Ill Communication

for me, the album is a 3, but "Sabotage" alone is a 5, so we'll call it a 4 and move on

I've never really listened to anything Beastie Boys aside from No Sleep, but a video of them performing Sabotage on some late night show popped up for me a few days ago and it made me interested in listening to them. Lo and also Behold they were the album of the day not even a week later. I had a good time with this one and will definitely be checking out more of them in the future

The shrill, scream-y Beastie Boys sound has never really been my favorite, so I did not look forward to this album. I ended up being pleasantly surprised, however. Loved the jazzy samples, percussion, and instrumentals on this one. I checked to make sure I was listening to the right album 3-4 times around the middle of it. This one will need another listen.

The best Beastie Boys album, IMO. Hard to find a bad Q-Tip feature, but damn this one is good.

A bit too long but Beasties are stellar.

The most unique, all-encompassing hip hop album out there. Here, the Beastie Boys have made it to their late 20’s and are seeing the bigger picture of music and how they fit into it. Ill Communication is a love letter to the genres that inspired them, and a gift to the next generation. We’ve got punk tracks that bring us back to the group’s roots. Some core Beastie Boys raps with Sure Shot and Root Down. Sabotage fuses these genres together, and is why it still makes me want to run through a wall. Tons of great samples. Collabs with Q-Tip and Biz Markie. Inventive hip-hop techniques. But what’s even more unique on this album are the instrumental jazz, funk, and world tracks like Sabrosa, Futterman’s Rule, and Shambala. They’ve used a bunch of samples throughout, but these songs are creating new hooks to sample and rap over. What makes this record so special is hearing an iconic group putting out hits while also generating fresh and unexpected stuff.

One of the best hip hop albums

It's pretty good. Beastie Boys obviously have good flow, but some of the tracks are far too overly stylized, beyond the point of recognizable words. It has little to do with the vocals, but more-so the vocal filters. It like the beats and most songs, there's just the rare song that doesn't quite hit for me. The style is undeniably East Coast, which is not my preference, but this album is probably nearer the top of the pile for me as far as EC rap goes.

Muito divertido

Love the jazzy parts!

distinto muy burno

Classic that I have not listened to in ages. Some real bangers that I completely forgot about. A bit too long since their schtick can get repetitive but I feel that way about every Beastie album.

Much better than I expected. Several songs I thought: these guys are really good. And most of the he songs I liked. The ones with more rock content I didn't like that much. So, overall, a pretty good album. 4/5.

Amazing album, so much stuff happens there: punk, hip-hop, funk, jazz, samples, noises, flutes?

I enjoyed quite a few of their songs. I relisten to some of them actually.

Strong showing from the Beastie Boys. You can tell they have a lot of love and respect for hip hop as a genre, and brought their own unique sound and perspective to this album. Overall- good album. Probably in the 3.5-4.0 range

wo..wow!

Good album I liked it. The beastie boys sound like you're listening to them underwater and has a slightly edgy vibe feel to it. Sabotage is a great song, but most of the songs on the album hit well. 8/10

Argument to be made this is their best work from a creative standpoint but I do think I'd choose Paul's Boutique over it if pushed

Sabotage is the only one i had heard from the album before reviewing.. Sure shot : The sample definitely carried the song throughout, but its not a bad hip hop track - After which we switch up to more of a punk rock / hardcore vibe; decent but not too memorable. Root down: Funky track with nice instrumentals, the vocals dont really do it for me though, a bit too repetitive for me. Get it together, great hip-hop track, nice lyricism. Overall I liked the hip hop and instrumental parts better than the punk-y tracks. 4/5

8/10

Comes out with some bangers before tailing off at the end.

I completely underestimated the Beastie Boys for, like, my whole life. I always liked a few tunes, but assumed they were just sort of fun white dude hip hop in that traditional 80s basic 2-and-4 flow style. Nah, these dudes were innovators and true artists. Great album.

Found this site and the book through listening to Streets 2nd album again after a conversation w my friend on the bus. Disinterested in this way of listening to music but never hurts to explore stuff so and craving a schedule during my dissertation period. Have already listened to this album numerous times; big Beastie Boys fan the bridging of their earlier Punk sound with the Hip Hop sound into this cool hybrid album makes an awesome listening experience. Finding out Adam Yauch was buddhist really added to my listening when I came up to Bodhisattva Vow. My thesis and general philosophical ouvre is founded upon much Buddhist thought and I think it will stick with me through my future career and eventual scholarshiphood.

Nostalgic and maybe a lil corny but still a great listen with some surprisingly diverse tracks

Rap, groove, and Buddhist chants

the attitude, the eastern influences, the genre bending... A classic. love it when they let the music doing real communication.

Stupid fun.

Best: The update Overall rating: 8/10

Einige Songs sehr sehr geil. Wenige gar nicht

Favorite Track: Sabotage

It’s alright, it’s beastie boys

4.5

Pretty good

This is a Sure Shot. Get It Together and listen to this album. Do It.

So I like the sound, i loved the mix of rock with some good synts and a touch of techno (how i see it)

Fun, nostalgic :)

veel bangers ma ook af en toe een liedje da k echt ni bien vind

4,5

This is an iconic album from my youth, and I think it holds up with great beats and hooks. Remembering the legendary "Sabotage" video certainly doesn't hurt

I had heard of Beastie Boys before, but knew very little about them. I had no idea what their genre was or what they really did in the music industry. This album was a pleasant surprise and a great introduction to the group. I enjoyed the versatility of the tracks, including the number of instrumentals scattered throughout, adding variation. The changes in genre for the backing tracks also add another layer to the tracks. There were several tracks that I really had fun listening to. However, there have to be some honourable mentions for creativity, such as Heart Attack Man and Shambala. Favourites: Get It Together Alright Hear This Flute Loop

Doesn’t match up to Paul’s Boutique, but it comes real close.

Shit slams

I can’t really every know if I like the beastie boys or not but I do want to listen to this album more in depth sometime

Alright. Maybe I haven't given the Beasties as fair of a look as I should have. I'm actually starting to like some of their work and appreciate there broad musical range a bit more. Enjoyable album, if a bit long. Might give a listen again.

Angry, angsty, noisy energy. Enjoyed the whole composition but nothing standout, beyond perhaps sabotage?

I usually don't like this type of rock, but this one just works. It's pretty good!

No more beastie boys for a bit Better than the other album though

4/5 Favorite Songs: Sure Shot Sabotage Futterman's Rule Transitions

Some of their best stuff is on here, though none of it in the second half

I don't like hip-hop in general How strange...

This was all around better than their debut honestly. Will def return to it.

This album does a fantastic job of mixing the jazz-influenced hip-hop popularized by groups like A Tribe Called Quest and the hardcore punk origins of the band. Overall a great album, would probably listen again, maybe not all in one sitting though. Standout tracks IMO are Sure Shot, Sabotage, Heart Attack Man, and Root Down.

Such a complex album, multiple musical styles sometimes in the same song, but they are cohesive and the samples and live playing just set a real atmosphere. It’s cool and like the soundtrack to the best party you’ve ever been too. It could have done with a bit of editing but that’s a minor gripe

Incredible beats, I love 'Sure Shot', and 'Sabotage' is unbeatable. Great album all around.

Mon premier album de 1001albumsgenerator.com. Beaucoup d'énergie, j'ai envie de sauter dans tous les sens et de casser/créer des trucs en rythme avec ces titres. L'esthétique des clips est hyper inspirante, les couleurs, le montage, le storytelling. Il y a quelque chose de réel et de rafraichissant. J'aime bien les vocalises du début de Get it Together. Certains titres me rappellent ceux des films Osean's, d'autres mélangent des sonorités d'autres cultures, surtout la deuxième moitié de l'album :) Top titres : Sabotage, Get it Together, Sabrosa

I generally enjoy a lot of Beastie Boys work, this one just didn't really hit for me this time around. It starts off good with the first few tracks that really get the energy pumping. I do like how Rock-filled this one was compared to earlier work. It does kind of lose focus as it goes on, the songs just go by without really being memorable, the Shambala and Buddha songs aside.

A bit of everything, really interesting

This isn't exactly for me but it's perfect for the people it's for. If there's any version of the Beastie Boys that clicks for me, it's this one. I'm slightly rounding up just because of how hard Sabotage hits when it comes in.

I love this album. It has a bunch that f huge, well known bangers on there obviously, but what I love about it is how it lets you take a breath every now and then, and then proceeds to rip your head off. I love the punk songs that make it in here, as well as the heavy instrumentals across a lot of the tracks. A fun album and an awesome nostalgia hit

GRAN ALBUM

Great to finally get to listen to this classic. Iconic gritty sound and an early case of using odd samples (like the little goat screams on the second or third song). Some good classic early hip hop vibes. Enjoyed the spotify radio station that came from it too.

Good not great Beasties. When I listen to them I tend to stick to the first two albums, but they were pretty darned consistent throughout their career— great samples, madcap lyrics, interesting melting of genres. Love the Q-Tip feat. on this one, plus no on can deny the iconic spike jonze “Sabotage” video!

They give you a new general vibe with each new record, yet stay true to the roots of what made them great. They got Sabotage on this one, which leads heavier into the rock than the rap. It's a bit of a trip and is still one of my favorites of al time from them. This album still isn't quite as iconic as License to ill, but it's still very good.

Cool album.

There's everything in this album. It's classic hip-hop with influences from, punk rock, jazz and just great flow. I really like this mix and this feeling.

Tämähän oli erittäin hyvä. Räppiä, punkkia ja hyviä sampleja.

Might go on a touch too long, but so many great songs. 4 1/2 stars.

Listen all you'll its a Sabotage!

6 days ago I had Beastie Boys - Licence To Ill. I think that album was a little better, more even. This is definetly a good album too, but it has a little more fillers compared to hits. Sabotage is the bands strongest song, and there’s quite a few other good ones. Favourite songs: Sabotage, Sure shot, Flute Loop.

molto molto interessante come album, purtroppo non l’ho ascoltato tutto però particolare

Mi ha gasato non poco questo mix di rap hip hop e rock

Super fedt men efter lidt tid bliver jeg også lidt træt i ørene af det. Men i små mængder holder det 100%.

Cool 90s HipHop with Rock elements. Never heard of that group before but actually really enjoyed that album. Some tracks better than others but in general cool though.

Maybe my least favourite Beastie Boys album I’ve heard so far, but still a very fun listen. It’s energetic, quick, and not too serious.

My communication is ill cuz I can't think of what to say.

9/10 yeahh boiiiiiiiii

AYYYYYY

80* Stakkels kartoffelmos :/ Ekstra nostalgi point for at være soundtrack til besøg hos mine ældre fætre i Viby, hvor der blev spillet LOTR på PS2 mens vi blastede beastie boys og jøden.

Nobody fused hip-hop and rock influences better than these guys.

I used to listen to this cassette on repeat in my car around ages 23-25. It holds up real well (and MUCH better than Licensed to Ill, which really grossed me out on relisten). This album showed everyone BB were actually a great *band* and they had serious musical range. They somehow blend rap and rock (without sounding like lugheaded "rap-rock") with jazz and funk in a coherent way. 3 other thoughts... -I've heard "Sabotage" a million times, but it really is a great song. I can't think of a single other song by any other band that really sounds like it. -I've gotta give a shout out to The In Sound From Way Out, which is their highly underrated instrumental album that came out shortly after Ill Communication. -"Get It Together" might be the best thing they ever recorded.

Fire. Loved the copious amount of instrumental tracks. 4.5.

Overall, it’s a great album from a punk band that turned to hip-hop in an attempt to reinvent themselves. What’s impressive is how they can jump from a super aggressive track straight into a jazz interlude entirely played by the band.

For the first half of this it was a solid 3 (Sabotage is just excellent, the rest was a bit touch and go) but the second half is so consistently good that I think I may need to put this in frequent rotation... It may deserve a 4 when all is said and done In any case, the whole thing just exudes love for music and on that I'm on board with the boys

this record was fun FUN! it really rocks ROCKS it's so diverse VERSE It blew off my socks SOCKS

Unique sound. It is always fun to listen to Beastie boys.

For a long time I've considered the Beastie Boys to be one of the most overrated bands ever. And I really didn't like Paul's Boutique at all, and Intergalactic was an instant radio station switch each time it can every 30 minutes in 1999-2000. Listening to this makes me reassess.

really chaotic and funky, ill give it to them

Достаточно неплохой альбом с фанково-джазовым звучанием и даже эдакими вкраплениями панка. Мне показался достаточно затянутым и длинным, мне кажется, стоило остановится примерно на 13 треке. В альбоме также понравились приятные инструментальные перебивки, что, как мне кажется, весьма необычно для хип-хоп альбома.

This album continues to slap hard. Not as great as Paul's Boutique, which keeps growing on me, but good. The line "the disrespect to women has got to be through..." still brings stinging tears to my eyes.

Dope album, fun to listen to and a great blend of punk and hip hop aesthetics. Favorite track: Ricky’s Theme

This is the first time listening to a full Beastie Boys album for me, I had only known their singles over the years. I was surprised at how musical this is, with instrumental tracks and all. I also didn’t realize they did the music side too, thought it was just the vocals. The variety here was nice too, like the punk tracks thrown in there too.

PHRESH

At times I forgot I was listening to the Beastie Boys; I thought this was a step up from Licensed to Ill.

Another classic that was played a lot around the house growing up, it’s Ill Communication by the Beastie Boys. Favourite track: very hard to choose, but to be contrarian, I’m going with Root Down.

Bursting over with different NYC sounds, like trying on one hundred different headphones in a Tower Records. And it all sounds amazing. Massively eclectic stuff, this and Check Your Head are a massive maturation as stylists. The whole thing is seamless, really great stuff. Almost makes me envious but then I remember, I never played music Favorite Tracks: Tough Guy, B-Boys Makin With the Freak Freak, Sabotage, Get It Together, Futterman's Rule, Bodhisattva Vow

A top notch hip hop record with lots of groovy and funky detours in the way of instrumental interludes. The songcraft is peak, and even though the lyrics could use some work, the detail in the production is still absolutely fire and makes up for any of the repetition in that department. I will say that sometimes the aforementioned detours do take me out of it sometimes, but the highlights are phenomenal.

Banger of an album! Like a lot of albums of that time, lots of interludes that are a bit of a miss. Strong songs, great lyrics and absolute stellar beat!

Fun, rowdy. Bit more punky in places than I expected.

Beastie Boys are just fun. Their sound evolved but the fun was the constant.

Honestly…I groaned when I saw this come up this morning but I’m enjoying it wayyyy more than I thought I would. There’s some jams on here; shocked but 4 stars

I enjoyed Sabotage, and the fun rage that I enjoy in today's rap artists like Rico Nasty. But the best parts of the album were the non rap/hip-hop tracks, like Eugene's Lament and the jazz samples.

Beforehand I always Beastie Boys music a hit or a miss. Sometimes it’s catchy as hell (YOU GOTTA FIGHT. FOR YOUR RIGHT. TO PARRRRRTAYYYYY) and then other times it just gets on my nerves because I find it annoying. There’s some real gems in here that aren’t Sabatoge. I thought the instrumental track Sabrosa was awesome with that bass line. Actually I loved all the instrumental tracks. I think they were the highlight for me. I thought it brought a lot of depth to the album adding in a nice jazz touch and a break from the craziness that the MCs bring. Loved this record. Really shined a light and it brought on a new respect to the Beastie Boys

Really cool album, teeming with ideas. Proto nu metal, funk, all kinds of great stuff. I do have to say the vocal delivery is only meh so four stars I guess.

Heck Yeah!!

Sabia que os Beastie Boys são uns dos pioneiros do hip hop. Não sabiam é que eram tão criativos e que misturavam vários géneros. Mas se pensar bem até faz sentido. O hip hop naquela altura ainda quase não existia, portanto tinha de nascer de algo. E o rock, o punk e o funk (por exemplo) foram algumaa das bases. Finalmente ouvi um album deles e gostei!

The coldest group of white boys since the Vikings

Alright Beastie Boys, coming back from Paul's Botique with an album I actually like more. Fair. You've earned your 4.

I eat the fuckin’ pineapple Now or Laters

goeie mix van stijlen... gaat verveling uit de weg door geen hele plaat te rappen... meer van dat!

buen mezcla de géneros, buenas vibras, no skips.

way better than i remember

Rap, hip-hop, samples, white boys screaming, catchy melodies and a lot of scratching. I'm in. Plus, Sabotage is probably the best introductory song to any stage act, ever.

Paul's Boutique et Check Your Head sont des écoutes essentielles. Celui-là pourrait laisser sa place dans la liste. 3.75 étoiles

From Root Down on I was obsessed. I loved this album, especially the percussive elements and balance between fun punky numbers and jazzy tracks. Futterman’s Rule was so sick, and Eugene’s Lament had my jaw on the floor. So unexpected, so surprisingly refined, and well done. I liked that this album had a focus on the music than the vocals/lyrics more so than the last Beastie Boys album I listened to on this list, Paul’s Boutique. This is like a more mature version, still with fun vocals and group dynamic, but more reserved and punchy.

C'était vachement bien et bien surprenant

Franchement pas mal

Songzeile: Talking shit about a mile a minute Put the wax on the table and let the DJ spin it Well, excuse me, motherfuckers, can I beg your pardon? I'm gonna see the Knicks at the Madison Square Garden alles gesammelt und gemixt und selbst Epigonenarmeeauslöser geworden - zu recht

I can not understand almost any word, but it's a very enjoyable album anyway, with lot of creativity (from classical flute, to garage punk, to buddhist chants).

Banger- more instrumental than I anticipated

Can we stop pretending like these guys ain’t peak! Super fun album. Theirs a random devil fiddle solo from the devil went down to Georgia it sounds like in the middle which is actually surprisingly pretty tough. Idk this group just works somehow, don’t know how?

Chunky. Groovy. Hint of grime. Love it.

Someone call the doctor cause I’m officially ill

Me ha encantado. No tenía ni idea de que hacían una música tan variada. Muy de los 90

Í enjoyed this album way more that the other Beatie Boys album that I got to review some weeks before. I liked that they had more real instruments playing and not so many samples, they also were screaming less in this album which I really disliked on the other album. So this was a pleasant surprise.

Classic 90's hiphop, its no wonder Beasty Boys are considered one of the greats of that era

I like the vibes. Never really listened to them before

I love the old hiphop vibe, and this sounds like a more old-school Joey Valence and Brae. The experimental sound is also very refreshing.

it's the beastie boys, sabotage is on this album, it's good thrash music

My favourite Beastie album, èdging out Pauls on nostalgic grounds. All over the place in a good way. Their signature punk/rock hip hop sequence flawlessly into jazz, back again, then add some funk. They really do get a disservice by the party band label that undervalues their work both musically and as producers. 4 Star

Fun but gotta be in the right vibe

The first bit of the album I felt it was just kinda waiting to get "Sabotage", but after, I was impressed. Each track came by with energy, catchiness, and great underlying music and beats. ,

I really enjoyed re-visiting this album, it brought back a lot of good memories of being a student, hanging out with mates, smoking weed, playing video games and just talking shit together. A few banger tracks and some cool instrumentals sprinkled throughout, 5 stars is probably generous, but the slightly superior record 'Check Your Head' is not featured, so sod it.

Nicht nur ill sonder auch sick.

Not my style, but in the same time exactly my style. I weirdly enjoyed it!

This is really good album that except for a couple moments still feels very modern. There are some tracks on it I absolutely love, and some that don’t hit as hard but probably because I haven’t heard them enough. Every beastie song I hear I start off not liking and eventually love.

Punk hip hop? Punk jazz hip hop? I guess the B Boys were a punk or punkish band before Licensed to Ill. I'm not sure how to label this one, but creative and different might fit. This is a pretty great album. Could be the soundtrack to the next party, when I have one.

I like this recording a great deal. The cuts on the recording demonstrate to me how The Beastie Boys grew in the near decade since release of License to Ill which I loved when it came out. Check the Tuvan throat singing (or at least what sounds like Tuvan throat singing) on the track Shambala.

Not my usual choice but really fun. They're always yelling. Loved the instrumental tracks.

Highlights: - Sure Shot - B-Boys Makin’ With The Freak Freak - Root Down - Sabotage - Get It Together

I can be hit or miss on Beastie Boys, but this is mostly a hit. I was surprised to hear actual punk songs on here, and it has a few well-known singles. There's kinda too many tracks, but overall I liked it. 3.5/5

Love the hardcore punk parts. And basically everything on here

4.5

Je m’attendais à rien et j’ai été hyper surprise, j’adore quand un album fait un mix de plein de genres et la le mix jazz + hip hop + funk + punk ça m’a régalé. Parfois j’ai trouvé ça un peu long 20 sons.

This is my shit

Heavy rock, highlighted with the song "Sabotage".

Wow I was very surprised by this one. As this is the 3rd Beastie Boys album on this list so far, I was very ready to write them off completely as kinda cheesy old school rap. However, compared to their previous work, this was much more varied and interesting. I will come back to this.

ive never heard this typa music but this album was fresh as fuck, all over the place in a good way. favourites were prolly sabroasa and the scoop

game changer. innovation and creativity abound, they are everything here - visiting many genres and making it their own. powerhouse

I forgot how friggin awesome these guys are and this album in particular is their best. If you know me, you know hip-hop is not my thing but the interplay between the 3 of them is electric. Nobody was doing what they were. They are pure fun, having a blast going from punk to disco to rock to rap. All of it works. Sabotage is an all time banger.

I love the millions of young kids saw the video for Sabotage and took the journey with this album. There is a 10 song version of this album that is simply all killer. But then there's a bunch of other stuff. Its certainly in line with 90s CD bloat. While most other artists just add in songs nobody needs to hear just so you feel like your getting more value i do think the jams are additive here. Not every whim is a classic but they are pieces of the puzzle. Not to overthink it because they seem to be having a great time.

Kick it root down.

Sûre shot

4.5/5. This album just hits. Sees the beastie boys go in a much more live-band sounding direction musically where you get beats that vary between rock, jazz, punk and even some throat singing ear the end of the record. I may still prefer the insane burst of sampling creativity on Paul’s Boutique, but this is a fantastic album.

This was actually really awesome. Beastie boys haven't always been my bag but there's so many great beats on here and the album goes in all different directions...which is sweet

Beastie Boys always makes me feel like I’m I a good cocktail bar circa 2016 and although it’s from 1994, those were really the days you know? Getting a martini for the first time and choking it down for the olive alone, I feel like that’s what the Beastie Boys are all about. It’s a fun time, it’ll make you wiggle and also, if you want, have a little headbang at your desk. Why not? Life is short and mundane. I like this album. 7/10

I usually only listen to Paul's Boutique when it comes to Beastie Boys, but it's nice to mix things up, I like the nods to their hardcore roots and frequent shifts into psychedelic jazz and experimental groove. Better than I was expecting, and more experimental in terms of production. Enjoyed Sabotage more than usual in the wider context of the record. Starts with a really great flow to the whole thing, though it lags a bit in the middle and could probably be tightened up. In general, a highly enjoyable listen.

it's was my first time listening to the Beastie Boys, it was a surprise how good this album is; a mix of funk, hip-hop and rock. i like the long interludes that it contains👍🏽 for sure my favorite song is The Update but Sure Shot, Alright Hear This, Do it, & The Scoop arer really good too.

I love it when an album that I'm completely familiar with comes up. I feel like I've been given a day off or something. I know this album so well that there was no need to listen to it again, but I did. Happily. 4 stars.

This album definitely grew on me. At first I honestly didn’t really like the album, but im glad I kept listening. It ended up being a pretty solid album that was pretty unique sonically. My favorite tracks were Sabotage and The Scoop.

Never heard it before. I think it's a good album. There's influences from different music genres, which I appreciate. First half of the album is (much) better than the second; the second seems to drag on a little too much. 7.5 / 10

Perfectly toes the line of heavy and subtle. 4A

The illist. While I don't love every track on this record, it's always interesting and very listenable. I don't remember there being so many music-only tracks on this one.

8/10

The Beastie Boys' trademarked sound exemplifies the feeling of the 90s. 4.5/5

I had the complete wrong idea of the beastie boys. Some fun stuff

Interesting listen, still don't fully get the Beastie Boys but this album helped me understand a bit better. Loved the beats and instrumentals, still not bought on the white-boy rap style though. Listened to while walking around a snow covered Paris though, and repeated a few songs. Sabotage was amazing on second listen, and is an exception to the white-boy rap comment made above.

Ebin

Comes out of the gun like an absolute tornado with an incredible first half. Not just the songs themselves, but the way they are sequenced to lure you in and slap you in the face in equal measure. Oh, you liked the smooth hip-hop of Sure Shot? Well, how do you like a bit of hardcore, Tough Guy?! Then they do it again with Root Down and Sabotage, followed by the superb Q-Tip contribution on Get It Together. It's great fun and you can feel the Boys progressing from the sampling and beats of Paul's Boutique and the rapping and break beats of Check Your Head. Every time it feels like they are getting serious, they break things up with another giggle. My only gripe here is how the second half fades and has fewer really memorable tracks. Its highs are right up there with their best but it doesn't quite have the consistency across a whole hour for full marks in my book.

The Beastie Boys are so much fun. I am more familiar with Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head, so this was a real treat. Definitely one I will be coming back to!

enjoyed more than i was expecting! def will relisten to songs. was not expecting the tibetan buddhist chants but vibed

only really lsitned to Sabotage before this. i enjoyed :) its fun how extremely recognizable the beasties whole meter thing is

Fantastic.

Franchement pas la du tout, le début est assez redondant mais après on rentre bien dedans. Jaime bcp les changements d'instru de différentes origines.

8.0/10

dont like beastie boys i guess

This had a lot more music/acoustics than I expected!!

At times, it reminds me quite a bit of Wu-Tang Clan, especially Ol' Dirty Bastard, but a bit watered down. I like the mix of punk and hip hop and the risky choices they make in some tracks. The instrumental interludes work really well and seamlessly connect one song to another. I'm pleasantly surprised by this group's discovery and will definitely be listening to more of their music.

Drunken frat boy music at its best. The sampling on this record is superb, the transitions between tracks are seamless and the flow is immaculate (I'm not much of a lyrics guy). However, it gets a little boring after the first five or so tracks. Not my kind of music but sounds great just for a little while. PD: I was going to rate this album a light 3.5 out of 5, but since I can only choose whole numbers, and today is Christmas Day, I'll give it 4 stars.

01) Sure Shot - 9,5 02) Tough Guy - 7,5 03) B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak - 7,5 04) Bobo on the Corner - 7,0 05) Root Down - 8,0 06) Sabotage - 10,0 07) Get It Together - 8,5 08) Sabrosa - 9,0 09) The Update - 7,5 10) Futterman's Rule - 8,5 11) Alright Hear This - 7,5 12) Eugene's Lament - 7,5 13) Flute Loop - 7,5 14) Do It - 7,5 15) Ricky's Theme - 8,0 16) Heart Attack Man - 8,0 17) The Scoop - 8,0 18) Shambala - 7,5 19) Bodhisattva Vow - 7,5 20) Transitions - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,98 (80/100) Current ranking: 232/771

Great album

Eight years after License to Ill, the Beasties continue to be hysterically and wholesomely allusive, in this case w/ quite a few basketball references: 'Bill Laimbeer, motherfucker, / It's time for you to die'; 'I got my hair cut correct like Anthony Mason'; 'See, I've got heart like John Starks.' Released in '94, Ill Communication confirms that the white-boy group was able to survive a rapidly changing hip-hop scene better than most 80s acts. Think about it - in this year, we get Illmatic, Ready to Die, The Sun Rises in the East, To the Death (M.O.P.), Resurrection, Creepin' on ah Come Up, + Outkast's debut. What room was there for the pioneers? And yet, this trio, w/ a melange of punk, jazz, funk, + hip-hop, not only stayed relevant, but self-augmented.

i enjoyed it

never heard of this album before. i’ll review the songs as i listen to them for the first time ever. sure shot: super catchy, a great start. really like the instrumental. definitely something i’d listen to on a regular basis. tough guy: heavier than the first song. something i’d listen to in my sophomore year of high school. not really my style anymore but still nice. b-boys makin’ with the freak freak: kind of weird but in a good way. wouldn’t listen to it everyday though. sure shot still remains the best one. bobo on the corner: just an instrumental. nice melody. wish it transitioned into the next song better. root down: quite catchy like sure shot. will listen to again for sure. sabotage: it’s okay but i don’t understand why it is their most popular song?? not as catchy as sure shot or root down. still nice though. get it together: the rhymes are nice. not really catchy. it’s okay. sabrosa: just an instrumental. okay melody. the update: nice. futterman’s rule: i don’t like songs with long no-lyrics parts :( alright hear this: this song brought my attention back after mindlessly listening to the past few songs. very nice. eugene’s lament: another insturmental. nice name. nice melody. love the violin(?) flute loop: super nice. love the flute loop. do it: again just an instrumental. nice idk. heart attack man: woah didn’t expect it to be heavy. relatively catchy. the scoop: nice, i like it. shambala: just teleported to mongolia brb. another instrumental. bodhisattva vow: okay. interesting name. transitions: an instrumental again.

Nostalgic for 1994 still good listen.

liked it as much as i did Licensed to Ill, just got a bit much for me towards the very end

Liked this more than the last Beastie Boys album I was served up. Lots of good samples and interesting production. And Sabotage is a banger.

It was pretty good! good vibes, great music

I listened to one song I really like it

I really liked this. It also made me realise that this is the version of sabotage I actually remember (sorry).

At this time of year it's important to remember that the Beastie Boys fought, and quite possibly died, for our right to party

Solid album throughout with some big hits in Sabotage and Sure Shot. Really liked Futterman's Rule.

This has some hot potatoes

Érdekes album volt. Voltak benne különleges avantgárd részek, de összességében nem lesz a kedvenc albumom.

This is the musical equivalent of peanut butter

Going into this album I wasn’t sure what to expect given I haven’t heard many Beastie Boys songs but this album has exceeded my expectations. I found the album masterful in its use of genre-blending, from the hip-hop tracks like ‘Root Down’ and the heavily punk influenced ‘Tough Guy’ the album was able to convey the social/spiritual messages that the Beastie Boys wanted to get across. The most impressive part of the album, however, was the fact that the further the album went on the more I enjoyed it. The track ‘Sabrosa’ offered an unexpected change of pace with its Jazz elements and ‘Bodhisattva Vow’ introducing spiritual elements to the album which I very much enjoyed. My only critique would be some filler songs within the album that didn’t appeal to me particularly which takes this album down to 4 stars. Nevertheless, this album makes me excited to hear more albums from the Beastie Boys as I wasn’t particularly familiar with their work beforehand. Overall, an experimental album that, in my eyes, very much worked. Favourite tracks: Root Down, Sabrosa and Alright Hear This My rating: 4/5

My 100th album was Ill Communication (1994) by Beastie Boys. I liked this more than Paul’s Boutique. “Sabotage” is obviously legendarily good, but there are a bunch of other tracks on this album that are great. And the instrumental interludes (e.g. “Futterman’s Rule”, “Eugene’s Lament”, and “Ricky’s Theme”) seem an odd fit for a hip hop album, but are really good and fun in their own right. This almost got a 5/5, but they leaned a little too heavily into that distorted mic sound, and it got a little old. Still a really high 4/5.

Lots of good tracks and instrumentals.

Yra tirkai geru dainu, bet taip pad daugelis skamba labai panasiai. Palikt ant fono klausytis puikiai tinka ber įsiklausyt nepavyks. Megstamiausios dainos: sabotage, futterman’s rule ir alright heat this.

Fun

classic

So good!

This is peak Beasties. This is memories. It comes in hot and stays hot. Not perfect by any means but a top tier hip hop album. Choice cut: so Whatcha Want

Excellent and unexpected album from the Beasties. Starts off well and continues from there. Started listing my favourite tracks but in the end there were too many. Good stuff! 4 *

This one is fun. Great jazzy and also hard tf hitting tunes. Runs a little long in some places for my liking, but for the most part I couldn’t get enough.

Amazing

Such a great album. Laid back at times with cool grooves, in your face and loud at other times. One of the Beastie Boys' best outputs.

7/10

Revolutionary

After listening to this again, I think I've changed my mind to this being their best over Check Your Head. So many bangers. Highlights: Get It Together, Sure Shot, Sabotage

Killer all the way through.

If you happen to be at a party hosted by the Beastie Boys, under no circumstances should you eat the mashed potatoes.

3.5

While not my favorite Beastie Boys Album it is right up there at maybe the third spot. I'm old enough to remember when they came out, I did not know at the time that they started out as a hard core punk band and then transitioned to hip hop. The best song on here though is Sabotage and the music video is just as memorable.

Another album that I encountered from my older siblings’ catalog of bootleg CDs (albeit probably an incomplete rip), so some of these songs have held importance to me at different points in life. “Sabotage” is still one of the greatest rock songs I’ve ever heard. I’ll be listening to obscure jazz albums and think, is that the sample from “Sure Shot”? As a drummer in high school, me and my friends would play “Sabrosa” while pretending to be high because we didn’t know much about drugs or how to get them. Listening to it as a whole work, you can hear such a range of style, ability, and ideas, melding together in an instantly recognizable musical identity. When people talk about rap-rock, they’re usually referring to Limp Bizkit or some shit when they should be talking about this. It’s a long album, and sometimes veers more into vibey background music than a concise, cohesive statement. So it’s hard to compare this to more sparing, perfectionist records, while being fair to both sides. But it’s a pretty impressive album considering half of it sounds like it was sung through a walkie talkie.

Embarassing that I know pretty much all the words to all the Beastie Boys songs, cuz that shit's lame. Evidence that a good producer can make anyone sound good, which is I guess what has given us Taylor Swift... Try not to pay attention to the lyrics, or to the fact that this is three random white guys picked up to capitalize on the new hip hop craze and sell it to the suburbs. Just let the well-chosen samples and great production carry you through, like the whole BBoys catalog.

Really good mix of classic Beastie Boys sound and decent punk tunes that stand alone on their own.

Classic. Created the (oft-imitated, never duplicated) model of final-word-shouted rhyming. Excellent stuff.

The first time I heard "Get it Together," (back in my college days), I thought it was a new song by A Tribe Called Quest - no doubt because Q-Tip is a guest artist, but because it gives more hip hop vibes than the Beastie Boys' usual rap infused with hip hop to me. No matter in the end, as it's a pretty sick song. "Sabatoge" is iconic, "Root Down" will stay looped in your head in a good way, and "Ricky's Theme" is a fun little jazzy number that might make you forget you're listening to the Beastie Boys. This is an amazing example of what happens when a musical artist infuses their style with different flavors and musical personalities. To have gone so high on the billboard charts at the time that it did against other powerhouse artists like Nirvana and Boyz II Men, who were exploding onto is also a pretty remarkable feat, since not everybody purchased rap albums, but a whole lot of people certainly did purchase this particular rap album. I love it!

I like the Beastie Boys as much as anyone, maybe more, and this album is as good as any they released, solid east coast rap from the golden days, but it’s also the 3rd Beastie album I’ve encountered on this list while so many great artists are missing. Just makes you wonder.

Better than I thought. Sabotage is recognizable and good but there were several others I would listen to again.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Many have tried to combine rock and rap, but I don’t know many who’ve done it as well

Loads of great beats with a little instrumental filler

Good record. From the days when it still sounded like bands were having fun making them. I saw them live a couple of times right around when this album came out and they were great.

9 What a sick album how have I never listened to beastie boys before can’t believe I deprived myself of this

Another reason why 90s New York hip-hop is the greatest genre/era of all time (also 70s British rock). First time listening to a Beastie Boys album top to bottom and it was a treat. Did not realize how awesome their production and sampling are and some really beautiful instrumentals throughout the album. A new favorite to add to my list of top hip-hop albums for sure

I was surprised to find that I liked much of this album. I had always thought of the Beastie Boys as attracting young men who slam empty beer cans against their forehead. I was wrong. I appreciated the subdued melodic beats and the instrumentals were engaging.

A lot more depth to this album than I expected. Some bangers in there like Sabotage and Sure Shot, and then not sure I’ve heard Get it Together before but Q-Tip is always a great feature.

Some good moments - the run from “Root Down”, “Sabotage” and “Get it Together” (shout out Q Tip). I love hip hop and punk separately, and i respect the Beastie Boys a lot, but there’s something about them that never clicks for me in a way that i personally relate to. It’s good music tho, so I’ll go 3.5 rounded up.

From the first barks at the start of sure shot this is unmissable stuff. The beastie boys always a better proposition rapping alongside each other not together. Root down is a tremendous garage stomp. Sabotage is one of the career highlights, full of vitriol and funny lyrics. Then the album becomes a little bit self indulgent. Always listenable just could do with a bit more editing. One step short of a classic.

Loved it/ way ahead of their time!

Obviously amazing

Solid thumps and loved it

One of those groups you know the second one of their songs come on. Distinct sound.

🎉 🍆 🥣 🥔

(87/100)

shambala is super kosmiche love the random bursts of genre fusion (most pay off, some don't) q-tip feature is very welcome transitions a fun little jam. these guys are class musicians too, especially how fast and tightly played the punk songs are (quite like DKs)

Banger

Lots of their big hits on this - fun album to listen to for sure but I think Paul’s Boutique is still my fav

Хип-хап породнился с панк-роком и ещё кучей всего. Есть интересные очень кусочки. Скорее не моя музыка.

Well aware of these guys. Afraid only recognize Sabotage on this one so far after listening to halfway through. A lot of variety here and some cool cameos like Q-Tip, but despite all of that they are just not connecting to me on a personal level yet. Still, despite all of that, must deserve at least 4 stars, very solid interesting music with plenty of ideas and good production.

A little too long, but frankly, having Sabotage on there wins it a lot of points

I'd never listen to the whole of it and though I think the album is a little too sprawling for its own good and sometimes extends in unsuccessful corners, the core of the sound and beats is solid and enjoyable.

So much better than Licensed to Ill. Sabotage is still a banger, a sort of avant-garde hip hop punk track.

Fairly inconsistent tracklist; wasn’t a fan of the switching from punk to jazz rap. Some tracks and a good bit of the instrumentals however were pretty good and helped pull the rating up.

Haven't spun this in awhile. Sabotage is one of my favs. Was cool to hear the RATM influence in Heart Attack Man.

Extremely cool amalgam of hip-hop, punk, jazz, and rock. I've always really appreciated their diversity as a band, and that's on display in spades here. 4/5

Ok this was really cool. My impression of the Beastie Boys has totally changed.

Not what I usually listen to but cool fusion of Hip Hop and Punk-ish elements

An eclectic mix of hip hop, hardcore, funk, a Latin jazz flavor from Bobo on percussion and dicks in mashed potato. As a whole, it’s a little on the long side and some of the instrumental excursions I feel could be trimmed or removed. I like this best when it’s big beats, funky samples and killer rhymes and there’s plenty of them on here to make it a great album

Sabotage is a great single with an equally great video. Nothing else on the album reached that level but there is still a lot to appreciate. There is variety, the flow between them is fantastic, like when old friends catch up after a long time and just slip into the old rhythms, and they have an such iconic sound that it really could be no one else, which, given the amount of music that is produced, is quite an achievement in itself.

It's great. Love the mix of genres.

old school mit jazz/funk-samples .. I like it.

This is one of my favourite albums from the 90s. Together with Check Your Head they are revolutionary. It was inspiring how three pretty mediocre musicians with maximum creativity made something that was hip hop, punk and trippy jammy at the same time. I do find the jamming interesting, especially with the inclusion of DJ elements, but could do without “Flute Loop” and a few others. Not a perfect album, but great.

Objectively great, I just wasn't really feeling it on a Monday morning. The sampling on here is something else, I didn't realise they were quite so pioneering

Always just had this filed away as the "Sabotage" album, but there was plenty of other good stuff here! "Root Down" and "Get It Together" were very good as well, and it was funny to where Prodigy got the Funky Shit sample from. Generally this album was more jazzy than I expected, which some straight up punk songs

tough guy e root down são muito boas! SABOTAGE OBRA DE ARTE caramba, e a última faixa tem uma mensagem muito legal, se chama bodhissatva vow, gostei muito do album!! tem uma mix muito boa de ouvir, foi uma ótima surpresa nota 8/10

I want to hate this album for its influence on the cesspit of 90s nu-metal but it's high-key just really good. Beastie Boys were hugely impactful on the breakthrough of hip hop into the mainstream and earnt their success with genuinely fantastic experimental beats and solid rapping. This is a great album

A very fun and engaging hip hop album with a lot of variety (some of it Isn’t even hip hop). This album has a lot of influences, and every track sounds different. So despite it being on the longer side, you have no idea how the next song is going to sound, and it stays engaging the whole way through. The lyrics are fast-paced and also enjoyable. I wouldn’t say there anything outstanding about this album, but all the songs are consistently good.

Totally vibing to this. Even liked the non vocal tracks.

Fun one...another that I didn't listen to completely end to end despite the fact that I have listed to Sure Shot/Sabotage/Get it Together a million times a piece. 3.5/5

Great instrumental tracks

This album is just incredible and I wasn't prepared for the range. The mix of funk and jazz elements makes for incredibly unique beats and the Beastie Boys do an awesome job of at times taking the backseat to the beat and letting it play. I really like the beat for B-Boys Makin With the Freak Freak. That weird little goat/sheep baaaah sound with the beat is weird and I like it. Not sure how else to describe it. I love that this beat is just all over the place, but it's perfect for the Beastie Boys only somehow. I loved the transition from Shambala to Bodhisattva Vow. Shambala is basically an instrumental introduction and Bodhisattva Vow starts the vocal track. Really cool idea and I loved that we got to enjoy Shambala in this state. Heart Attack Man caught me off-guard as well as it's just pure punk. I love that they made this a "live instrument" album rather than traditional looping. I enjoyed the regular tracks more than any of the singles. The Singles are 100% Beastie Boys, but the album tracks really allowed them to explore a really cool hip hop sound using live instruments and it's just awesome. Makes me wish there was a Wu Tang and Beastie Boys collab album.

Favourite Track: Sabotage, Get it Together

Amazing first half, felt some of the second half of the album was filler. 5 stars for the first half, 3 for the second

This could easily be half as long and be a front-to-back classic. But even at a bloated 20 tracks, there are enough bangers on here to make this one of the Beasties' best and an iconic album of the era. (And I appreciate the instrumentals more now than I did in 1994.) FUN FACT: They recorded this, and I think all of their '90s output, at a studio like five minutes from our place in LA. G-Son Studios, represent.

Very pleasantly surprised by this. Was a bit of a BB-hater since being forced to listen to Intergalactic - which I did not care for - by local Columbus radio every 30 minutes for a few months around the turn of the millenium. The music is great, these guys can play and compose. Definnitely the best Beastie Boys I've heard.

I'm a big Beastie Boys fan and although I think Paul's Boutique and Licence to Ill are way better, Ill Communication is solid, although maybe a bit disjointed. It also seemed a bit dated. On the plus side, it's just FUN and the beats and music are super solid. It's full of hidden gems like Sabrosa and Futterman's Rule. Better than average, but not a star album

You really have to try not to take yourself too seriously when listening to the Beastie Boys, and then you'll be alright. Ill Communication is a lot of fun - lots of angsty bangers and catchy beats. On this re-listen, I caught a lot of really clever production I'd never paid attention to; maybe these guys deserve a more careful listen than I initially thought. The beats are stacked with cool funk, jazz, and soul references that keep things extremely musical. Sure, it isn't the sort of music winning Pulitzer prizes, but that's not what these guys were about. At the same time, this record is surprisingly sophisticated if given enough attention.

The high points are incredibly high ("Sabotage" is a fantastic rock song) but a little too long to give it 5 stars. Favorites: Sure Shot, Root Down, Sabotage

honestly fire have never listened they want to listen again and favorite ones for big playlist

As delightfully free-associative as Paul's Boutique was, I think this album - which seems to seek to draw a throughline all the way through American music, from jazz to funk to punk to hip-hop - might be even more ambitious. I also think it's not quite as good as Paul's Boutique (or Check Your Head, for that matter). But the highs are still incredible - "Sabotage" will be played at high school pep rallies for the rest of time (likely with the f-bomb intact).

The in sound from way out. Great instumental jams and Sabatoge still rips.

Happy to get some Beastie Boys on this list. This sound has made a resurgence in recent music, and I'm glad to have dug into the roots. Favourite Track(s): Transitions, The Update, Sabotage Least Favourite Track(s): Tough Guy, Bobo on the Corner

Hard to review this it's definitely fun. I'm not sure where I have it ranked in the beastie boys discography maybe 2nd? What an interesting discography and well curated legacy and this album does a lot to cement that. Love the addition of punk tracks and Sabotage is iconic.

I love the Beastie Boys. It’s fun, good lyrics, and the beats have some good variety. Standout tracks are Sure Shot (what an opener!) and Sabotage. I like that although there are many tracks, it was tight and just under and hour

Interesting mix of instrumental songs and tracks that are uniquely the Beastie Boys. It mostly works, but does drag towards the end of the album. "Sabotage" is just such a good song. Really shows of their style. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again

Best Beastie Boys Album Best Songs: Sure Shot, Tough Guy, Sabotage, Get it Together, Heart Attack Man 9/10

Holy Beats

Very experimental and jazzy. I prefer License To Ill by far, but this still slaps.

Yay! Finally a hip hop album that I liked! Beastie Boys are cool

I have heard of the Beastie Boys but never a full album by them. I was pretty surprised by how much I enjoyed their music since I didn't had any high expectations going into this album. There are great tracks in Ill Communication and never did I feel bored or uninterested in listening to it. I have replayed many after my initial listening session. I will definitely save this album for future listening. For the surprise and the enjoyment this album gave me, I will give it a 4.

Something else this record, incredible stuff. Blend of everything and anything. Legendary

This album is really great, so many ideas, so many sounds, all packaged up into something charming and fun. When I listen to an album from front to back, I always want there to be a journey of concepts explored, and this album did that very well. Production was fun, vocals were fun. Overall, like a 4.5/5.

8,3/10

Kolejny klasyk który mi kiedyś polecił tata. Niby nie moja muzyka, ale buja

Never listened to one of their albums before and not really my thing but this was good

not normal beastie boys, instrumentals

It is surprising to me that I didn't listen to this one until now. It is a very different record and a standout in their discography, the hits are amazing and Sabotage is timeless. Was not expecting many instrumental songs and that proves their musicality and talent. Great recordand easy to digest.

Absolutely groundbreaking. Still holds up. Amazing stuff.

I think I like The Beastie Boys!

Feel like they were smoking a lot of weed when they recorded side B

A brilliant album, part of the triumvirate with ‘Paul’s Boutique’ and ‘Check Your Head’ - if slightest weaker than those two. Filled with great tracks (including ‘Sabotage’), on its release this album got me into the band - and I’ve been a fan ever since. Essential listening.

Very surprising. Positively so!

Olihan mielenkiintoinen lätty, yllätti. Ysäri haisi nokkaan asti, kuten muutama muukin on maininnut. Musiikillisesti sisälsi reilusti toisistaan poikkeavia biisejä, joten melkoinen sekametelisoppa tämä oli, mutta ei välttämättä huonolla tavalla. Osa biiseistä oli tuttua Beastie Boyssiä, kuten Sabotage, Get It Together ja Sure Shot. Levyllä oli mukana myös yllättäviäkin raitoja, kuten svengaava Ricky's Theme ja Transitions (josta tykkäsin kovasti). Albumi tasapainottelee sekavan ja monipuolisen välimaastossa, sisältäen kaikkea hip-hopista jazziin ja sitä kautta punkkiin, mutta jollain oudolla tavalla tämä nivoutuu mukavasti monipuoliseksi paketiksi. Arvosana pyörii kolmosen ja nelosen välimaastossa, mutta fiilispohjalta kaatuu loppujen lopuksi neloseen.

One of the things I appreciate the most about the Beastie Boys is that they incorporate their own instrumentation with their samples. To my ear, this makes for more complex and ultimately interesting music than many hip-hop bands. Being previously unfamiliar with this record, there is musical complexity to this album that I was expecting, especially in the latter half of the record, which I preferred. While a hip-hop pervades all tunes providing continuity and a cohesive vibe, there breadth of the music underneath that is super fun. Punk, check. Jazz, yep. Latin funk, we got that. Buddhist monks, unbelievably yes. I don’t know why I had dismissed this band previously, but I was wrong. There is some masterful mixing on display on this album and some absolute bangers. Good stuff.

This felt like it dragged a little at times. I wasn't personally a fan of their delivery style at times (voices came off as too "screamy"). The good parts were strong though.

Meiningistä huokuu 90-luvun rennompi ilmapiiri, jolloin markkinavoimien kuristava koura ei ollut vielä jokaisen kaulan ympärillä. Hauskan letkeät välibiisit rytmitti hyvin muuten menevää poljentoa. Pari paskaa biisiä mahtui, kuten esim. Heart attack man, joka ei sopinut kokonaisuuteen millään tavalla. Kovaa paskaa 4/5

4/5

Good good 4.2