|
 |
Beastie BoysTo The 5 Boroughs Capitol/EMI Listening to the new Beastie Boys album is like getting a phonecall from an ex-lover. You remember the passion that they used to inspire in you, you remember what was so hot about them, and you lament that the call is never long enough. 'To The 5 Boroughs' might not make more fans but admirers of their work will not be disappointed: this, in my opinion, is the best they've done since 'Check Your Head.' The album immediately departs from the experimentation and weirdness of 'Hello Nasty' right from the opening track and first single Ch-Check It Out. This time it's produced by the Boys themselves and presents 15 tracks of raw hip-hop that's been cut close to the bone and stripped of all pretence. Some may wail, but with a market saturated with bogus MCs overproduced to the point where you can no longer identify voice or instruments, it marks a welcome return for the original party boys of hip-hop. Tunes like Oh Word? and 3 The Hard Way are old-school battle rhymes that rock oh so well, and there's still quirkiness to be found in tunes like Crawlspace and The Brouhaha. Triple Trouble takes the riff from the seminal Rappers Delight, expertly sliced and shredded on the turntables by Mix Master Mike and combined with a vocal homage to Double Trouble At The Amphitheatre by Double Trouble & DJ Stevie Steve, making an first-rate party tune that's sure to rock any dance floor. For this is indeed a party, but it's grown up's party. Yes, there's politics on the album, but there's been politics on every good hip-hop record since The Message. This is most apparent on Open Letter To NYC: it's one of the few tracks to depart from the old school hip-hop vibe (bringing in punk in the form of a sample from Dead Boys' Sonic Reducer) for a celebration of New York not in spite of but because of 9/11, a message of "we've taken knocks before, don't let this change us into that we hate." Similarly It Takes Time to Build is all about the "hate filled" people who would rather point fingers than work together to make the world a better place, and the positive message of people power continues in We Got The. The album is much shorter than most fans would like, clocking in at under 43 minutes. Production is simple and tight but I miss the the instrumentals (surprisingly, none are included) - or maybe after a six years hiatus I just want more. Regardless: I'm just happy to hear their voices again and know that they can rock it like they used to.  |
|
The latest issue available now!     |
All content copyright dB Magazine
