Paul's Boutique

1/06/22: Listening to the Beastie Boys rap is like watching Bob Cousy play basketball in the 60s and thinking that I could do it better. Is it because they're white guys in black sports? Is it because both basketball and hip-hop have evolved drastically to something completely? I understand how this was such a revolutionary hip-hop album in 1989. Beasties were able to sample from so many iconic/recognizable artists/songs, however, it just sounds dated today to me. Also, the shout rapping, flow, and cadence becomes pretty repetitive. I respect this album as a historical hip-hop piece but feel no need to revisit this album in the 2020s. I really liked the following songs: -The Sounds of Science -Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun -Car Thief -A Year and a Day -Hello Brooklyn

nice

Idk what to say about beastie boys, they sure had their own thing going

Everything is so incredibly dense on Paul's Boutique, and the sampling and production are superb. Layer after layer of recognizable samples flowing together seamlessly. It really is impressive. The record flows nicely, and I completely understand why it's a go-to album for many people when setting up sound equipment. Everything sounds amazing. And while Beastie Boys are fun and sound great together, I always find it challenging to listen to them. Something just gets on my nerves, and I'm never truly able to enjoy it.

SOMETHING ABOUT LISTENING TO BEASTIE BOYS MAKES YOU WANT TO WRITE THE REVIEW IN ALL-CAPS. I will abstain from it, though - mainly because I’m afraid I am not the first to make that joke. Beastie Boys paints a vivid tapestry through their work of sampling more songs than I dare guess. You could spend a week just trying to decipher the specific samples of each song. The B-Boys balances on the edge of insanity. They might even cross it on the brilliant “B-Boys Bouillabaisse”. But who cares? This is pure fun.

I've expressed here before that I'm not a huge fan of sampling and this album is full of them. I mean it's not terrible, but at the same time, there are times when I'd just rather be listening to the originals.

Hip hop rock jazz funk. Te hace mover la cabeza. Este album de ellos no me ha aburrido al final como "Ill Communication". Así que 4.

Love the beats and production on here. Beastie Boys’ rapping is fun but I guess not really that great lyrically. 3.5

Reading down a list of samples on this albums and it’s like all my favorite stuff. would rather listen to a playlist of their samples, Bc honestly their voices are so obnoxious it was hard to listen to an hour.

the gang vocals start to blend together after awhile. some samples were really cool though.

The production on this album is actually incredible. However, vocally it’s a rollercoaster that goes up really high and then just stays there. The Boys know how to have a good time but eventually I want something else other than getting yelled at about girls and pranks and crime.

The 3rd best beastie boys album, a true start to their career, which is still entertaining today

Not the Boys greatest but certainly a landmark in the art of sampling

A solid album that requires a bit of careful listening to fully appreciate, but it isn't as "hit"-ful as orher Beastie Boys albums.

nope

lyrically pretty good, but their sound is pretty similar across albums so that gets a bit boring

Nice one.

I noticed I was gradually lowering the voice on my player. But I liked some of the beats and samples.

Fun! A bit repetitive!

One is reminded of the fun and cleverness of these records, especially the rhymes and sampling and name drops, but also how they can be a bit much. At best, this feels like hip-hop's version of London Calling. At worst, like a bad B-boy comedy act (Adam Sandler would be the Beastie Boys of standup comedy, yes, which flatters the latter.) Still, a real milestone and an impressive achievement, that might have bee even more so had it dialed back on the ribald fun and willful cleverness and overly determined attempts to provoke. Has aged somewhat less than gracefully.

Some samples, some drumbeats, and shouting - lots and lots of shouting. It gets very boring after a minute or two.

pretty fun as the samples it's made from are unbeatable. the one note whine, whine, whine whine (together) SHOUT delivery is tedious as ever but can mostly be ignored. shame there isn't a vocal-free version

Fun to hear each different voice taking different verses, but still not the biggest hip hop fan

Shame your rump is a good enough song to make the whole album a 4 already. It’s so good and fun. Overall I just really liked this album, it was fun and loose and good.

When "Fight For Your Right to Party" came out it was humorous for/as a teenager but honestly still kinda sucked - the kind of joke that worked once or twice then got tired; hard pass on the Beasties for me then. And as an aside I wasn't ready for hiphop at all yet. Then this album hit and a friend of mine bought it and played it for me and .... holy hell - this was completely different. I still found it hard to break from my "traditional" rock roots and pretending to be offended at all the classic samples that were used (e.g. Zeppelin, Isley Bros, Curtis Mayfield, Beatles, etc) so I merely stuck to the immediately-accessible "funny" cuts like "Shake Your Rump" (that BASS) and "Hey Ladies" at first. But damn. This album is awesome. It was a new artform and it sounds idiotic but once I let myself be open to it I loved the entire album almost immediately. The time and creativity spent to craft the beats is almost unimaginable to me - fitting it all together to make 15+ songs that are (mostly) catchy as hell, not to mention the really good and rhythmic raps. The only negatives are I suppose what I'd deem hangovers from their first album - the humour occasionally isn't all that funny; the infantile stuff barely passed back then and now just doesn't work for me. BUT it's almost entirely ignorable because even as they're being young morons :P the beats are so good and funky that I've already forgotten (or just not paid attention to) them, but a small personal deduction for immaturity. Lesson for my younger self: don't be a closed-minded idiot. This is a classic. 9/10 4 stars.

Ma-la-de. Le travail de sampling sur cet album est tellement intense et bien fait. Ce n’est pas leur premier, mais c’est le premier d’une série - avec Check your heads et Ill communication - Qui représente la quintessence de ce band.

Album essentiel. Pochette emblématique. L'énergie du groupe est contagieuse. Tout le travail de sampling sur cet album est phénoménal.

Paul’s Boutique is like being invited to a crazy house party by three charismatic hip hop kids whose record collection is impeccable. The choice, range and quality of samples is impeccable and elevates the art-form - something new from something old, respectful of the past making something for the future. The infectious energy of the rap rhymes, the back and forth and swapping verses, the messing with the beats - all a joy, all fun, often missing from Hip Hop. Beastie Boys fair spun the formula around from Licensed to Ill, dropping the rock samples for jazz, disco, soul and funk, alienating early fans, selling badly at the time but becoming a classic. Endlessly listenable, always fresh, brilliant from start to finish.

Shook my rump-a.

something's fishy in this bouillabaisse

Have I had licensed to ill here yet? I can't remember. But this doesn't have its charm. It's kinda a hard listen. Some of it is fun but the constant YELLING gets a bit much. Still, HEY LADIEEEEEESSSSS!! 3/5.

Egg man

While I respect the Beastie Boys, this was too much of the same throughout, so that was quite the disappointment. I couldn't tell the tracks apart if I had to. But rap/hip hop is one of my least favourite genres anyway, so I might be biased. Still, 2/5.

This album has such great sampling and rhymes. The Beastie Boys make such unique and fun music. Super solid album, it has me listening to more of their catalog today after going through this one. Standout Tracks: Shake Your Rump, Egg Man, The Sounds of Science, Hey Ladies, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun, Car Thief, Shadrach

Justo lo estuve escuchando el fin de semana. Lo curioso es que si te guías por la obviedad de los grandes éxitos radiales de los BB, te llevarás una gran decepción al escuchar este disco, porque no hay ninguno. y sin embargo, es un tremendo disco. Requiere paciencia, especialmente si lo único que has escuchado de ellos es Sabotage, pero esa paciencia será bien recompensada con un disco de melodías y ritmos complejos.

This is a fantastic album by the Beastie Boys; their second studio album. This album didn't get the praise that License to Ill did, but it is just as fantastic. Beastie Boys are a hip hop group from New York. This music, at the time, was trend setting because the Boys mixed rock and hip hop seamlessly. This album is full of samples from various different artists, and the way they blend it into their beats, and make it their own, many of them pass by and you don't even notice the sample. The lyrics are amusing by times, a few noteworthy phrases include: From the song 3-Minute Rule: "I was making records while you were sucking your mother's dick" From the song What Comes Around: "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair, so I can climb up and get into your underwear" Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Excellent beats, great rhymes. Will definately listen again!! Favourite songs: Egg Man, Hey Ladies, Shake Your Rump, Johnny Ryall, 3-Minute Rule, High Plains Drifter, What Comes Around, Shadrach Least favourite songs: Car Thief, To All The Girls, The Sounds of Science 4/5

10/10 haven’t heard any of the Beastie Boys later stuff but their first two albums are bangin 🔥

Not bad. Hello Nasty is better.

This is good and I can understand why it's considered so important and influential. And Hey Ladies is a proper banger.

The Boys' flow is the love-it-or-hate-it piece. Rapping, the group is simultaneously grating and conventional. The words are right there on the surface, though, and there's a lot of good. The beats, on the other hand, are excellent. Pistol and tape deck are ambiguated, music building toward violence before taking a well-deserved left turn for B-Boy Bouillabaisse.

Oh goody. The shouty boys are back. I'm going to listen to this while doing the dishes which is a problem because I can't press skip while wearing gloves. Maybe they'll surprise me. For one song they did. Cool and mellow. They did get shouty but there was a lot of variety and a lot of humour. Schoolboy humour, but I enjoyed it.

Party hard for now guys

I used to love the Beastie Boys. And this album has a uniqueness that came partly from the time it was made - another where the sample clearance would just be too much work to even attempt now. There are some fun tunes here, but having seen the recent Apple TV-funded ‘TEDTalk’, Beastie Boys Story, it all feels a bit more contrived than it seemed at the time. And a lot of the credit surely has to go to the Dust Brothers? Long story short: I used to think this was great album, but it’s become a little tainted by hindsight.

Another album that passed me by. I think I was put off by all those knock off Parka coats with Paul's Boutique plastered along the tail. No album should be a fashion accessory. I understand the great production and decent use of samples. But I still feel that the Beasties are shouting at me. It's not the best music to listen to alone in isolation on a Monday morning. I bet it makes much more sense in a club with a bunch of mates. But I think I'm past those days now.

I'd forgotten that beastie boys is a lot of rap, which was interesting. The length of the album was also longer than expected. Didn't listen very closely so don't think too much of my rating.

great samples, 10/10, no skips

4.5

Não percebi a presença de camadas de rock que tinha no outro deles.

Not feeling this one, a bit shouty

Couple of good ones

Listened to this in high school.

Didn’t listen to all of it

A collage of sound

egg man - banger sounds of science - extremely goofy looking down the barrel of the gun - yes sampling's really good, but album on it's own is a bit overwhelming. maybe it'll grow on me over time, but so far i'm indifferent towards it

Get’s better everytime i hear it.

Kuullostaa aika puhtaalta, ei kyllä herätä mielenkiintoa kovinkaan paljon itsellä ainakaan... annetaampa sitten vaikutusvaltaiselle ja klassikko teokselle "hiphopin Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band" albumille se hyljeksivä kaksi tähteä.. ei voi mitään..

Samples were top notch, like arguably one of the best out there, vocals really detract from the product.

That opening Rhodes tone with that bass, killer. Give me an album of that. This album is kinda the height of that 80s sample-based hip hop, and it’s fantastically produced—great use of soundstage. the lyrics of the beastie boys are not great, both inscrutable and simplistic. a bit juvenile as well. Id like to see a post-superstar beastie boys when their artistry remains but their pomp wanes a bit. A year and a day slaps If it was just the bboy tracks it would definitely be getting a 4 and I will round up to a 4 but it’s more like a 3.6

this album is pretty symbolic of my general feelings about the beastie boys — excellent production and technical skills, ruined by bad flows and lyrics. rating it a 3, and i think that’s about as high as i could go on a beastie boys album.

No tengo ni idea del género pero me parecieron insoportables

not a fan

Love the Beastie Boys and am ashamed I have never listened to this straight through. I suppose I prefer listening to singular songs as opposed to albums when it comes to them. Still enjoyed this thoroughly.

A really fun album, with really witty lyrics and it has some of my favourites songs from the Beasties.

The Beastie Boys’ masterpiece, and really one of the rap greats. I hadn’t realized before I read up on it the degree to which it was a Dust Brothers collaboration.

Beastie Boysin tyyli ei vaan oikeen toimi mulle. Ekalla kuuntelulla kaikki biisit kuulosti ihan samalta mut tokalla kuuntelulla alko jo huomaamaan hauskoja ja ihan siistejä juttuja eri biiteissä. Tuotannolle iso plussa mut tää räppityyli kuluu aika nopeesti mun korvissa. Paras biisi: Shake your rump tai Egg Man Huonoin biisi: 3-minute rule

i cannot stand this album

Decent album, but not their best by a long way.

What a classic! Amazes me how many samples are harmonized from start to finish. Something new to catch your ear every listen! Love it.

This is weird timing. I listened to this one just a few days ago. Great album, but not my favorite Beastie Boys record.

Meh. It's not bad, I just don't like it that much. It also kind of all sounds the same.

Solid Beasties album. Album I dug a lot during my teens, but doesn't hit the same now. Nonetheless, sound of science never gets boring.

Phenomanal sampling / beat making . Not fond of the grating shouting/yelling rap that also sounds recorded poorly. It's an ear ache and a disservice to the other work. Lyrically good with some strange moments. I think I prefer Ill Communication but this hits 3/5 as well.

Obviously, one of the best hiphop albums ever made.

A bit too much shouting going on there.

It's just tiring to listen to.

A cool One

This record is so refreshing, I really like the old 80s hiphop sound, definitely has some bangers, it amazes me that there's a great white rapper before Eminem lol.

It’s fine, they unfortunately paved the way for Macklemore

So bad, Beastie Boys are so overrated. Every song sounds the same

very good, enjoyed it.

I am not a fan of rap, and this album did not change my mind. There were a few songs with interesting rhythms and sounds, but many of the content themes and lyrics I found distasteful.

Love the beastie boys!! I didn’t really get the chance to listen to this album, but I’ve heard a couple songs from it and love it! This will be a rating of the beastie boys overall. My rating: 7/10

Great stuff in this album. Beatles riff in the sounds of science. Nicely used. I give it...a 6 out of 9

4/5 Classic stuff, I had never heard this entire album but I liked it.

Beastie boys

Old-school Hiphop aus den USA. Gute Instrumentals, aus heutiger Zeit gesehen aber simple Lyrics. Damals mit viel shock value versehen.

4 stars, never listened to the b boys before - fun East coast sound. Great sampling.

Better than I thought, still Beastie Boys

Classic

awesome

Ça s’écoute bien. J’aime les beats. Mais ça me laisse plutôt indifférente.

I loved the sampling used, their voices were overbearing as fuck though.

Heard before but properly for the first time. Damn you couldn’t make this these days. That Sgt Pepper sample! A shit ton of fun. Proud to be a semi-obnoxious NYer music. Weirdly Stuy

There were a lot of tracks I like off of this. Some really neat sounds and definitely need to revisit. At the same time, there were some kind annoying sections as well that I don't want to hear again. Could get very 'winy.' Certainly a classic. I thinking a light 6 personally.

Oldscool Hip Hop, ganz interessant

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique Only heard very little from them before this. - To All the Girls – Short opener with smooth beats. - Shake Your Rump – Aggressive rapping that isn’t something I enjoy. Often described as “frat hip hop”, which I think is accurate. Bass is pretty crazy though. The lyrics though are not appealing to me at all. - Johnny Ryall – Beat sounds really similar to the previous track. The eponymous Johnny Ryall is a homeless man who drinks instead of doing crack and used to be a rockabilly star. I really hate the interplay of their voices on this one. - Egg Man – I like the precussion opening this one. But I don’t like their voices still. It’s a song about throwing eggs at people. It’s dumb and juvenile. - High Plains Drifter – Ugh. - The Sounds of Science – Not good. - 3-minute Rule – Nice bass and rhythm on this one. The lyrics are still dumb and their voices are annoying. - Hey Ladies – Beat is really nice on this one, but I don’t like the constant changes, and most of the song is still annoying. - 5-Piece Chicken Dinner – What the hell? Is this mocking southerners? Is it just being weird? Is it being racist? I generally have no idea what it is. - Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun – From crappy hip-hop to heavy industrial crappy hip-hop. Their voices are still awful. It’s different, but it’s still bad. - Car Thief – Intro is interesting and actually sounds good. Then their voices come in and they sound awful again. - What Comes Around – Part of it has a smooth that is totally wasted in this terrible song. - Shadrach – It’s an absolutely terrible pseudo reference to a Biblical story. - Ask for Janice – Ending track that adds no value. I’m going to try to find something good to say despite my initial reflexive utter distaste for basically every song. They have some nice beats. The bass occasionally is great. Much of what they do is unique and offbeat. That’s the positives. The negatives are dang near everything else. Their voices are incredibly annoying, both in sound and in attitude. The lyrics are incredibly juvenile, and the “clever” parts are often just a bunch of pop-culture references thrown out at lightning speed without any sort of connection or actual meaning to them. Almost every song is straight obnoxious. I understand this was influential, and apparently it was innovative, but I can’t imagine ever wanting to listen to anything on this again. If it influenced actual good hip-hop, then great, I’ll just listen to them. I usually do a “top tracks” section in my reviews, but there isn’t a single one I’d want to hear again.

The best masterclass of sampling

not for me : /

Not my favorite Beastie Boys album, but still pretty darn good. The sampling on this album is bananas.

Heel cool om weer te horen!

Cool hor!

Dit heb ik heel veel geluisterd, en nog steeds vind ik het een geweldige plaat. Goeie samples, slimme teksten, lekkere mix tussen hip-hop en rock. Ik ga 'm dalijk nog een keer draaien!

This album was perfect. Something I will listen to over and over. I never really dove into the Beastie Boys in the past but this one got me sucked in!

A landmark hip-hop album whose cost to reproduce today would be astronomical due to the amounts of samples. I didn’t really care for it too much as a kid which just further iterates the point that kids are dumb.

A classic.

When I first bought this CD when it came out I was a huge fan of their first Album. This one was so different. It was nothing like License To Ill, and I was extremely disappointed. So, I went years without ever listening to it again. A few years back, I became interested in the Beastie Boys again and started listening to more of their past albums. Now, when ai hear this one, I think it is amazing. No, it isn’t like License to Ill, and that is a good think. This album is much more complex and imaginative that the simple rhymes and beats in their debut. 4/5.

Another classic.

Epic.

Sonic hiphopi sound, better than the one before.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Egg man, Shaldrach

Not my type of music

Cool

Not my usual gente but Made me want to dance all day! 4/5, 8/10 to me

Solid showing from the Beastie Boys, this album is pretty much pure hip-hop through and through. They avoid some of the more bombastic ideas that come up in their later songs and stick to having a solid flow, seamlessly having the three MCs jump in and out through the lyrics and it feels much more like some guys freestyling on the streets of NYC.

Fizzing with invention, humour and wild feats of imagination. It's got tunes, phat beats and I can bug out to it.

Ok

Nothing but energy.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Shake Your Rump (2) 2 - Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun (10) 3 - Shadrach (13)

My favourite album by my favourite group. Do not expect objectivity from me.

Beastie Boys still aren't my favorite but this album has grown on me some

Legends

Fave tracks: The Sounds of Science, Hey Ladies, Stop that Train Beastie Boys dissonant harmonies always bothered me but I couldn't help bobbing my head throughout. 1989- WOW! Fun surprises and sounds throughout

As E said, "Fun surprises and sounds throughout." I cant put it much better than that. I was 7 when this came out and I dont think I even heard a Beasties song until I was in high school. What a career they had! Egg Man is my fav WTF song. High Plains Drifter was not my jam. Hey Ladies is the obvious stand out...shit kicks!

Humpty Dumpty was a big fat egg. Shouty. Funky. Samples.

me and the beastie boys have not gotten along in the past because they just annoy me. maybe i just hate no sleep till brooklyn, just the yelling annoys me. it's been okay so far, tolerable. maybe it's their high pitched voices, it's whiny. their use of samples and different sounds is interesting. i do like how playful they are and have fun with the tracks. i didn't hate it as much as i thought i would. 3

Much better album than the last one on here. It still is there signature shout rap, but the beats were more solid and lyrics flowed a lot better.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think I like this better than License to Ill. Maybe that's just because the former is so familiar and the latter is much less so. But, in many ways, it's better. Not as "raw" as LtI, but thoughtfully-produced I would say. They show some more range on this one.

Having previously had license to III I wasn’t expecting much from this. But this is much better, the sampling clearly set a high bar for future hip hop records.

HELLLO BROOKLYNNN!! Upon waking, I was delighted that Paul’s Boutique was my selection for the day. It’s not my favorite Beastie Boys album (Check Your Head), but I knew it would keep my morning good mood flowing. It’s impossible to listen to the B-Boys and be in a crappy headspace. The mix of the boys from Brooklyn and The Dust Brothers heralded this audio masterpiece that’s just so much damn fun. I have so many great memories of amazing times that involved this record. My top tracks: *Shake Your Rump *High Plains Drifter *Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun *Car Thief *Shadrach

Ha estat molt elogiat durant molts anys, per mi sense gaire raó. La profussió de samples i la técnica del trio es admirable, però comparat amb la major part de la resta de la seva discografia, no deixa de ser quelcom semblant a una fugida cap endavant, sense gaire inspiració. Encallats entre l'éxit inesperat de 'Licensed to Ill' i encara sense la màgia que hauria de venir amb 'Check Your Head' i 'Ill Communication', el poti poti de samples i rapejats no impressiona gaire

Hey laaaaaaaadiessss! GREAT album!

One of my all-time favorites.

Some good songs, some meh songs. "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" especially was just a massive waste of time. "Looking Down The Barrel Of a Gun" was probably my favorite song, although it was really scary hearing these white boys rhyming with the words "bigger" and "trigger". Second half of that science song had some cool energy as well.

The Bestie Boys have a penchant for putting together some of the best beats and samples. Their rapping style features a fairly simple flow, but their combative back and forth delivery has become a signature of the genre. Paul's Boutique features a more mature sound than Licensed to Ill and despite its 53 minute length, flows so well that it never becomes unwelcome. This is understandably incredibly critically acclaimed and is one of the greatest hip hop records of all time.

Outstanding!

Beastie Boys don't usually do it for me, but this was good. Great production, couple standout tracks.

Interesting use of music clips from other artists.

Þið skiljið ekki hvað mér finnst Beastie Boys skemmtilegir. Geggjuð plata.

So much better than Licensed To Ill, a real breakthrough album.

Great funky samples. Still a bit too shouty and unrefined. A touch disjointed, but at least it’s not gangsta rap!

I get why people adore the Beastie Boys. I get the cultural significance. It's not always for me but it's good.

So much better as an album that the previous Beastie Boys one we had, fits together much better and it's much more consistently good throughout the album. I do find them hard work to listen to for more than a couple of tracks at a time though. I think this is the high end of a 3 from me - a couple of good songs (Shake Your Rump and Johnny Ryall my favourites), but I just don't like their style enough to rate it higher than that.

Sick beats and sick flows. Fire album tbh. Fav songs are Shake Your Rump, Egg Man, High Plains Drifter, and Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun.

Really fun album. Love the Dust Bros production...very similar to one of my all time favorites Odelay. Part of me wonders what the Beastie Boys trajectory would have been if they would have made subsequent albums with this duo. 4.5/5

hated it. honestly one of the worst albums i've ever listened to. some cool samples, but this was like nails on a chalkboard to me

besta b-boys platan imo

Hyperactive and obnoxious, the Beastie Boys can't rap or focus on anything for more than 30 seconds. While I know the hits, none of them are present on Paul's Boutique and I fail to see why this album is highly fêted.

I did not like this. i had to stop it in the middle. i understand the appeal, but absolutely not for me

One of those ones I had to keep coming back to make an opinion. Throughout three listens I wasn't sure if I found it annoying or awesome. Guess it really depends on the mood. I like the transitions on most of these songs, kind of blends together like a prog album. I also appreciate despite using so many famous songs for the beats, you can hardly determine specific songs for the most part. So for respect, its pretty high up there.

Album blows my mind every time time I listen to it. There will never be an album like this again, the Sgt Pepper of the 80's.

Now this shit’s genius. And it was a welcome relief after the License to Ill which I absolutely hated. I remember my buddy saying I had to give Paul’s Boutique a chance back in the day, and was immediately into it. The samples are fantastic and unexpected, it’s fun and funny, and has a timeless groove to it. Probably my favorite Beastie Boys record.

Layers on Layers of samples. All pre-court case where it didn't bankrupt them to do so. A big change from the Licensed to Ill and not as approachable on the first listen. It's definitely an album I've enjoyed more on each listen. BTW if you are interested in the Beastie Boys at all, their book is great and the audio book version is even better.

I have heard for years how amazing, groundbreaking, influential, and brilliant this album is. And .... I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm not really a fan of music made up of samples, and that's what this is. It's fine, and I get why it's on the list, but I have no desire to listen to it again.

Ik ben duidelijk meer fan van hun albums met instrumenten, dan samples. Dit klonk al snel veel van hetzelfde

Le he dado una oportunidad pero no me va

4/5. Very neat sampling all over it. The boys have good chem too. Pretty fun

I don't own many Beastie Boys albums on vinyl, but this one sits on my shelf, and is a must - massive tracks like Hey Ladies, and Shake Your Rump are ubiquitous and rightly so. This is guaranteed to get you dusting off your best funky chicken moves - lots of groovy samples threaded throughout. Far less 'angsty' than their earlier work. Anyone who can thread the word 'mortgage' into three syllables earns their place as lyricist extraordinaire! This is arguably their best album

Offerings from Beastie Boys are consistent, their sound unique, and they are remarkably groovy. Beastie Boys as a rap artist is not always the easiest to reconcile and this album is no exception because of how different it is from hiphop. "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun" is a gritty, prescient 'djent' song with a more subdued hype than "Sabotage". This album is a testament to their ability to evolve and yet keep their soul.

It's just random yelling over shitty beats.

This one was leagues better than the other two Beastie Boys albums we had the misfortune to listen to. Now, leagues better means 2 stars instead of 1 in this case. But I actually listened to the full album while only skipping half of 2-3 songs. That's a really massive improvement over the other two B-Boys albums!

I liked a few songs but didn't love them. The rest fell flat.

All-time classic

Suburban hip-hop is the best way to explain what I just listened to. It was chaotic and had a similar feel to Run DMC. I enjoyed it!

I imagined this album to be the transition from Licence to I'll to Check Your Head. Truth is, it is way more Ill than I remembered. Fun, but not quite the brilliance of the next release.

Some classic rap here. I'm bumping it up a star for the Beatles sample and the Bob Dylan reference.

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop 4/5 A true Hip Hop album unlike any other, Paul's Boutique is an exercise in sampling that takes the tactic to the extreme. The only sounds heard throughout the album are sampled from previous materials, whether it be the drums, keys, vocal samples, it's all done by The Dust Brothers, who'd later gain fame as the guys who wrote the score to Fight Club. Each beat provides an intense listening experience when coupled with the Beastie Boys unique rapping style, filled with one-liners and pop culture references as far as the eye can see. It's an experiment that was worthy of being done, and it pays off big time. The true stars are the Beastie Boys: Mike D, MCA, and Ad Rock. Their lyrics, while not as poignant as their conscious counterparts of the day, do have a political tinge to them. Anti-government and anti-corporate views mingle with one-liners about not wanting to be the creepy guy at the party and other social circumstances. It's all done with impeccable timing and flow, and the rhymes are enhanced with the occasional vocal sample punchline to end a verse. With samples from The Beatles to Johnny Cash to everyone in between, this project is a real treat to listen to. It sounds old school, but it does still have a genuine freshness to it, which is a testament to its individuality. The 12-minute/9-part epic, B-Boy Bouillabaisse, that ends the album is something that doesn't get enough credit for how well executed it is. Shake Your Rump, Car Thief, and The Sounds of Science are some of the best in the Beastie Boys discography, but their big hits and early success unfortunately drown out what I think is their best work. Really good shit, and an album that should titillate any music fan's tastes.

Since I'm going through the albums I've missed backwards I haven't listened to License To Ill yet and Hello Nasty is the album I'm most familiar with. I didn't mind this album, the boys have a certain charm. But it's not really something that'll get regular play. Fave: Shake Your Rump

If there was an instrumental version of this album, I'd probably love it. It looks like you can find some of the instrumentals on Youtube. They're great. The Dust Brothers do not disappoint.

Un classique. La construction des chansons avec tous ces samplings est stupéfiante.

Barn storming lesson in sampling. This is some album.

legal, divertido, vibin

Super cool, with a huge number of samples used (over 100 songs sampled apparently), Paul’s Boutique is incredibly dense both musically and lyrically. And while it can sound somewhat muddled at times due to the sheer amount going on in the mix on any given song at any given time, it’s huge fun overall.

Hip-hop. Me ha aburrido un tanto. Un 2.

Hip hop rock jazz funk. Te hace mover la cabeza. Este album de ellos no me ha aburrido al final como "Ill Communication". Así que 4.

Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys (1989) I listened carefully to this album from start to finish, and I read through about half the lyrics, and I tried to discern all the one hundred eleven credited samples. It sure seems like these guys are having a good time. The sampling is intricate and wide ranging, with more than a few snippets that are recognizable from other popular recorded music (from Led Zeppelin to Johnny Cash), sometimes entertaining, sometimes distracting, always worth researching. All this is laid down over heavy but un-evolving beats and musical grooves, providing background to the dominant yelling of the three male ‘vocalists’. If it’s not high art, it’s certainly a well developed craft. For those who are in on their party scene, I suppose it’s good fun. But for those like me who aren’t part of that scene, it rather evokes a regret that we weren’t invited. 2/5

fuckin belter. classic.

Better than Ill Communication, but not by much...

J'aime bien le mix des beasties boys de sortir des chansons rap avec du rock/funk etc. Ca c'était pas fait beaucoup à l,époque et ca reste très actuel. Cependant, le flow sur certaines chansons laisse à désirer et est limite répétitif. Quand même un super album. 4

2/5 nope

A masterclass in hip hop and sampling

Had "License to Ill" only a few days ago, and the contrast is pretty stark. The production is so much more mature here, even if the lyrics very much aren't, which is I guess part of the Beasties' charm, heh. Fave track - "High Plains Drifter", I reckon, or maybe "Shadrach"

IF I WERE TO WRITE A FULL REVIEW IN ALL CAPS, AT FIRST IT MIGHT CATCH YOUR EYE AS YOU SCROLL THROUGH THE LIST. IT'S A COOL EFFECT, ATTENTION-GRABBING, IMPOSING. BUT THEN AFTER A FEW SENTENCES, IT QUICKLY BECOMES TIRESOME. LIKE I'M SHOUTING AT YOU. THAT'S A BIT WHAT LISTENING TO THE BEASTIE BOYS' VOCALS FEELS LIKE. THEY QUICKLY BECOME REPETITIVE AND IRRITATING, WITH LITTLE NUANCE OR DYNAMIC RANGE. IT'S A GOOD JOB, THEN, THAT "PAUL'S BOUTIQUE" HAS SO MUCH GOING ON BEYOND THAT. THERE'S SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE USE OF SAMPLING GOING ON HERE, WITH THE WHOLE BAND SEEMINGLY MINING THEIR PARENT'S RECORD COLLECTIONS FOR INSPIRATION AND COLLAGING IT ALL TOGETHER. IT'S POSSIBLY THE ONLY HIP-HOP BOOMERS COULD ENJOY, BECAUSE THE BEATLES, ZEPPELIN, HENDRIX AND FLOYD ALL MAKE BRIEF APPEARANCES. "EGG-MAN", "THE SOUNDS OF SCIENCE" AND "HEY LADIES" ARE THE BEST TRACKS IN THIS REGARD, WITH WELL ACCOMPLISHED SAMPLING AND A TRULY DANCEABLE ENERGY. HOWEVER, THE SUITE AT THE END FEELS DISJOINTED AND ROUGH, LIKE IT WAS COBBLED TOGETHER FROM SOME OUTTAKES. OVERALL, I ENJOYED HEARING SUCH A LANDMARK ALBUM IN HIP-HOP. BUT JUST LIKE THESE ALL-CAPS, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH OF IT I COULD TAKE. A little more chopping down and experimenting with different flows and delivery would have done wonders.

I like the Beastie Boys, but I think only in small doses (though I do love Licensed to Ill). This is just too chaotic, quickly switching between awesome and annoying, often within the same song.

I think...I think I might hate the Beastie Boys. Well...I hate their music. Which actually is pretty upsetting for me, because they all seem like pretty good dudes, and I wish I liked their stuff.

I know they were certainly very impactful on the scene and I’m a fan of some beastie boys songs. This started off ok, but it seemed like a lot of the same, with a lot of shouting.

Wow, that was way more irritating than I thought it would be.

What garbage nonsense is this? Just bad, bad.

weak 3, good overall but the beats can wear you down a bit

Had some nice songs, but not the beasties best. Egg man is so good tho 6/10

Not my favorite Beastie Boys album. I would rather listen to one of the others.

Very similar to the beatles - car thief and shadrach were alright

Not the greatest album I’ve ever heard by far, but a fun listen none the less. This album definitely shows artistic growth since the Boys first album. The production and use of samples are top notch, and the funny, tongue in cheek lyrics make up for the fact that they can still be a little elementary at times. Overall a good, classic hip hop album.

Was a good listen but not the revelations promised quite.

For a teen girl in England Beastie Boys were just mindblowing. This album still holds up today, it doesn't sound at all dated. There is such innovation running through every track. Wonderful.

Great bench mark album, As this is where the style and sound progress from the snotty teen anthems of their first album! It's transition album from Licence To Ill to Check Your Head, Stand out tracks would be Looking down a barrel of a gun and Shake your rump.

Somebody greatly overestimated how long I'd like to hear a bunch of white kids shout brags at me.

I had never listened to a whole album of theirs before. I enjoyed it quite a bit

I loved this album, every time I felt like it was getting a little stale, they brought a completely new idea out of nowhere. I loved looking at all the different samples. Favorite tracks: Egg Man, The Sounds of Science, Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun, and Hello Brooklyn

Best beastie boys record. The sampling and production are insane

I understand this album truly was groundbreaking and is loved by many, but I simply can't stand the genre. Too much seemingly random noise and samples. I didn't enjoy this one...

Yea no but like I get why people like it

I was never really into the Beasties back then but listening back now this is really pretty good - fresh, powerful and full of glee!

Excellent. Good samples

Still sounds pretty new and fresh!

Musically decent but their vocal style really grates after a while.

This collaboration between the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers is a legendary achievement. I highly recommend the 33 1/3 book about the making of this record. I also recommend you check out a playlist or Youtube video that breaks down all the samples. Best track: Shake Your Rump

Honestly, don’t know if I can get through this one. Beastie Boys have never really been my thing, or my dad’s (I feel like it’s dad music). I never listened to them growing up, so they don’t elicit any feelings of nostalgia, which I think is the only way I would appreciate this album.

One of my favourite albums - good fun to work my way through the list of samples in the wikipedia article

Not a Beastie Boys fan. Not my style at all. But I tried to listen with an open mind and did find my foot tapping to a few songs. Notably "The Sounds of Science", "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun", "Car Thief". Will I listen again? Not a chance. But I can see the attraction. Not nearly as bad as I expected. C-

This record’s a lot of fun. Has some weaker tracks but much more even overall than Ill Communication

Kinda corny and annoying

Similar to Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys vocals just get grating after a while. The production and sampling on this is great though, which is what prevented me from turning it off halfway through.

This is the second album from the hip-hop group Beastie Boys, and it's regarded as their breakthrough album, even though it sold less than their debut album. The music on this album is hip-hop, but the songs are made up of a lot of samples and instrumental tracks - just like their debut album - but this time the sampling was done by the duo Dust Brothers - which are famous for sampling songs (and who also have their own album on this 1000's list). The Dust Brothers worked with the Beastie Boys on this album by providing club tracks and sampling an insane amount of songs; an amount that wouldn't be financially possible today. 105 total songs had samples taken from them. This album slowly gained sales after release and was not as initially successful as the group's debut album - "License to Ill". However, this album is now certified double platinum. Critics praised the production of the sample-heavy tracks and the amazing rhymes over top of them. This album is a hip-hop masterpiece! The flow of each song and the expertly produced sample beats deserve great praise from every listener. This album has definitely had a lasting effect on the hip-hop genre, although the amount of samples can probably never be attempted again. The last track is a 12 minute epic journey that will have you hanging onto every rhyme and change-up in beat. I recommend everyone to give this classic album a listen!

Важная веха в звучании всех 90-ых. Зачаток рэпкора и ряда смежных жанров. Стоит послушать, чтобы получить понимание эпохи.

Old school hip hop classic. Love the REAL instruments and soul samples….and Car Thief!

this one was big in my childhood. at least upbeat

Shit yes. Can't give enough stars

Same old Beastie Boys rapping, but the music is softer as they abandon their famous samples of electric guitar power chords. Not bad but loses the edge they had on License.

Not as bad or aggressive as their previous album but this is still far beyond anything I would enjoy as music

Not bad

So fun. Gotta listen when I can payment attention to the samples.

I’ve heard about this album for years and years, but hadn’t listened until today. Now I get the hype - one of the best rap albums out there (but I really haven’t heard that many). Good rappin’, rhymin, beats and attitude. On the fence between four and five stars.

Fine beastie boys. Probably a 3 in actuality to me, but this doesn't feel super different from the other 2 Beastie Boys albums on this list already? That might be my genre-ignorance showing, but it's how I feel. Rating a low 2.5 purely because I feel like this sound is already featured on the list through the two other beastie boys albums.

completamente estarrecido com o que acabei de ouvir

Just enjoy listening to some Beastie Boys

Amazing beats, but the rapping wasn’t really my cup of tea. The sampling was outstanding and the beats super enjoyable 4/5 - Maybe a bit too much shouting, but man the production is pretty incredible

Прикольные чуваки, видно что панки Второй трек альбома звучит ново, я даже не ожидал. Если хочется почувствовать себя молодым панком - это подходящий альбом

Fresh prince of Bel air. Gabriel o pensador anos 90. parece legal, mas tem que ouvir entendendo as letras e o contexto. muito trampo pra curtir.

Perfection.

This is the second Beastie Boys' album on this list. The first was Ill Communication. This a better album than that album. The album has a lot of sampling and the lyrics are good.

4,5! masterpiece, original sound, very influential, beastie boys are the real pioneers, awesome production, og oldschool sound, massive number of samples

Очень энергичный. Не ожидал, что так понравится

não é o que eu ouvIrIa usualmente mas é legal e é de 89 ;)

This follow up to Ill Communication was considered a flop when the Beasties moved from their party-boy anthems to well written verses with good sampling and actually playing their instruments. It didn't take long for this to become and underground hit and now rivals Ill Communication as their best - I do give Paul's Boutique the edge over the prior. 4/5.

Not mad on Beastie boys style. Couldn't listen to this.

It's definitely better than "License To Ill" so there's that. The beats aren't built, though. They're wholesale ripped off and, while that was a thing, it's still kinda crappy. The lyrics, while dated, are almost entirely better and more mature than their freshman effort, though. Not hard considering how young they were when "License to Ill" was released. Overall, it's a fun record and worth the time.

Sick

Good Stuff!

3+

Comedy Rap. Not interested.

Loved the samples.

Some beats fat enough to base obesity on, but vocals a bit grating and repetitive over the length of an album

Superb sampling.

I liked the other one better but fun to have another Beastie Boys.

I understand why this is sampled so frequently.

Hip hop

Energetic and fun, absolutely classic breakthrough album

The production and samples used are off the charts. A classic for a reason.

I don't have many regrets as far as choices I've made for my music collection (LPs, CDs, tapes etc.). One regret I do have is trading my Beastie Boys cassette of Paul's Boutique for a Mick Jagger (?) CD. What was I thinking?! At the time, I wasn't a fan of rap (still not really a fan), but what I was missing out was an important piece of music from the still relevant BB's that many consider an essential listen. This is the first time I listened all the way through and it was very enjoyable. Some of my music tastes have changed, (or evolved?) and I'm more open now to more styles of music. Thankfully with music streaming sites I don't have to re-buy the tape for another listen.

Fantástic

Muito diferente do que eu costumo ouvir. Gostei de Johnny Ryall. O restante talvez eu precise de mais costume.

YAS LOVE

Sounds like the resting state of my ADHD brain

okay very samey was ready to stop listening liked the chill first song

This geta similar very quickly. It's someway before their golden era.

9/10 Very amazing. incredible beats and rhymes

Outstanding album. I have never fully listened to this one before, and even the songs I wasn't fully familiar with were complete party anthems. What a classic!

Groundbreaking. Love it!

Prehistoric. Not one of my favorites.

Never was a huge fan of the beastie boys

Definitely a classic. I generally like the beastie boys.

Unexpected fun. Love the white boy false bravado. Only a couple of steps removed from rappin' grannies.

Not for me. having heard Ill Communication back in the day, and hating it, I'll always been told that subsequently they evolved into a serious, more mature and credible act, but hadn't heard anything by them. Just listened to this, better produced yes, but still shouty white boy rap.

My most-listened to hip hop album of 2021. I love everything about it. The samples are insanely good. They just kept slapping sample after sample and incorporating them ridiculously well. The lyrics are silly, catchy, and exciting. All the songs are solid. There's a crap ton of diversity in these tracks. One ends and the next is a completely different experience but just as intriguing. Not to mention each track is only a few minutes long... meaning each song gets its shine to appreciate before moving on to the next masterpiece. This is one album I need to listen to from start to finish. One time I heard "Hey Ladies" playing in a music store and I just had to pause. Love the cowbells and the screams so much, without a doubt my favorite pick. If I'm looking for fun hip hop, Beastie Boys is always my first And this album, in particular, engages me every minute. There are segments that I can rock, funk, groove, or dance to. There are parts that always impress me. It's hard for me to dislike much about it.

Kuulosti ihan Beastie Boysilta. Ei minun mielestä hittejä, mutta ei hutejakaan. Peruskolmonen

This had a lot to live up to after hearing "Ill Communication" the other day and I have to say, it didn't quite get there. The beats were impressive but I think I prefer the actual instrumentation on IC. Still, this was a very good listen.

The first album is better

Great Album. Nothing to dowith the first one. Superfly, Jaws, psico, are only a few samples used in this record. Great sound

meh

JOHNNY RYALL!

like the 4th(?) rap album I've listened to in my life but aye it's good, it's fun. More of this, less of Metallica please

Oh yeah, this was wayyyy more up my alley than previous entries. I was jamming out to this shit! I was actually sad when it ended, wanted it to keep going. I'll be the first to admit that Beastie Boys can be corny as all heck, but I really just do not care because it's hella enjoyable. Love their delivery & energy, and I was really enjoying the beats.

The excellent splicing of samples makes this a glorious listen. Favorites: "Shake Your Rump", "The Sounds Of Science", "Hey Ladies", "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun"

I suffered through it. I tried to see what people like about this. The rhythm, the rhymes. But for me, the voices are annoying, the topics are not interesting, and half the time I was trying to decipher what they actually meant by this phrase or that--usually unproductively, sometimes with regret.

What a banger - so many excellent samples from before when it was too expensive. Loved it

Not bad but I think there are better BB albums

Decent album by beastie boys. Not really an album of hits, but more filled with fresher beats and styles that weren’t done yet. Beastie boys were just ahead and this album showed that. 6.7/10

Good album, interesting samples.

Such music cannot be in must hear list...

I don't personally care for the Beastie Boys but this album was fun and the production was superb.

Production is crazy and I have no idea how they paid for some of these samples (The Beatles!?). Rap wise you know what you’re going to get

Good album

fine

Shouty shouty music. Yeh I get the anger and melody and appreciate it, but won't appreciate again. Would have been right at the right time and place (20 years ago)

LOVE THE BEASTIES! Already high on list of albums I listen to so although was gonna try and be objective it's getting a 5

This is another album that I've always intended to listen to, based on it's reviews, but never quite managed to sit down with. The samples are transcendent, even when paired by bizarre lyrics. Egg man is a great example of this: a song all about throwing eggs is paired with samples from Pusher Man and Psycho in a way that completely works. What's amazing about this album is how much you will recognize when you start to focus on the different sounds you hear. While I wish sometimes that their rapping was a bit more interesting, it's good enough, and it fits with a lot of the rap of the time. The samples, and their chemistry as a group, make this album work incredibly well. The fact that this was among the first hip-hop albums that could be considered as an album rather than a collection of individual songs packaged together adds to its significance (though I would give more credit to It Takes a Nation of Millions by Public Enemy on that front) 4/5

I like that this project makes you listen to music you wouldn't normally listen to. So I understand that this album is basically constructed from samples which is cool and quite clever. I like to that it's fun and would probably appreciate it at a house party or something of that ilk. I'm not really keen on rap, like don't get me wrong it's ok for a song or two. Would I choose to listen again? Probably not, sorry.

Enjoyable listen. This music was far too cool for me in 1989…

The best album the beasties boys and a gateway drug for us ol indie fellas into hip hop and electronica back in the day. The bass on this album is amazing and some of the crunchiest funniest ever. The lyrics absurd from egg man to the Bouille bass skits at the end. Barrel of a gun is a thumping rock track and joyride just glorious. I have listened to this album many times and it never gets old. 'Some static started in the pool hall, hit the motherfuckers face with the que ball!'

Awesome! Loved this, still do.

Yeah. Quite fun, but not my favourite Beastie Boys

Digging the beats, sampling and groove. But I'm kinda disappointed that the album wasn't called Lee's Sportswear.

Rating: 4/10

Started strong but sort of fizzled out?

It's a fun album. I've actually heard this one before. 5 piece chicken dinner is the best song on the album

Perhaps their best album, absolutely brilliant. 5 stars.

A perfect follow up to Licence to Ill. You can spend weeks tracing the origins of the samples on this album. This was the album that set the Beastie Boys on their path to alt-rap greatness

A marginally less annoying rip-off of the Anfield Rap. Needs more Grobbelaar. 1.5/5

Paul's Boutique is the second (and best) album of Beastie Boys. It is impressive what a step the guys made from Licensed to Ill to this album. The songwriting is still catchy, but the songs are so much more refined. No one dimensional hip hop rock tracks inspired by hip hop legends, but mature songwriters becoming legends themselves.

I recognise the Beastie Boys' originality. I'm well aware of them breaking new grounds in so many areas. But I just don't like their music