DJLinus

I'm late to the discussion of them disowning LTI, but one of my favorite musical in jokes is when after the Beastie Boys decried the Prodigy for "Smack My Bitch Up", Liam Howlett used a couple of violent LTI tracks in his Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One mix. Well played, Liam.

Anyway, I liked the LTI singles but never got the whole album during its initial release. I totally skipped over PB at the time (and obviously I'm not alone there). CYH was my first Beastie Boys album. Love it. I remember thinking when "Pass the Mic" came out prior to the album, "this is the Beastie Boys?" The live instrumentation and toned down goofiness persuaded me to give them another shot.

Over the next several years I bought everything they put out, all of the albums and CD singles. Even took them up on a pretty unique for the time service they did for the Sounds of Science compilation: online you could choose which songs you wanted (I opted for remixes and rarities that didn't show up on the singles I had), they'd burn it and send it to you. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I bought a CYH shirt back then and for the life of me I don't know what happened to it. I really wish I had it now.

Jason

Kinda surprised that Pauls Boutique wasn't discussed in greater depth. Always heard that was one of their high points. I didn't like "Hey Ladies" when it came out, so I didn't pick it up till years later. It's interesting in a lot of places, but it seems they're just throwing everything they have up against the wall to see what sticks. It definitely showed that they were more than just frat boy rejects, but it's too disjointed to really cement their reputation as serious artists, despite what critics may say.

I did, however get Check Your Head during it's initial release period. Wasn't crazy about it. A couple of good tracks, a few real duds, and some out of place punk rock. I've never liked any of their punk stuff, on this or later albums.

Matty-O

I took advantage of that offer at the time too...saw the ad in Rolling Stone. The mix I put together Disc 1 1. Alive 2. Dub The Mic 3. Country Mike's Theme 4. The Skills To Pay The Bills 5. Live Wire 6. Boomin' Granny 7. Dope Little Song 8. Honky Rink 9. Peanut Butter And Jelly 10. Resolution Time 11. The Vibes(Version 2) 12. Drunkin' Praying Mantis Style 13. Four Fly Guys 14. Benny And The Jets 15. So What'cha Want(Butt Naked)

Disc 2 1. Get It Together(A.B.A Mix) 2. Negotiation Limerick File(DJ Design Vocal Remix) 3. Pass The Mic(Part II, Skills To Pay The Bills) 4. Intergalactic(Prisoners Of Technology/TMS 1 Re-Mix) 5. Body Movin'(Fatboy Slim Remix) 6. So What'cha Want(Soul Assassin Remix) 7.Three Mc's And One DJ(Live Video Version) 8. Negotiation Limerick File(Handsome Boy Modeling School) 9. Intergalactic(Strawberry Bath & Jelly Sounds) 10. Believe Me 11. Brand New 12. I Can't Think Straight 13. I Want Some 14. Nervous Assistant 15. Square Wave In Unison

Anyway....love CYH. In order from this point. 1. PB 2. CYH 3. LTI

Daryl

late to the thread, so catching up....

The brothas dug it, too. We listened to LTI on the bus to high school every day for the rest of the 86-87 school year. Then I'd come home and play it some more. I can't remember where I bought it, but for some reason I had the Canadian release of the It's The New Style b/w Paul Revere 12". I'd play the instrumental versions over and over.

The New Style remains my favorite BB song.

Bought it the first day, came home expecting LTI pt2. Ummmm, no. But it quickly grew on me and remains a close #2 for me to LTI. It's become so retro-actively critically loved that it went from being underrated to a wee bit overrated. However, one aspect of it that never gets enough love, IMO, is the music and beats. Simply outstanding.

Shadrach is my 2nd favorite BB song. Years ago I spent $60 for a sealed copy of the "An Evening At Home With Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego" 12". Pathetic!


Finally got to see them live after they released this album. A fun album that has lost some of it's appeal to me over time. Still love So What'cha Want (especially the Soul Assassin Remix) and oddly, The Biz vs. The Nuge - but Gratitude annoyed the shit out of me from day one and that hasn't changed.

auto

Ill Communication

Original Release Date: May 23, 1994

Fun Fact: The band performed three concerts (in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C.) to raise money for the Milarepa Fund and dedicated the royalties from "Shambala" and "Bodhisattva Vow" from the Ill Communication album to the cause. The Milarepa Fund aims to raise awareness of Tibetan human rights issues and the exile of the Dalai Lama. In 1996, Yauch organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert, a two-day festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco that attracted 100,000 people.

Tracklisting:

1. "Sure Shot" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/DJ Hurricane) – 3:19
2. "Tough Guy" (AWOL/Beastie Boys) – 0:57
3. "B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak" (Beastie Boys) – 3:36
4. "Bobo on the Corner" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 1:13
5. "Root Down" (Beastie Boys) – 3:32
6. "Sabotage" (Beastie Boys) – 2:58
7. "Get It Together" (feat. Q-Tip) (Beastie Boys/Davis) – 4:05
8. "Sabrosa" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:29
9. "The Update" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:15
10. "Futterman's Rule" (Beastie Boys/Money Mark) – 3:42
11. "Alright Hear This" (Beastie Boys) – 3:06
12. "Eugene's Lament" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Gore/Money Mark) – 2:12
13. "Flute Loop" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Kooper) – 1:54
14. "Do It" (Beastie Boys/Biz Markie/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:16
15. "Ricky's Theme" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:43
16. "Heart Attack Man" (AWOL/Beastie Boys) – 2:14
17. "The Scoop" (Beastie Boys/Caldato) – 3:36
18. "Shambala" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:40
19. "Bodhisattva Vow" (Beastie Boys/Caldato) – 3:08
20. "Transitions" (Beastie Boys/Money Mark) – 2:31


Samples:


Saw the guys at Lollapalooza the summer they headlined with Smashing Pumpkins. After CYH, was very underwhelmed with this one despite the handful of great singles. The day I bought it, and to this day, it's just too long. Should have been a 12 track, 45 minute album. Still love me some 'Flute Loop'

Jacoby Ellsbury

Actually now that Im looking at the tracklisting, I just remembered, I couldn't stand the 2nd half of the cd. Stand out tracks for me were: sure shot, b-boys making with the freak freak, root down, Get it together. I usually just stopped playing the cd after those first 7 songs.

Boba Fett

Yeah, when this album works it's brilliant, but there are a number of songs that are just merely good, not great. After track 7, only Flute Loop and Bodhisattva Vow are must listens for me.

cdollaz

Major letdown after Check Your Head. Too much shit that didn't go anywhere.

auto

This is my cut:

"Sure Shot" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/DJ Hurricane) – 3:19
"B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak" (Beastie Boys) – 3:36
"Bobo on the Corner" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 1:13
"Root Down" (Beastie Boys) – 3:32
"Sabotage" (Beastie Boys) – 2:58
"Get It Together" (feat. Q-Tip) (Beastie Boys/Davis) – 4:05
"The Update" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:15
"Futterman's Rule" (Beastie Boys/Money Mark) – 3:42
"Alright Hear This" (Beastie Boys) – 3:06
"Flute Loop" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Kooper) – 1:54
"Do It" (Beastie Boys/Biz Markie/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:16
"Bodhisattva Vow" (Beastie Boys/Caldato) – 3:08

Lean and mean...

mndtrp

I play this album more than the others at this point. However, like others have said, it's a bit long in the tooth.

Excellent.

Daryl

I probably haven't listened to this whole album in at least a decade. Just didn't do much for me long term. Honestly, the thing I remember the most from this album is "phone is ringing, oh my God".

bralph

"If I'd known it was gonna be that kinda party, I'd stick my dick in the mashed potatoes!"

FrozenMetalHead

This seemed to be the first album where they didn't really "change" style from the preceding album. It's very similar in format to Check Your Head. Rap song / Hardcore song / Instrumental / Repeat. I also felt like too many songs on the album sounded exactly alike. Tough Guy sounds pretty much like Heart Attack Man (their hardcore songs were much better on the Aglio E Olio EP - for them at least). The Update sounds like The Scoop.

That said, I still enjoy it. This was when my collecting of their 12", promos, imports really started. Wasted lots of money on high prices at EIL.com. But this was before ebay was able to drive down prices in this case.

There was a Sabotage VHS (later DVD) that came out that had this gem in it with outtakes from Sabotage set to the track Futterman's Rule.

Mabuse

I'm way late and catching up. I lived through their "breakthrough" with LtI and I think it's important to understand the way the album was percieved at the time. Some of you have already pointed it out, but LtI was recieved very similarly to a comedy album. It's success was not a result of, or an indicator of, white suburbia "embracing" rap music. Most white suburban kids found the album extremely funny; the lyrics themselves were funny and contained jokes, but more than that (and to a certain degree this was casual, juvinile, suburban racism) we didn't like rap, perhaps feared rap, and a bunch of white guys making a "comedy album" using the rap genre had a lot of appeal. For a few people (some people in this thread) it was a gatway to mainstream rap, but most people saw it as a parody of the artform. Listening to it was a way of ridiculing rap. I don't think this was the Beastie's intention, nor can I speak for 100% of their audience, but this was the atitude of 100% of the people I knew.

Paul's Boutique is one of the best albums ever released. But it's universal praise today never mentions how completely dismissed the album was when it came out. MTV barely played Hey Ladies and the music press wasn't remotely kind to the album. But it is a sonic revolation. It got bad reviews because no one had ever heard anything like it.

FrozenMetalHead

Very interesting observation. I was in 4th or 5th grade at the time. This album and Raising Hell were my gateway albums into mainstream rap at the time. But thinking back to then, wasn't all rap somewhat "funny" at the time? While there were definitely the more serious songs (White Lines, The Message) - Stuff from Fat Boys, 2 Live Crew, all the one-off novelty raps, had lots of humor in it - Even Run-DMC was humorous with "Dumb Girl" and "You Be Illin" to name a few.

We never took it as ridiculing rap - esp seeing them on MTV with Run-DMC, Public Enemy and LL Cool J - we just saw it as something funny that our parents hated. That said - I was 11 or 12 - my ability to really critique music wasn't quite developed.

I know you qualified your statement up there, and that's how the people you knew saw it. Just sharing where my group of friends were at during the time.

Jeraden

Late to this thread, but had an amusing BB story.

I first got into them when I was like 14 or 15 with Licensed to Ill. I didn't really have any actual musical tastes/preferences before that. But it was just a fun album and my friend up the street and I loved it. We were in a record store the one day and saw on the shelf was another tape by the Beastie Boys - Pollywog stew. I was thinking cool, they have another album! (this is all pre-internet obviously, I had no idea who they were, what their background was, etc). I get home, pop in the tape and I'm thinking what on earth is this crap?? This isn't even the Beastie Boys! Some other band must have the same name as them. Its just some people making noise! So I took it back to the store and told them it wasn't the same band I meant to buy, and they gave me my money back. Lol. It wasn't until much later I realized that really was the beastie boys prior to them going rap.

auto

Hello Nasty

Original Release Date: July 14th, 1998

Fun Fact: The title for the album was allegedly inspired by the receptionist of their NY based publicity firm Nasty Little Man who would answer the phone with the greeting "Hello Nasty".

Tracklisting:

1. "Super Disco Breakin'" – 2:07
2. "The Move" – 3:35
3. "Remote Control" – 2:58
4. "Song for the Man" – 3:13
5. "Just a Test" – 2:12
6. "Body Movin'" – 3:03
7. "Intergalactic" – 3:51
8. "Sneakin' Out the Hospital" – 2:45
9. "Putting Shame in Your Game" – 3:37
10. "Flowin' Prose" – 2:39
11. "And Me" – 2:52
12. "Three MC's and One DJ" – 2:50
13. "The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Movin')" – 3:01 (Australian/European title is "Can't, Won't, Don't Stop")
14. "Song for Junior" – 3:49
15. "I Don't Know" – 3:00 (with Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto)
16. "The Negotiation Limerick File" – 2:46
17. "Electrify" – 2:22
18. "Picture This" – 2:25 (with Brooke Williams)[26][27]
19. "Unite" – 3:31
20. "Dedication" – 2:32
21. "Dr. Lee, PhD" – 4:50 (with Lee "Scratch" Perry)
22. "Instant Death" – 3:22


Samples:


Took me a long time to get into this one...a really long time. I really like it now but it just doesn't stand up next to the earlier albums. Would be my least favorite....until the next LP dropped. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Hello Nasty was decent, but now in retrospect their catalog isn't as great as I thought it was. IMO, Licensed to Ill is the only classic and they had a few great songs since, but not one album you can listen to all the way through like hundreds of other cds in my collection. To the 5 burroughs the only regular release left? I don't even remember that album, I think I stopped buying CDs before that came out and don't remember listening to it much by other means.

Boba Fett

Interestingly enough, the two best songs from this album, in my opinion, were the live video version of "3MCs and One DJ" (which I would rank as one of their top five songs) and the Fatboy Slim remix of "Body Movin" which also spawned their second best video (a brilliant homage to Danger: Diabolik). The album itself was the last one I found worth listening too; the next one was a bit of a mess and their voices were starting to fail.

Fist of Doom

I like the first half of the album a lot, then it just seems to meander. This was the beginning of the Beasties slide IMO.

UAIOE

I remember hearing the original version of "Body Movin" on the radio before the Fatboy Slim remix came out.

There are two music videos by the Beasties that I can never get enough of:

"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Body Movin"

"Body Movin" probably edges out as it is twice as funny.

NoirFan

Hello Nasty is the first album I paid no attention to other than the two blah tracks that were on the radio. Since then, I've had no interest. They've just been treading water since Check Your Head.

Jeraden

Hello Nasty has a few catchy tracks, but in general I think it's the lyrics that are it's downfall. The creative, witty, off-the-wall lyrics were what made a lot of the earlier albums such a treat. This one they seemed to be trying too hard to be "old-school", when they were never old-school to begin with. Unfortunately it really sapped my enthusiasm for them as a whole. By the time the next album came out, they were so off my radar that I didn't care - I still haven't even listened to 5 Boroughs despite previously being a big BB fan. Same kinda thing happened to me with Radiohead.

Mabuse

Same thing happened to me with BB and Radiohead...it's called graduation.

auto

To The 5 Boroughs

Original Release Date: Jun 15, 2004

Fun Fact: In 2002, Beastie Boys started building a new studio facility, Oscilloscope, in downtown Manhattan, New York and started work on a new album. The band released a protest song, "In A World Gone Mad", against the 2003 Iraq war as a free download on several websites, including the Milarepa website, the MTV website, MoveOn.org, and Win Without War. Only problem, it was awful.

Tracklisting:

1. "Ch-Check It Out" – 3:12
2. "Right Right Now Now" – 2:46
3. "3 the Hard Way" – 2:48
4. "Time to Build" – 3:11
5. "Rhyme the Rhyme Well" – 2:47
6. "Triple Trouble" – 2:43
7. "Hey Fuck You" – 2:21
8. "Oh Word?" – 2:59
9. "That's It That's All" – 2:28
10. "All Lifestyles" – 2:33
11. "Shazam!" – 2:26
12. "An Open Letter to NYC" – 4:18
13. "Crawlspace" – 2:53
14. "The Brouhaha" – 2:13
15. "We Got The" – 2:27


Well, the packaging is awesome!