Customer Reviews

The Sounds of Science

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"Ah yes indeed, its fun time" from Sure Shot.

Who would have thought that three Jewish boys from the Bronx, Adam Horowitz, Mike Diamond, and Adam Yauch could have turned out decades of mad hits and escaped their frat party women objectivizing beginnings to be enlightened social conscious but still oh so cool rappers. They have done it though being ground-breakers for the hip hop movement along the way.

This collection is far from a greatest hits collection. And therein lays its strength and weakness. You get to hear a variety of Beastie Boys sounds and in doing so get closer to the complete picture of what the band is all about, but if you don't care for their speed metal punk early days you might find yourself always skipping to the next track. It's hard to listen all the way through from track to track because of the b-sides and rarities. But some of those b-sides stand out as the best tracks on the CD. You can't get them anywhere else. The cool bossanova groove of "Twenty Questions" featuring Miho from Cibo Matto with lead vocals is just one of the best examples of this.

Another great feature of this CD is the liner notes that have some background gems on each song. It says something for the band that they were willing to take the time to put those interesting tidbits of musical inspiration, inane trivialities, thoughts, philosophies, and feelings instead of just pooping out another CD that sells with everyone's faves. In the liner notes, Adam Horovitz points out their dichotomy from putting out their breakthrough first album "License to Ill" with "Fight for Your Right" and "She's On It" to the socially conscious songs of "Song for The Man" and "Alive." I think Horovitz addresses the rift in ideology well when he says, "...in this $%!$'ed up world all you can hope for is change, and I'd rather be a hypocrite to you than a zombie forever."

The change sounds pretty good here, but if you buy it don't expect a Greatest Hits. But all those songs in between the few that might annoy you are some of the most innovative, creative, and fun hip hop that's been around for a long time. You may think that Biz Markie's singing in Elton John's cover "Benny and the Jets" is pretty horrendous and wince at "Boomin' granny" but you no doubt will be groovin' to the new age jazz of "Something's Gotta Give" and rockin' out to "So What'cha Want."

"I use the microphone like Picasso used clay / down with freckles from around the way / Peace to Bambata and Jazzy Jay / I rock the mic from here to Bombay" Rock on wee little Beasties.

who bought this CD set for my teenage daughter. She is, however, unable to get it away from me as I absolutely love these CD's. Here I am putting my suit and make-up on for work every morning - dancing and singing along to (especially, but not limited to) Shadrach and Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys! Who would think? This is one of the most enjoyable, upbeat music ensembles that I have heard in a long time. They appeal to more than just the teenage crowd! Beastie Boys - you are immensely talented and your moms should be proud!

The Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds Of Science is the latest and greatest cd for the band. The sounds, styles and quirky lyrics make for a wonderful trip down memory lane. It took me back to days of youth and reminded me of things long forgotten. As someone who hasn't owned a Beastie Boys cd in over ten years it was a thrill to hear this 142 minute collection. I recalled things like The Together Forever tour they did with RUN DMC, the movie Krush Grove, my very first apartment and even my high school graduation night. The recordings are so clear and the older songs sound better than ever. I am very impressed how well designed and produced this cd is. However, one song missing is "Paul Revere". It should have been included, if only to hear it with the tremendous sound quality this cd provides. Another bad thing with this is that the cd box is white, which makes it extremely hard to keep clean. Still if that's all I can find to complain about, you know this is a must have cd for any one who has ever liked just one Beastie Boy song. A helpful hint if you are buying this cd for someone as a gift - don't wait to give it to them. Give it right away so they can listen to this music while wrapping presents this holiday season. This cd provides you with a special satisfaction that MTV and radio stations cannot. Also included is also an 80 page booklet that provides several lines of background on the songs and how they came about. This cd could possibly be one of the largest selling "Greatest Hits" cd's of all time and I am thrilled to be an owner. JC in Atlanta.

These 2 CD's are exactly what it says on the sticker on the cover. The Beastie Boy's HITS, MISSES, and RARITIES, and that's exactly what these two cd's are! How could people be so idiotic and think it's only their greatest hits. Personally, I don't think Son of Neckbone or Country Mike's Theme are close to hits. First of all, everyone has their favorite b-boy songs. It would be impossible to get everybody's favorite songs on it. That's why everyone has the chance to make their own greatest hits cd at beastieboys.com. Second, this is more of a sample of their career. It has instrumentals, hardcore songs, rap songs, rock songs, etc. along with their 3 newest recordings. Actually, these songs were picked by the boys themselves. They are the most interesting of their songs with stories behind them as mentioned in the 80 page booklet. Some Licensed to Ill songs aren't on it because they are different people now and they see some of them as offensive. It probably killed them to put Fight for Your Right and Brass Monkey on it the way it is. Third, Biz vs. the Nuge and Beastie Boys were thrown on the albums as introductions to each cd! They are not their greatest hits.

Warning---This is not a greatest hits cd, it's a compilation of their wonderful career. (It still rocks!)

Remember MTV's Party to Go series? This is like a KFC Bucket of Party with some Party Biscuits and four large Parties to go with it. This is IT, this is the BODY ROCK of 'em all - the Beastie Boy Anthology. And yes, it is that finger lickin' good.

Notable - Rare "Skills To Pay the Bills," the Fatboy Slim mix of "Body Movin'", hilarious "Boomin' Granny", "Country Mike's Theme" and "Railroad Blues," new track "Alive," and the excellent "3 MC's and One DJ (live)".

Track order is excellent - put these side by side in your changer and you have two hours of party with no interruption. The booklet is filled with Beastie trivia, photos, nostalgia, and album covers, even if the box looks like it uses Window's default Times New Roman font and a Photoshop plug-in... <lol>

Must buy for: anyone liking hip-hop, punk, turntablists (Hurricane and Mix Master Mike), and tha Booty Bass - it's all here in spades - plus beginning B-side and rarity hunters.

Downers: Some missing classics - "No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn," "Flute Loop," "Professor Booty" - prevent this from being truly complete - but then, you might as well just buy the five main albums.

I never have really been a Beastie Boys fan. I liked Intergalactic, I liked Sabatoge, but never really got them. So being the idiot I am, I used my money once again on a shiny little package that looked appealing. "The Sounds of Science." At first listening I didn't really like it, I liked the familiar singles but thats about it. Then I spent some time listening and this 2 CD set will grow on you. Aside from Intergalactic and Sabatoge, we have Brass Monkey, Fight for your Right, and my personal favorite Shadrach. These songs are very cool to listen too. Each song is like a little party inside your CD player. The new single Alive is also a great addition. We also get an 80 page booklet, complete with color photos, that explains how each song was made, and what they were thinking about when they made it. The inside features every CD and single cover they have ever made. I would suggest you pick this little number up, even if your not a fan of them, or just like boogey-down music, this beast will keep you happy in the largest of parties, and especially in all those partys for one.

For the beastie boys, as band that has seemingly gone through several radical artistic & musical changes, compiling a `Best of' , that encapsulates their considerable career was always going to be a tricky proposition, due to a collection of fans that embraced their more rock based side ("Licensed To Ill"), through to the kaleidoscopic freewheeling sampled laden masterpiece that referenced everything from funk, soul, Golden Age, rock ("Paul Boutique"), to a refinement, and streamling of their sound, punctuated with instrumental tracks that brought about their biggest success ("Ill communication"), through to the more electronic based elements with the occasional throw back to the simplicity of 3 Mc & a DJ aesthetic ("Hello Nasty").

First the positive: There's a lot of material here, spread over the 2 disks for your money, and such expected hits or favourites such as "Slow and Low / Sure Shot / Body Movin (Fatboy Slim remix) / Fight for your right / Brass Monkey / Get it together / Hey Ladies / Remote control / 3 MC's and 1 DJ" are all beautifully represented here. But more importantly you get some of the more obscure, non-LP, and B-side material that makes this a more rounded anthology....so "Gratitude / Boomin Granny / Bodhisattva Vow / Song for the man / Time for Livin / Egg Raid on Mojo / Dub the Mic / Skills to pay the bills / The negotiation Limerick file", flesh out this anthology with something that'll appeal to the enthusiasts, rather than the a compilation of hits that'll only be of interest to newcomers.

In what seems like a bit of an oversight (especially as B-Sides & non-LP material are included) is the lack of instrumental tracks. Seeing as the instrumentals on the majority of Beasties releases where on occasion, as carefully thought-out, and realised as some of the vocal tracks, it seems a shame that there isn't anything here to represent another artistic side to the beasties work, and anyone that picked up their sublime purely instrumental "The in Sound from Way out!" album, will find none of that material included here, puzzlingly.

Now the Negative: There's likely to be a lot of people that will bemoan, what's missing or not included....and will largely ignore this anthology because a lot of more worthwhile tracks didn't make the inclusion. Songs such as "Girls / Time to get ill / No sleep Till Brooklyn / Ricky's theme....etc have been mysteriously left on the cutting room floor. (I myself have frequently bemoaned the fact that the `Bob Dylan' sampling "Finger Lickin Good", didn't make it). But to labour upon this would be pointless, because those people have already made their minds up regarding this anthology and passed on it. But if you can get past the eccentricity of the track listing, remain undeterred by the non-inclusion of particular favourites, and accept the fact the it's not sequenced chronologically, there is a tremendous amount here to enjoy.

This anthology probably isn't suited for those that are casual listeners of the beasties work, as the lack of some crucial material will disappoint many. This release feels like it's more geared towards those that have either followed the beasties boys career for many years, and will relish having a lot of the B-side material, non-LP tracks that, short of picking up all the singles, is a mammoth undertaking. Or those that, (like me), that have all the beasties studio albums, but none of the singles or hard to find material, will generally find this to be the perfect accompaniment. Either way there is certainly enough Oddball, hard to find, B-side and obscure material here, to make this (provided you know what your getting with this release), a more than highly recommended release to followers & enthusiasts, even though there are missteps, odd choices and bizarre sequencing. Those that don't fall into either category, would probably be better off seeking out their regular studio albums, which must surely now retail at a mid to low price???

The Sounds of Science is an impressive catalog of one of the most interesting bands of the MTV generation. Anyone who listens to the Beasties should pick this up and if you don't listen to them, get it anyway. You'll start.

The best thing about this set is that it showcases the Beasties versatility, from funked out instrumentals with screaming wah wah, like "Sabrosa" and "Son of Neckbone" to straight up hip hop numbers like "Sure Shot," "Jimmy James" and the Q-Tip collabo "Get It Together." They're harder stuff ("Egg Raid on Mojo," "Gratitude") is right there with the fun old school tunes that made the B-Boys what they are ("Slow & Low," "Brass Monkey") Then of course, come the hits, from "Sabotage" to "Intergalactic" to "So What'cha Want" to "Fight For You Right." Needless to say, the song selection is great.

If you've never dug deep into the Beastie Boys, you will think nothing more of them than some snotty annoying ass guys who rap about partying. Upon actually listening to this album, you'll find intelligent subject matter and insightful lyricism in many of the songs. "Bodhisattva Vow" is a homage to Buddhism, while "Song for the Man" is a commentary on chauvinistic mating calls. "The Negotiation Limerick File" is a call of tolerance done in limerick poetry.

In between all the hits and annoying rap songs are the wonderful oddities that make this album what it is. Two obscure country tunes "Railroad Blues" and "Country Mike's Theme" provide for funny interludes. "Twenty Questions" is has cool lyrics set to a bossanova groove and there are two interesting covers, Sly Stone's "Time for Livin" and Elton John's "Benny & the Jets" (sung by Biz Markie of course). Then there is posibbly my favorite Beastie Boys song, "Something's Got to Give." I don't even know what to call it. It is just incredible.

Overall, this is a comprehensive look at a great band. Anyone who is even the least bit skeptical of their virtuosity as musicians should listen to the two instrumentals and buy The In Sound From the Way Out. One problem, the Antology omits a few of their early staples. "No Sleep Til Brooklyn," "Paul Revere" and "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" are missing as well as their first hit, "Cooky Puss." I don't neccesarily like those tracks, but they should be on the anthology. Anyways, stop listnein to me babble and go buy this. You will not be dissapointed.

Starting like as brat-boys and ending the century as cool-boys, the Beastie Boys have had a long and diverse career and lived to tell the tale. This anthology collection of hits, misses, b-sides and the odd remix is certainly not for the casual listener. While most artists deliver a best of album (although all the hits are here) obscure and unreleased tracks makes this release more essential to long term fans. The album includes an informative history behind all 42 songs chosen, with notes such as the b-side song `Skills To Pay The Bills' was originally the name of a `Pass The Mic' remix. Disc One starts with song `Beastie Boys' an early recording from the artist's hardcore days. Badly recorded and amateurism it only serves as an interesting listen from the early days and no more. `She's On It' , one of the earliest recording showed for the first time that the Beastie Boys were on the verge of greatest as shown on `Licensed To Ill'.

The selected highlights are album tracks `Shake Your Rump', `Sure Shot' and `So What'cha Want'. Incentives for purchasing the album come in the form of the `Body Movin' remixed by Fatboy Slim and the new song `Alive' a simple although effective rap number. As with all best-of albums, there are obvious exceptions that should be included. Many of `Licensed To Ill' best moments - `Rhymin & Stealin' and `She's Crafty' should be replacing `Brass Monkey' and `Slow And Low'. Also where are `Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun' and `Johnny Ryall' from `Paul's Boutique', two of the best songs the MC's have written? The country and western period when Mike over-indulged on `Railroad Blues' are ill-advised as is `Boomin' Granny' which after repeated listens it just becomes irritating. With all the flaws this albums has, the quality of songs and welcome inclusion of less obvious tracks are welcome. `Something's Got To Give' and `Shadrach' are not well-known tracks but are just as good as the often mentioned numbers'.

The album's undoubted high points are `Sabotage' a real mid-nineties classic and the always crowd-pleasing `Fight For Your Right'. `Get It Together' includes a guest appearance from A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip which is one of the strongest songs off `Ill Communication' as is the often played `Root Down'. The anthology collection ends with the best song the Beasties have recorded in years, the rap classic `Iintergalactic'. Hopefully new fans that bought 1998's `Hello Nasty' will realise the importance of The Beastie Boys in the musical climate and buy their extensive back catalogue, especially the vastly under-rated `Paul's Boutique'

the beasties are unquestionably the forefathers of this current rap-rock movement that korn, limp bizkit et al. are cashing in on, and it's quite frankly depressing to see how few people seem to understand this, much less the trio's subsequent departure for more introspective (and complex) territory (see above reviews celebrating only the beasties' anarchic def jam phase). hello nasty was positively brilliant, a quintessential b-boy document, a love letter to all the breakdancers, djs and mcs still interested in making good hip-hop. and sounds of science is, and as it will be misinterpreted, not their greatest hits. the beastie boys are too smart, and a little too stubborn for that, and so this is a bit closer to an anthology or perhaps a mix tape version of all of their material. everything from the earliest punk to their latest hip-hop bouillebaise is catalogued here, but more to show their listeners "hey, see how we've grown?" than anything else. as an old school listener of the beasties, i was frustrated to see some new and unreleased tracks (though many are availiable on import versions of check your head and various singles) intermingled with the older ones, but for the fifteen year olds (and members and aforementioned rock-rap groups) who think that the beasties only recorded "intergalactic" and "fight for your right," this is a sterling essay in what is required for a career with some longevity.