Reviews (page 6 of 14)
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.
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
4.1
Sabootaage! Perfect example of how to mix hip hop with rock music.
I typically list Ill Communication as one of my top 3 Beastie Boys records, but its the one I listen to the least of the 3. I don't know that this is any fault of the record, because it slaps. There's cool inclusions of punk that back to the Beastie's humble beginnings, much more 70's jazz, funk, and rock influence, and the inclusions of Biz Markie and Q-tip, all ow which makes Ill Communication feel closest to the free-spirited, freewheeling energy of Paul's Boutique. It's consistently good record that, once again, finds the Beastie Boys gleefully experimenting with their sound.
Fantastic album. Love to see how these guys developed into more genres as they aged.
Great stuff, these guys were ahead of their time
Not a huge hip hop fan and only know two Beastie Boys songs (Fight For Your Right & Sabotage). I loved this, what a Banger!
SABOTAAAAAAGE.
This aged better than I thought it would back in the day. Could say more about my thought process back then. Super solid grooves. My one gripe is that it's too long. Everyone was trying to fill the 70 minute capacity of the cd and I get worn out before it's over. Could've been two albums.
Ok, so this album. I just never got into these guys at the time. And I haven't really since. I think the main reason I just never got into them is because I felt like the people who were listening to them were...assholes. Even just hearing that intro on the first track instantly makes me think of jock dickheads. Either that or annoying stoner dudes who wore aggressively ridiculous pants. But this is a great album and I enjoy listening to it now. These guys really managed to stay in everyone's good graces despite being total dicks when they were younger. With all that said, 20 tracks is a bit much. There's a little bit of fat here that could be trimmed, which would make this a solid listen from start to finish. Who was with me at the Fireside Bowl when we saw whatever-band-that-was and Mike D was there?
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.
I have never really liked the Beastie Boys, except for Sabotage (on this record — but not representative of the album as a whole) and No Sleep Till Brooklyn. I fully expected to give this album a 1. Then, I was pleasantly surprised by the range over the first couple of songs. The lead singer’s voice is pretty grating, but surprisingly (and refreshingly) there are large portions of this record that are solely instrumental. By itself the fact that there are large sections without lyrics elevates the album. This is really a soul-funk-jazz album quasi-masquerading as a Beastie Boys album.
raw energy and always waow!
I thought this was a solid hip hop and rap album from the Beastie Boys! They have a very distinct sound that is very recognizable whenever you hear any of their songs. ‘Sabotage’ and ‘Sure Shot’ are definitely two of the standouts on this album but I also liked the experimental interludes inbetween some of the longer songs and how some of the songs had a rock and punk vibe to them. I would jam to this album again in the future depending on my mood!
Бісті Бойз з тих гуртів, що люди можуть називати різні їх альбоми як найкращі і складно буде сказати, що хтось неправий. Для мене є щонайменше два альбому, що подобаються більше за цей. Плюс тут є декілька коротких моментів, де альбом просідає. Плюс повага МСА за вільний Тибет, але ця спірічуал кінцівка музично теж не додає. Безумовно тут є один з найбільших хітів гурту. Та вся ця еклектика по стилям тут дуже яскрава. Дуже крутий альбом, але є кращі у них для мене
Brilliant album. Stellar arrangements and lyrics. The instrumental tracks are a standout.
Already having listened to another beastie boy album from this list, I must say they really rock 4.5/5
Sure Shot Root Down Sabotage
This is one of my least favourite Beastie Boys album and yet it's still brilliant. The production is solid throughout, the energy is top-notch as always with the Beastie Boys, and there's a diverse range of musical styles they experiment with on Ill Communication. The only thing I don't enjoy about this album and why it gets a 4 instead of a 5 is the amount of distortion on the vocals. The majority of the songs have vocal effects which take away enjoyment of the listening experience.
En smågalen resa genom punk, funk, hip hop med mera. Topparna är höga och Sabotage är verkligen ett monster varje gång. Gillar verkligen hur bas och trummor låter, oavsett samplade eller live. Kanske lider skivan av lite för många spår och hardcore-punken känns något apart. Å andra sidan skapar den omaka mixen och kasten mellan stilar en helhet på något sätt.
Lekfullt och funkigt. Blaxploatation-soundtrack, flöjt och punk-attityd. Inleder starkt. Tappar fart under andra halvan. Blir något enformigt när de instrumentala låtarna återupprepar sig. Då är ändå instrumentalerna andra halvans hödpunkter. Skönt sväng rakt igenom. En stark 3:a eller en svag 4:a.
Not what I was expecting, hip hop and then some. A smorgasbord of jazz, funk, even some punk in there. I was obviously familiar with Sabotage but not much else but this was a great listen. Some cool instrumental bits too.
Фанк-панк для молодых и модных. Самое то для нуарных августовских закатов, когда чувствуешь себя самым кинематографичным и крутым хуем на районе.
Ganz gut. Wenn ich mal wieder mehr Hip-Hop höre, hör ich’s mir auf jeden Fall nochmal an. 3,8 Sterne.
Rock hip hop is my jam
This was a fun one, didn’t enjoy the whole album but there was a lot of cool stuff going on. Sabotage will always be a banger.
The Beastie Boys are one of those bands that probably should get more credit then they already receive. Yeah they've sold tons of records and I believe they are part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (whatever you think of that), but they really are pioneers in different ways and have been pretty influential on many others including Eminem. This album is a prime example of what they are capable of. We've all heard Sabotage and for good reason. That's one of those songs that just hit on all airwaves, whether it’s rap, rock, alternative, or pop. It was just huge in the 90s and arguably one of the best songs of that decade. But there's a lot more to like on this record, whether it is the other song you sometimes hear on the radio (Sure Shot), a collaboration with Biz Markie (Do It), other great back and forth raps, and one cool instrumental (Eugene's Lament, which I loved). I would give this a five, but two things hold me back: 1. Though it's a way more refined sound on this record, this album isn't as good or as complete as Paul's Boutique. 2. There are too many instrumentals on here (Eugene’s Lament as the exception). All the same, a very good album.
The Update stood out to me, I like the double bass part. Q-Tip feature on the album was nice. The album flows really well.
Was never a huge Beastie Boys fan, but I do enjoy their music, and this album is great
Very interesting jazz/hip-hop album from Beastie Boys. Haven't heard much of their album work before (only the hits), so I can't say I expected such cool production and neat instrumentation from them. Really surprising work from a group that I thought was more one-dimensional than this. Loved the long instrumental segments, the crazy unique beats, and some of the features. The vocal mixing left a little to be desired at times, with the vocal lines almost disappearing behind the beat in some songs. In addition, I've always found the flow of Beastie Boys tracks to be a little lacking, even if the lyricism is generally pretty good. But overall, a much better listen than I expected going in. Would be happy to listen to more from them in the future.
When I saw this pop up today I thought "Oh, that's an easy 5-star, one of my favorite albums of all time." And it remains one of my favorite albums of all time, one I listened to every day for about a year in college. But I haven't listened to it start-to-finish in a long time and I was a little surprised today at how much filler there seems to be on the back side. And it is great filler, to be sure, but the album didn't keep me as locked in on it as it used to. I definitely don't think it's as strong top to bottom as Paul's Boutique, and I never have. But I really feel like this needs to be one notch below five stars, and it pains me to say that. Another victim of the no half-stars problem, I guess... This gets the highest-possible four-star rating from me. And it is probably unfair to compare it to Paul's Boutique, which is a perfect album in my opinion. The front side of this one is perfect too, but the back side has too many instrumentals and songs where they use that voice effect where I can't understand what they're saying. If I go back and look at all the albums I have given 5 stars to, I guarantee I will see at least one that I like less than this album. But I'm choosing to rate this in a vacuum today.
I was surprised to find out I don’t LOVE love this now, but still love it and these dudes even more.
Super fun
Such a rad album. Super unique with fantastic variety, never boring. Sure Shot, Sabotage, Heart Attack Man are kind of what you expect from the Beastie Boys and again super cool songs. Then Sabrosa comes in as a groovy instrumental. The Update has beautiful lyrics (I think society missed the message on this one). Futterman's Rule is an absolute funky jam and might be my favorite song on the album, love the keys.
It’s just hip hop fun. I love their licensed to ill album and this is just a slightly more modern version of their work - and I love their sampling too
For white rappers, I enjoy what these guys do. The amount of influence that went into making this and making it so real to the time it was created is brilliant. Some songs weren't, but it doesn't distract too much from the brilliance of this. Props to my Dad for making me listen to these guys as a kid.
Real cool
I appreciated the variety of instruments and styles in this album. Definitely more interesting than I thought it’d be.
The Boys are... mellower? Not possible. Less shouty, perhaps. Exploring the funk and the groovier lines, with occasional acts of SABOTAGE!! They never do anything twice, so you can listen to their albums over and over for new sounds. They're musical mad scientists whose growth you can chart over the albums' courses. So fuckin brilliant.
love love love this album. very chaotic, very fun. too long for me personally, but sabotage and root down are peak. 3.8/5
Really thought an hour of beastie boys would get tiring, but I was gladly wrong. A boatload of fun packed with referential humor and grandiosity. Maybe could be slimmed down a little, but kept my attention very well the whole time
One of the Beastie Boys most accessible albums.
longer than I anticipated but not horrible, not my type of rap
Levyllä on hittejä joka nostaa arvion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ muuten levy on ⭐️⭐️⭐️ tasoa.
Overall enjoyable, Sabotage is still a fantastic track. Enjoyed the extended grooves in between songs
I often have a hard time liking hip hop, but this one was quite cool and varied. Great flow and energy
Pretty good album. A couple songs I’ll go back to but overall more of a vibe than an actual great album with songs that stand on their own.
It’s rock, it’s rap, it’s funky, it’s fun.
a lot of fun! highlights: tough guy, root down, sabotage, heart attack man (feb 26 2026)
Me donne le goût de varger dans un mur
Wow, c'est de la que ca vient le son de Joey Valence and Brae! Intéressant mashup de différents styles (hip hop, jazz, punk, throat singing??). L'instrumental reste toujours frais et j'ai bien aimé l'espèce de rap question-réponse. Agréablement surpris!
Ahead of its time combining punk elements with hip hop. Standout was “Sabotage” but also loved the instrumentals “Eugene’s Lament” and “Flute Loop”.
87% Best: Sure Shot; B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak; Root Down; Sabotage; Get It Together; Sabrosa; Alright Hear This; Flute Loop; The Scoop Must-Hear? Sure
I HATED the Beastie Boys first album. I thought it was annoying and irritating and they were just brats. I assumed they’d just rinse and repeat, because why wouldn’t they. But they didn’t, and made some really cool albums with fantastic production and instrumentation, and some very witty lyrics. This album isn’t my favorite of theirs, but it’s a very enjoyable listen with lots of interesting styles.
The end (I imagine) of the Beastie Boys era on the Project, and it's not done loads to change my overall opinion of them. That is that they're a very good, but quite irritating band who don't really do loads for me. Sabotage is a banger to be fair, especially the opening 20 seconds or so. It's good this, but I generally was hoping for more.
Enjoying hearing earlier beastie boys
Some really amazing songs. I think there are too many I didn't love to give it 5 stars but 4 stars for sure.
A refinement of their sound they made on Check Your Head rather than a reinvention, probably their best post Boutique album.
Obviously a new sound, definitely a vibe.
To my shame despite living for a year with a massive Beastie Boys fan, i dont think i’ve ever listened to an actual album in it’s entirety outside of ‘To the 5 Boroughs’ (which is far from their best). Having already being bitten several times by albums popping up that i assumed (mistakenly) i’d love this one had me worried. However finally this one confirmed my preconception and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It perfectly soundtracked a very sunny summer morning. Sabotage holds a particular place in my heart from going to the alternative club nights whilst at school, safe in the knowledge that at some point you would get the double hit of Sabotage and Killing in the name of and everyone would just lose their shit.
I can absolutely understand why you might not like the Beastie Boys. The rapping is nasally, they shout, and finish EACH others SENTENCES! But I was a teenager with access to MTV when Sabotage was released and I watched that music video thousands of times but never got bored of it. While Sabotage and Sure Shot are probably the high points of this album, I still really like the rest of the record so.... 4/5
Top tier shit
Really digging the instrumentals
bass + hiphop = good album more bass + hiphop = great album my experience in alt-hiphop in a nutshell good album - 8.5/10
A lot of short songs. Great beats, on the funky/punk side of hip hop. Some great songs like Sabotage and Sure Shot.
I love Sabrosa, what a cool bass-led jam. And Ricky's Theme! Who would have expected this from the band that does Sabotage... not me! So smooth and funky. Yo! and the bassline on The Scoop is awesome... I didn't know they could do this. Really incredible.
Jazzy vibes and I like it
7/10
Some outstanding songs on this album.
I reckon this might might be peak Beasties. Extremely hectic, broadly eclectic, full of good energy. Solid New York record, a melting pot of genres, influences, and collaborations.
Has an energy that doesn’t let up but changes its color.
Solid early 2000s rap with their unique style, classic rap album
Creative genre busting rap. No other act could make this album. The backing track is good enough to be an instrumental. The collective element always adds a little extra to their tracks. High 4
There’s so much going on throughout this record. It’s a smorgasbord of genres, styles, instrumentation. Sure Shot has Jazz flute, tight smart looping production, with a traditional rock drum kit. This transitions into Tough Guy which turns into straight up hardcore punk, which is possibly the most successful mode on this record. The instrumental tracks, particularly Eugine’s Lament and Sabrosa, featuring a prominent double bass, adds some engaging left turns and sophistication to a record which in other ways is full of reckless charm. The only downside of its sprawling nature is that it does not quite know when to end. You don’t begrudge the hour long run time too badly, because of the various strange and surprising avenues they take you down, but I think it could have been even more effective if it was a little tighter.
Loved this LP, a high 4 for me, the rap style isn’t quite to my taste which keeps it from a 5, the mix of rap, hardcore punk and jazzy jams is -chef’s kiss-
Hell yeah! Ill Communication! To me, this was the Beastie Boys at their weirdest and most creative. Check Your Head is still my favorite album but the journey you go on throughout Ill Communication is pretty sweet. I have to admit I didn’t appreciate this album as much as I should’ve back in the day. While I loved Sure Shot, Root Down, and Sabotage, I overlooked some of the deeper cuts. But that is where the magic lies on Ill Communication. I love that there is a song talking smack on Bill Laimbeer (Tough Guy). I enjoy all the Ma Bell and Knicks references. There is funny moments all over the album. But there is also great substance in some of these songs. Ill Communication is just an all around great record. This is an extremely strong 4 rating. 4/5
Beastie sounds
Getting to be a trend: this album was early heavy. But the big boppers from this album--"Sure Shot," "Root Down," and "Sabotage"--lift 'Ill Communication' up. The whole album is pretty enjoyable, even if it gets a little background music-y towards the end.
Great shit.
--Sure Shot...grand opening statement --Tough Guy...short punk track. meh --B-Boys...a lot of interesting ideas but never quite comes together for me --Bobo...short drum break --Root Down...funky and fun. Great stuff --Sabotage...Classic --Get It Together...slows things down a bit. Great groove and rhymes --Sabrosa...funky instrumental. Very nice --The Update...I'm not sure I love this song but it's kind of fascinating. Off-balance but precise at the same time. --Futterman's Rule...Another funky instrumental. I really like the fuzz these guys are able to produce --Alright Hear This...sounds too much like Sure Shot but keeps the groove going --Eugene's Lament...another instrumental. I appreciate the left turn but it doesn't really fit with the rest of the album --Flute Loop...It's exactly what the title says and it's great --Do It...decent but overshadowed by similar but better tracks --Ricky's Theme...instrumental. feels like a track I would keep on while using the bathroom. Nothing that interesting happening --Heart Attack Man...another pure punk song. I like how heavy it is but otherwise it's just okay --The Scoop...I was afraid the back half of this would just be a repeat of the front but this track feels like it's bringing something fresh to the table --Shambala...is that Mongolian throat singing? Sure, why not? --Bodhisattva Vow...the throat singing continues and it's fantastic. Banger --Transitions...another uninteresting instrumental. Should have ended on Bodhisattva Vow
While Paul’s Boutique had the Beaste Boys throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck (This is a compliment, I like that album a lot), Ill Communication is a lot more focused, and more mature (well, about as mature as the Beastie Boys are gonna get). The album is a lot more cohesive, but don’t worry, there are still infectious beats, off-the-wall energy, and some good old fashioned Beastie Boys trade-offs. There are even some fun guest appearances, like Q-Tip from Tribe and Biz Markie. I liked this one a lot, maybe even more than Paul’s Boutique.
3.5 - some of the beastie boys stuff is just unintelligible to me , but when its good its good
We liked it a lot but he sounds like Morty. So 4 stars max.
Great
A classic, a lot of hangers on got into Beastie Boys starting here, while the tried and true were into Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head well before. Great to hear some of the punk roots throwback and more of their own instrumentation.
i’ve never liked beastie boys for their lyrics and voice but the backing tracks are amazing
Enjoyed listening to this album again. Some good songs!
banger
10 Word Review There's a reason it was one of my first records. Overall Score: 90 / 100
second best
The beats in this album are sublime. I liked the verses as well. Tracks 1-10 are nearly perfect. There are some alright punk songs on "Ill Communication". The instrumental tracks don't fit the album too well. 4 stars for "Ill Communication".
Hmmm, so on one hand this album is awesome.... They take rap and make it uniquely their own. I don't always want to consider them rap, because it is just so different but all of the elements are their. Mixing, sampling, rhyming, beats, etc. Its all there and done well but without sounding like anyone else. They have some awesome lyrics as well. Yes they are for young pot smoking white folks, but they are still really good. They are controversial but in all the right ways and not the bad ways. Shoutout to Sabatoge...awesome song. I even liked the musical instrumental breaks in between, Futterman's Rule was awesome! It is a chaotic album...and not always in a good way. Some bits weren't bad but just felt out of place (Ricky's Theme and Shambala). They have great lyrics but at times they were so distorted you couldn't understand them. Overall it was a good album and one that deserved to be on this list, but its not perfect.
One of my college roommates was very into the Beastie Boys, so they were playing a lot in those days, but I never took the time to really dig into their music catalog myself, aside from their hits. So now that I have one of their full albums under my belt... Pros: They are very talented rappers and performers and lyricists. They have a great energy that always comes through in their music. It's hard not to like them simply for who they are. The album had a lot of great variety too, and I liked the blend of punk and hip-hop and even some jazzy feels in the instrumentals. Very well produced too! Cons: The voice distortion was annoying. It's hard to hear what they're saying when they're making their voice so fuzzy. They write great lyrics, but then I can barely understand a lot of them. Their voices are also kind of a lot sometimes, and honestly, I liked the song with Q-Tip best because his voice isn't so harsh. And I could actually understand him. I was surprised by the number of instrumentals on here, but also I kind of liked them because it was sort of a way to relax after a big song and big voices. I especially liked the one with the violin. Overall, this is still a great album from an iconic group, I have mad respect for the Beastie Boys.
I thought I knew the Beastie Boys a little bit but man was I wrong... Apart from the few radio hits on this album it was a total surprise. The jazz / funk inspired beat tracks that made up the bulk of the album I thought were legitimately great. The in your face, rap punk vocals sprinkled throughout contrasted the musical styles of the backing tracks in a way that was super effective and made me want more.
4.0 - Very Good
Familiarity and nostalgia breed fondness. While License to Ill was on constant replay in HS and hits like Sabotage, Intergalactic, Make Some Noise (and related videos) held my attention over the years, this album never really stuck for me. My impressions today: it lacks the catchy lyrical interplay/finishing each other's lines prominent in their earlier material, the megaphone effect on much of the vocals distracts, and the 3-4 "punk" songs (Tough Guy, Heart Attack, Update) don't fit. But there are several gems, particularly the back half: Get It Together, Sabrosa, Shambala, Eugene's Lament, and Ricky's Theme stand out. Sesame Street, 70's cop shows, and 80's sitcoms romanticized NYC life - housing projects, fire hydrants spraying summer streets, people always on the move, etc. and this album extends that aura. Not as good as License to Ill but many more hits than misses. 4/5
An alright album, I liked Futterman's Rule the most.
Surprisingly good. I still can't tell whether Mike D is a lyrical genius, or whether he's just shouting incoherent nonsense through a loud hailer, but musically really good.
Good variety 👌
so much depth here. yes they rap but also they’re a jazz and punk influenced jam band?
It's the only rap album on this list that I liked.
Very distinctive sound (sounds like they sing into a can) I joined the BB hype albums later, but Sabotage is on my ‘get aggressions out’-playlist 🤘
Classic album that has a wild ass mix of different tracks. Beastie Boys started as a punk band and some of that is in here. Classic pass the mic. Funk and turntablism. Weird world music samples. Really just a fun album despite some anachronistic cultural insensitivity.
daorinha :D
Fuck yeah
78/100. good and dynamic album, blending tight beats with a mix of rap and rock. It strikes a balance between being heavy-hitting and smooth
4/5
I get that it was a big departure for their sound but I don't think it was quite as revolutionary as some reviewers seem to think. That said, there is damned good music on this album.
Not my most favorite Beastie album, but still some good rhymes on here and a bit of new style for the guys.
Fun, but not as good as Check Your Head. Some really good grooves, some noise.
Not my style, kinda noisy, but fond memories. More meaning now than as a middle schooler
This makes me feel like a wannabe man, love it
apprehensive already. wow. really enjoyed as an album all together. back half hit hard at the gym.
swag but i dont think i particularly care for it
Lekfullt. Funky. Blaxploatation. Flöjt. Punk-attityd. Inleder starkt. Tappar fart under andra halvan. Blir något enformigt, återupprepar sig. Skönt sväng rakt igenom. En skiva jag blir glad av att höra.
Rip Biz Markie Favorite track: Sabotage 3.5/5
Never heard of Beastie Boys before listening to this album, was pleasantly surprised
Genuinely has more funk and instrumentation to it than I expected having only ever listened to their singles before, especially with tracks like Sabrosa, Futterman's Rule, Ricky's Theme, Shambala and Transitions. Thoroughly enjoyable album to kick off my 2nd attempt at the 1001 album challenge.
A mixed bag of hip hop af rock. Great album.
I like the instrumentals as part of the tracklist - didn’t realize the sequencing was a lot like a beat tape.
Unmistakably Beastie Boys
This was a jam through and through. I was surprised by the amount of live instrumentation vs the samples I was expecting. Never gonna eat the mashed potatoes at a party again.
Cool album with a lot of variety, enjoyed how they brought in rock, hardcore punk, funk etc influences and thought the instrumentals were great
Was pretty good
Good but not my bag
Alot more mature then Liscense to Ill. You can see their punk influences. I never really went beyond Sure Shot & Sabotage, but it was a great album
Great beats and as someone who doesn't listen to the beastie boys, a surprising amount of great instrumentals. The only problem with it is sometimes the lyrics are too obscured by the distortion on the vocals.
A really, really great album that isn't a *perfect* album. I was excited when this was my album for the day and was honestly expecting that after I listened to it, I'd find it to be a perfect 5/5 album. As a late Gen Xer or early millennial (I'm the Oregon trail generation), this came out at a formative time for me. I wasn't huge into the beasties then, but damnit if sabotage didn't become an increasingly favorite of mine and has had way more staying power than one might have guessed when it was the hot thing on MTV. Many great instrumentals, and of course get it together is masterful, but there a few parts that, for me, lagged or didn't hit that notched this down a little more than I expected as a full album. Still great. So so great. I want it to be a perfect album, but it's not quite there.
Sabrosa The Update Futterman's Rule Transitions
Kinda surprised this is here. Don't get me wrong I love me some Beastie Boys but without knowing for sure I assume that if this is here Paul's Boutique and License to Ill most be here as well. Either way what a record. Sure you get plenty of that rap/rock fusion you typically associate with the Beastie Boys, but you also get a lot of jazz sounding influence as well. Incredible. 8/10
I've now had all three Beastie Boys albums on this list, and I think this was the only one I'd never heard before. Surprisingly, I thought this was their best despite only knowing Sabotage before. Much more musically interesting than their other albums. Also anything from the 90s with Q-Tip can't be bad
that shit was fire
some tracks have really muffled vocals, kinda hard to discern what they are saying. really nice instrumentals. lots of long interludes (at least that's what I think they are), with no vocals, just instrumentals. some are good, like ricky's theme, but others kinda feel like filler for the album
Hell yeah quality album
Top tracks right chere
Genious!
Muy guapo, se pueden ver muchas de las influencias que han tenido en la música.
Pretty solid stuff boys
Really fun… mix of high high energy with cool instrumentals. Kind of corny with hindsight but will listen to more
Loved it
These beats are insane and they're actually pretty talented rappers but the production is so unique
Enjoyable, oddly soothing, needs another listen.
Some solid gold hits on here, but also maaaaaaybe a tad too long The flute tunes at the end tended to blend into one song certainly.
Going to go against what I've done for other albums. Despite this also being a bit long and lagging at tung end it's hard to fault how much I enjoyed pottering around the house to the first half, and enjoyed finding the out the Prodigy sampled Root Down which was possibly the highlight.
Expected 90s rap bangers and it delivered and then some in the most unexpected way. But it was obviously going to be great because it came out when I was born.
Background music in the bar at a local arthouse cinema (not a criticism). It works really well as "vibe" music. I really like the overall sound and instrumentation. But I wouldn't sit down to listen to this because I was desperate to hear any particular song (Sabotage aside). It's interesting listening through this randomly generated list as I haven't listened to Beastie Boys albums closely before and am jumping in a bit in the middle of their career with this. This seems like a more mature sound than their earlier stuff but it's hard to say without having much context.
Great energy and loved the background tracks. I was hesitant that it would be too much but it really surprised me.
It's a good album if a little dated, getting a four star probably some nostalgia involved and the knowledge of where they would go. Some absolute classics.
Have on Vinyl: No Fav Song: Get it Together w/Q-Tip Notes: Falls off towards the end
Such a great album. So many good tracks, still a unique sound. Takes me back to a time, for sure.
I’m glad I got past the initial first few songs that sound a lot like their normal things that everybody else has heard, because after that the album really opened up and I was happy to find new songs that I was really into.
Préambule : Très hâte d'écouter cet album, car même si j'aime et connait certains titre de Beastie Boys, je ne pense pas avoir écouter cet album en entier. L'intro est un banger comme on en fait plus, un des sons des Beastie Boys que je connaissais avant d'écouter cet album. Une prod entetante et des passes passes qui mettent en avant les styles et voix différentes des différents membres. La prod peut paraitre simpliste de part sa boucle répétitive mais un vrai travail sur la basse et les drums (coupure, relance, switch rythme) qui permettent de rythmer le son. Le son le plus populaire de l'album (et celui que je connaissais) pour une raison. Tough Guy, le deuxième son de l'album, change totalement le ton avec une vraie vibe punk et exprime vraiment le style des Beastie Boys. Ce se permet de faire des interlude jazz comme si cette folle vie était trop courte. Le feat de Q-Tip sur Get It Together est BIEN EVIDEMMENT exceptionnel avec une prod qui respire les allées sombres de Brooklyn. Bordel les interludes c'est quelques choses, ils ont vraiment réussi à donner une consistance à l'album en mettant des interludes 100% instrumentales dans différents styles très différents. Vraiment un album super bien construit mais qui ne se prends en même temps pas au sérieux. Au final, l'album c'est comme si plein de groupes et de styles de musiques avaient fait une giga partouze pour accoucher d'un mutant qui pue le hip-hop jazz, Rage Against The Machine, Brooklyn, Les highlights : Sure Shot, B-Boys Makin with the Freak Freak, Sabotage, Get It Together Les lowlights : Une fin d'album moins entrainante que le début il faut le dire
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background More like a 3.5, but I'll round up.
There’s something unique about the Beastie Boys sound, didn’t really understand the message of the songs but couldn’t help moving along to the beats. Also nice interludes and variety of styles in this album.
This is a classic album, and I've listened to it more than one time in my life. My tastes have changed through the years, but it does bring a smile to my face. And, of course, 'Sabotage'.
Brings back high school nostalgia
Dannnnng this rocked. Can’t lie been trudging through some mid the past week and this woke me up. Just great ears for cool sounds and great beats. And I kinda love their annoying voices. Really cool stuff. And recorded on same table as Freddy gang??? 4.5
Banger album, more versatile than i thought, enjoyed heavily
It's funny how little Sabotage fits with the rest of the sonic landscape of this album - even considering Heart Attack Man - but like, how could you *not* put it on the album? Another question worth considering: is this the second best Beastie Boys album?
I bought this album the day it came out. I knew I was going to buy this album when I saw the Beastie Boys perform on the 1994 VMA Awards. They came out and performed "Sabotage" and did so in coordinating outfits while playing live instruments. I was obviously going to buy the album at that point. I don't think everything on this album works perfectly, but man, the Beastie Boys just went for it. At the time, I am not sure I "got" this album as much as I do now. I wasn't educated enough about music to see what they were trying to do, which was to basically sample every genre they could think of. Sabotage is a sort of 70's grunge, Sabrosa is 70's black-ploitation funk, Get it Together is just straight early 90's sparse rap, Sure Shot is classic Beastie Boys and there is even some punk rock thrown in here as well. Really great album, though not my favorite by them, but this is probably the most aspirational they ever were in terms of experimenting with new sounds.
Musically really enjoyed it, lyrically maybe it's an acquired taste but I see how someone make get the appeal of this 4*
Sounds like beastie boys
Funky, punky, hip hop beats. Proper good mash up that could only be the Beastie Boys.
Amazing album. So many great hits, so many amazing album tracks, so many different styles and influences…. It isn’t hard to see why people call this album their masterpiece.
Interesting mix. 3.8.
I thought it was really interesting how they combined several different genres on this album to create its sound. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
omg, it's funny.i think i've never listen smth like that?
Not as grabby as Licensed to Ill but that almost makes me respect it more. Multi-genre, multi-collaborator. Of note: Flute Loop is the third-most listened track of the album on Spotify, and excluding the hits is my fave track.
4.4 3x great album
Good
While one of my favourite bands, I can’t help but be critical. The straight hardcore songs aren’t very good but obviously Sabotage hits perfection. Q-Tip outshines them in Get It Together, reminding you why they excel when they’re playing around and dropping references. Ultimately, I love it all but I see the flaws.
Go timing- nice to revisit an album of my youth in my hometown. While I am not as intense of a fan boi as Mateen, I did enjoy the range of music on this one.
Doesn’t quite hit the heights of License To Ill for me. Quite of a lot of instrumental going on. Can’t deny the bangers though. Sabotage 🔥 Simpsons: Yes (I thought they’d be a cert for guest stars though)
"Sabotage... that classic Beach Boys song" - Richy Higgs. I was very surprised to see another Beastie Boys album on the list, given how poor the last one was. However, this one had a very different vibe, and I actually quite enjoyed it.
Otro banger más de los Beastie Boys. Muy entretenido de inicio a fin, creo que aún no ha salido ningún álbum malo de estos tíos. Canción destacada: Flute Loop (me gustan mucho las vibras)
This one started out slow for me but once it got going I was much more interested. When I say that this is an odd album I mean that as a compliment. The playing around with genres so much from song to song had me wondering at times if I was listening to the same album or if it had swapped over to auto playing something else. Also wasn't expecting the instrumentals. Overall I really liked this album. I would say it's less good than "Paul's Boutique" for me but still will be worth future relistens.
Fascinating listen. The production is amazing, some of these beats are top notch. Lyricism isn't quite there, the distorted vocals get old pretty quick and the punk stuff isn't great, but overall a good album.
Man I forgot how much I like sabotage!! That song goes so freakin hard. The rest of the album didn’t stand out too much too me unfortunately. The Beastie Boys sound is just such a unique, distinct, and at this point, nostalgic sound. Don’t know if it actually deserves a four but I just loved being back in this unique music period again.
A lot of random jazzy songs but they're fine. Better than 99% of other random songs in albums. This is Chad.