Beastie Boys complete Discography review (work in progress)

 

Beastie Boys

  Licensed to Ill(1986)

Genre:  Rap, Rap Rock, Hip Hop

Over the years I have mostly grown out  of listening to Rap and Hip Hop in general, but every time I sit down to listen to a Beastie Boys I'm always impressed with their albums even this particular production that is at the very beginning of these guys career, they not only help push Rap and Hip Hop to the mainstream, they were already innovating  genre working with the legendary Rick Rubin, fusing rap and rock.  The fact they didn't take themselves too seriously, with a nothing to lose mentality thanks to the punk background, sets the base for a try anything mentality, so there is some crazy shit on this album. They are only limited by technical restrictions typical from the mid 80's from working with drum machines and working with samples, but this does not stop them from using an interesting arsenal of samples from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Black Sabbath to Cool and the Gang, the Sugarhill Gang and Trouble Funk. There are a couple of colossal classics on this album like "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep till Brooklyn"  with a guest guitar solo from Kerry King from Slayer, which both received heavy airplay by MTV. The only bad part of this production is that the song writing is a little choppy and a tad stiff, and the Beasties are still  learning their craft of rapping. So if you are not familiar with this production  I recommend you go and listen to it, after more than 30 years this album still holds up.

Overall: 61.5

Paul's Boutique (1989)

Genre: Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative Hip Hop, Psychedelic Hip Hop

They really push the creative envelope on this album even further, working with the Dust Brothers and with longtime collaborator Mario Calbato Jr / Mario C, creating a very fluid and funky hip-hop, and artistically very ambitious. The samples and drum machines have been taken to a whole new level on this production, with an insane amount of samples from more than 50 artists from the Jackson 5, P-Fuck All-stars, Sly and the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield,... and even Paul McCarthy and Pink  Floyd, this actually lead to legal issues, in part, which affects the rap world in the way they could use sample from here on. They elevate the DJ Turntables to a true instrument status that can do some really interesting shit. The Beastie's themselves have improved in the rapping capabilities being more organic and fluid. This album is a true milestone for Rap and Hip Hop.

Overall: 64.1


Beastie Boys

 Check Your Head(1992)

Genre:  Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Hardcore punk, funk rock.

The Beastie's basically redefine what hip-hop band could do on this album, by totally breaking their genre's mold. First, they each picked up instruments to play on the instrumental tracks and to make material for their own samples, Ad-Rock plays the guitars, MCA plays the bass and Mike D the drums. Money Mark is added to the fold who would become a long time collaborator of the Beastie's who plays the organ, synthesizer, keyboards, clavinet... and they actually let him show off his skills
They add funky jams with "Funky Boss", 70 inspired funk rock like Gratitude, with some kick-ass percussion, trippy psychedelic track with "Something Got to Give" and they go back to their punk roots with "Time for Living". All these musical styles, except for punk will be staples on almost all of the album from here on out.
But the Hip Hop has not suffered due to the musical expansion with some mega classics for the genre with "So What'Cha Want" and "Pass the Mic", that really show off the Beastie's rapping skills and Mario C's production.Also,  this is one the first albums, with Praxis's Transmutation,  to actually integrate DJ sampling and scratching interacting with a rock band.

Overall: 64.6

Beastie Boys

 Ill Communication (1994)

Genre:  Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Hardcore punk, funk rock, jazz

When I was a teen back in the mid 90's one of my best friends lent me this album and as total ass-hole, I never gave it back, it just blew me away how good it was, and it became a permanent fix in my Discman for the longest of time jajajajaja. The album itself is a Check Your Head part II, it sounds very similar and has the same feel and production, but this album does hold its own, with an insanely good track list. The Beastie's have gotten better in songwriting in general, working better as a  band and we have the addition of  Eric "Bobo" Correa from Cypress Hill on the percussion and DJ Hurricane who I forgot to mention that he was also on "Check Your Head" review. Money Mark also gets to shine more on this album especially on the funk jam tracks that have a more of a jazzy feel. The album has to guest with Q-Tip and Biz Markie.   

Overall: 62.6



Beastie Boys

 Hello Nasty (1998)

Genre:  Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative Hip Hop
Back when this album came out I hated it, I just wanted a Check Your head part III, but the band change up their sound and decided not to incorporate any punk or have any rock tracks, in many ways it felt like they totally sold out  stripping any grit to their sound. But years later I sat down to listen to this album and I was totally surprised to rediscover this production and how good it was. It was a ballsy move changing up their sound like they did, adding more keyboards, future type samples and using a clean a bright sonic pallet in general. There is a tradeoff no hardcore punk tracks, but we have the addiction of mellow indie hippy trippy ballads and some interesting experimental tracks, but the rest of the band's traditional types of song are on this album like the party rocking raps and instrumental jams, the whole experience is very rich.
 What I discovered recently is that the band had a batch of punk tracks that didn't fit into the sound of this album so they were put out on a EP called Aglio e Olio, which is a straight-up hardcore punk album, so that pretty cool of the Beastie's.
Now back to Hello Nasty, they try all kinds of crazy shit on it, it's a pretty experimental album but being very accessible a the same time that no small feat. Mix Master Mike as joined the band with his impressive DJ skills reinvigorating the Beastie's sound. Two tracks have a female vocalist with Jill Cunniff from Luscious Jackson and  Mino Hartori on another. And Lee "Scratch" Perry reggae legend is a guest on one on the tracks. Overall this album kick ass, go and listen to it.

Overall: 62



Beastie Boys

To the 5 Boroughs (2004)

Genre: Rap, Hip Hop

Even it`s a decent Rap Album, for the Beastie's it feels pretty lazy, they take zero risks on this one. The songs are ok but feel redundant in their catalog, no jam instrumental tracks or any experimentation with any other genre.

Overall: 52





Beastie Boys

 The Mix-UP (2007)

Genre:  Instrumental Rock, Funk Rock, Jazz Funk, Fuck

Surprisingly after a completely rap centered album, the Beastie's release a completely instrumental rock-funk album with a jazzy ting. Even though it feels that the play it too safe not experimenting enough it's a fun album. Money Mark play a big role on this album with his work on the keys, but I don't understand why Mix Master mike isn't on the album he could have done a lot of cool thing in this production.

Overall: 57.5




Beastie Boys

Hot Sauce Commit Part Two (2011)

Genre:  Hip-Hop, Rap, Alternative Rock

Sadly this is the last Beastie Boys album with poor Adam Yauch  passing away in 2012, but boy did these guys went  out with a bang, because this album is fantastic, even though they do not do anything groundbreaking, they mashed everything that we loved about their music during the whole carrier rap, hip hop, rock, punk, indy... with a fantastic batch of songs. The production is a mix of Check Your Head and Hello Nasty, great instrumentation and the Beasties sound reinvigorated and inspired working the material. I love this album Nuff said. 

Overall: 60

Illya Kuriaki and the Valderramas complete discography review + plus solo stuff

Illya Kuriaki and the Valderramas

Fabrico Cuero (1991)

Genre: Rap, Hip Hop, Rap Rock

This is probably the first Rap album ever put here in Argentina, and sadly it's pretty bad, the rapping and songwriting have a long way to go. The thing is that Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur, were really young when this album was made around 15 or 16 years old, so they are in their very basic formative stages as rapper and musicians. Another thing was that there was no rap culture in the country, so they learned how to do every from scratch because even coming across with a rap album in this country at the time was almost impossible. And even though these kids have a long way to becoming a creative driving force in Argentine music, this album has a couple of good moments. 

Overall: 40 

Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

Horno Para Calentar Los Mares

Genre: Alternative Rock, Rap Rock, Funk Rock

There is a quantum leap in the quality of songwriting for this duo, there are still rough edges, but these kids land some memorable tracks, "No Way Jose" kick ass. Dante has taken up the guitar just like his father the legendary guitarist Luis Alberto Spinetta, changing up the sound and style becoming much more a rap rock and funk rock effort instead of straight up rap album. The Kuryaki also incorporate more melody into the vocals showing off an impressive evolution as artists, "Virgen de Riña" is an incredible song written by to kids. Also instead of using drum machines and keyboards, there is an awesome band behind the Kuryaki with the highlight of Argentine bass god Javier Malosetti landing a couple of good basslines, Fito Paez on the keys on a few tracks.

The only bad thing about this album is that the quality does not maintain itself in the whole production there are a couple of filler tracks, but this album is a classic anyways.   


Overall: 59.3 


Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

Chaco

Genre: Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Rap Rock

I remember when this album came out back in the late 90's, my parents wouldn't let me by it. Because the lyrics were pretty sketchy for a 15-year-old kid,  they were pretty provocative, sexually explicitly and vulgar for the time, it funny now these songs are almost the norm now, but lacking the wit and artistic value the Kuryaki would have. 

Now these guys have created Argentina's answer to the Beastie Boys's Check your head the Kuriaki's, they many of the cues from the New York band fusing rap, hip hop, 70's style funk rock and alternative rock, but the Kuryaki show off being more artsy, much better musicians and have a much better use of melody just killing it with a couple of ballads.

Overall: 60

Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

Ninja Mental (1996)

Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul  

This album is the band official MTV unplugged live recording, and even though they cut a couple of corners using some electric guitars and some trippy effects hidden in the mix, these guys just thieved in an acoustic set. They rework their song in such a way that they work totally well unplugged, even hip hop tracks like the "Abarajame" or "No Way Jose". They take advantage of the format adding strings and keys anytime they can. The instrumentation is top notch,  it's a really treat, and this album is a true gem for music lovers.

Overall: 58.5 


Vs (1997)
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul 

This album really let me down they went in a super mellow direction on this album, just overindulging with the ballads and pretty much axing the alt-rock out of their sound, having a significant presence of synthesizers. I went to see them when they presented this album and the funny thing that happened at that show was that Molotov, the opening act, blew everyone away with a high-octane set.  The place bursting with energy after their set and when the Kuriaki's came out with their mellow hippy set, and the crowd just started to throw everything they had at them.
Now the good things about this album is that it has some of the Hip Hop tracks are pretty experimental like "Expedicion al Klama Hama" and Jugo is a fantastic funk track, a direction the band will mostly take after this production.

Overall: 58

Illya Kuriaki and the Valderramas

Leche (1999)

Genre: Funk, Funk Rock, Hip Hop

The band always flirted with funk, being a significant influence in their style, but with this album, they just indulge in this genre. They take funk into some really interesting directions, from some straight up Dance/pop stuff in "Latin Geisha" or "Coolo" to an insane punk funk track called "Robot" and there are some pretty heavy funk rock tracks like "Apocalypses Wow" and "Wacho". Funk patron saint  Bootsy Coolins actually appears on the track DJ Droga with just killing it with one of his signature bass lines and  solos. 

The production sounds super clean, energetic and fresh, overcoming the dark feel of VS. The bass guitars have some super cool old school funk effects, and some of the keys  have an old school Bernie Worrell vibe. There is somewhat of a marriage between classic funk production with a modern electronic dance sound, something that artist like Jamiroquai ushered in to funk in the early 2000's. 

Overall: 60.1