Is it just “Beastie Boys”, or is there a “The”? Ill Communication
Prologue: I’m so glad I’ve returned to this band after going through this revival in critical music appreciation. It’s incredibly easy to keep Beastie Boys in the one-hit-wonder category for most people who are not avid listeners. The interesting thing about that statement is that anybody who goes a bit above the average Beastie Boys listener probably think it’s insane. Actually, the simple trade-off style of the rapping and the great old-school sound of the samples on these records do seem to make up a big part of the “rap as it fits in popular culture in the 80’s/90’s”. But the better things fit in history, the more likely it seems that the greatness of these things get overlooked. That being said…
Ill Communication
There’s no getting around it, the 3 frontmen of Beastie Boys can’t help but have an in your face style of presentation. Maybe it’s the nasally tone of some of their voices; maybe it’s how masterfully they can sell it. At any rate, on Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys seem to take everything you thought was an overdone relic and turns it into complete gold.
I think the sampling really steals the show on this album. When I listen to this whole thing, I feel like they are taking me through a cultural panorama spanning from space to the streets to the jungles and the sewers. You don’t hear everything you could conceive of sounding great with old-school rap here, but the organic flow of the album gives the style itself an impression of hugeness that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Next, I never, ever realized how talented the rapping is on this album (or maybe of just these guys altogether). The Beastie Boys have a very idiosyncratic style, so much that I didn’t really expect to be all that impressed. I was pleasantly wrong in that expectation. This old school rhythmic style of rap really strikes a resonant chord with the organic samples, and like I said before, they really sold to me what I thought I wasn’t buying. I don’t even think Beastie Boys needed this much variety to make a great album. Just the sounds of the deep, hazy drums, and the forceful bass more than suffice to go the distance with these talented guys (see Get it Together, Sure Shot, B-Boys Makin’ With the Freak Freak, basically anything on this album besides what I’m about to mention).
The instrumentals keep the album flowing while giving it a smashing variety. On the outer rims of style, they throw barreling punk rock at your face (Tough Guy), they put rock and rap together in a way that sucks less that usual (Sabotage), and then some great vintage funk style with some pretty serious forcefulness (Sabrosa, Futterman’s Rule). After that crazy trip, I feel like the monk-chant themed duo of Shambala and Bodhisattva Vow are just there to blow our minds completely. That is, until I listen once more, and then I hear the coolest, spaciest sound of the whole album, and I believe what they are feeling. Plus, these guys can play. Play something fierce.
Look, the moral of this story is that I think you are misguided if you believe there is nothing more than “Fight For Your Right” to these guys. This album is a must-listen if you are interested in rap, especially old-school. It’s a must listen if you are interested in organic fusion that doesn’t suck. It’s fun and it’s serious. It strikes many chords, resonances, and beats in ways you couldn’t imagine until you hear it.
4 out of 5. Very, very impressive.
Epilogue: Not much to say, here. I’m serious about the question in the title, though. Let me know. Let me know if what I’m saying is complete garbage. I don’t claim to know anything at all about rap. I’m willing to learn, though. If you’re still reading, thanks. I’m really busy, but it’s because things are going really great for me in law school and whatnot. This was difficult to write, at any rate. There are too many tracks to separate out and analyze, so I went for a bit more of a compact style. Hopefully I got at the essence of the album. If I missed anything, chime in, I’ll put your name on it.
Next: Licensed to Ill
