1035. Beastie Boys - The mix up

When I listen to any of the BBoys old instrumental jams I know them all by heart - mumbling each bass line, mimicking every hi hat and happily yelling out POW! The Mix Up offers 12 jams that are completely unforgettable. Sure they groove, but only slightly, and the funk is never laid down thick - the mix up sounds like a band trying to sound like the Beastie Boys - I'm truly afraid of their next release - what happened to our beloved band? It's as if they lost their mojo, their muse and are playing tunes that aren't even a shadow of their old stuff... Beasties, bring it back, or just cut it out.

4.5 out of 10

1034. Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs

Good news first - the album is a bit better than what I remembered, now the bad news, it still isn't good. What's missing? Everything. The tracks are so simple, so basic that it sounds like they made it back in 1982 minus the samples, witty lyrics, and pop sensibility. I understand the somber tone, and don't disagree with it but the tracks are so bland that it sounds like a different band wrote it.

5 out of 10

1033. Beastie Boys - Alive (Single) [Disc 1]

OK - here's where things for me at least really started to turn for the band. And by turn I mean sour. Alive was a new track from their greatest hits disc. It is the plainest, most basic song - instrumentaly, lyrically and hip hoppaly - it sounds like chad and I hired jaime blair for the beats and brad for the lyrics and then we just rapped it in one take... it is simply uninspiring. It also includes "You + Me Together" and "Big Shot (Live)" - which is the only reason I'm keeping this - a Billy Joel cover that isn't good, but is interesting.

2 out of 10

1032. Beastie Boys - Remote Control / 3 MCs & 1 DJ [Disc 1]

The internet killed the CD business, but it absolutely raped and then burnt the CD single business to a crisp. This single contains three tracks - the album versions of Remote Control and Three MC's And One DJ and a remix, Negotiation Limerick File, The (The 41 Small Star Remix). Clearly even BBoys felt so bad about this product they were compelled to include a folded poster as well to make up for it.

3 out of 10

1031. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic [Single]

Outside of Hail Sagan all that this single has to offer is remixes and none of them top the original.

2.4 out of 10

1030. Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty

This is where BB started to take a different turn for me. Does this album have classic moments? Sure, Intergalactic, Remote Control and Three MC's And One DJ are pretty great. Are there instrumentals? Sure, but they don't have the charm of the previous ones, they are flat. And that's my biggest complaint, there are so many flat moments on this cd - tracks like Instant Death and Dr. Lee, PhD provide some interesting, different moments for the band but not enough for me to put this cd up there with the others.

7.8 out of 10

1029. Beastie Boys - The In Sound From Way Out!

A nod to the previous instrumental lp, "The In Sound From Way Out!" collects previously released instrumentals and sorts them into one great little disc - one listen and there's no denying that not only are the Beasties honoring their musical past with these gems, but they are also building upon it - owning and expanding the well trodden sounds of the 60s and 70s. I always enjoy listening to this.

8.6 out of 10

1028. Beastie Boys - Sure Shot

Yeah I was craving anything BBoys pretty bad - even 5 versions of a song I already have. Mildly entertaining.

4.4 out of 10

1027. Beastie Boys - Root Down

When this ep came out the BBoys were on fire! At least in our world, that summer, Ill Communication was on all the time, so when this came out it was an easy buy. The ep contains two ok remixes of Root Down, and a slew of live tracks which don't really go past the 'decent' mark, except for 'Something's Got To Give' which sounds very special live.

6.4 out of 10

1026. Beastie Boys - Ill communication

Ill communication feels very west coast – or at least what I imagine the west coast to be like – organic, free flowing, a bit lazy. Gone (for the most part) is the dirty punk rage from Check your head. The bands instrumentalscape has been carefully expanded into themes, odes and ditties. Old school hip hop has been brought back after a brief leave in the previous LP and it follows and flows into and out of all the songs perfectly.

9.2 out of 10

1025. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head

After Paul's Boutique incredibly sampled, layered pastiche the boys had one place to go and that was rock... well not really rock, but punk, hip hop and funk - all played by them. What we have is an album that is as good as their previous release - it's warmer, uglier, but just as intimate and all yours.

9.1 out of 10

1024. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

A lot has been said about this album, so I'll just list out some random points that I think others haven't really said:

1. thanks to my brother who while in college bought the tape for his friend Gerald and sent it back with me to Brazil
2. thanks Gerald for letting me open the tape and make a copy for myself
3. the album really should have been called "Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers"
4. I own the CD with the 'cd warehouse club' sun reflex cover'
5. I also own the 1998 double LP vinyl reissue
6. I also own the 2009 single remastered vinyl reissue



9.9 out of 10

Now serving: Breakin'!

Ok, so breakdance isn't exactly hip-hop, but then again it is, just ask Ice-T...

1023. Kings Of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street

Part Simon and Garfunkel, part Bossa Nova, part Feist and all Norway this follow up to 'Quiet' treads along a more traditional song path giving way to great unexpected moments for the band.

7.8 out of 10

1022. Kings Of Convenience - Quiet Is The New Loud

For these guys quiet is the new loud and they are rocking! A great lp, filled with incredibly alert comfortable moments - I want to move to wherever they are.

8 out of 10

1021. Lisa Germano - Excerpts From A Love Circus

Lisa captures folk songs that sound like they are in dreams - you want a pattern of sorts but something is always off, almost like a David Lynch film... the album begins and ends in this alternate reality. Good music to read to.

6.4 out of 10

1020. k.d. lang - E-Vincible Summerg

This a promo cd that my friend Francoise gave me - it has three tracks plus videos, etc... probably a great find for a true fan but not for me.

3 out of 10

1019. K.D. Lang - Invincible Summer

It's a shame, "All you can Eat" had so much personality - it wasn't easy to peg - this release however seems to have been conceived by adult pop experts... the cover art is even easy to classify and the songs are very radio friendly. It's not a bad album just a somewhat generic one.

6 out of 10

1018. k.d. Lang - All You Can Eat

K.D. has a chant like voice, creating these waves of mantra inducing songs that are easily addictive... her voice is the clearly the most important instrument on here.

7.4 out of 10

1017. Edie Brickell - Picture Perfect Morning

There's a fine line between pop and adult pop - many acts start off legit and end up marketing themselves specifically to the adult radio market. Without the new bohemians Edie firmly steps into the adult pop realm... though my dad would have a hard time listening to this any parent in their 50s would eat it up (pops is 65, I think).

yawn.

4.4 out of 10

1016. Edie Brickell - Ghost of a Dog

A worthy but unremarkable follow up to 'shooting'... still for the genre, and as a step forward the band tread a familiar path.

5.4 out of 10

1015. Edie Brickell - Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars

Boy this is an oldie... when this came out it was fairly different from what was playing on the radio. There weren't any jam bands and the 'hippie folk' movement was relegated to the Dead and who knows what else... this debut was a breath of fresh air and still has some decent tracks thanks largely to Edie's caramel voice.

6.4 out of 10