Reviews (page 2 of 15)
What a great album, and it's not even in their top 2.
Love this! ‘Get It Together’ feat Q-Tip is one of my all time favourites. 4.5 easy.
New to me (remarkably). thought the run of songs up to Sabotage was as good as I've heard so far, but I felt it lost a little direction. A 40 minute edit of this record would be a 5/5, but it's getting a strong 4 from me.
One of the great LPs, thank you for sharing RGP. 4 lovely stars❤️❤️❤️❤️ Tom.
Not their best. It feels like it dragged a lot towards the end.
Already on my list of many listens, why not give it another spin?
Fun album. I'd never listened to the whole thing before, I was impressed with all the different musical styles
Some fun songs and a good enough stop on my music edification journey but ultimately discordant and just not my style. Sorry Beastie Boys.
Did everyone have a favorite Beastie Boy in the 90's? The main Boy's voice is iconic as hell. I didn't like the album as much as I thought, but I'm way more likely to throw this one on casually than some others in the 1001
I don't like rap but this was surprisingly fun. I really appreciated the instrumental tracks. Great album.
faixa 1 - tinha escutado falar beastie boys, achava que era uma banda de rock. faixa 2 - pera, tem punk-rock sim kkkk faixa 3 - voltou ao hip-hop que loucura, vei sinto que não arriscariam fazer um beat dessa forma nos dias de hoje faixa 4 - ok faixa 5 - caralho, mistura mt fodaaa * faixa 6 - caralho, me lembrou RATM * faixa 7 - puro hip-hop dos EUA, não sou mt fã faixa 8 - ok faixa 9 - ok faixa 10 - o timbre da guitarra me lembrou muito nação zumbi, bom instrumental faixa 11 - ok faixa 12 - pioral até agora faixa 13 - ok faixa 14 - mesma coisa da faixa 7 faixa 15 - belo baixo fretless faixa 16 - voltamos ao punk faixa 17 - ainda acho os beats impressionantes faixa 18 - interessante a transição para a faixa 19 com cantos gutural faixa 19 - elementos e misturas do beat mt interessante NOTA FINAL - 3/5
Not my thing
it's a vibe
The Beastie Boys from Paul’s Boutique in 1989 to Hello Nasty in 1998 really were on a run, what other group could meld hip hop, hardcore and spiritual jams in a record and have it hang together. 4.4
Sabotage is brilliant. There are a few other good tracks. Not fussed about the hippie instrumental jams.
Sabotage. Tune
This was better than the previous album I listened to (Paul's Boutique) but like that, it got tiresome after a while. 2 albums down and I can safely say I am not a fan, and content that I never missed anything when these albums came out. there was just so much more happening in 1994 for me to be concerned with this album. There were a few highlights throughout the album but for the most part i found it disjointed and repetitive. the update or Futterman's rule were the standout track outside of Sabotage. 3 stars
i liked
Right in my wheelhouse. The big three--Root Down, Sabotage, and Sure Shot, sound as great as ever. Is there filler? Sure. But it's fun filler, and the sequencing links the filler with the classics in a way that makes for a wild, entertaining ride. It fades a bit toward the end, but so what--they are having fun. Great album cover too!
Ysäriklassikko opiskeluajoilta. 3/5
This was SO interesting. The throat singing on the 3rd to last song that went straight into the next song as backing vocals???? SO cool. I really liked how much they TRIED in this album. Like... it was all over the place but in an expansive genre-bending way and not a messy unfocused way. I felt like the album had a really clear vision and just combined so many things so beautifully. Jazz, funk, punk, rap, rock. So so cool. I really liked it as an album for music as art sake. Nice! Happy that my overall love of the Beastie Boys as a guilty pleasure now feels a lot less guilty.
Pretty sweet album. Beastie boys are classic
I'm beginning to understand I don't rate rap, but at least this sounds like the band can play instruments
Such a great album. First thing to here it in its entirety though
This was maybe the second or third CD I bought with my own money (earned by mowing my parents’ and grandmother’s lawns). I hadn’t listened to it in a full go in decades I’m sure. It’s good, it alternates between the more hip hop vibe the Beasties are known for and more stripped down punk rock aesthetics. It’s very eclectic, quite front loaded and has more to love than just “Sure Shot” and “Sabotage” if you aren’t familiar.
Love the beats and the funkier instrumental bits. Great energy in the rapping too.
Het is creatief, relaxt, jazzy, bij vlagen gruizig, en toch klinkt het alsof het enige urgentie heeft. Een portie rock, funk of zelfs punk hier en daar. Schapengeblaat, vioolgekras, Tibetaanse monniken? Waarom niet. En o ja, ze lopen wat te rappen. Het is ze vergeven, als het maar afwisselend en energiek is, dan mag het van mij.
Ik schreef bij Paul's Boutique al dat de heren hielden van een rommeltje en waarschuwde al dat dat gekker werd als de heren later andere genres ontdekten. Er zullen hierdoor heel wat verschillende ervaringen zijn bij het luisteren van dir album, maar 'saai' zal daar niet tussen zitten. We beginnen met Sure Shot, een fijn nummer dat een vrij typisch rap-nummer van hen is. Daarna schieten we door de grenzen van het acceptabele heen met een punk-nummer en een nummer met geblaat/gemekker en dubieuze samples. Om vervolgens weer op te bouwen met een instrumentaal nummer, waar op gerapt had kunnen worden, een klassiek Beastie geluid, het geniale Sabotage én een samenwerking met Q-Tip die beide rapstijlen prima samenbrengt. Later volgen bijvoorbeeld jazzy, old school rap en filmmuziek klanken. Ik ken deze achtbaan al lang en vond het eerst helemaal niets, door met name de twee punk-nummers. Maar ik ben daar door de hoogtepunten ook weer doorheen gekomen. Dit heeft zoveel meer dan die nummers.
Ik weet niet zo goed wat ik met dit album aan moet. De fans roemen het omdat het zo afwisselend is en dat begrijp ik helemaal. Alleen zorgt die afwisseling er ook voor, dat ik er niet helemaal een eenheid in kan vinden. Al zit er wel meer lijn in het tweede, meer onbekende deel van het album. Ik vind er hele toffe nummers tussen zitten, maar ook ietsje teveel opvullers of buitenbeentjes, die het tempo er wat mij betreft uithalen (of juist ongevraagd opvoeren). Ik heb het album nu iets van 3x geluisterd en moet helaas concluderen dat dit niet mijn favoriete album gaat zijn. Ik ben bang dat ik niet verder dan 3 sterren kom. En ik kan moeilijk zeggen dat het op een andere dag een ander cijfer was geweest, want ik heb het dus wel degelijk meerdere keren geprobeerd.
Some of Beasties best work on this one, but also some filler tracks that keep it from that 5th star.
Paul’s Boutique was a much better album. This was long as not quite as good. Definitely enjoy the earlier Beastie Boys more.
Something I would have never found on my own. But such a unique sound that had me headbangin all the way
Clear classics and no filler.
Legalzinho
Rad album by a one of a kind group.
Enjoyed bits of this although the high pitched distorted vocal style does get grating after a while. For that reason my favourite songs were the ones with guest vocalists such as Get It Together and Do It.
This was actually really cool! I was under the false impression that the Beastie Boys were an alt-rock band (sorry) and I'm not the biggest fan of the rapping at times. Still, the energy this album brings to the table is so fun and the production unabashedly leans into its mish-mashed genre craziness.
4.75 <3 I really liked the compositions, but I found myself not always convinced by the rap--not my style, though I do objectively appreciate it. The music is awesome. The instrumentals are super creative and draw inspiration from a broad variety of genres. They brought a lot of vivid imagery and associations to my mind as I was listening. The Doors, Led Zeppelin, etc. I saved quite a few of the tracks into my library. Very worthwhile listen overall.
Honestly just not that big of Beastie Boys fan. I find their music grating
music is love
The rapping is classic Beastie Boys, corny but somehow kinda good. What makes this album stand out are the rock and jazz heavy beats. They're a lot more sophisticated than their earlier works. The worst track was "Heart Attack Man". My favorite tracks were the instrumental ones. 2.5 stars.
I hate the Beastie Boys and their stupid voices.
I enjoy a beastie moment
This site would benefit a lot from .5 scores... because this is the most 3.5 sounding album I've ever listened to. Too many instrumentals tho
I've never found the Beastie Boys anything but annoying, and listening to this entire album hasn't changed that.
It's seven or eight tracks too long, but there's very little on that I didn't enjoy. Super fun, eclectic, and fizzing with energy – they're a very endearing and entertaining act to me. I liked the outright punk stuff less, even though I'm more of a punk person than a hip-hop one, but I appreciate their range. The first half is much stronger than the second – there's a great album wallowing around here in the duration of a merely good one.
The instrumentals – Bobo on The Corner, Sabrosa, Eugene’s Lament, Ricky’s Theme, Shambala, Transitions and even Futterman’s Rule being mainly an instrumental - were a pleasant relief from the rest of the shouty crap. Just a shame they have to open their mouths at all. Unfortunately, most of this is not for me thank you B-Boys (probably B-Pensioners by now – or rather B-Senior Citizens I suppose). However, as I quite liked the instrumentals mentioned above I guess that’s about a quarter of the album so I am going to be very generous and give 2.5 stars for this one!
What I imagine a teenage boy in the nineties has playing in his head as he is 6 hours into GTA! Still good stuff, great punk rap hybrid and Sabotage will always be amazing 🤩 I was lucky enough to be playing this full blast in my Fiat 500 as I drove at 30 mph to M&S … still felt like I was in a movie!
So much fun! The best thing about this record is that if you don't like a song, it's over pretty quickly and then the next track is very different. I'm not mad about the instrumentals, and I prefer the earlier stuff where they are just loading samples on samples on samples (i.e. Paul's Boutique), but this is still such an easy listen and their melding of genres - that kinda flipping through TV channels ADHD approach to production - still works, even when they're playing instruments. 'Sabotage'/'Get it Together' back to back is an insane twofer
A kaleidoscope of Funk, Rap, Punk and Jazz. What the Beach Boys are to California, the Beastie Boys are for New York
It says a lot about a rap album when you say the best track, by a very long chalk, was the instrumental! But that is the case here. Not really anything positive to say about the rest though. 1. Its a very good instrumental, but nothing is good enough to drag the rest up to a 2.
Sensational noise. I’m not a massive fan of this lot, but they produced something quite amazing here. So much groove and attitude. The whole thing darts from one thing to another yet still feels completely joined up. I’d happily listen to this without any vocals, just pure instrumental, and still give it 5 stars. An absolute masterpiece.
It's proper eclectic this! A bit of rap here and bit of punk there, here a funk there a dance. Everywhere a good time! Old Chrissy boy's dancing to 'Futtermans Rule' is now stuff of legend, never to be repeated or filmed for posterity. What a great album, the sound of a bunch of blokes who are no longer Licenced to Ill, but now ready to rock and kick ass. Like my review, a mix of styles. Unlike my review a coherant whole that gels together in perfect harmony.
Sehr solides Album beim aktiv zuhören. So nebenbei aber nichts für mich
I had fun listening to this one, the blend of styles is pretty cool. While I'm aware it's iconic, I find the voice of one of the boys kind of annoying, especially listening to the whole album in one sitting Sure Shot ★★★★✩ Tough Guy ★★⯪✩✩ B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak ★★★✩✩ Bobo on the Corner ★★⯪✩✩ Root Down ★★★⯪✩ Sabotage ★★★✩✩ Get It Together ★★★⯪✩ Sabrosa ★★★✩✩ The Update ★★★★✩ Futterman's Rule ★★★⯪✩ Alright Hear This ★★★✩✩ Eugene's Lament ★★★✩✩ Flute Loop ★★★⯪✩ Do It ★★★⯪✩ Ricky's Theme ★★★★✩ Heart Attack Man ★★⯪✩✩ The Scoop ★★★✩✩ Shambala ★★★✩✩ Bodhisattva Vow ★★★★✩ Transitions ★★★✩✩
#254 Heard Before? Many times. I'm so old that my bandmates think it will be cool to cover "Sabotage". Notes: - yet another argument for this list having a two-albums-per-artist limit. - this album marks the point at which i completely stopped paying attention to Beastie Boys lyrics. - which is good because they become less distinct and more recycled from here on. - the singles really pop, almost distractingly so. for a long time "Root Down" was my favorite song of theirs. - a goldmine of samples and studio grooves. repetitive but worth repeating. - my main feeling is confusion - it all sounds so wonderful to me. so many sounds and moments that i love. at the same time it leaves me empty by the end. an album i only love while it's playing. Verdict: Busy funky jams be bringing the freak / overall impression is uneven and weak Listen Again? Probably not, or at least not the whole thing.
1 hour of Beastie Boys is too much Beastie Boys. Repetitive and a bit annoying in parts. Some ok songs but nothing I'd listen to again. 2.5/5.
I love Beastie Boys. Their range and the quality of their samples and influences is amazing. From chill instrumentals like Sambrosa to hard charging songs like Sabotage to catchy tracks Ilike Root Down. This album played nonstop in my CD player back in the day. It’s aged so well too.
Some straight hits on this album, but Beastie Boys aren’t always a hit for me. The good are great and the less good kinda suck.
This album is a real pleasure : a blend of different style, never realy boring with some bangers. Favorite Songs: Sabotage
A bit long and all over the place but the transitions were great and had a bunch of good songs
I really like listening to the beats of most of the songs but the lyrics ruin it for me.
I probably haven't given beastie boys enough respect. 3 white guys from new york city produced quality hip hop and found success in an era dominated by...not that demographic. I especially appreciated that they had multiple tracks that were instrumental/beat only, and still hit well. This album was better than I realized or expected, and would definitely listen to it again.
NOT a genre I'd ever thought I'd ever enjoy but holy crap this album got through to me and now I'm a huge Beastie Boys fan! SO much energy and so freaking creative! Wow! Glad to be on this album journey for this kind of new discovery!
I thought I'd only sorta like Beastie Boys but I sorta ended up really really liking it. Did not expect a Buddhist bent.
Best similes in the business. Really inventive album. Great beats, great rhymes. The only knocks are that that the instrumental songs don't add much and the voice distortion effect gets old fast.
Previously, the only Beastie Boys song I knew was Sabotage. As such, I expected this to be a purely punk record. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that it's actually mostly hip-hop, with some punk and other genres mixed in. Overall, I quite enjoyed it. I do wish there were more songs similar to Sabotage, but that's purely based on personal preference and it's not a knock on the album's quality at all. My only *real* complaint is that the album is a little long. Then again, I liked every song and I have no clue what I would cut from it.
A versatile classic. Undeniably a 5 album.
gran álbum de rap lindo agradable de escuchar pero bastantes instrumentales no mg tanto
A great album that combines elements of rock, rap, and even metal in the vocals to create a unique experience. I will have to listen again, as I simply left it on today. Added songs: None, yet; Will have to relisten.
20 tracks and still under an hour long. THAT is how you do it. Especially enjoyed the primarily instrumental tracks - Ricky's Theme is great. And showcases the value of listening to an album from start to finish in order. In these days of playlists and shuffle, do artists still bother to curate their albums like this?
Really cool stuff, glad this came up. My favourite parts were the drums (samples), jazzy bits, and the Q-Tip feature!!
me siento muy cool caminando por la calle al ritmos de este album.
Sure shot, sabotage bangers but album goes an odd direction in 2nd half
I was familiar and liked several songs on this album, though I had never listened to the entire album. I was aware that the Beastie Boys started out as a Hardcore Punk group and preferred live musicians with their songs. I was not aware that the breadth of their music covered such a wide range. In addition to the standard hip hop beats, I also heard jazz, funk, and more punk than I was expecting. It was pretty good.
The boys certainly have matured. Their music has more style, more styles, and a lot more instruments. Got some genuine funk and (good) jazz in there. Bodhisattva Vow is by far the most unusual hip-hop I’ve ever heard. Not sure what instrument is in the background on that one. Would never have guessed that Sabrosa , Eugene’s Lament, Ricky’s Theme, and Transitions are from the BBs. Makes me think they might be real musicians as opposed to three goofs from Brooklyn. But they’re still The Beastie Boys. (3.8*s) Don’t try it at home with your Dad’s stereo. Only under hip-hop supervision, awl right?
The communication is not quite clear on this album. The Adams Boys and Mike D tend to sabotage their own songs with incoherent yell-rap. I prefer the instrumental tracks without the emcees. The funky, soul induced beats got a nice groove...then you get a screamer, fast paced punk song that pulls you out of the chill. 2.35 stars for making it as a white hip-hop trio in the 90s but not quite ill enough.
Not sure about this one. Beastie Boys seems to be an act that broke through by subverting the tropes of rap/hip hop and bringing something original to the table. Although I enjoyed the prior entry and do think the Beastie Boys can be fun and creative when the stars align, they can also be simultaneously a little irritating. They are an act built on a shtick that is pretty thin to begin with and tends to get annoying after a couple songs. It's a pretty fine line to walk when you are spitting comedy rap lines, and you don't always end up on the right side of it. Ill Communication as an album embodies this in all the worst ways. It takes a step back from their earlier work in all aspects (sampling, productions, rhymes, hit singles, etc.) yet you still have to sit through an hour of it. At their best Beastie Boys have an annoying charm, at their worst they are actually pretty obnoxious. I can stomach them in small doses but don't often want to spend extended time with them and Ill Communication is a perfect example of this. I expect that License To Ill will make it onto this list, and I'll give it a listen if/when it eventually arrives but I've pretty much had my fill of Beastie Boys. I get why they have a dedicated fanbase/following and their relevancy when the were contemporary can certainly be appreciated but I'm happy to keep on them on the shelf most of the time. 1.94 stars
Second half is awesome! Shabak s of america
Pretty pretty pretty good. Sabatoge is fantastic and makes me want to steal a car.
4/5
People think the Beastie Boys are just Kidz Bop rap. But this album also has Kidz Bop punk, Kidz Bop hardcore, Kidz Bop funk and Kidz Bop jazz. Enjoy your L haters. I actually enjoyed this, as I did their first album, but once in the mid-90’s I rode three hours to Atlanta to go to a Sonic Youth concert with a girl I was friends with who was friends with the alternative kids in my town and I thought on the long car ride I would engage the alternative kids in conversation and make new friends and thereby have an in with the alternative scene in my town but they just sat in the front seat and rapped along to the Beastie Boys the whole way and never talked to me, so I’m still mad at the Beasties. But those guys probably ended up on meth, so I guess it was for the best.
simplemente perfecto !! No hay ni una cancion mala en este album, las instrumentales son increibles i como te dan ganas de ponerte a bailar
A bit too long, but this album is really fckng cool!
well this was a lot better than the other beastie boys album at least
Sabotage 🤌🏿🤌🏿
Pretty good.
hip hop es cultura
He reconocido mucho sample famoso, pero se me ha hecho un poco largo de más.
Eh I’ve never really been sold on Beastie Boys; no matter how many times J.J. Abrams puts them in his movies. Though listening to this, I’ll say it’s quite enjoyable. Know how they’re actually playing makes me admire their talent. But it’s clear why Sabotage crawled to the mainstream compared to the other tracks.
First bit was not my style. Rap and then punk. “Sabotage” I could get behind. When they switched to mostly instrumentals I was way mor on board. Highly enjoyable without all the cheeky rapping.
Crackling with energy and wonderfully freewheelin'. I have long struggled with BB because I find them more cool than listenable...something about the redundancy of delivery and unyielding anti-melodicism. IC finds them at their coolest and strangest. What exactly are the Boys doing during those several jazz and funk instrumentals? When and why did they fall headlong in love with that radio vocal filter? None of it matters, probably! "Sabotage" makes me want to kick in authoritarian teeth. EDIT: I guess they're actually playing some instruments? Color me surprised and delighted.
I just don’t fw the beastie boys like that Edit: Perhaps I was too harsh.
Productions and instrumentals on this are really nice and it feels more mature/toned down from their other albums. The style in which they rap/deliver just doesn’t appeal to me that much.
It was one of the coolest albums of the 90s.
4 vibes although it was really a toss up between 3 and 4. I can’t really say which songs were great.
Det här var inte mitt favoritalbum alls. Beastie Boys levererar ett klassiskt oldschoolalbum i form av Ill Communication som inte är dåligt, men heller inte så imponerande för mig. Instrumentalerna är riktigt bra och beatsen otroliga, men jag gillar helt enkelt inte rappen så mycket. Den låter väldigt likadan i mina öron och är sällan något jag diggar. Klassiska rapalbum från samma tider är betydligt bättre, mycket tack vare rapen. Biggie, Nas, Tupac, NWA eller Wutang hade alla producerat bättre album med samma förutsättningar. Jag gillar helt enkelt inte den brusiga rapen, som mest blir störande efter 1 timmes lyssning. Jag ger albumet en 5/10.
Helt ärligt.. jag älskade detta album, jag älskar hur rått de va och alla live instrument. Fusionen mellan hiphop och punk är genialiskt och något som jag inte visste var något jag behövde i mitt liv. Jag kan ha lyssnat på detta lite som backgrundsmusik men jag älskade bara att ha den här skivan på. Detta kanske är min minst motiverade recension hittills men jag, Grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioner ger detta album en 9.5/10 och sätter en 5 pepparkorn av 5
No other musical act brings more joy and goodwill than the Beasties. This record, the second in what I consider a trilogy of ground-breaking albums, soars high. I hear a feeling of relaxation from the guys on this. They weren't under the pressure to make a name for themselves or changing sounds. This is just them spitting rhymes and jamming in between. It's the same concept on Check Your Head though I'd argue that this goes deeper into the funky village. Add on the genius production from Mario C, the guitar songs (Sabotage) and the hint of spiritualism and you got a great soup. It's the type of party record that makes you want to stick your dick in the mashed potatoes (9/10, 5/5 on this scale)
OK REALLY COOL ONE. start was kinda meh with a little bit of good songs then the 2nd half got me straight vibing. loved this one somehow...
Always appreciated the great mix of hip hop, punk, and instrumental on this album. I’m not always in the mood to listen like other top albums, but it’s an amazing piece.
My son has been doing School of Rock, and the local school had some older (like, young teen) students playing at a brunch at a local BBQ place. Went with the kids, not sure what they'd play, and when these tweens bombed in with the opening bit of "Sabotage," my kids immediately went to get earplugs. Then, eardrums safe, they started bobbing their heads. The kids are all right. I've always been more of a Check Your Head guy, but having listened to this twice in two days this might be the best BB album. You've got just wall-to-wall classic Beastie bangers ("Sure Shot" "Root Down" "Get It Together"), their best crossover-y rap-rock song ("Sabotage"), a couple hardcore throwbacks ("Tough Guy" "Heart Attack Man"), some of their weird, laconic rap stuff ("The Update"), and cool ass instrumental funk tracks. It is true what they say, this shit be cookin'.
No es mi estilo, he escuchado la primeras 7 canciones del disco y no me ha parecido tan atractivo. Siento como si todas las canciones fueran las mismas, y eso me lo ha hecho sentir muy aburrido al oido, ya que suelo preferir variaciones en tanto la melodia como la armonia de la cancion.
A pretty album from the New Yorkers. Not much of a hip hop fan but they have several good songs and show off some influential genres.
Beastie Boys complete! Messy, noisy, maximalist, and diverse in its sound. Super cool to see the trio go zen on the second half of this record. And Ricky's Theme is definitely a Persona 5 deep cut. Length does keep this from being a perfect 5 though.
so many tracks, like a tapestry of musical creativity. This fired me up when I was 15 and continues to do so today.
Pensé que me iba a gutar más pero poco a poco fue cayendo.
Best beastie boy album so far by a considerable margin. Largely because the beats feel extremely creative and fresh compared to their other work. Still don't like the rapping itself too much.
Not their best album.
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
Probably the best hip hop/ rap album I’ve heard to date. Some quite funky grooves apparent on this
Two hip-hop albums in a row. In general, I hate hip-hop music, but there are a few exceptions, and the Beastie Boys are one of them. I went on a high school camp in 1986 where we had just one tape played all weekend long—the Beastie Boys' debut album with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)". Ill Communication is their fourth album, from 1994. I was a university student at that time and had a tape copy of it, mostly due to the banger "Sabotage" and its great video. I must have seen that video countless times on the MTV that was always playing on our student house living room TV. The Beastie Boys originally started as a punk band, and traces of that can still be found on this album through a few short, fast punk moments ("Tough Guy", "Heart Attack Man", and of course "Sabotage"). Next to that, there's a lot of creative sound design, funky guitars, jazz, and rapping. Although I'm still not a big rap guy—and an hour of straight rap is still tough for me to get through—this album is so rich in melodies and all kinds of instruments, and it really rocks. That’s unique; you definitely can't say that about the average gangsta rap album, which I mostly rate a 1. This is a 3.5—not sure yet if I'll round it down to a 3 or up to a 4 stars tomorrow morning!
I love them.
-tough guy punk inspired -Root down jazzy -sabotage favorite so far (hip hop with punk) Overall fine. The vocals all sound the same to me.
Not typically my genre, but I enjoyed a lot of the instrumental sections
3.5
I've been listening to this album for the last three days because I wasn't very sure about what rating giving it, and I finally decided to go for the lower instead of a higher score. What intrigued me about this record is how much things it has to offer. There are the silly hip hop tracks, the more serious ones, the groovy instrumentals, a couple of hardcore punk songs, another couple of weird/experimental pieces and "Sabotage". The majority of the album falls in the two first categories, basically being hip hop. What I liked the most about these songs is the incredible chemistry between the trio, when they are rapping in the same song. Every handful of verses they change who is taking the microphone, and these jumps are incredibly well connected. Their quirky flows and very groovy beats are also a major factors that make these songs very fun to listen to, though they are some that are weaker than others. Besides, when they aren't all together, the song loses a bit of steam, and I'm thinking of "The Update" or "Bodhisattva Vow" as examples. Moving into the next category are the instrumentals, which can be really interesting. Their sound is quite far from the average hip hop track in here, usually being a mixture of funky and jazzy vibes that are incredibly groovy and also relaxing in some cases. The best examples are "Sabrosa", "Futterman's Rule", "Ricky's Theme" and "Transitions", which are mostly if not all the instrumentals that fit the description. Then there are the hardcore punk songs "Tough Guy" and "Heart Attack Man". As expected from the genre, they are very energetic and fast, and I think they work incredibly well here, as the fit the other highly frenetic tracks. Another couple of pieces I find very peculiar are "Eugene's Lament" and "Sambala", both being instrumentals. The first one has a very weird and hypnotic violin, and the second one is another groovy instrumental, similar to the ones mentioned before, but due to its use of Tibetan chants I think it is worth separating it from the rest. These two are certainly not the brightest moments, yet they still are interesting. Lastly, I can't finish the review without talking about "Sabotage", the best song of the album. Love the spirit in this one. It is fun, wild and in your face. Ad-Rock is basically screaming and the instruments are very loud and distorted. Absolutely loved this track. However, this album I think falters from having too much material, increasing the chances of weak spots, which there definitely are. Thankfully there are some really high spots as well, but the quantity certainly restrains my enjoyment a notable amount.
Come with me my love to the sea the sea of love 🎶
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...
A lot more variety of music than I expected, with some punk and instrumental jams punctuating this tracklist for the better. Good humor and self-awareness alongside radio bangers. I empathize with the song about the basketball player who just runs over everyone, those guys suck. Can't beat a rap group that plays their own instruments.
I got this the day after Licensed to Ill. There's still a little bit of that youthful, so-called "frat boy" energy but it's also so much more innovative. Much better. 4.5/5
Day955 - i used to know all the words to this album and i saw them at lollapalooza ‘94 and it was awesome. rip mca
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
Excellent album. The variety of different styles in this album makes it a classic from both a rock and jazz perspective. MCA is a legend. 8.5/10 Top song... Sure shot
What a album! This record feels like it's part of me. Never gets old. Memories of jumping around to these tracks at the local indie disco. Superb spots from Q-Tip and Biz Markie too. Solid gold 5 out of 5
Eh, it didn't really hold my interest, and it had a little bit of offensive language.
Futterman and flute loop, heart attack man
Really enjoyed it, beats and instrumentals are outstanding! The genre mix with Funk & Jazz samples and raw punk attitude is the thing that makes the Beastie Boys unique is. Did not expect that Beastie Boys would work so well on full album length, but there is no song that is not exciting
I like it but its long. Like i think I get the gist.
This album was really mid I don’t get the beastie boys hype Favorites: flute loop, bboys makin with the freak freak, sure shot 2.5 or 3/5
Fun angry shouty stuff and some pretty funky songs. I didn't know the Beastie Boys were doing all that.
This one is so good that it's easy to rate: 5/5
Really like the flute background of the first song, sounds like a classic Beastie song but then has a fun breakdown halfway through. Love the little punk rock song for number 2. Third song is intentionally fuzzy and kinda gives it a well-loved vinyl sound. Definitely different, but I don't hate it. I like the seemless transition to the next interlude song, and just between all the tracks in particular. The bass and beginning of "Root Down" is great, I like that whole song too. Next we go to Sabotage which is an all-time classic. The transition to "Get It Together" is really fun too, going from this loud expressive song to relatively calm and quiet. Qtip is great on that song and it is really fun in general. Sabrosa is a fun interlude, a little long. Love the message in "The Update". "Futterman's Rule" is another good jam song. "Alright Hear This" has a great bass line and is a super fun song, it continues that really muffled vocal quality. "Eugene's Lament" is super fun and unique. "Flute Loop" is another great one, just long enough but doesn't overstay its welcome. "Do It" was another very solid song, and just different enough. "Ricky's Theme" is a tranquil but funky like elevator song. "Heart Attack Man" is a great little punk song and has a kind of surprising good message. I really like the bass / cello in "The Scoop" and it has fun bongos too. "Shambala" is a fun buddhist monk chant song with a funky guitar. Love the transition into "Bodhisattva Vow", great lyrics, very different than normal rap obviously, but good for MCA. "Transitions" is a very 80s feeling funky like cop show song, a good ender. Honestly I hesitate to give this a 5 because it seems like too much, but there wasn't a single bad song on the album. I think I like the mixing of "Paul's Boutique" a little more, but I can't fault this album. 5/5 Favorite Tracks: Sure Shot, Root Down, Sabotage, Get It Together, Alright Hear This Least Favorite Tracks:
5/5 best beastie album next to check yer head
yelling
Wasn't sure what to expect, but its pretty good.
Good album. Very funky with an interesting combination of musical styles being played with in between more traditional BB styled tracks. 7.5/10
Great Songs: Sabotage Good Songs: Sure Shot, Root Down, Get It Together, Sabrose, The Update, Alright Hear This, Eugene's Lament, Do It, Heart Attack Man, The Scoop, Bodhisattva Vow, Transitions Mid Songs: Tough Guy, B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak, Bobo On the Corner, Futterman's Rule, Flute Loop, Ricky's Theme, Shambala Bad Songs:
Some classics but also a few misses
Not my Style but I understand the hype
I hated it so much i didnt bother to tull the end
Belter.
Absolute classic. Purchased when it came out. Defining memory is trying to edit a A level media studies video about basketball using back to back VHS machines to fit in with sure shot. Fun times. So many great lines and samples.
Ill Communication Pure 1st year of Durham vibes with this. Not listened to it in a while, so great to revisit and enjoy the inventiveness, eclecticism and sense of playfulness once again. Sure Shot, Sabotage and Get it Together are obviously excellent, but there are gems littered throughout. B-Boys Makin’ With the Freaky Freak’s jazzy feel is great, Bobo on the Corner may only be a minute or so but it's a great little groove and Root Down is superb, great drums and bass and wah wah, and it segues brilliantly into Sabotage. Sabrosa is great instrumental, jazzy and loungy, predating and doing it better than a lot of bands later in the decade, the same goes for Ricky’s Theme later on. The Update, Futterman’s Rule, Alright Hear This and Eugene’s Lament are another nice run of jazzy percussion and samples, particularly the latter two. I’ve always loved Flute Loop but I think I’ve often overlooked Do It, it's a great BB track, again built around some great bass and percussion and some fun lyrics. Even though it’s how they started out I’ve never particularly been a fan of their hardcore punk tracks like Heart Attack Man and Tough Guy, although I like how they add a different tone to an album full of jazzy and soulful bass and beats. The final three tracks round things off nicely, I particularly love the vibe of Transitions. You could easily argue its 10-15 minutes too long, there are definitely tonal similarities to many of the tracks, but I do love this album, it’s a great listen with some standout tracks and a lot of gems. 5. 🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒 Playlist submission: Sure Shot, Sabotage, Get it Together. It's probably Sabotage, but I have always loved Get it Together
After the classic, old-school hip-hop sampling on banger 'Sure Shot', the album moves away from sampling to more of a band vibe via hardcore punk, jazz and funk. It's a maelstrom of listenable ideas. Jazz/lounge touches appear throughout with varying appeal and 'Ricky's Theme' the cream of the crop. I can't say I care for he straight hardcore punk such as 'Tough Guy' and 'Heart Attack Man'. But punk combined with hip hop creates a peak of their career in 'Sabotage' which is perfection in every way (including video). The bass sound is gritty as heck, amped up to sound like a lead guitar. And several of the rap tracks (e.g. 'Do It', 'The Scoop'), especially towards the tail end start to feel quite generic. It's a deliberately sprawling album, a coming together of a few styles - even when there's a dip it works as an ubercool album to have on in the background. I think it's a four, ranking above the previous two Beasties albums on the list.
This albums reminds me of when I was a teenager listening to this album feeling like a bad ass.
Nice
This was tedious. Do people actually listen to this for pleasure?! The one single ray of light was Ricky's Theme, genuinely excellent. Note that it's an instrumental and has a chill vibe to it, and I couldn't help think it sounded like a Morcheeba track. However, I'm rating the whole album, and this single track does not excuse the travesty is the other tracks.
I'm torn: Ill Communication is clearly a 5/5 record. But then I like Paul's Boutique even more. So 4/5 solely for that reason.
While some may prefer the more experimental music on Ill Communication, Licensed to Ill is still my personal favourite and comes in at a 5 star for me. I found the distortion was overused on Licensed to Ill, which brought it down to a solid 4 star for me. It was great listening to it again.
The best thing is listening to great albums I haven’t heard for a while
ihan vitun hyvä, kaikki biisit oli erilaisia omilla tavoillaan
Lovely album. Better than I remembered and expected.
Is it my favourite Beastie Boys record? No. Is it still one of the most interesting hip hop records I’ve heard? Definitely. It’s not typical of the genre, consistently inventive and well produced. A good listen.
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
Good album.
the old rap style isnt really my favourite but i appreciate how much energy and passion they had in their delivery. I think that alone deserves 4 stars tbh.
Known for their singles hits that crept onto Kerrang in the late 90s. Looking forward to this. ----------- From the first few bars of the first track I am bopping. Hip hop - punk rock - funk jazz : this album isn't scared to mix it up. It's a pastiche of the previous 30 years of music tastefully sampled and performed into a seamless experience. On top of it all is the frantic and immediately recognisable delivery of the beastie boys with some strong messages we just didn't listen to. I absolutely love [The Update]. And what can you say about sabotage? An iconic single that epitomises the 90s. Brings me back to good times, skating and not caring for anything. I definitely would have been a hip hop head born 5 years earlier. 4*
Wow dude, that's sick!
Super fun, though maybe a little less good than some of their earlier stuff.
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.
i like it, need more
sabotage is great the rest is not really my style
not good!
Is always a recipe for disaster.
First listen to that, great album.
When it comes to the BB's I cant really listen to a whole album at once Like a Ramones record, it can get a much after three tracks in a row But breaking things down to a couple of songs at a time, makes this a really fun album to hear Great to hear Sabotage and Sure Shot again, but the deeper cuts also have some interesting musical choices that really surprised me Cool - I'll be back for another listen soon
Wat een kabaal. Een mix van rap-roepen & funky beats.
im far from well-versed in the beastie boys but oh my god man this is definitely my fave experience ive yet had with one of their albums. all of their records ive heard leave me kind of drained and exhausted just inherently, but this takes by far the longest to get there because of its beautiful ween-esque track sequencing of the clash-style eclecticism. there's no monotony at all, yet somehow still tons of Unity as the interests in funk, hardcore, buddhism, and utterly left field sample ideas tossed on top of deep banger beats all have that person-level intimacy to them. paul's boutique is one of the great Urban albums, a walk through many places and people and their disparate vibrant lives, and i think this feels comparatively like a group of guys in a more private setting hammering on what They Specifically find joy in. so many memorable moments, and even the less memorable ones are contributing to that overall feeling. will almost certainly be what i immediately reach for the next time im in the mood for this band.
I enjoyed this a lot. A lot of the instrumental songs were really really cool. Q-tip's appearance is particularly fun. A few of the songs had an almost indecipherable reverb on the vocals which was a bit tacky to me.
Beastie Boys are a group I always figured I'd like if I actually took the time to listen. I started out on a bit of a roller coaster with this one though . . . I was into the first track, and then the next two made me want to hit skip 😅 But then we started going back up, to the peak of Sabotage. Anyway, nothing I really disliked after that, although I was surprised there were multiple instrumental tracks. I debated giving it a 3, but I think the highs are high enough for a 4. Also, did Beastie Boys come up with deez nuts?
Hell yeah
Great hip hop but not quite a 5
A much better hip hop album than the weak entry from Ice Cube yesterday. Tons more energy, creativity, and iconic samples/beats as well. YMMV on the Beastie Boys' delivery and rhyming style, but I enjoy it, it makes them a unique entry in the rap pantheon. A fun album that trails off a bit toward the end, but is nevertheless a strong addition to this list. Solid 4/5
Flute Loop and sabotage will forever be etched into every iPod I own
It was ok
didn’t realize how all over the place this album is (in a good way). sabotage changed my life in middle school and for that i owe the beastie boys everything
They are still a bit too shouty for me but I enjoyed this more than Paul's boutique. It's a weird mess of an album though and kinda jarring to listen to. There's some nice instrumentals on here.
I just always like them!
Gravy to potatoes. Luke to Darth Vader. I'm a souped up sucka and I'll see you all later.
You can’t go wrong with the Beastie Boys.
Love the Beastie Boys
I can’t say I enjoyed every minute of it, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t an interesting, engaging, and innovative album. Also, the song transitions were on point imo, which was probably necessitated due to the fact that the genre changes with basically every track, but even despite that the transitions felt more well done than a lot of the single genre albums on this project.
Some great songs and then some that dragged. But overall I’d still listen to it again.
Day 353 Sabotage is such a tune. Highlights Sure Shot Root Down Sabotage
Oh fuck yeah
This is probably a best-in-class for the genre. Uses what it has well. Ironically, a superb bit of communication.
More of the same? Perhaps…but no one does it quite the same
It’s fine. Please don’t make me listen again
Not my jam.
I mean Sabotage is worth the price of admission alone.
Another masterpiece by the Beastie Boys. The songs are great (though the compressed vocal effect could've been left out on some songs), but what surprised me were the instrumentals. They didn't break up the flow of the album and were fun journeys through funk and jazz. It's a 5/5, with Paul's Boutique probably being the only better album of theirs I've listened to.
favs: root down sabotage sabrosa eugene’s lament shambala transitions rating 1.5/5
Hat mich voll überrascht, richtig gutes Album. Erste Hälfte meiner Meinung nach etwas besser aber sonst mega. 4,5/5
Poor ending to the album, but pretty good overall!
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
Having listened through all their albums and watched through some of their documentaries that's how I understand the Beastie Boys: They had a surprise hit with Licensed to Ill, particularly with “Fight for Your Right.” They suddenly found themselves in the “stupid party” hip-hop corner. It was only their first album, and they were still just starting out as artists. But they already found themselves cornered by being successful too early. They wanted to show their artistic muscles and created Paul’s Boutique. It was probably the most sophisticated hip-hop album ever made at the time, but it didn’t sell. They were devastated. Having already left Def Jam, they retreated into their own studio in Los Angeles. They found themselves in a dark place and started spending their time jamming and improving as musicians. Although they had all played instruments before, this was where they really developed as a band. So what you hear on Check Your Head and especially Ill Communication is them playing the guitars, bass, and drums themselves, just having fun making music together. I have the highest regard for the Beastie Boys because they were able to reinvent themselves so many times. Out of all the pressure they found themselves under, they didn’t crumble. Instead, they came back with even better music. About this album: It's by far my favourite. Sure Shot is such as strong starter. Then the Root Down / Sabotage combo is such a slam dunk I turn up my volume up 100% every time. And then the instrumentals. I find it insane how well they play their instruments (especially the percussion) Easiest 5 stars ever.
Een lekker gevarieerd album van de Beastie Boys. Er is lekker veel ruimte voor jazz en funk-achtige stukken en dat komt het album ten goede. Ik ben normaal geen uitgesproken fan van hun stijl, maar dit album is wel dik. Zelfs als je niet van de rap bent moet je dit album deels kunnen waarderen. Zoals ze sommige tracks als een soort jazz laten uitlopen (bijvoorbeeld Futterman's Rule, of Ricky's Theme is lekker). Dat ze niet alleen samples gebruiken maar ook gewoon 'live' instrumenten maakt het beter, het zorgt voor een oangenoame vijp. En voor wie zowel hiphop als jazz als funk niet leuk vind is er ook nog punk. Met een lengte van bijna een uur is het wel een wat lang album, maar zo erg is dat niet dankzij de afwisseling. Volgens mij krijgen Licenced to Ill en Paul's Winkeltje meestal de meeste credits, maar ik vind dit album misschien wel het beste. Ik deel 5 sterren uit.
Love and celebrate the seminal nature of this album, but aside from the gigantic hits (esp Sabotage) this album is only OK for me. In the right mood I can really love 80% of it, but in my normal life its less than that. Still gotta love and celebrate the Beasties of COURSE though!!
Sure Shot is a great way to start the album, I’d almost forgotten about this track but just the opening bars brought it straight back. Sabotage is such a classic track. Remember the video too. Great stuff. Really enjoying my return to this album :) A number of the songs sort of fly by in the background so I’m torn on what to give this. Teetering between a 3 and a 4.
Enjoyed this way more than I expected to. (I worry that if I look more into the lyrics i might feel differently)
Is this their most eclectic album? Thrash, Jazz, Hip Hop, Punk, Funk. Literally inventing hybrid genres at the time.
Listening notes: This is good and all but I don't think these guys have the bars to call themselves 'ill' Vocal effect got them sounding like they're about to order boneless pizza Weird for a hip-hop group that some of their best songs are the ones they don't rap on This production deserves better rapping A SIX point SEVEN on the richter scale????? Deez nuts mention. Lyricism at its finest This is the kind of beat I would expect Mos Def to drop a sick verse on. Shame it isn't This rhyme scheme is about as diverse as an asnac lecture I'm really torn with this album. The production is very varied and always fun to listen to. so much so that if the rapping was in any way interesting this album would be a solid 5. What we get instead is the beastie boys trading sets of four sometimes slightly wack bars with rhymes usually only at the end. This still sounds fine, but knocks the rating down to a 3.8
This one is a bus ride from somewhere exciting, still feeling the joy from before. 3.4/5
Classic, and for good reason
Fun hip hop
Together with Money Mark, the Beastie Boys were at their peak here, a statement that surprises me, but this list’s three albums has debunked my assumption that they were unserious dilettantes - this is fine album that has unexpectedly lodged in deep memory. “Sabotage” still screams, but so do “Ricky’s Theme”, Root Down”, “Futterman’s Rule”, “Sabrosa” and “Get It Together” - hooks and connoisseur textures abound. By this point, you must know whether you love, hate or tolerate their vocals. I’m a circumspect member of the latter group - I envisage their voices as a conduit of city noise. They mark that short period when a monolithic idea of cool existed with a cheerfully light-fingered attitude to other cultures. Tarantino for Hong Kong and Blaxploitation cinema, the Beastie boys for hip hop, funk and fusion, all a laugh as racism had been defeated and living standards could only keep going up forever and ever. Howard’s inventive lying has made it so that my parents serve mashed potato to our friend Ben with barely restrained anticipation.
Less irritating than their others here, perhaps because Howard played it constantly so I am immunized. A bit more varied than usual, the guests and the samples help a lot. "Sure Shot" is probably my least-hated of theirs, and even "Sabotage" still sounds kinda fun. Way too long, however.
Some great "songs" throughout this album. I didn't really like Sure Shot, but thereafter I was impressed, even if I don't often like anything out of this genre But this was okay, better than okay. 4 "glad it wasn't heinous" stars.
Not the best Beastie Boy album, but far from the worst.
Geiles Ding, gibt mir mehr als dem Paul seine Boutique.
Viele sehr gute Lieder dabei, aber in Albumlänge fand ich das schon ziemlich anstrengend.
Ihr bestes Album meiner Meinung nach.
Yeah! It’s THAT kinda party! I love this album. It’s too long. I don’t care. Cause right when I want to turn the dial, you have Heart Attack Man! Cause you know, it’s a man’s man’s world. Thowin his weight around, cause he can. And the instrumentals. This album is a gem. 5 Boolean: True - this one comes to the desert island
if white boys are gonna keep rapping they need to take notes and do something unique like these guys. like embrace buddhism
Sabotage was on repeat when this album came out. Listening to the entire album 30 years later, I’m impressed in their musical versatility. I appreciated their inclusion of political statements and the spiritual journey. I have a newfound appreciation for the artists.
Banger after banger. Even when the genres shift and they go into more punk or jazz fusion instrumentals, it holds my attention and piques my interest. Some of my favorite work, especially from MCA, RIP.
Different. A good different!
Not very memorable.
Have listened many times before. Love it. Get it Together is all time.
quite good
This is the kind of music they make inmates listen to at Guantanamo.
Quite unexpected. My earlier knowledge of BB was of lighter brighter rap. They were innovators, one of the first rap groups to hit the mainstream. Some reading has revealed their punk roots, and that's evident here. As is some real guitar band music ability.
CLASSIC. Not as absolutely transcendental as Paul's Boutique, but still an absolute banger
Something completely unlikely anything on this list or anything I've heard to honest. Production sounds so good it could have been made today. Incredible beats and use of samples and original music.
Not really my style, but i could recognise why people like this. Really beautiful musically, and enjoyed Sure Shot, Sabotage and Tough Guy.
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.
I really hate these guys. More than Bob dylan
I love this album, Im tempted to apologize, but I won't its so good.
me dió paja y no lo escuché
This album has some of my favourite rap songs (Sure Shot, Root Down), some of my favourite hardcore songs (Tough Guy, Heart Attack Man), and one of my favourite songs, period (Sabotage). The variation in genres is vast, and I like when they funk it up. Alas, the album is a little too much to take in one sitting, that’s why I knockers it down one star
Good time
Sabotage! Didn't love or hate the rest of the alhum.
Not my favorite Beastie Boys album. This is really not doing it for me, but still nice to listen to Best Song: Sabotage Rating: 5.5/10 Stars: 3
Vanha tuttuni. Välillä tulee kausia kun tätä luukutetaan. RiP MCA
Meh
I use the word “confident” a lot in these reviews but you can just tell these guys are so in control of their vision and craft and are having so much fun because they know that what they’re doing works
Classic Beastie Boys album great hits, good in-between songs.
Seeing ALOT of repeat artists. There must be more artists out there. I semi-liked this album
not for me
Not my vibe
Heard some before; 3.5; I really enjoyed the diversity of this album, and especially liked the instrumental tracks as well as the hardcore tracks mixed in. A very easy-listening album in parts with the funk, but also still interesting enough to want to listen to it again. Favorite Track: Sabotage
Kinda bloated and they use the distorted speaker box too often. Like I couldn’t understand several track. Sabotage is the coolest shit though, seeing them play their own instruments on Letterman was sick as hell. And that’s a lot of what this review is riding on 2.5
YES. It's been a while since I've listened to this album, thanks for making me check it out today.
Some generational bangers and had a bunch I'd never heard before. I really liked "Root Down" and "Sabrosa" plus "Ricky's Theme" awas cool. 20 songs and tons of ideas + creativity. I'm ranking this a notch below Paul's Boutique and License to Ill but still an awesome album.
Listening to this after Paul's Boutique was a little disappointing, but it's still an amazing album. 4.5 stars
Ok so these are the Beastie Boys
Such a good album with so much variety and depth of music, plus it has my favourite style of toe tapping rap.
The mix of genres here is so fun to listen to, big 4* for sure
A pretty good Beasties record. And Sabotage still crushes - especially with the video.
Peak Beastie Boys. Sounds like the best of the 90s across genres, and they laid a blueprint for the next decade, too.
pendiente.
At long last, I get to return to the world of hip-hop and review an album. What did I think of this one? I surprisingly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Going in, I knew that Sabotage was on the album, but otherwise, I was kind of on the fence since I’d seen a lot of Beastie Boys on MTV Classic and I didn’t really feel the need to dive into their catalog. However, once I put on the album, I was surprised by how much I got out of it. The main strength of the album is the sheer variety of musical styles on the album. They incorporate hip-hop, rock, funk, and other genres that makes sure the sound isn’t stale. They also include several instrumental tracks on the album, such as the violin driven Eugene’s Lament, and the epic Futterman’s Rule, two of my standout tracks. Another great part of this album is the use of live instruments, which creates a unique sound in a genre mostly defined by samples and electronic beats. It also allows for more exploration of different genres as stated previously, such as the heavy and powerful guitar and drums on Sabotage, another standout tracks. Finally, the rapping on this album is second to none, and being a new Beasties listener, I may not be able to pick out who’s who on each song, but I can at least say that the rapping(from I’m pretty sure Ad Rock) feels like a blueprint to Rage Against the Machine and Zach De La Rocha’s vocal style. It really shines through on songs like Sure Shot, and B-Boys Makin’ With The Freak Freak, my final standout tracks. Overall, a surprisingly impressive album, and one I highly recommend to those into 80s hip-hop.
i fear this ate
First album reviewing out of my usual genre, so I don't have much to base it on. But this album was a pretty nice listen. I feel like it was inspired a lot during its era with crunchy rock beats and strong instrumentals, but the rhythm was similar to hip-hop. I don't have much else to say about it other than it was a really good album and would rate it about a 3.5-4. My few criticisms were that it was harder to relate to this style of hip-hop, and there were a few cringey moments that I'm not used to.
Not my thing.
One of my all time favorites for a got dang reason. 5/5
A couple of excellent songs in a genre that's very hit or miss for me. Rating is really a of 5, 4, and 2
I’ve heard this before and I own it. This tape got stuck in my car’s tape player for most of the summer of 94, with a Flaming Lips album on the other side (both recorded from cd) so I went for a long time without listening to it once I got the tape unstuck. Of course, I have listened to it many times since then but it’s been a few years since I last spun it. This still manages to sound fresh all these years later and it was an even bigger departure than Check Your Head with more hardcore from their roots and more and better funk jams, and the lyrics spend a lot of time making amends with the blatant misogyny from Licensed To Ill and the undertones in Paul’s Boutique. I think of it as the sgt pepper to Check Your Head’s revolver, or better yet the revolver to Check Your Head’s rubber soul.
Not bad, but I zoned out a bit during most of it
Seems kinda generic now but maybe it was innovative at the time. Not an awful listen
Como escreveu alguém numa review: "This isn't a rap album with jazz and funk influences, this is a jazz album with funky raps played over it." Embora não seja muito a minha praia, reconheço muito o valor. Conseguem fazer uma ponte entre "estilos de música de rua de metrópole" do funky dos 70 até o rap dos 90, conversando com o rock de perto. Grandes. Sabotage, Sabrosa, The Scoop, Transitions, são excelentes.
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.
This is my favorite Beastie Boys album, but it's been a minute since I've listened to this album front to back. It's amazing that they made this album with 20 tracks and no filler at all. It's like they took all the vibes from Check Your Head, which was already a good album, and improved that and made it damn near perfect. And the thousands of styles they employ, and yet nothing sounds off from one track to the next. Hell. Yes.
Using cool 70's style funk and jazz beats, with a sprinkling off their punk roots. They are using a lot of effects on their vocals but I love the chemistry and lyrics. They have a great flow and sound really good when playing their instruments instead of just using beats. The instrumental tracks are very hip jazz funk fusion songs, an album of just that would have been great too which I think they did release later. Looking back the Beastie Boys have a killer 4 run of albums to start their discography. This album is a bit long for my liking but the sequencing is awesome, the transition's and varying musical styles, and the production are all great, full of great song after great song.
Very fun, similar to other beastie boys albums, I like the songs that show theor range. The second half of the album is great.
#410/1001. Basically on Check Your Head and this one Beasties changed from Sample-based production to live instruments, exploitation funk gives and even hc punk. And I guess that is what makes this whitey very happy. This probably is my favorite BB album. Will hard to choose between PB boutique and this one. But when they began their gig in Ruisrock with Sure Shot I was howlin' for Julie. ( Btw. Money Mark also performed - with them on stage and later with his own show which was great - at the festival, as did Björk - Jon Spencer unfortunately had to cancel). The album is a jam, features quite a lot of instrumentals and extended grooves, which is sometimes a relief since their rap delivery can get a bit annoying - well I suppose it is meant to add well.
It's The Beastie Boys - that is all you need to know.
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...
I had to listen to this three times before rating it. Not because it needed evaluation, I just really, really enjoy Ill Communication. Constantly in a three way tie for best Beastie Boys album against Paul’s Boutique and Hello Nasty. All just sublime. This is the first Beastie Boys album I’ll give a 5 to, and it won’t be the last.
I absolutely love the Beastie Boys and I don't think they have a bad record in their discography. In fact, I think Sabotage is one of the top 10 tracks of the entire decade (with a top 5 video from Spike Jonze). All that said, Ill Communication is too bloated to be considered great. It's 20 tracks long and filled with unnecessary Kojak style 70s funk interludes. Cut all that noise and you can add a full point or point and a half to my score.
Now here’s a beastie boys album I like. Really fun samples! They’ve straight up got a punk song on here!
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.
Incredible hard-hitting tracks, brilliant instrumental performances, genre-mashing that actually works and completely engaged. Never a disappointing track, I sometimes wish for slightly less distortion on the vocals mind, but it adds to the album's overall feel.
Interesting style, more rap like than expected
Yep
I like this when it came out... but dayuuuuum love this now.
It was a little underwhelming from what I was expecting, from what I knew from the artist, some good 90s hip hop in there but long instrumental parts that were a chore to finish
I can appreciate how great Sabotage is as a song. In isolation. I'm just not here for an entire album of this.
Instrumentais incríveis. Toda batida é ótima, uso criativo de scratches e samples, escuta bem divertida e cheia de vida. 4/5
An excellent mix of hip hop and rock influences. The lyrics can border on cheesy at times, but that is part of the fun. Also, I know this isn't exactly breaking any new ground, but sabotage is a banger.
This is a pretty good album and kind of sets the template for all their future work, but they can never quite reach the brilliance of Paul's Boutique again. Bonus points for Q-tip.
Didn't like it. Relistened. Like it a lot. Fun album
Lots of good and interesting stuff here but nothing as surprising and ground-breaking as Paul's Boutique or Check Your Head. Also, a bit too much flute and various other noodlings.
För lång
Just had a revelation that I may actually prefer this to Paul's Boutique. I need to test this more.
the beats and the flows are kinda good. i just feel so goofy listening to beastie boys
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
#987. It's pretty good in the beginning, but kinda lost me towards the middle. The second half is a bit less interesting. 3/5: fine.
Simply for the joy it has brought us
Great
Get it up ye
When Sabotage came on I got so hyped up I was tempted to drive into a ditch out of excitement
some fun songs here. Somewhat better than most rap/hiphop things but not really my groove
Sabotage is still one of the best songs of the 90s, but this album was looooong. Do It with Biz Markie stood out too. Liked the blending of different genres, especially punk (Heart Attack Man). I haven't heard a lot of that from them. 2.5/5
Number: 176 Date: 06/28/2026 Artist: Beastie Boys Album: Ill Communication Year: 1994 Style: Hiphop-Cut Updj Familiarity: Extremely (5) Rating: 5 Before: ======= It's a 5. During: ======= 5 Sure Shot 4 Tough Guy 5 B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak 4 Bobo On The Corner 5 Root Down 5 Sabotage 5 Get It Together 4 Sabrosa 4 The Update 4 Futterman's Rule 4 Alright Hear This 4 Eugene's Lament 5 Flute Loop 5 Do It 4 Ricky's Theme 4 Heart Attack Man 4 The Scoop 4 Shambala 4 Bodhisattva Vow 4 Transitions ----------------------------------------------------- 4.38 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= 4.4 my personal rating 4.8 suitability for this list 4.9 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4.7 composite rating