackson (Fatboy Slim song)|Michael Jackson]]
| length11 = 5:49
| title12 = Next to Nothing
| length12 = 7:16
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japanese edition bonus track
| title11 = Es Paradis
| length11 = 5:44
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Vinyl edition bonus track
| title11 = Crenshaw Siren Beats
| note11 = reprise of "10th & Crenshaw"
| length11 = 2:50
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 20th anniversary edition disc 2
| title1 = Michael Jackson
| length1 = 5:49
| title2 = Next to Nothing
| length2 = 7:16
| title3 = Everybody Loves a Carnival
| writer3 = {{hlist|Cook|Starr}}
| length3 = 4:04
| title4 = Es Paradis
| length4 = 5:43
| title5 = First Down the Disco
| length5 = 5:49
| title6 = Sunset 303
| length6 = 10:04
| title7 = Neal Cassady Starts Here
| length7 = 5:20
| title8 = It's a Dream
| length8 = 6:16
| title9 = Knuf ot Knup
| length9 = 5:26
| title10 = Big Beat Souffle
| length10 = 4:44
| title11 = Everybody Loves a Filter
| writer11 = {{hlist|Cook|Starr}}
| length11 = 6:22
| title12 = Weekend Bonus Beats
| length12 = 3:27
| title13 = Crenshaw Siren Beats
| length13 = 3:00
}}
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1996–98)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|50|artist=Fatboy Slim|album=Better Living Through Chemistry|rowheader=true|accessdate=11 April 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|69|artist=Fatboy Slim|date=19960922|rowheader=true|accessdate=11 April 2020}}
|}
==Certifications==
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Fatboy Slim|title=Better Living Through Chemistry|award=Gold|certyear=2013|relyear=1996|accessdate=11 April 2020|refname="bpi"|id=10729-1880-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Discogs master|72881|Better Living Through Chemistry}}
{{Fatboy Slim}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1996 debut albums]]
[[Category:Fatboy Slim albums]]
[[Category:Astralwerks albums]]
[[Category:Skint Records albums]]