Reviews (page 12 of 14)
More enjoyable than the previous Beastie Boys album - considerably less shouty. However, the first half, the shouty half, was definitely more impactful than the second. I was dreading this, and putting off listening, but it was better than I expected - which is great. I am surprised, pleasantly surprised.
Thought this was a good album, has some absolute classics on it but it goes on for too long. Heart Attack Man was a nice surprise, didn't expect something like that from the Beastie Boys. Highlights: Sure Shot Sabotage Heart Attack Man
Better than the other Beastie Boys album that’s popped up, but it’s still not something I want a whole album of.
3.5, way better than Paul's boutique
Yelling through a microphone became a frustrating feature for me. Was going to go 1/5, however production was good and a few tracks were enjoyable. 3/5
Part blokes shouting about how cool they are over scratchy samples, part funkiness. I enjoyed it. I won't play it again. It certainly made me think of the Beastie Boys as more talented and diverse in output than I previously suspected.
I love the Beastie Boys. I probably heard like only 20 words that they said to be honest, but the pace and overall experience of the album is sooo good. The drum cuts sound amazing, sample choices and sonics are always interesting and changing just before anything gets stale, and you can tell there's a good sense of humor behind the whole thing. Another case of "I wish I could have heard this when it first came out." I might have actually but I was literally one year old. I wonder how it came across to fully cooked adults when it dropped. Had people cut vinyl jazz samples into sick backbeats yet? How was this album situated with other hip hop albums from the time? Not too much else to say since I didn't do a deep dive into the lyrics and how the album was made etc. Just really great to listen to, gonna come back to this one!
Some great songs that everyone knows (Sabotage), but also long and lots of filler.
Wacky background music
Classic chaotic rap Rock, sometimes too much but generally good, some bangers
In this album the beastie boys are so in your face that it’s hard to tell if they’ve became the frat boys that they were originally criticising in licenced to Ill. I don’t hate this though it’s just not as good as licenced to Ill.
Not as big of a fan of this as Licensed to Ill but still pretty decent Sabotage is a classic
Classic Beasties
This is already better than most of the other. They do all sound the same though... Meh
Ein av de bedre tingene 90-tallet hadde å by på
Es tracta del disc més ambiciós del trio, i segurament el seu millor treball en conjunt. Barreja temes de pur punk hardcore com 'Tough Boy' o 'Heart Attack Man', apropaments al rock alternatiu, mantres hindús, jazz i altres més pur hip hop marca de la casa. Entre la col.lecció, un dels seus millors singles, 'Sabotage', i temes hipnòtics com 'Flute's Loop'
There's a lots of detail to like in this album, great use of samples and loops. But I lost interest about halfway through, well pretty much after Sabotage, it was far too long and got far too experimental. 2.5
Not a big fan of rap like Beastie Boys but loved jazz and funk instrumentals.
Like the crossover sound, less fond of the rapping, not much variation. Sabotage a classic and jazzy tunes enough to give it 3 stars
Epic and inventive in its way.
Fun album that hits and misses. Sabotage absolutely slaps still. Had no idea “deez nuts” was this old.
I don’t think that I heard this album before. It seems very long, with some very heavy pieces (rapping on hard is rarely my thing) and some jazzy (mostly) instrumentals. Probably not my thing.
Meh
Nice beats, the rap itself is not great but better than almost every white rapper at the time.
Stop me gueuler dans les oreilles svp merci
Sehr gut gemacht. Punk Tracks kriegen nen Bonus, hip Hop immer noch nicht so meins
Confirmou que as músicas que eu já conhecia vale a pena escutar novamente devido às batidas com funk e rock que garantem uma melodia interessante. Já disco completo, mesmo fluindo bem para um álbum de hip hop eu não pretendo escutar todo mais uma vez.
Enjoyed this one much more than Paul’s Boutique. Some really great, funky production mixed with some solid flow. Sabotage will always hit right.
Liked much better than Paul’s boutique. Cool dense jazzy instrumentation and less grating shout rap. Still, not going to return to this often.
Came into this dreading it, a couple of tracks in was enjoying it and then it never stopped and dropped in quality... The album wasn't one note which suprised me and has some interesting music but ultimately isn't quite my thing and was too long. Won't cringe when I hear them mentioned or if they appear in the list again, so, progress?
ура все хиты (но всё равно три звезды)
Likt Tom Morellos alster är det mycket svårt att inte digga hämningslöst, utan att ta hänsyn till var man befinner sig. Perfekt att promenera till när självförtroendet är högt. Bäst: Sabotage
That was…interesting. I knew Sure Shot and Sabotage pretty well, and I was surprised the album wasn’t just more of the same. It’s an impressive array of styles and influences, but on a first listen through it seemed a bit chaotic and unfocused. I think I admire it, but I’m not sure I’d venture much beyond the singles in the future.
3.5/5
So let me start by saying, I do like a lot of Beastie Boy stuff. There's a lot I also dislike. Outside of Licensed to Ill, there's a lot of their albums with a few great tunes, then what seems to be filler stuff...... On to this album. Not one of their best, but does I have one of my favorite Beastie songs and that is Sabotage. All time great and just because of that song, I won't go below a 3. 2nd favorite song off the album was Tough Guy. Borderline punk mixed with some rage. And to top it off, listen closely an tell me it didn't sound a little like Zac de la Rocha. I wish more of this album had tunes like Tough Guy. Outside of those 2 songs, I did enjoy the music only tunes of Sabrosa and Futterman's Rule. Did you know that Zac de la Rocha was one of the name's considered for Mindy's first born? True story. Maybe not the de la Rocha part, but I'm sure de la Rocha would have been his nickname. Haha. Back to the album, not their best, but one of their best songs. Closer to a 2.5, but the score will be a 3 as stated 3
As someone who isn’t a fan o License to Ill I wasn’t looking forward to this a ton. Sure it’s got Sabotage on it and that songs still slaps but that was all I knew prior. I’m happy to say that while it didn’t leave a huge impression on me, I did enjoy this for the most part. Heavy and catchy. It’s sounds at times almost like the antithesis to License to Ill. 3
Surprisingly experimental, with tracks like Eugene’s Lament, plus hits like sabotage.
Cultural touchpoint filled in, basically. I love the idea of these guys more than I actually enjoyed listening
Almost called a 4.
I really like the mashing and meshing of styles. I was more into thé music and instrumentals behind the vocals. The vocals all kind of merged into one for me and I had no idea what was being conveyed and didn’t really have the impetus to find out. Sabotage was a great song. Also liked Sabrosa, The Document and Eugene’s Lament. Love the cover.
I never quite got what was so alluring about The Beastie Boys. Sounds like a lots of shouty rhyming and beat drops and gang-ups on sentence endings and it's all rather frivolous and inconsequential. When "Fight To Your Right" landed, it was fun enough, but seemed like a one-off goofy play that would fade away. I never loved it, just found it amusing. The fact that they became important and influential is strange to me. "Paul's Boutique" came highly recommended from a trusted source, so I went out and bought it. I listened to it multiple times, trying to like it. I never did. So... sorry... Ill Communication. I do very much like the diversity of the underlying music. From straight up hip hop beats to jazz to garage rock, there's an effortless amalgamation of styles that never seems like a put-on. And I bet stumbling on this live in a sweaty basement in Brooklyn in my 20s would have been tons of fun. But god damn, it's the same shouty rhyme-y gang-y delivery over it all that just wears on me. I'm giving it a 3, but that's rounding up from a 2.something.
I want to like the Beasties more than I do. I dig how eclectic and adventurous this album is, but at the same time, I rarely feel that these explorations yield anything profound. Most of the instrumentals, for example, feel more noodly than interesting. Also, their vocal delivery often annoys me. And I never understand what they're saying. Having said that, some of these songs just fucking slay. I really enjoyed "Eugene's Lament," and the final three songs, which reminded me of some of Miles Davis' fusion albums. And then there's "Sabotage," which is in a league of its own. There's a roller coaster at Universal Studios where you can choose a song to listen to while you ride. Sabotage is one of the choices and is perfectly synced to the ride. So I always associate plummeting down that final hill when the boys yell at 1:52.
I love the Beastie Boys; however this album isn’t my favorite. For Sabatoge alone this album deserves to be on the list. I’d say is a 3.8 In case our group doesn’t know…the Beastie Boys opened up for Madonna’s The Virgin Tour…her first tour to promote Like a Virgin and Madonna. The crowd didn’t take too kindly to the Boys and it’s fun to hear them tell some stories from this time.
I think 1 hour is more than enough to prove that you mastered the art of sampling and that you can now make compelling beats and loops. Congratulations. However, I suggest you stop shouting. Seriously, I already dig it in "License to Ill". Even the i-word is retained here, lol.
Great album. Not AS great as License to Ill, but still solid. It's clear that Kid Rock tried (and failed) to emulate this album with a lot of his early stuff, but I won't blame "the Boys" for Kid Rock. He was bound to happen.
I loved how different instruments were used and intertwined in some songs. "Sabotage" was understandably the single. Decent album, an interesting take on an r&b/hip-hop record. 3/5
This is pretty run of the mill Beastie Boys, Great stuff but also a lot of mediocre and nothing too wild. The flow is great though, some nice instrumentals spaced in between, great sampling. Towards the end it's just dragging a bit too much Key tracks: Sure Shot, Tough Guy, Root Down, Sabotage, Get It Together, Sabrosa, Flute Loop, Do It, Ricky's Theme 7.5 out of 10
Love an album with good transitions! Though I found much of it to sound monotonous on my first listen, I eventually came to appreciate a few songs after listening a few more times. Highlights: Root Down Flute Loop
Beastie Boys but with some of that 90s messy brownness going on. Can dig it but wouldn’t pick it every day.
I was surprised at just how jazzy-funky this album was! It's interesting to consider how unique this still sounds in 2023; I can only imagine the uniqueness of it back in 1994! I'm no Beastie Boys expert, but this album seems even a little out of the norm for them. I am more of a Beastie Boys singles kind of appreciator, but while this album was not entirely my thing, I was definitely captivated by the all around uniqueness of it. Definitely a worthy entry on this list!
Flera klassiks här men int lika bra som Paul's Boutique (★★★★★)
Cool as fuck
Inspiration for a lot of future music.
niet wat ik had verwacht maar wel een vibe, hard
Ik kon de implementatie van throat singing tegen het einde van het album wel waarderen. Ervoer de rest wel als veel van het zelfde
I listened only a little. It's not my piece of cake.
Some classics on here but not every song was a winner.
I love the instrumentals and the production. The rap unfortunately feels like a parody to me at times with how often their style gets spoofed in the media. I can see how it was ground breaking once, but it keeps me back from listening to it on my own.
The communication here is very ill.
Classic. Brings me back to my teenage years. Five stars maybe back then, but not something I could sit through now. I will enjoy a full listen 10 years from now.
Oh, my god. I was so interested to see where this went. The album starts off with Sure Shot which sounds like it could have been on an A Tribe Called Quest album, and then Tough Guy immediately after that just sounds like a punk-ish romp to me. Album stays hip-hop through the next few songs until Sabotage which, honestly, I don't really consider hip-hop at all (I'm sure most don't). From that point forward, I'm not even sure I can really describe where it went. I didn't really know what to expect, and I was still surprised. Almost feel weird rating this one at all. Standouts: Sure Shot, Root Down, Sabotage, Get It Together, Flute Loop, Heart Attack Man
Ah perfectly good, exactly what you'd expect, edgy, almost unpleasant, utterly unique white guy hip-hop. Great to run to but awful to live to.
Meh! Hip hop is really not my thing. Some is OK, this is average, nothing special at all
Instrumentals are good/interesting enough to be their own project, but in the context of the album, they kill the energy. Some amazing cuts on this one, though.
Pretty solid, multiple tracks brought the hype. But too many instrumentals. And sometimes the distorted vocals were too much for too long.
A bit long, but some bangers nonetheless
3.6 - Was excited to hear what I’d been missing. I remember Beavis and Butthead getting hyped about the video for “Sabotage.” Too many instrumentals. Also too much vocal distortion, which makes it hard to decipher what they’re rapping.
Hip hip con mucho jazz, muy bueno. También es cierto que sin Miles Davis esto no hubiera podido ser.
I enjoyed the album and think it was just above average but not fully a 4/5. I feel like something was missing but i’m not entirely sure what that is, but I still enjoyed it more than I thought I would have.
A surprisingly varied, interesting album. I enjoyed it.
I'm unsure how to feel about this album. Some of the back beats on this album are pretty good, but my issue is that I end up enjoying the back beats more than the rap. But then, on the instrumental pieces, I find myself a bit bored. I'm sure the raps are lyrically impressive, but they generally don't stand out to me. I know Sabotage is the big song off of this album, but I don't really care for it. Still, this album definitely has a lot of interesting sounds. It's rather eclectic. It makes me a bit sad that I got this Beastie Boys album before any others, because I won't get to see how their music evolved to this. I doubt it, but maybe I'd like a different album of theirs more. Maybe I just don't understand Beastie Boys. My favourite song was Get It Together.
hip hop h h h HUMPUTUS !! on tässä hyvää... rokki t on vähän heikompi tässä pärjäisi njos olisi ilman! paras biisi : root down
Interesting, wasn't expecting the more rock-focused songs. This album rips. Cool instrumentation. 3.5 stars
Hip hop. Rock
quite literally hurts my ears, and I'm hungry and my ears and stomach feel attached by the tendons and I wanna be high :/. I don't figure what I could do to lessen it, but IT MUST be background music, no headphones in or super low. The beats and musicians' sound quality are so supreme, It could be live. The craziest bar and everyone are joyous. You're in the washroom and drunk off life, but your ears are ringing and you'll sleep well. But with my headphones? Horrible and soul-sucking and needs to be turned down and put on a speaker. But once that happens, life changes :D, all is well and it actually makes everything in your day happier than it genuinely needs to be, almost Im-productive-ly so. How will I go on? I don't think it needs another listen.
i’m definitely biased here, i’ve never been a fan of the beastie boys. giving this a 3 because i don’t think i can fairly rate it and the technical aspects are solid
Pasabog.
10 tracks in: Really cool sound n great to hear the classics (sabotage). Some of the tracks are a bit of a slog just because they sound similar, but that qtip feature fit perfect w this sound n woke me up. Feel like this album is better in pieces than all at once. Finished + next day: it’s a really cool sound but everything I said above pretty much stands. Way too many instrumental tracks/interludes but did break up the songs nice
Okey, some background music but not my fav
08/31/2022 Retrospective listen, missed this one when it was first assigned to me. It was actually a lot better than I was expecting it to be. Pretty experimental for its time. Also you can't tell me that Rage Against Their Machine didn't get their musical style directly from these guys. Not sure if I would listen to the whole album again, but nevertheless I enjoyed listening to it.
wasnt entirely to my taste, some song were good others the beat and lyrical tempo were off to me
Sure shot: 6 Tough guy: 0 B boys: 4 hard to understand Half the album is kinda mid as hell Sabatoge is good and that's about it Heart attack is the most out of place song on the album by far Shbambala is weirdest track Bodhisattva is pretty dope
They fought for my right to party
has its moments
not their best album for sure
Decent and fun album with a lot of groovy tracks.
Ill Communication is the fourth album by the American hip-hop group Beastie Boys. It's the group's second album to reach number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as well as their second album to earn triple platinum certification in the US. The album was popular with critics and fans throughout the mid to late 90's. With this album the group continued their transition from sampling to live instruments, and this album also has greater variation in its genre influences. The music is still primarily hip-hop which enables rapping to flow with it, but one can also hear hints of punk rock, jazz, and funk. It was a great album to listen to and I'm looking forward to other Beastie Boys albums on this 1000 albums journey.
Favourite Beastie Boys album. Hits a great feel between funky/hiphop/punk. Too many tracks for a perfect album with a lot of filler tracks. First half of the album is really strong.
Not the world's biggest beastie boys fan, but this album is pretty classic.
I have a feeling The Beastie Boys had even more fun making this record than some of their previous (better) ones, but it's not nearly as fun to listen to this record as the others. Obviously, Sabotage is a standout. Not bad at all and, in fact, I'd still call this a pretty powerful record overall, but it's the third best of the three in the 1001 list.
BB was not on my 90s playlist. Seems like easy listening at this point
A bit overlong, but still an enjoyable listen. The mixture of the outfit's usual ferocious yet tongue-in-cheek bars plus the genre experimentation between rap and punk yields a Beastie Boys product that is at once familiar yet experimental and refreshing.
Pretty good, but it was hard to get a feel for the album other than a vibe
It sounds radical, has some good tunes on it, but one of the rappers sounds like a really obnoxious version of Zack de la Rocha. It's a 3/5 since it has some sick tunes, is well made, but just isn't my cup of tea.
Average.
A lot of good songs in the first half. It dries up a lot in the second. The voice modulation gimmick gets old pretty fast. Don’t mind listening to the hits every once in a while but the album as a whole isn’t going to be in my rota any time soon. 3.5 stars
Kind of a revelation. They are much more than rap rock and I had no idea. Live instruments, multiple instrumentals, genre-hopping, very diverse.
Can't stop!
Det var bra!
hz noice
3/5 Was a fun album to listen to, a variety of jazz, punk rock, and a bit of reggae in there too. It was versatile and a fun album.
This was a LOT of sound for a Monday morning. Sure shot was a great opener, and Sabotage is the best rap/punk fusion I can think of aside from Rage Against the Machine. The rest of the album however was not great for me. It felt cluttered and annoying. Though I get that the Beastie Boy’s were showing that they could actually play instruments too, which is fine, I don’t think the fusion of styles worked on the rest of the album as well as it did on Sabotage.
I enjoyed the live instrumentation and diversity of sounds, but it just makes the album distorted and messy. Many of the hip hop songs sound unintelligible and no song other than Sabotage (because I know it already) stand out.
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop 3/5 My second Beastie Boys album in 4 days (my algorithm is taking the piss, as the Brits would say), Ill Communication was released 8 years after their debut, Licensed to Ill. While still a great crossover project, blending rock and rap better than many other groups throughout the last 40 years or so ever did, this album isn't quite as good nor as full of energy as their debut is. While Sabotage is on here, a really great track and a huge single for them, the rest of the project flows like it doesn't really know what it's doing. We get our usual Beastie Boys jams, Sure Shot and Root Down to name a few, but a sizable chunk of this album is filled with the three boys performing entirely instrumentally, with an almost jazz/lounge feel. It unfortunately feels more like a harsh detour than an interesting diversion. It made the run of the album feel a little more like "background noise" rather than a full-on Beastie Boys album. I'm not saying they can't change it up, just personally speaking their choices didn't hit me as well as they may have hoped. When they were rapping, however, their over-emphasis on vocal disortion made it hard to discern some of their lyrics, and hard to listen to, overall. Not a bad album, though, but certainly doesn't reach the heights of their earlier projects.
Fun but not as much fun as Paul's Boutique
3,5; very influential, creative and great album but 20 tracks were a little bit too much for me
Pretty decent. A bit repetitive. Too long.
The music is great, the samples are great. Just take out the vocals and I'm all in.
You can tell they were sick of just doing one single thing. Definitely was surprised by the range of the album, but it doesn't really stick to anything so as an album I find it lacking. Obviously has some bangers.
Another one I hated at the time, but quite enjoy now. It brings their punk/hardcore influences together with rap and the nascent hip-hop genre. I really enjoy it now.
Hip hop rock jazz funk. Te hace mover la cabeza. Al final se hace un poco pesado. 3
Pretty great. 3.5/5 If you haven't read the Beatie Boys Book, I highly recommend it. It is interesting from start to finish. I listened to it on audible and it was even better with them reading it. This album is really good. I'd give it a higher score if I knew it better. I've listened to it several times and am still getting to know it. There are so many different sounds and styles throughout the album. It really is something interesting to listen to. I think people either love the Beastie Boys or hate them. If you are a hater, then I'd recommend getting to know them better. Their lyrics are quite intelligent (at times). Sometimes simplistic - going back to Licenced to Ill..... Standouts: Sabotage.
Beastie Boys good album if you like rap. Not like( You gotta fight for your right to party )
Craziest white boys to ever do it
Didn’t get to finish the album but feel I know it from Ritchie. I quite enjoyed it although it’s not something I’d seek out. 3*
Album starts brilliantly, then falls off
Everyone likes the Beastie Boys, and sabotage is one of their best songs. Heard a few others as well here. Album is a bit overly long and unfocused at times, pretty 1990s. Would be a 4 if it was only half an hour. 3/5.
Slightly better than "Paul's Boutique", more melodic, I think. Still, hip-hop music and the Beastie Boys in particular are not my cup of tea.
Very Nice, Strong 3
Through this project, I've listened to more Beastie Boys in the past few months than in the decades before. This album is better than the others for the most part. I'm hearing more live instruments, which I generally prefer to sampling (although sampling can be great and a lot of fun, too). There's more variety, too, in this one. I like the different styles. Overall, I'm finding there's a limit to the amount of this band's music I can listen to, but this is a good album on its own.
Newish to beastie boys. Loved it
Ok kinda cool but super long. Made pancakes to this and they were really good.
more chilled than I was expecting
Lots to like
Sabotage is a standout. Eclectic mix of styles, not my thing but can see why it's in the book
Love the BB hip hop but less keen on the other stuff
It's very good but still just rap at the end of the day.
Annoying yet also enjoyable
Good fun
Pretty fun. 2 recognized songs
The eclectic interludes and influences surprised me. Loved "get it together" with Q-tip.
Hip-hop de los 90, con ritmos un tanto parecidos, con sintetizadores y con instrumentación típica del estilo y de la época. Pioneros en su estilo. Se puede escuchar, aunque se asocia bastante a aquella época.
Very mixed!! Love some songs with their funky beats and sexy drum solos, was that throat singing?? Some songs were very stressful with chaotic noises and some lyrics made me uncomfortable coming from a bunch of white guys
Wow this was pretty long and loads crammed in there. Some I loved, some not so much. I think overall though, I did enjoy it. Have to be in the right mood though...
Jazzy yelling
It's interesting when you have a knowledgeable (or opinionated) friend over while listening to the 1001 album de jour. When they know the album better than you do, it can be hard not to let their views influence your rating. Last night a friend who is a big fan of the B Boys was over. As a result, the LP was well received initially. The album did wear on me. I understand their music is diverse but this was one of the times where I don't think genre hopping works that well.
This one’s really all over the place. From punk rock to funk, acid-jazzy instrumentals to violin solos. And a lot of it isn’t sampled!! I still find some of the shouting grating (Q Tip was a pleasant reprieve) and for that I deduct a point - but there’s humour in the lyrics and it’s not in your face all the time. Very creative.
// Favs: Sabotage / Flute Loop Score: Strong 2 to Light 3
The music on this album is all over the place. Sabotage is a fantastic song and is in its own league. The rest of the songs are just ok.
Love the B-Boys and there are some classics here, but it's too long with too much filler.
I liked the instrumental tracks. The rap tracks all kind of bled together for me. I know this is classic but it really isn't my style. Even Sabotage is kind of lacking without the video. 2.5.
Hmmmmmm... Ja, grisigt är det ju. Men det visste jag ju också going in baserat på de låtar jag tidigare hört ("Sabotage", "Fight For Your Right, "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"). Men jag tycker det är intressant, även om sättet sången skriks fram inte är min kopp av te egentligen så går det ihop med resten av musiken. Gnissliga gitarrer och trummor som det bankas väldigt hårt på stundvis, andra låtar som exempelvis "Sabrosa" har ett sound som är mycket mer funkigt och jazzigt. Det känns ändå som att Beastie Boys har ett djup och inte bara är det där skrikiga som man hört. Med det sagt så fungerar den grisiga, tunga och skrikiga musiken ibland om man tar det i små mängder eller befinner sig i ett tillstånd där man bara vill röja. Jag vill minnas ett tillfälle en sen natt när någon slog igång "Sabotage" och hela kompisgänget började hoppa runt och bete sig som varelser vilka inte kan klassas som människoliknande. Det är härligt att befinna sig på en sådan plats ibland också. Bäst: Tror "Sabotage"
America, 90s, Hip-Hop + Jazzy, Future, Mix genres = Male, - Silent {1/32} [/5]
What I like a lot about this album is that it's all over the place with vibe. Some straight punk, a bunch of scuzzy Brooklyn whiteboy hip hop, some very mellow instrumentals. But it still outstays it's welcome for me. Right around Heart Attack Man, I'm ready for the party to be over. But there's not a good closer, ya know? Like maybe if Sabotage was the last song or something, you'd feel like it closed real strong. But I think I've turned this one off around here more times than not.
Reinforces my long-held belief that the Beastie Boys were - are - capable of moments of brilliance, but overall are just quite good. The highs are very fun - Sabotage being the obvious standout - and I appreciated the Lee Dorsey name check in the first track. Yeah, it's fine, but my mind remains un-blown.
I've never quite understood the critics darling status of the Beastie Boys, then again never heard much beyond Fight for your right to party. This album did not do anything to turn mexaround to the Beasties. I'll charitably give it 3 🌟
It's ok, instrumentation is clearly outdated at point, vocal performances can be rough, but overall it was an ok experience
Big fan of deez guys! This album need more listening time from me to increase the star rating.
June 6th, 2021 1.SURE SHOT- I'm liking the flute sample. GREAT party track. 2.TOUGH GUY- Pure punk rock craziness. REAL crazy stuff. 3.B-BOYS MAKIN' WITH THE FREAK FREAK- Great drums, hilarious sample (lol), but I wish I knew what they were saying... 4.BOBO ON THE CORNER-Jamming instrumental. Once again, great drums. 5.ROOT DOWN- Dope track (probably the best on the album so far). Love the funky 70's bass and jazz samples. 6.SABOTAGE- Solid rap-rock.💯 7.GET IT TOGETHER- Unusual vibes.💯 8.SABROSA- A funky instrumental straight out of 1973, just made for "passion". 9.THE UPDATE- Those drums go hard. They're probably spittin' bars too. 10.FUTTERMAN'S RULE-Yet another funky instrumental track. 11.ALRIGHT HEAR THIS- The drums and bass are 🔥 (I hear that cowbell too). I wish I understood the lyrics more... 12.EUGENES LAMENT- WOW! TOTALLY DIFFERENT SOUND. Interesting gypsy vibes with the fiddle too. 13.FLUTE LOOP- Some more flute samples like "Sure Shot" in a mellower track. 14.DO IT- Total 90's vibes and more intelligible vocals. 15.RICKY'S THEME- Another seventies inspired instrumental, this time more on the jazzy side. 16.HEART ATTACK MAN- F'n crazy! Lives up to its name. 17.THE SCOOP- Jazzy beat and I can sorta tell what I'm hearing. 18.SHAMBALA- The Buddhist chants are a cool touch in this other funky instrumental. 19.BODHISATTVA VOW-The Buddhist vibes sort of continue in this track, both in the form of the title and the cymbals. 20.TRANSITIONS: Pretty funky slow jam of a final track. >In Review: Considering that my existing musical tastes are pretty far from this, I'm actually surprised at how my I enjoyed Ill Communication. The album is primarily a dynamic duo of punk rock and hip-hop, and the funky seventies-flavored instrumentals make it a unique trifecta. Even though I found that the vocals on several tracks were tough to make out, I enjoyed the overall eclectic sound on this album and would give it a 7 out of 10 if possible.
The pan suave of rapping boy bands. The restaurant at the end of the universe of my taste in music. Never in a million years did I think I would take to something like this, but I really did. Some of the songs are sick. Some of them are not though. I wish I could give it 4 stars just for the ones that make me feel like I'm in the same league as Blue Da Ba Dee and for the smooth transitions, but it's really drawn down at points. 3.3 stars.
I was excited when I saw this selection but I was very underwhelmed. Loved the first few tracks, reminded me of listening to this in like 7th grade. Mustve lost interest after that even back then, because I forgot about the numerous instrumental tracks, which were unremarkable for thr most part. Wanted some beat boxing mc'ing, and while I respect the attempt, not what I was looking for.
Above average album. Enjoy the beastie boys but this album had several instrumental interludes that didn’t seem necessary. Prefer their first album over this one. 6.6/10
Very cool and obviously legendary, just didn’t find more than the hits that I loved.
Had never listened to a full BB album before - I liked it. Went on to listen to another one which I didn’t like so much. Think I need to be in the mood for something like this.
It was alright. A lot of instrumentals and experimental stuff with the signature bestie boys sound. Not much stood out in terms singles but it was still good. This is something I will need to listen to again to get a better opinion. It seems like some of these tracks will grow on me
A really funky jazz/hip-hop mix from the Beastie Boys with their trademark rap sound over the top. Lots of instrumental tracks throughout, where I perhaps wasn't expecting it. Best: Sure Shot; Root Down Worst: Sabrosa
Fun and catchy 90s vibes. Brings me back to childhood!
Pasable
Summer sounds
Great album, but I couldn't really do the whole album!
Here’s the thing with the Beasties: no matter how varied they try to be (and they throw a lot at the wall here - hardcore punk, freewheeling jazz flute, rollicking basslines), they always end up coming out the same way. In your face hollering to a groovy drum track. Big, fun and made for parties, even when they’re trying to go beyond that. As with all of us, their biggest strength is also their biggest weakness.
It wis not bad at all, I thought I was going to hear the beach boys at first but I was pleasantly surprised.
Fraid to say I spilt all my juice for today trying to write a comprehensible critique of Bo Burnham: Inside, so all of I've got to say about this is it's funny, bouncy and suprising enough to justify its 50 minutes.
It sounds like if Rage against the machine tried to rap. I would have given it a 2, but listening to the whole album a few times ups it to a three. They get bonus points for their songs all sounding different. They lose points for sounding really dated. You might say they... SABOTAGED themselves xD
Typical beastie boys
Omistan levyn.... ihan kovaa menoa, joskin myös muistikuva puudutuksesta tuli mieleen...
Tämä levy kärsi ihan puhtaasti siitä, ettei tätä oikein pystynyt kuunnella työnteon taustalla. Kappaleissa tapahtuu niin valtavasti ja hypitään koko ajan eri maailmoista toisiin. Levyn sisältö on niin rönsyilevä ja ylimittainen, ettei voi levylle kokonaisuutena antaa hyvää arvosanaa. Tuntuu, että tähän on tyhjennetty kaikki, mitä pöytälaatikoista löytyi ja vähän enemmänkin. On kuitenkin levyllä monia hyviä hetkiä ja niiden takia kolmonen. Eniten kolahti punkahtavat biisit kuten Tough Guy ja Heart Attack Man sekä hitti Sabotage.
I know, right? I just don't like it that much.
Innostuin välittömästi kun näin minkä yhtyeen levy tuli kuunneltavaksi. Alku lähtikin räväkästi liikkeelle ja levyn biisilistasta löytyi myös Sabotage-hitti. Levyn kaksi kertaa kuunneltuani täytyy todeta, että hyvää menoa, mutta vähän sekava pläjäys kaiken kaikkiaan. On monenlaista tyyliä ja kokeellisia juttuja. Tulee mieleen Beatlesin levyt siinä mielessä, että levyiltä löytyy klassikkoja ja sitten aina jotain ihan käsittämätöntä tavaraa, jonka olisi voinut jättää suosiolla pois ja levy olisi ollut kokonaisuutena parempi ja ehjempi. 3/5, vaikka olisin kovasti halunnutkin antaa enemmän!
Not sure why I am having a hard time getting into this album. I think I want to like the Beastie Boys more than I actually do. Fine album overall, interesting sound but not one I could listen to very long for one time, but luckily they changed it a few times throughout
I wanted to like this and it was really fun for the first 30 minutes but it definitely got samey and the instrumental sections did not hold my attention. 6/10
it was aight, not rlly my style but aight ig.
3.5, couple of bangers and s lot of instrumental filler
Some great tracks (Sabotage my favourite of theirs), and shows their songs aren’t all comic munition.
I like the Beastie Boys, but this is definitely not their best album. There's some bangers here of course, like Sabatoge but there's quite a bit of filler on this album that didn't add anything. The sound is definitely dated, but there is still some novelty to it. Overall its pretty average, I know the Beastie Boys can do better.
Lyrical distortion: Not a fan. Favorite Tracks: Root Down Sabotage Get It Together "Transition Tracks"
I mean interesting but not great
Meh
Best wel genieten zon rap/rock album maar verveelde wel redelijk snel
Individual songs good, album as a whole became samey
I don't feel like this is their strongest outing. There are some great songs, there is also some flat monotony.
I had to power trough the first part. But the second part (sabotage and all after that were awesome).
Loved the challenging and protesting lyrics but 2 songs performed at Glastonbury 1994 was enough for my ear drums.
Interesting fusion of different musical styles. Will come back to this one
This album does have some of the Beastie Boys greatest hits. There sound is very unique and mix genres of rap, punk, rock, and blues. Sometimes incorporating classical string instruments. Would I want to own this full album? Probably not.
Liked Sabotage and Flute Loop the most, great hip hop album. Wasn't able t read lyrics like I would like to, need to revisit the album in order to get a better knowledge of it. 6/8 (NOT FINAL)
Too intense for a work day
i like the beastyboys sound but im not a fan of rap overal so i get bored after a while
Good time with this record.
So close to five, I'd say a four, makes me re-evaluate my 4 for licensed to ill, that should definitely be a 3
Good!
Kind of ok. Sure Shot is a fab, classic tune
Look, I have always liked Sabotage. The song is build up amazingly. However, a lot of the other songs on this album are well not bad, but just not my thing. I wanted to skip multiple, have listened to them all, and cannot say anymore which was which one. Maybe I just have to try this album again another day?
This was fine, I get why it’s a classic. I just think the back of this record is a bit of a snooze
I just like the song intergalactic from them but it's just emotional because I got it from a video game. I see why people liked it back in the times but I cannot listen to it...
I appreciate that this album is trying with a variety of style instruments and I do find that interesting. I just think the length dwarfs anything that I have positive to say about this album. I fail to understand why this album needs to be an hour-long. There is, for me, only a handful of tracks and lines throughout the album that I felt worked really well and everything else was just fluff to me. I like parts of this album. I really do, but it is just not enough to help me sit through this album as a whole. I can see why someone would really like this. And I appreciate that, you know, this is just really not my style. Fav Track: Sabotage
Eh, it didn't really hold my interest, and it had a little bit of offensive language.
yelling
weird one, felt the same as the last beastie boys album i got, i enjoyed it the further i got into it. but not my vibe
Sabotage is a banger, and Sure Shot is good. The rest of the album is kind of up and down. Not bad, but doesn’t stand up to License to Ill or Paul’s Boutique.
not good!
Wat een kabaal. Een mix van rap-roepen & funky beats.
It was ok
favs: root down sabotage sabrosa eugene’s lament shambala transitions rating 1.5/5
The only issue with random generation is that it means you can get 2 Beastie boys albums in 3 days, neither being the only one I like. More good moments overlaid with irritating vocals.
Not my favorite beastie boy album but a fine listen
Not very memorable.
Better than 'Paul's Boutique' (it really couldn't have been worse), but nowhere near as innovative and well-produced as 'Licensed to Ill'. What the hell's up with that distorted speaker technique? Rap's all about clear vocals - or at least it should be. It's also far too long for what it offers. The ratio of decent material (oddly, the instrumentals) to muddy, mumbly muck makes this a chore to get through. It's a shame, too, because some of those instrumentals truly had potential, but I can't see myself ever coming back here.
Meh
Seeing ALOT of repeat artists. There must be more artists out there. I semi-liked this album
Not my vibe
pendiente.
The 20 something year old version of me would be sad that I just don't enjoy listening to the Beastie Boys anymore. Alas, what can you do? I respect their work but I don't want to listen to it.
En kyllä kertakaikkiaan voi ymmärtää hypeä tän albumin ympärillä. Aivan hirvittävää musiikkia, 2/5. Edes albumin suosituimmat kappaleet eivät saa mitään muita tuntemuksia kuin ylenpalttista vitutusta tätä kuunneltaessa (sabotage lukuunottamatta). Laulajan äänikin on aivan hirvittävä. Ei jatkoon.
- Oh no, not again... I got BB a few albums ago and it made me take a break from this project. I do like the singles, but I don't ever seem to be in the mood for a full (long) album of this. - I can't understand the lyrics most of the time, and when I do, it feels like a whole lot of nothing or it's the n-word. - I also don't like the tone of the higher, more nasal voice (Ad-Rock, I think), and it always has the same cadence. - Also, the music isn't interesting enough to keep me invested despite having some fun beats and cool samples. And, the album feels like it goes on forever. So, yeah, I guess I'm not really a fan of the Beastie Boys' albums...
The 2nd Beastie Boys album I've drawn, and this is much more accomplished musically than Paul's Boutique. There are even a few songs I like this time around -- Futterman's Rule and Ricky's Theme really work for me. Most of the rest only works in moments. There's a lot of great bass playing throughout, and a consistent jazz influence that complements the fuzzy, twitchy sound really well. There's one major problem -- I still can't stand the vocal delivery. It's definitely an improvement over the earlier record in that department -- maybe the fuzz/static dulls some of the whiny qualities. I can't say any of the popular tracks do anything for me at all. Sure Shot, Sabotage, and Get It Together are all among my least favorite moments here. I'm beginning to wonder if all of their records would be better with the vocals removed. At least this one gives us a few tracks to hear what that might be like... but it's not enough to make me want to come back for more.
White guy rap music
I think the BBoys can display the best sample flips i know, but for their music to shine, they have to shut the hell up !!!!!!! I don't think it's a hot take, but I'm filtered by their rapping, and this album is no exception. Songs like Get It Together and Sabrosa are very well produced, but what a headache i get by hearing their screams for 1 hours DAMN
some fun songs here. Somewhat better than most rap/hiphop things but not really my groove
The best songs were the instrumentals. Other than those, album didn’t resonate with me.
Would I listen again: no DNF around halfway through cause it was just getting a slog to get through and I knew it was just going to be more of the same. 2 stars because it wasn’t painful to listen to just repetitive and boring
Some high points instrumentally but I don’t love rap/rock fusions and the Beastie Boys have never really been for me
The instrumentals are actually interesting and the boys evidently put some effort into the lyrics this time around. Not enough to make me want to think much about their meaning. 2 because they show improvement and I can see how this might be considered influential
#1. Not for me at all, just sounds like noise. The jazz bits are cool tho.
erm de instrumental zijn eigenlijk best goed maar de rap is gwn slecht. ik weet nu waar die sample vandaan komt maar ben het lied die het heeft gesampled nu vergeten… de liedjes zonder stem zijn good
Not my thing
I just don't like this genre of music. This isn't quite as bad as others but yet not better than a 2 for me.
🔴 (listened: 8/20) ; not really for me
The funky jazz instrumental is carrying way to much the album, not their voice
A couple songs were ok but most of it was terrible
Tento album ma ničím nenadchol. Vlastne mám rád len ich 1. album.
Not a big fan of the Beastie Boys. A few song are fun, but most of the time I think they are screaming
It was ok but not something I’d go back to
Not my fave but better than I anticipated.
puh, das war anstrengend. Coole Beats, auch gute Instrumentalstücke dabei, aber grauenhafter Rap. Ein Mal und nie wieder.
Apart from Sabotage this very much blended together for me
Sabotage is lekker. De rest ligt toch minder makkelijk in het gehoor
Didn't sound too bad, but everything was like a carbon copy of the previous song. Very boring to listen to.
I don't like the Beastie Boys much. I fucking love Sabotage though.
track 5 has a funky bassline; I never really been a fan of the yelling, matter-of-fact rap flow that Beastie Boys has for example (among other early rap groups); always love me a Q-Tip feature; not notable for me
Sabotage really carried this album.
Ambitious!
Kinda just loud rap or rock music.
I wanted to like this, I have fought for my right to party, but I could not do it 😐
A bit too agressive and fast. Didn't like the beats so much.
There's the his and then there's a lot of biting tracks. Some instrumentals and hardcore tracks. My problem with the Beasties has always been that they are not good rappers. They are cool, but this album ain't it.
It was fine. A little long (an hour). I only knew Sabotage. It was entertaining enough though.
Good not great
Sabotage is good, rest is average
Not as bad as I thought it would be but still gave up around half way
This is not my thing. It's got Sabotage, and it's not actively annoying in the middle, so it gets a 2.
Some nice riffs save it from a 1 star but they mostly quickly transform into something generic, also don't care for the voice.
We already had Paul’s Boutique. No need for anymore Beastie Boys. Too much jazz on this one, which goes less well with all the shouting. Sabotage is the only really good song.
Noisy and unresolved and boring. The rap is trash. 2/5
Ikke helt min stil
1. Sure Shot: Rapsito tranka, piola buen ritmo, medio under siento. 7,5/10 2. Tough Guy: No me gustó mucho, mucho ruido, saturado, entiendo q es medio la escencia de este ritmo, pero no me copa. 3/10. 3. B-Boys Makin´ With The Freak Freak: sigue la misma linea pero no es tanto ruido. 4,5/10 4. Bobo On The Corner: No idea, medio transición/interludio. 5. Root Down: Acá me gusta un poquito más, siento que no es tanto ruido y es un poquito más de rap. 7/10 6. Sabotage: No me gustó nada, supuestamente es el hit del albúm, pero no me gustó la verdad. 5/10 7. Get It Together: Mucho más flow, me gusta mucho más. 8/10 8. Sabrosa: Super tranka, más tranquilon, medio mezcla de jazzito y bit. Piola. 7/10 9. The Update: Vuelve la voz saturada que no me gusta, aunque el ritmo de fondo juega. 6/10 10. Futterman´s Rule: Vuelven los ruidos molestos, sin letra ahora. 3/10 11. Alright Hear This: Sigue esto molesto de escuchar, siento que es super el rap de esa época, pero bueno no me gusta. 3/10 12. Eugene´s Lament: instrumental, bastante piola. 6/10 13. Flute Loop: Meh, no me termina de gustar ni disgustar. 5/10 14. Do It: Rapsito piolita tipo under. 4,5/10 15. Ricky´s Theme: Tiene estas cositas que de repente se pone medio jazzero. Piola, me gusta. 7,5/10 16. Heart Attack Man: Y vuelve a este ruido molesto. 2/10 17. The Scoop: Sigue este ruido feo y molesto. 3/10 18. Shambala: Vuelve al instrumental WTF. 5/10 19. Bodhisattva Vow: No se ta rara la cosa ya. 5/10 20. Transitions: de trankas. 6/10 Nota General: No se la verdad, por momentos una mierda, por momentos buena música tranquilona. No entiendo como puede haber tanta varianza dentro de un mismo albúm y artista. Quizas no estoy preparado para escucharlo ni entenderlo. 4/10
Don’t remember
I don’t like this style of rap
not my music taste
Not my favorite. Reminds me of someone. It’s not horrible but this is music for annoying obnoxious white joys with entitlement complexes. The music is catchy though which is annoying! I would listen to this as an instrumental. The rapping is horrible.
No es mi estilo
Lamentablemente no nací en el Bronx asi que no me gustó este album
Meh.
didnt love this one muy afincado en el hip hip, y bueno pues, no me llamo mucho
Not a fan of this. Maybe if I was an edgy 20-year old still, but I'm past that point in my life.
I’ve always wanted to like the Beastie Boys. I’ve tried listening to them on many occasions but never really understood what all the fuss was about. Ill Communication is today’s listen, so I was curious to see if this would change my mind. I completely understand how important they are and how they were trying to do something different. Sabotage is a great tune, but as a whole I found the album quite a tough listen. It actually took me most of the day to get through the 20 tracks, even though the album only runs for about an hour. Overall, I thought it was just OK. Nothing really jumped out and made me think “what a great track.” As you might expect from early 90s hip hop, some of the lyrics also feel pretty dated and out of place today. Favourite tracks: Sabotage and Futterman’s Rule. Least favourite tracks: A lot of the album felt quite dull to me and didn’t really hold my attention. Album artwork: A cracking image and very recognisable.
"sabotage" is the hit off this album. Not sure if it redeems the rest of the screaming... Good for a workout I guess?
Enjoyed the first track, but the distorted yelling is just not for me in this case. I do like the instrumental tracks. Not sure if any/many of these will make any sort of rotation. The bass line on root down is fun!
A few songs are familiar and good, but as a whole sounds too repetitive
i don't like stuff like that
Some songs I liked but overall, not my kind of music
no es un mal álbum pero definitivamente es cero mi estilo de música. (largo)
aburrido
too noisy
Nerviges Album einer überbewerteten Combo.
I don't like hip hop
I find it a very consistent album, but that's precisely why I don't like it... Since almost all the songs sound exactly the same, sometimes I thought it was the same song, And it turns out there were several songs.
Okay so mixed emotions about this one. Having already known and enjoyed their songs from other albums (predominantly Paul's Boutique and Licensed To Ill), I often ignored touching this album. A combination of rowdy tracks and instrumentals made me feel lost to what direction they were headed. I guess maybe it's their experimental aspect? The rapping in this album lacked flair and felt like spoken words that rhymed for the sake of it. With "Get It Together" featuring Q-Tip being the only exception and him mostly carrying the majority of the track. The album gradually dragged on and became obscure. Personally, I wouldn't revisit this entirely but only listen to a few standout tracks.
I've never been able to listen to the Beastie Boys without feeling slightly annoyed and that is still the case in 2026.
Not bad, 'Sabotage' was a good track. I'm not into rap but I did like the instrumentals. Vocals were too yell-y for me. 'Sabrosa' was nice too even though I don't favor lyric-less tracks. 'The Update' also stood out as interesting to me. The rest of the album was a bit forgettable. I liked the final track too, 'Transitions'. All-in-all, I liked it but wouldn't really listen to the full album again anytime soon. 2/5
Not my music at all, most songs give me stress :-) . Some of the quieter, slower songs I liked more.
Better than the other album I had by them but I just don't care for the beastie boys.
I prefer Commodore 64 for my nerdcore listening pleasure.
Chund mer vor als würdet d Beastie Boys eifach mal is Mikrophon labere, egal wies usechund. Ned so miis
Nerviiig. Zum ime geile setting es konzert gseh und lose wäri ume. Aber so eifach nur ahstrengend. —-> 2
Dogwater then. Dogwater now. Not a fan.
I've heard nonstop praise for the Beastie Boys ever since they first blew up, but after listening to Ill Communication, I'm just not seeing what all the hype is about. The album constantly jumps between totally different styles, punk, hip-hop, funk, instrumentals, and it ends up feeling disjointed and honestly pretty annoying to me. I actually preferred the instrumental tracks over the ones with vocals; they were the only parts that really held my attention. The one saving grace is 'Sabotage'. It's the sole reason this album gets more than a single star from me.
Wasn't bad but didn't do it for me. Diverse range of sounds though
Eh
Were they ill when making this?? I don’t like Beastie Boys. I mean the Yelling-Hiphop genre specifically is really hard for me to process. They’re actively ruining great beats and samples when yelling and screaming over the music, and that makes me want to yell. This was my first time listening to an album by Beastie Boys, but I already knew that this was going to be rough for me. Fortunately I found out only a couple of minutes before listening that this is more Jazz inspired, and that gave me hope. And while the Jazz is felt on some of the instrumentals, it isn’t present nearly enough to save the record. The Jazz influence didn’t even make all the instrumental songs good/“listenable”, only some of them! For an example I love “Sabrosa” and “Futterman’s Rule”, but “Shambala” feels like a knife in my h(ear)t. Some of the songs with lyrics like “Sure Shot” with its catchy chorus and great sample choice, “Get It Together” carried by Q-tip and its lovely atmosphere and “Alright Hear This” that works for a reason I probably won’t ever understand, are songs I actually like hearing. But most songs are sadly like “Flute Loop” which has a great name, but some terrible music, “Heart Attack Man” the worst song on the entire album, and “B-Boys Makin’ With The Freak Freak”: Heartbreaking💔. I am glad to have heard an album of Beastie Boys finally and I did feel like my tolerance for them grew during my listening. I give this a 5/10. I would also like to reccomend this to fans of Limp Bizkit. Thank you for reading my review, I hope best for you.
Was too loud and angry for me. With odd interludes
Muzak
incredibilmente questo rispetto agli altri due molto meglio, più strumentale e non tanto urlato come gli altri album
Note: I’m neither an expert or fan of rap. It seems like a bad idea to add lots of echo and static to rap vocals. Granted, what I could discern, though well rhymed, was better unheard. Mercifully, there were a few instrumentals. They were quite good. Everything else… Not so much.
Not my kind of things - I think first half was better than second half, kinda dropped off into background music
Hugely influential. Love the musical interludes showcasing some instrumental prowess. Too many though. Too much filler.
1 star (kill me now) because simply I didn’t like it….another star bc guitar was good and I can understand people who do enjoy beastie boys, just now me? Does that make sense
Only a few good songs the rest is just...noise to me but I get why its important
Bit too shouty for me
Never been a fan of Beastie Boys lyrical style but the album overall is not bad, it’s got good sampling and a consistently strong hiphop beat and i like Qtips feature.