Reviews (page 4 of 14)
The Beasties debuted so confidently and fully formed. This album has everything they'd be known for - their sense of humor, hybrid of rock and hip-hop, etc. I love this album so much
Banger after banger
Took me a long time to appreciate these guys, but they (and this album) have really grown on me. One of the most important albums of my generation for sure.
This album is great. Dope samples, sick beats, awesome rapping. Funnily enough the famous tracks were the ones I liked the least.
Amazing album
Great debut from a very influential band.
Excelente
Really a classic with lots of hits. "Girls", "Brass Monkey", "No Sleep Til Brooklyn", and "Paul Revere". I'm not a gigantic fan of the Beastie Boys but can't deny how great this album is. 8/10.
ALI BABBA AND THE FORTY THIEVES ALI BABBA AND THE FORTY THIEVES sheeesh there's so many good sing-along moments on this record. I've heard this album a ton of times and I am only now realizing that "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" are consecutive tracks on an album. That's pretty amazing- both of these songs are so entrenched as legendary tracks that it only adds to their impressiveness that they are right after each other. "Brass Monkey" is such a fun upbeat song. I used to yell along to this song with my heavy metal friends. Same with "She's Crafty". There's many many things about these songs that make them great. You can really pull them apart into enjoyable layer after enjoyable layer. It's a perfect representation of good musicians doing their own thing and their own thing being gold. It's just so good. The beat / tempo change in "The New Style" around the 3 minute mark is serious mastery of expectations in music and how to misdirect a listener in the best way.
Wel there is only one Beastie Boys and this was the start. Loud, brash, funny and in your face it's suprisingly musical and well produced. What's not to like?
nice
Oh I know that I love this album. Yeah upon listening to it while on a stationary bike for 30 min, I still love this album.
Wow! What an album. 5 off the rip. Beastie and Rubin, GTFOH! T3B 1. No Sleep Till Brooklyn 2. Girls 3. Brass Monkey
Dope album
:))) ну скажите мне кто не слушал классику как всегда прекрасно даже если настроения нет
Solid
It's amazing how the Beastie Boys managed to encapsulate what being a horny young man is all about into a single album.
loved it, drive at the beginning of a verified storm its soo fun to listen like a hypeman for the oncoming shit storm
This album exudes tons of late adolescent male bravado, causing one's inner middle-aged schoolmarm to grimace disapprovingly from time to time. But I suppose that's its clear intention and charm. I sometimes amused myself imagining that it was Lenny and the Squigtones performing at the Pizza Bowl. It definitely seems very tongue-in-cheek sometimes. How could it not with callouts to Abe Vigoda and Phyllis Diller? (But I do kind of wish that "She's Crafty" were more about scrapbooking and macramé.) There is a near-perfect meld in here of hip hop and hard rock that others have tried without such catchy success. Not all the songs have a metal sound, but there is a metal attitude throughout that takes hip hop to a new place. This was a fun journey for the day.
I have enjoyed the musical stylings of Beastie Boys for a long time, but I was not very familiar with this album. As far as the sampling and production, I totally dig it. Many of the raps strike on the side of immature boys, but I reckon that is kind of who they were at the time of this release. I had lots of fun listening today!
Love this album 1 of my all time favorite party albums
A classic. Sure some of the themes haven't aged well and the Beasties have even apologized for them. But what a gem.
The genius of the lyrics from the boys and the genius of Rick Rubin’s producing combined to create the perfect storm of Licensed to Ill. When I first heard Fight For Your Right as a kid I thought they were a parody band, out to create music for the laughs, not to be taken seriously, like Weird Al. Now that I’m older and have gotten into them more, I can say with certainty, they are completely serious. Serious about making a mockery of rap and embedding parody into a real and, might I add, truly banger album. And it fucking works. Their parody was so serious their work has helped shape the genre of rap and hip-hop as we know it, and is one of the greatest rap albums of history. Their annoying voices are just part of the fun, and it’s something that would generally hurt any other band, while helping add to the icon-status of the boys. It deserves to be played at full volume and annoy all the neighbors, as they would want. My favorites: Rhymin and Stealin, Girls, Fight for Your Right, She’s Crafty, The New Style, Brass Monkey,
This was so much of my high school days.
Yes yes y'all! All timer...
I love me some Beastie Boys I'm honestly pretty sick of Fight For Your Right at this point, but its still a fun song. There's a guest guitar solo from Slayer's Kerry King, some sampling of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, amongst others. What's not to like? I was going to give this a 4 because I think they got better after this, but just thinking about how much enjoyment I get out of this album and their career as a whole I'm bumping it to a 5. That funky monkey! RIP MCA
Of course, Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication are better rap albums, but this album is still as entertaining as it was in the 80s, with over-the-top lyrics and rap/rock songs that are heavily influenced by Run DMC (which I hope are included in the list as well). Favourite song that even made the Dutch Top 40 at the time: No Sleep Till Brooklyn, a nice Motorhead reference and a Kerry King guitar solo (still expecting a Slayer album from the generator as well..). On a side note: Beasties Boys Book is one of the best books ever on the history of a band.
One of my all time favs although nostalgia certainly plays a huge part in that. Love all the samples and am constantly realizing more and more samples as I learn new music. One of the best debut albums of all time.
What a blast. So ahead of it’s time. Even if the rhymes are simple, the production just sounds completely unique.
вертушечки, йоу классный альбом, классно погуляла по райончику, почувствовав себя крутым чилипиздриком you gotta fight for your right to party
не смогу написать лучше, чем сашун голикова
Fucking loved it.
Ноу слип ту
There is not an album that represents my youth more than this one. This came out when I was in middle school, and was on repeat for a very long time. This was the first album where I really started getting into music, and not just listening to what my parents had on the radio. It was, and still is, a perfect listening experience for me.
Another tough one to rate. While this album doesn't hit the creative highs of later albums or show off the ambition the band is capable of, it is one of their most consistent albums.
Hell yea, this album just drips coolness. This thing is so jam-packed with references, samples, nods and easter eggs to music history, especially rock history, that I'm still hearing new things after dozens of listens. The constant record scratching and old school hip-hop flow do certainly date this album to a specific era. And the strained singing from the boys don't make it always palatable to the ear. Despite these shortcomings, the soul, energy and respect for musical history definitely make this album one that everybody must listen to, preferably many many times. Fav Tracks: Rhyming & Stealing, Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Til Brooklyn, Brass Monkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFfrUmq2lww
classic album IMO
The pinnacle of stupid fun. I have so much love for this album at multiple stages in my life. I want an “infinity stars” button.
Have loved this album since my bus driver played it on cassette in 4th grade
Can't believe it's been 10 years since we lost MCA. This album was a favorite at sleepovers with my best friend in high school. Groundbreaking talent. Every so often, my husband's favorite radio station will play Brass Monkey. As soon as it's over, I keep going "Let it flow. Let yourself go. Slow and low. That is the tempo." I just can't help it.
The best rap album of all time. Enough said
Snotty dickheads grab hip-hop and stuff it in the locker. Though some of the rhymes may sound dated now and would even be disowned by the boys we should never forget - this was meant to be satirical. It still sounds fucking great. Best Tracks: The New Style; Fight For Your Right; Hold It, Now Hit It
Classic and ground breaking. Good music to boot. I've listened to this often since high school. Never gets old.
Great samples, beats, bars, and bangers. Could not ask for more out of an album
No sleep til….
Thanks, I needed that
iconic
One of my all time favorites, just so good.
You can tell they were having fun making this because the feeling rubs off on you.
Ttt
loved it, Slow ride - amazing
Very fun album. Insane number of hits. Hard to believe it came out in the mid-80s.
Punk rock, metal hip hop! I love this album. Lyrics are fun and tell a story. Love the Beasties. 5
The best
What an album!
awesome
Legal. Divertido.
Super fun, always a pleasure to bop to.
They evolved more after this, got more aware, but this album remains a classic.
Classic
So good. Total perfection!
Rulez
Loved it! Exactly what you expect but great nonetheless.
An all time classic. Some of it has aged badly and been disowned by the Beastie Boys, but it's almost all classics. Girls is terrible (though I did find it funny when I was 12) but every track after that could be a single. And most of the tracks before it. It gets 4 stars - only because Paul's Boutique, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty are all better albums by the same band. If it were any other group, it'd be 5! You know what, it is a 5 I'm supposed to be objective, aren't I.
Classic rap album
Very good
Love it.
Iconic album. Beastie boys are goats
This one doesn’t get love because of albums from Paul’s Boutique onward, but that’s unfortunate. Licensed to Ill kicks ass. It takes real skill to be that bratty.
Simply awesome. This is a must listen.
Can't decide between this or Paul's Boutique
Cómo no.
Epic
Awesome
Classic. Know it well. Love it.
Solid album all around. Best beastie boys album. Probably one of the few rappers/groups that provide humor in their songs. They come out hard and provide rap hits over and over but with rock stylings and rap punk beats. 8.8/10
berry good
Amazing debut album. So Many hits on here which for a first album is impressive. Totally unique sound at the time.
Sweet, wicked rhymes
There's not much to add with this album, it's an amazing album that made the hip-hop genre into something more vicious with their samples of hard rock and screeching vocals. It's certainly in the upper echelons of most influential hip hop albums of the 1980's
I really enjoyed this. Loved the use of samples, guitars and the energy of it.
Sí bien nunca me han llamado la atención sí es cierto que ha sido por no hacerles demasiado caso. Con este disco me revientan todos los esquemas y me vuelven fan total. Me parece una locura que hicieran esto en los ochenta. Temazos. Trepidante y rompedor. Genial.
Old School hip-hop met heel wat rock-invloeden. De nummers Girls, Fight For Your Right en No Sleep Till Brooklyn staan rug aan rug in dit album, en zijn alle 3 fantastisch, en aan persoonlijke herinneringen verbonden. Is dit een objectieve beoordeling? Misschien niet, maar toch 5/5 voor dit album!
Fuck yessss
classic - didnt know the original name was "Dont be a Faggot". glad they fixed that!!!
I've got nostalgia bias, but I love these guys. They're sort of one big satirical pisstake of hip-hop and rap-rock, but their energy and dedication is infectious, and they're always making me laugh. The way they enunciate their words really clearly makes it easy for me to get the jokes, and I can still appreciate their juvenile sense of humour since it's wrapped up in a sort of flowing rap group energy that doesn't really stop, it just jumps from one rapper to the next. These guys probably wrote most of these songs drunk, they rhyme the stupidest things and write very dumb lines, and they pad out lyrical space with lots of callbacks to other lines. However, they've got variety of rap and rock, and they've managed to keep this juvenile conceptual-callback sarcastic "my posse is the best" rap group style through their whole career, and I must say, it's grown on me. Only thing I'd mark them down for is that their beats aren't that well developed on this album, however, it was 1986 so I expect they were pioneers somewhat with their hip hop loops.
Phenomenal album! Played the hell out of this as a teenager!
Nunca le había puesto tanta atención a los beastie boys que chulada chingao
They don't have the right to be this good for a band that started as a joke
4.6* amazing album. lots of iconic songs on here and some nostalgic tracks! great album though overall!
No brainier.
yas! Zepppppp drums to start. love this album
Guys, I got to talk to Mike D on the phone once and he had to stop for a second to corral his kids out of the room because they were having a NERF war. Obviously, some of the hits here are silly and didn’t age so well but it’s still catchy as hell, fun, and I know most of the words without ever having even owned this record. If this is the only Beasties record on this list, I will burn this list to the ground.
Nett
It is ridiculously amazing. It is helpful to have the context that the absurdity is tongue-in-cheek , and makes the album a bit more timeless than just a frat-bro album from the 80's. The rhymin' and energy are pure fun.
Classic. Love it. Never gets old.
love love love
I mean, come on. This is too easy. Cuh-lassic. Although some of these hits are definitely outdated and the Boys have admitted to as much as well.
Time to get ILL
Outstanding and Ground Breaking!
You already KNOW I'm gonna give this 5 stars! Don't even need to listen to it (but I will). Absolute bangers all the way through. Definitely a bit of nostalgia playing a role, but eh. I love it!
This was fun. I forget how many hits this album generated (She's Crafty, Girls, FFYRTP, Brass Monkey, Paul Revere, and No Sleep til Brooklyn). Also, Aesop Rock gave a nod to Rhymin' and Stealin' in Rings. "Rhymin' and stealin' and bein' a clod. Distractions free to maraud."
Classic
BouBou kiss kiss
Dope
01) Rhymin & Stealin - 7,5 02) The New Style - 7,5 03) She's Crafty - 7,5 04) Posse in Effect - 7,0 05) Slow Ride - 7,5 06) Girls - 7,5 07) Fight for Your Right - 10,0 08) No Sleep till Brooklyn - 9,0 09) Paul Revere - 8,0 10) Hold It Now, Hit It - 7,0 11) Brass Monkey - 7,5 12) Slow and Low - 7,5 13) Time to Get Ill - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,73 (77/100) Current ranking: 334/970
Like. Classic
These are some of the only white guys besides Eminem who can do Hip-Hop justice. The ability to give reverence to a genre while not being of that culture is tough, while also making songs that can be very humorous. They strike the balance perfectly. They really fit into a style I call scumbag music. After 40 minutes, it has started to all sound somewhat similar though.
77/100. Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the Beastie Boys, an iconic record that helped pioneer the fusion of rap and rock. It features some major classics and undeniably left a lasting impact on music. However, for me, this album was more enjoyable in my youth, and over time, it feels a bit less impactful. Still, it remains a fun and influential record that helped shape the genre.
It’s too immature and raucous for 9am so I wasn’t in the mood but the hits are undeniable
I think Beastie Boys did a great job with this album, straight up. They definitely did well at catching all the provocativeness and rebelliousness and snotty attitudes. I think it's still really well done even though it was just a product of it's time. This is a good example of the mid-school hip-hop music, it has thumping beats that just completely you rock you. Also around this time sampling was getting quite popular in hip-hop. Like a quick usage of the Clash's "I Fought the Law" in "Rhymin & Stealin." That song's main sample is the drums from Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" which is why itbeat sounded so familiar when I was listening to their fourth album. I also heard quite a few things in "Hold It Now, Hit It" that N.W.A. sampled on Straight Outta Compton, like M.C.A.'s line "Beer drinkin', breath stinkin', sniffin' glue" (okay actually Eazy-E's solo stuff, not N.W.A. - close enough.) Though I do understand why the Beastie Boys had a dislike for the album eventually and if they did play any songs off it live, they'd usually play with altered lyrics. It is fairly misogynistic, and the original album title was within character of the albums themes albeit very homophobic. This is my second listening to this. I think Beastie Boy's albums are very rewarding with re-listens they just have so many great lines littered throughout. Even though the lines they're cheesy as all hell, but that's part of the reason of why it's so good, because it's on the nose. I enjoyed this a lot more than my first listen, I definitely have to re-listen to Paul's Boutique (which is an album I got near the start of my listening journey.) I definitely recommend this. To like this album I think one has to embrace that It's cheesy, only then can a person be free to like the album and to not whatsoever take it seriously. p.s. "Paul Revere" is up there with being one of my favourite hip-hop songs. Highlight "Rhymin & Stealin", "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Paul Revere"
Oh...so thats where N.W.A took from
I love it, so much fun
i love the beastie boys!!! don't uh. don't listen to the lyrics too closely.
First real Introduction to the group, a good beat and background. It flowed well, I don’t really like the grunge of the music, a bit abrasive but overall, good album for those who like it.
It's a really fun album, but I don't think it has held up quite as well as some of their later albums did. Of course, this is kind of them sorting out who they were going to be. It's juvenile, a lot of the songs do kind of sound the same, but they are having a blast. It's best when they break out the guitars (Fight for Your Right, No Sleep 'TIl Brooklyn).
Rollicking, rapping romp! The juvenile bravado comes across a little cringey now, but the comic delivery and pinpoint interplay rivals Run-DMC, with three voices rather than two. The Led Zeppelin samples in Rhymin & Stealin (When the Levee Breaks) and She's Crafty (The Ocean) are nice.
Some absolute bangers but also a few id be skipping pasty on the next listen
This might be the first time I listened to this one straight thru. Obvs heard some of these tunes many, many, countless many times. To their detriment! Good number of them others tho, never get old. Great album
Made me want to go out and vandalise a VW for it's badge!! Feels like a parody album! The samples are great. Humerous, puerile lyrics, which by all accounts, are meant to lampoon frat boys. All in all, good fun!!
No beating around the bush - every Beastie Boys albums is the same, so you only need to hear one auch is their repetitive nature. Indeed, you only need to hear 3-4 songs from this and you'll have consumed to entirety of what the band has to offer. Pick the best 3-4 songs and you'll have fun.
go white boys go
Speaking of fellas who changed the game. Rules but I cannot listen to an entire Beasties album, the yelling (especially Mike D) gets very grating. Dated sure, but they grew with the times.
This is my second album by the Beastie Boys. I think I enjoyed this one more than "Paul's Boutique", which was already good. Very good album (though I'm definitely not a hip-hop expert). Songs I enjoyed: "Rhymin & Stealin", "The New Style", "She's Crafty", "Fight for your right" (together with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" my favourites), or "Paul Revere". This is between 4 and 5 stars for me.
They packed the album full of hits; made me want to meet that funky monkey.
This was really good
Even after 40 years this album still slaps. Rubins production across the whole album is phenomenal. I've always loved the guitar work on Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Til Brooklyn but I only learnt today that its Kerry King on the guitars. Crazy. Overall and absolute classic and one I'll keep coming back too. 4.25* rounded down to 4*
It’s a little silly a juvenile and they get so much better with every subsequent release, but I love this album. It’s a ton of fun.
(Light 8/10) Highly influential and important piece of hip hop history. Not my favorite from them but it's got plenty of bops.
Hmm dr-ooopppp
Fantastic, beasties never did a bad thing
C'est sympa en vrai
good but got a bit samey
Surprised how much of this I knew. Some great stuff.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIll
Very up my style, might listen to it again during the next couple of weeks and definitely want to give their other albums a try!
Sick album
I think the Beastie Boys are a guilty pleasure of mine. Fight for Your Right was a top 10 song for me in high school. So singular in sound, I didn't need to see the album or artist to know this was the Beastie Boys. Hit after iconic hit on this album. So radical, I wish I was a teen in the 80s when this was released. Does this hold up to hip hop now? Not totally, but it's fun lyrics, rhythmic rhymes, and simple straightforward beats. What's not to love?
Slick lyrics and good instrumentals Alot of songs of today sampled these songs I ain't know
This is a great example of early hip-hop, when sampling started. It’s childish (adolescent-y?) but very good
"NO, SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN" Iconic
Good memories
Overall probably my least favorite Beastie Boys album. Can’t stand Foght for your right. So cringy.
Cool. Sounds like Odelay.
Больше нравится Ill Communication. Но и этот неплох.
So inventive and interesting. But don’t need to listen that often but wild to do a deep dive once
I LOVE it this is what a bunch of rats would sound like if they could make an album
A really good debut from the Beastie Boys. Doesn’t hold up as well as Paul’s Boutique but still a solid album.
A lot of fun
Þrusugóð!
Hugsaði í byrjun: "ahh, er ég að fara að gefa Beastie Boys bara þrjár stjörnur?" En svo þegar Girls byrjaði þá kom banger eftir banger. Ekki alveg fimm stjörnu plata samt.
Fun, fun, fun. These boys had a great run, sad the way it ended. Have this on vinyl - haven't listened to it in a long time and streamed this, but glad for the re-listen. Some of their subsequent releases are more imaginative than this, so not quite a 5-star rating, but glad it's here.
Good old fashioned, classic American fun. Not always my go-to genre, but so many of these were super nostalgiac and I was in the proper mood for it today.
Although I recognize the influence and the whole aura surrounding this album - and I love the Beastie Boys’ later work! - I don’t think this album has aged very well! Or maybe it’s just me who’s definitely getting older. A 4 for the genius, caustic humor, and influence of the time, but today, listening to it brought back memories - not all of them good. My favorite track was never “Fight for Your Right (To Party)”; I prefer “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Special mention also goes to “Paul Revere.” And that’s it. Next ;-)
Love the energy
I already covered the other two Beastie Boys records officially in the books, so going back to Licensed to Ill, it really feels like their first full-length hip hop effort after pivoting from hardcore punk. The best way to view Licensed to Ill is as a frat party record. Three dudes from New York City goofing around as they rhymed over beats and guitars, live and sampled; it's as simple as that. Sure, the beats and sampling on this record aren't as creative or imaginative as they would be on later records, and some of the lyrics haven't aged well, particularly the joke lines on "Girls". But I can't deny that the vocal chemistry between Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock was defined well here, and that some genuinely fun tracks on here still hold up like "She's Crafty", "Paul Revere", "Hold It Now, Hold It", "Brass Monkey", and especially "No Sleep till Brooklyn" with that cool guitar solo from Slayer's Kerry King. Overall, I consider Licensed to Ill to be a solid debut. The Beastie Boys would continue to grow and develop their sound, but at least this record showcased their potential.
I understand why some don't like it, but I do. This is FUN. Sampling low rider, Zeppelin, Sabbath, and so much more in 1986 is sick. This is a debut in the adolescence of Hip Hop that is perfect. Girls keeps it from being a 5
3.5 favs: she's crafty, girls, fight for your right
250526 20:55 3.5
Real old school.. leans a little too far towards novelty to five for me but still good
I had such a blast
So fun
The Beastie Boys have some serious angsty teenage white boy energy, but hey I was one of those once. I definitely recognized more songs on here than I'd like to admit. "Girls" is one of those I haven't heard in ages. I remember being in the car with my childhood best friend on our way to a dual-family weekend trip to the beach when "Brass Monkey" came on and we lost our shit we thought it was so funny. God, does this mean I'm compelled to admit I liked the album and it deserves a good rating???
even though Im not into rap, the rap rock genre is amazing! I love the flow of it, the heavy hiphop beats and just the overall energy. the rock is more of an acdc type. not all of the songs are raprock, though. the most notable are rhythimn'n'stealin, fight for your right and no sleep till brooklyn
Lots of good memories about this one. A very good album.
Exceedingly stupid from start to finish. The relentless idiocy about guns, girls and booze but coming across like wannabe braggarts is so deliberately stupid that I wonder about how scandalous it was all viewed as back then. Maybe the live shows tipped it over into becoming what they were laughing at. Also love the slight obsession with Mr Ed.
Surprisingly great crunchy guitars!
Way ahead of its time in terms of sampling and attitude. Knew a lot of the songs off this record independently for better or for worse but never realized they were all crammed onto one album. Front to back is a great listen but any more beastie boys in one sitting would be too much I think.
nothing about this album is objectively good - i love it
Sorry to the haters, I love this album. My brother and I tortured my mother with it. We made her play it when she drove us to school. She really, really hated it the way I hated Bob Dylan. So it was used as leverage. The girl is crafty. 4 Boolean: yes yes y’all
This album is so fucking funny man
I never really cared much about the beastie boys until I saw a video of them doing whatever the hell they were doing on American Bandstand and that really endeared them to me. I can respect opening your debut album with a pirate themed rap. Just don't ask these guys what rhymes with "page". I didn't like the percussion in Posse in Effect, but I think it might’ve been an issue with my headphones. I like how they foreshadow Brass Monkey in at least 2 songs. I just can't hate juvenile frat boy rap/rock no matter how stupid it is.
Licensed to Ill is a really fun debut, it feels like this would have been pumping out the stereo of many a party back in the late 80s largely due to the major crossover appeal of Fight for your Right and No Sleep as well as there use of rock samples generally. They weren’t the first group to use rock samples as Run DMC had already been doing that but this album sold way more than anything Run DMC would ever put out and was the first hip hop album to top the billboard charts. There no doubt the impact this had on the careers of both BB and Rubin. Looking back now, there’s a lot of dumb stuff on it but its still potent and moves you from start to finish. It’s definitely of it’s time but it’s a time that’s good to revisit every once in a while.
one lonely beastie I be...
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/beastie-boys/licensed-to-ill/ Not their best by a long shot, but the stretch from Girls (yes, sue me) to Paul Revere is great. The rest is never bad, but just not yet shows their bright future ahead.
Rock americas no... Non mi piace
Brappppp
Oh hell yeah, it's the BEAST-IE-BOYS This is a ridiculously amusing album, I love this stupid comedy record. Only downside is I've had "You've gotta fight - for your right - to paaaaarty" stuck in my head for the past 24 hours
Good, fun. Not sure I can listen over and over again.
I have girls stick in my head it’s kinda bad cuz I’ll be doing my work and then suddenly my head will just be like girls! And all I really want is girls! And in the morning it’s girls!
Beastie Boys are like those ugly but funny dudes who chicks are wild about
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
somehow had only heard the singles from this - really funny how they have this really overblown rap rock sound and the rest of it mostly have that really minimal production. especially liked 'the new style' (loved hearing the origin of those samples on Donuts) and the one with the reversed 808. 3.5
Would buy
Amazing but they weren't at their best yet
released in 1986???? gosh they’re so cool 4.5
Classic album. Fun, full of bangers and a great intro to what the Beastie Boys are and a great precursor to what they eventually become in their amazing career.
This was great. The samples are really cool.
Hyvää oldschool meininkiä.
For the level of nostalgia alone it gets a 4. Is it a perfect album? Absolutely not. But it kicked off the career of one of the greatest rap groups of all time.
Didn't like it as much as Paul's boutique although it had some more famous tracks.
Normally don't like shouting in basically any context but I actually would quite reluctantly say it just about worked here. I enjoyed the rhythms! And I liked the steady early rapping style like in 6 'N the Mornin' (and probably loads of other 80s rap I don't know). The thing is even if I don't fully like the genre, all of these albums are going to be probably just good enough to appreciate and enjoy anyway. I'm sure I had a favourite track but it's the first day I've been busy enough not to find time to review yesterday's album so I can't remember! (Worth it for a lovely walk in the sun and board games though)
Cracking debut. Super fun and iconic but definitely not my favourite of theirs its a bit too rocky and fratty for me
brass mongey
The pure "80's hip-hop done by white boys" stuff doesn't age that well, but it probably worked better at the time and much of this is still fun today. The highs on this album can't be denied, which is enough to push it above average. I had some fun listening to this even if I never want to listen to the whole album again. 3.9
Loved the energy and the rhymes were solid and fun to listen to.
1. "She's Crafty" 2. "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" 3. "Time to Get Ill"
i like this album, more than i rightfully should.
Beastie Boys debuted strong with this one. No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Fight For Your Right, and Brass Monkey are all-timers. Some of the others maybe haven't aged as gracefully or get a little repetitive but there's no denying the strength of the album as a whole.
Def Jams? Pop off. Girls? Let's goooooooo. Is this my typical genre at all? No, but I am having fun. 3.5
While still a great album, it is my least favorite in the catalogue. It is the band’s most juvenile and often feels a little dusty. But the undeniable contributions to hip hop and multi-genre creativity are on full display. You get a real glimpse into what the group will become and how they will influence future artists and genres. Gob bless the Beastie Boys.
used to love this one when i was younger.
Not my thing but a classic with some of their best and tunes
I think this is the third beasties album I got here which is too much, but they start with a sweet leaf sample so I’ll have to give it a chance. This is a fun one! Probably due to being their debut this album is much rockier and more punk than the other albums. It totally works. Fun energetic and powerful. Great songs and riffs. Give it four stars. Timeless classic that sounds super fresh today. I like how they evolved to be more cultured I guess but their origins are also so good.
Very Classic 80's style hip-hop. This shit fucks
Day 239 Great album, had only heard the best of before. Highlights She’s crafty No sleep til Brooklyn Slow and low
Great album, really shows hip-hop in the 80s. Giving a raw and energetic vibe.
Cool 👌
Now this is a way better boy band than the Beatles were on Thursday! Just straight up fun, high-energy tracks. They are unapologetically fun to listen to.
With all the beastie boys albums on this list reviewed, I should perhaps come to some conclusion. In all honesty it is not complicated, the boys parody the machismo and frat-boy culture in a way they actually unironically embrace. Which is a hard way of saying it's fun but also making fun of that fun. So in conclusion it was fun.
Beastie boys understanding of rhythm and spunk is legendary 🔥🔥 some songs kinda started sounded the same by the end of the album tho
Some absolutely WILD lyrics on this one. 0% chance this album could ever get made today and that is sad. I’ve never been a huge Beastie Boys fan, but this is really fantastic. Very of its time, but great nonetheless. 4 stars
I'm more of a Hello, Nasty fan
so much angst and joy (if not a wee misogynistic and homophobic) was banging tho
Know this album well
Paul’s Boutique clears but Beastie Boys beat ass.
The one that started it all.
Beastie Boys combined rap, hip hop, boom bap, punk, and rock all at once and kinda lean in one direction or the other whenever they feel like it. Is the rapping good? Not particularly. It seems like it’s meant to be more humorous. But the highs are great and the lows on the album are still a worthy listen. I’ve never really thought about it before now, but I’m sure Beastie Boys laid down a few of the roots that lead to Nu Metal, especially with some of their later work.
Very good. A strong 4. It is not diverse as the other albums they have. But still very good. Every track seems to have a very clear trajectory of motifs, contents, arrangement, polishing, and production.
This is a really solid album, and I'm really close to giving it 5 stars. "Girls", "Fight For Your Right", "No Sleep Till Brooklyn, and "Brass Monkey" are all great songs! They're iconic in everyway and it's even more impressive coming off of a debut album. My only complaint is that the rest of the songs are all really similar. I was even getting a little bored by the first 5 songs, but the middle is so strong. 9/10 album for me, but I think I'm going to round down on this one.
It's weird to call the Beasties game-changing, because hip-hop was already gaining major steam, but one cannot deny how big this was. There's such a distinctive Beastie Boys flow, the backbeats are as influenced as much by hard rock and punk as by hiphop of the age. It's immature as hell, as one can barely blame for a bunch of college age bros, chasing girls, creating tough guy mythologies (while simultaneously being the goofiest guys in the room). That can make it tough in places to listen to as someone about twice their age at the time, but there's also the feeling that they were tongue and cheek and knew there was an aspect of parody in a lot of this (even as a kid, "Girls" was way more of a clear winking joke than a serious statement on what women were like). Anyway, "fight for your right" still captures a certain childish anarchy that makes it continue to be appealing, "Slow Ride" makes excellent use of a "Lowrider" sample, "Paul Revere" was absolutely the first primarily hip-hop coded track that my stereotypical white self really rated, and the album in general just makes me want to get a sack of white castles. Nostalgia makes this a light 4*. Top Track remains No Sleep Till Brooklyn
Still hits. Appreciate the various music influences more now
Better than I thought, the production doing the heavy lifting. Edge lord 80s rap, but still fun. Goes by smooth. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Some Owned: No 59/240 (24%) Will I get: No
A clachique
great album
Fun listen, good start, and decent finish. A couple of songs sound repetitive with good hip hop and old school rap rock beats. 3.5/5
Отличный экспериментальный альбом. Запоминающиеся треки, которые мне на удивление понравились и что-то я добавила в свой плейлист. Четыре звезды за то, что это все же не совсем мой стиль, но альбом крутой, буду слушать дальше.
Just a good time
I never was huge in Beastie Boys but there is no denying the footprint they left on hip hop music. While I'm not a huge fan and never listen to them on my own some of their songs (most of them on this album) just feel right at home at an event or a party.
Fun learning about the origins of this one. Being the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 charts. The early days of Rick Rubin as a producer still living in a NYU dorm. The album title being a James Bond pun and the album art all show the goofy style of the beastie boys. Some of the lyrics didn’t age super well. But I’ll always enjoy this one.
Though it definitely sounds dated as far as rap music goes, it's very clear how much this inspired so much coming afterwards.
Girls Fight for Your Right No Sleep Til Brooklyn Brass Monkey (13 songs, 44 mins)
absolutely bangers
Has some mid songs but nothing truly awful and the good songs on here are REALLY good. Some of the most fun songs ever written are on this album. Like seriously this could just be fight for your right to party plus half an hour of construction noises and I’d still give it a 4. Start to finish they’re having fun with their music and it shows
It's still never not the right time for the Beastie Boys. Yes, not all of this aged well... but if you were there... well, then you probably also still know every word of Paul Revere.
Rough and raw compared to later work, but listening to Beastie Boys albums is literally listening to them grow and mature. This first album is pure youth and energy!
It's aged kinda poorly and it's not at all their best but damn if it isn't still fun
I got 10% cooler and naughtier by listening to this
Yeah i fw the boys
Great stuff! One my favourite things listening to this album is recognizing so many cool little samples. Also the songs are catchy, and enjoyable. A good record!
For a debut it's pretty great. There's something about the Beastie Boys where it works but they almost come off as kind of cutsey and lame at times. Really good samples. One of the bands where their energy carries it. Strong three weak four.
I can only imagine that this was mind blowing when it dropped. Like punk, rock, hip hop and vaudeville crossed paths. Perfect album for a teenager. Mostly just dumb fun. Some cool samples, some clever word play. It's not perfect, but definitely belongs on the list.
Raucous fun from start. The famous songs get a little tired; more predictable patterns and rhythms. This era of sampling remains the standard for oddball creativity.
4 absolute classics in the album, staggering to think they were teenagers.
This is a really good party album. A perfect mixture of hip hop and rock and roll.
Bangers from start to finish
Fire
I was 13 years old when I saw the "Intergalactic" music video and got really excited about Beastie Boys. Teenagers do weird things so instead of "Hello Nasty" I bought "Licensed to Ill" (and "Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science" about a year later). I think that the golden age of Beastie Boys starts from "Paul's Boutique" and ends with "Ill Communication" but "Licensed to Ill" is nonetheless a fun album. At least half a star is due to nostalgia.
I didn't know white boys went this crazy back in '86.
Odd album bordering on being novelty at times … strange to see how they would progress . Still raw and exciting
I get it
5 stars for rick rubin…. damn…….this is so well-produced. 3 stars for white men rapping. the punk spin gives them lots of points there. 4 stars for the average.
Weak first half but from girls onward it’s strictly bangers
A mí me parece que no se había hecho algo como esto antes de ese momento, conectar hiphop con rock por medio de samples Genios totales, puro entretenimiento También increíble como este no fue su peak, tuvieron o tienen más que ofrecer 3.7
It's not my favorite album but I do get how it was instrumental (and very different) in shaping what make hip hop so unique. Part of my "reasoning"... has to do with the fact that the entire album was SO OVER played... and at the time I didn't love that a lot of solid hip hop acts were not receiving the same attention. However, the album is great and is a hip hop legend.
Love it, old school fun. I remember recording “Fight for Your Right” from the radio when I was a kid! This began a love affair with The Beasties!
This was fun. I knew a lot of these songs from when I was a kid. Love the blend of hip hop and metal. Some really fun beats here.
Im not sure this aged as well as I thought it did. Fight for your right, no sleep, and brass monkey are undeniable of course but songs that I remember really liking like Girls and new style are very empty. The production seems like it’s just missing so much range that it really takes away from the rest of the songs and is even noticeable on those hits too. Energy is infectious, it’s a great debut, but it’s definitely not the masterpiece I remember it being.
The back half of the album really shines when they can just be silly. Paul Revere, Hold it Now Hit it, Brass Monkey. I would put their next album Paul's Boutique above this.
80s hip hop. Debut. One of biggest selling rap albums. Great rock elements.
love the in yo face style rap along. The flow is so hard never heard of them before, so i kinda thought they were black and was quite surprised when i learned they were white guys being so good
A great debut, the beats are awesome and their energy & smarts are on display. It suffers from youth’s lack of filters though and some of it has aged very poorly.
I knew and already enjoyed both hits from this album like Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn, so listening to the entire album was good. Enjoyed a new one: Crafty Girl
Beasties at their best! Debut album a pinnacle to change of the scene in mid 80’s.
This album reminds me of the kid in the corner of the classroom with severe ADHD. Loud, obnoxious, distracting, attention seeking, but give him the benefit of the doubt and support his artistic endeavors, and you just might notice his brilliance. This is another of that you absolutely have to be in the right mood for , but I feel like the beastie boys sincerely accomplished exactly what they tried to with this album, and its success speaks for itself.
While I love the Beastie Boys and I do think this is a great album, it’s not my favourite Beastie Boys album. I love the Zeppelin samples, but overall, it just has a bit too much of the frat boy party rock vibe for my tastes.
A great album with some great songs. Some of the lyrics haven’t aged particularly well but they’re still fun to listen to. A really strong major label debut album, that set them up for a legendary career. RIP MCA
Sounds a bit dated but i definitely feel like this album could have lots of replay value for me, its got that kind of style in music that i love, its this kind of hiphop rapping form, that being said i already really like this album even from the first track but i could totally see it growing on me more. This is perfect for when you’re angry at something and you wanna blast music in your room, and also when you wanna blast music in your car. Highlights: Rhymin & Stealin, She’s Crafty, Posse in Effect, Fight for Your Right. There were two really bad songs “Girls” and “Paul Revere”. The track “Girls” sounds like it came straight off the mario kart theme song. But besides that, its overall a great album, totally worth checking out.
fuaa me gustoo no pente que me fuera a gustar tanto estuvo muyy bienn
This is how I learned that White Castle fries only come in one size It’s not Paul’s Boutique but strong debut and exactly what I wanted to listen to when I was 16/17. Holds up 40 years later.
pretty epic. hip-hop rap rock, kinda?? only downside that most tracks sounded pretty similar, aside from a couple hits and singles.
It’s a classic for sure….a little goes a long way 🎸
Znam ovo od ranije tkd okej je. Ocena za album je 3,5/4
Cool! Ahead of their time. Always feels like it's younger. Good year though ;-)
Yeah I liked this more than i thought. Lots of fun. plus i like them more since finding out one of them was/is married to Kathleen Hanna which makes me think their politics are all right.
Great if immature debut. Fun, but they've got better records
Banging!
classic, still slaps for the most part
Love this album
The Beastie Boys are so fun lol, I enjoy what they do but it isn't the kind of music I could listen to every day. I would get sad that i don't have my own group of boys to yell the last word of every line with.
Makes me want to drink light beer and party hard
First time listening to an hip-hop album, and I gotta say that it's a nice change of pace. Some tracks feel like the song isn't going anywhere, but some show a real harmony in the rhythm, tempo and rhymes.
It's fun to listen to a hip hop record and recognize some of the samples. The Beastie Boys always make me think of "what if some punks from Brooklyn got really into sampling" An important hip hop record and a true classic.
80’s Hip-Hop ⭐️No Sleep Till Brooklyn
hell yeah
This album was outstanding when I first heard it and carried it's magic all the way to my 5 year old getting into fight for your right. Great band, eclectic back catalogue and fun times.
I enjoyed this, with some big time hits, but didnt blow me away. One thing I'll give it credit though is that they have an obvious interest in Led Zeppelin and added some tracks of that to 2 of their songs. Inventive and fun for the time.
Loud, snarky, self-conscious, funny, gross, hooks, riffs, in-jokes, pop culture references, frenetic. I thought I hated this but I was wrong.
Hell yeah
Lekker rap
Never listened to this all the way through, even though I own this on vinyl. Intrigued to hear, I know my parents (Dad) loves this. Ignoring the fact these are 3 NY rich kids rapping like they own guns and are scary, this makes sense why it was popular - this is perfect 80's Frat Party Music (FPM). Extremely identifiable vocals mixed with genuinely good production makes this pretty enjoyable even if its a flashbang to remember its 2 guys named Michael and another named Adam rapping about girls and killing. The production combined with essentially 1 extremely catchy vocal attack by the Beastie boys surmounts any qualms and makes this really enjoyable for no reason. Maybe its my white guy showing. 4/5
Great start.
It's so easy to bump to the Beastie Boys. The beats are hard, lyrics whimsical and rhymes sick. There are lots of classics on Licensed to Ill which solidifies it as an album worthy of this list.
And you mean to tell me it only gets better from here? Yet another incredible debut on this list and this time, from one of my favorites. The lyrics are juvenile but the rhyme schemes and patterns kinda make up for a lot of it. The beats and samples are straight up mesmerizing on some songs. If I'm not mistaken, copyright law changed soon after Licensed to Ill dropped limiting how many samples could be used on a song, which kinda makes this album one of a kind in some ways.
One star for every White Castle mention. The rest of the album is great too. One happy Beastie I be. Only gets better for the group from here too. It's funny how tough they front in this one, it's half-ironic but the later albums really lean into how they aren't really that tough but Licensed to Ill is really funny and boastful. The New Style is still one of their best songs. No fewer than 20 eternal lines (like the bun to the burger and like the burger to the bun, like the cherry to the apple to the peach to the plum; I get it, I got it, I know it's good, the rhymes I write, you wish you would; Went to the prom, wore the fly blue rental, got six girlies in my Lincoln Continental - to highlight a few). I really love the simplicity of the sample heavy boom-bap stuff and the Beasties were immediate masters at it. I should finally read that Beasties book...
Like this a lot! Some songs reminded me a bit of Fontaines DC
you know what, I wasn't feeling this at first (9 am on a thursday) but I stuck it through and remembered the bangers. extra point for nostalgia
Great album! This is the second Beastie Boys album that I've listened to on this list, and I liked this one better. So many singles (or possibly just well-known tunes) on this album (Fight For Your Right! No Sleep Till Brooklyn! Paul Revere! Girls! Brass Monkey!), and the ones that I wasn't already familiar with were good too. (4)