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

Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves complete discography review (work in progress)

Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies ( 1983)

Genre: Hardcore Punk

I was really surprised when I finally got around to listing this album, it's a straight up Hardcore Punk production, very different from their latter work that has strong metal influences and funk at moments. Mike Muir lyrics are dark, morbid, ironic, political and he's a smart ass in general, they are really good and funny to listen sadly he doesn't maintain this quality on the rest of ST's albums. Grant Estes guitars are just thrashing through the songs, the bass and drum played by Louiche Mayorga and Amery Smith  respectively are just vehicle for the bands jarring speed and time shifts. Now this  album  sound still holds up over the years and it's a Hardcore milestone. this production  is  a great way to get into the genre because it's really accessible compare to over hardcore albums.

Overall: 58.3

Suicidal Tendencies

Join the Army (1987)

Genre: Crossover Thrash, Hardcore Punk

ST moves away from its Hardcore Punk roots and they go for a Thrash and Heavy Metal influenced album, note punk is still present, its pretty good but not brilliant like the previous album, it's really straight forward. Two new members in the band R.J. Herrera on the drums and Rocky George on the guitar, and I must note his playing has more shredding and 80's style tricks. Track list is solid, but the real high point of the production is when the classic "War Inside My Head" blasting out of your speaker.

Overall: 48 

Suicidel Tendencies

How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, When I Can't Smile Today (1988)

Genre: Thrash Metal

This album is a progression from the previous production, but it's completely Thrash and much more focused. The bands lineup is the same but they have added a second guitar player, Mike Clark, so you get some dueling guitars at moments and fantastic solos. Also just like Join the Army, it's a solid album in general but nothing groundbreaking.

Overall: 50.4

Suicidal Tendencies 

 

Lights...Camera...Revolution!(1990)

Genre: Thrash Metal, Funk Metal

Here we have a band consolidating there Thrash sound but at the same time experimenting with funk metal, with a Bad Brains styled funk metal  "Lovely" and the incredibly political and provocative "Send me Your Money" that is a real breath of fresh air sounding totally there own thing ST hasn't done something this good since "Institution". ST has always shifted in styles this album starts to show the band starting to do their own thing, slowly meshing styles. The bass is louder in the mix in this album and this is in part to the addition of bass god Robert Trujillo in the band.

Overall: 53.3

 

 

Infectious Grooves 

The Plague that Makes Your Booty Move... It's the Infectious Grooves (1991)

Genre: Funk Metal, Punk Funk

Here we have Mike Muir's side project with legendary bass player Robert Trujillo, Infectious Groove which is a straight up funk metal band. We find Mike being more light hearted on this project and we have the treat of Ozzy Osborne on one of the tracks. Trujjillo's bass lines are just incredible he slaps like a god and funky bass lines a magnificent, as a base player I admire his digitation and timing playing he's like Flea on anabolics. On guitar we have a series of Suicidal Tendencies player from past and present like Rocky George, Dean Pleasants and Adam Siegel, plus David Kushner future member of Velvet Revolver. On Drums we have Jane's Addiction's  Stephan Perkin just killing it on the drums adding his tradition percussions on the tracks,  very organic and relaxed but is able to pull off the hardcore punk explosions when they come around.

The album sounds very 80's in a good way with the use of keyboards here and there, give it a Fisbone feel at moments, but this production is very well recorded and surprisingly aged well. The Punk Funk aspect takes where the Chili Peppers left it on  Mothers Milk and they run with it take the style to the extremes.

 
Overall: 58.8 

Suicidal Tendencies

Art of Rebellion (1992)

Genre: Alternative Metal

This is a more experimental album, we have a band trying to redefine themselves again because the insipient Funk Metal style seems to have been absorbed into Infectious Grooves, now the songs are pretty good and  the focused seems to be centered on writing songs of their  own brand of alt Metal, not catering to a specific style. Josh Freese ( A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails) is the fill in drummer and he does a great job, the rest of the band remains the same. 

Overall: 51.1

Infectious Grooves

Sarsippius' Ark (1992)

Genre: Funk Metal, Punk

The return of  Muir's  Funk Metal band is sorf of a mixed bag, on one hand you have a band is  as solid as ever these, guys just keep on perfecting their craft, with a fantastic batch of songs, there are two covers the Led Zeppelin's Immigration Song that just blew me away and Bowie's Fame that was pretty cool, but there are a couple of uninspired tracks, that  aren't total fillers but are not super top notch, Muir fails to make some songs lyrical or vocally interesting, he just pumping out to many albums so he's starting to run out of ideas. And Sarsippius comedy interludes get tiresome, you just want him to shut up.

The new addition to this band is Josh Freese that is also playing the drums on Suicidal Tendencies and he does a great job working well with bass god Trujillo.  Siegel and Pleasants guitar works is great. Overall it a Ok album

Overall: 53.5 

Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal for Life (1994) Groove Family Cyco (1994)

Genre: Alternative Metal, Punk Funk

 Both of these albums are on my pen drive in my car for about the last 6 months now and I listen  to both  at least once or twice a week, I just love them, they have a  energy level that astounds. The Punk/Funk/ Metal just comes out swinging  and both sound like a Infectious Grooves productions, ST has grown closer to its sister band style maybe being a  little more metal and alternative. Instrumentation on both is impressive and  even thought  Muir's  lyrics are basic as hell his charisma holds up on both  albums. Yet again a new drummer in ST this time having Jimmy DeGrasso fill the chair, he kills it with Trujillo on the incredible track "What Else Could I Do?" one of the best ST songs ever.  And on IG there is also a new drummers Brooks Wackerman ( Bad Religion, Avenged Sevenfold and  Korn) bringing  a cool groove and swing to its production and thankfully Sarsippius is gone. on the IG production Both albums are fantastic and pretty much high points to Mike's funk metal phase.

Overall:  ST 60.8 and IG 57.8

Suicidal Tendencies

Freedumb (1999)

Genre: Skater Punk , Punk Rock, Alternative Metal, Punk Funk

Betting on more energy, charisma and more of a Skater Punk sound, the Mike presents us a album that doesn't bring almost nothing new to the table but has a batch of adrenalin filled songs that keeps you head banging from front to back. The production has a  lot of flea styled bass slapping but surprisingly it isn't Trujillo, he's gone, replaced by Josh Paul and on the drums are played by Brooks Wackerman from Infectious Grooves. It's a effective album but I don't know how long the band can keep this up, betting on energy and forgetting substance. 

Overall: 59.8