So, here I am, ten years later, and the Beastie Boys have become one of my favorite groups of all time. Over the years I have come to own all of their LP’s, even the awfully recorded punk rock demos Some Old Bullshit. And after their last two albums, my love and anticipation for new material has sort of stagnated, 2003’s To The 5 Boroughs was a step back in every aspect, it came off as a generic, run of the mill hip-hop record, from a group synonymous with changing the game, and 2007’s The Mix Up, while entertaning, did nothing to further the artistic vision of the Beastie Boys. So in 2009, when Adam “MCA” Yauch announced that an immediate need to treat lymph node cancer would put their forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part One on hold, I wasn’t all that upset (for the lack of an album, I was upset he was sick). I did enjoy the collabo-track “Too Many Rappers” that came out, featuring another prolific New York rapper, NaS. But even with that one new song, I wasn’t back on the “The Beastie Boys are the greatest group in hip-hop!” train.
Then, just a few weeks ago, the rumblings started. Amidst the obscene hype of new-coming hip-hoppers like Odd Future, Lil’ B, and the slew of other characters trying to catch my attention, the Beastie Boys released a trailer. It featured comedians Danny McBride, Seth Rogen and hobbit Elijah Wood in the same get-ups that the B-Boys wore in their iconic music video “Fight For Your Right” walking down the streets of New York crossing paths with the likes of Ted Dansen, Susan Sarandon, Orlando Bloom, Will Arnett and a load of other notable comedy names. Fast forward to the film’s release, and it is hilarious! But the music stood out between the a-list cameos and hijinks. There were a few tunes highlighted that were downright awesome. And with that, I was back.
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two picks up creatively where their iconic Hello Nasty ended. Within the first few moments of the album, we are given a new vision on the classic B-Boys sound. The first track, which is chopped up throughout their film, “Make Some Noise” is everything us Beastie fans have been without. Funky keyboards and live instruments reminiscent of Check Your Heads and The Mix-Up with the catchy and trademarked lyrical style that has made the group the icons they are. This song is a perfect opener, because it really sweeps the listener back into what the Beastie Boys are all about. While the chorus is a tad cliché (“Party on the left / Party on the right / Party for your mother fucking right to fight”) the sheer catchiness of the ordeal overshadows that. The next track features a bass line very similar stylistically to Herbie Hancock’s classic “Watermelon Man” over minimalist drums and tinny vocals. Mike D has a fun verse, but as the track goes on it gets a tad boring, especially when the vocal mix gets more and more tweaked. I mean, I understand stylistically this is something we’ve never really heard, but considering the beat is so minimal and the flow is laid back, that’s not necessary in my opinion.
The next track “Ok” kicks off with a more rock-feel, frequent collaborator Money Mark plays a simple keyboard lick and Mike D plays a straightforward rock beat. The verse lyrics are kind of boring, but in the chorus we see the Boys properly utilizing vocal effects, as a robot-like character gets soloed in a catchy and appropriate way. “Too Many Rappers” follows “Ok”, touting a ‘New Reactionaries Version’ following the title, and considering how much I loved the original version of this song, I am floored by this version. The easiest way to describe the remix would be inflated. It’s as if the 2009 version was stuck with a plug and pumped full of air. Everything is so much more resonant, the vocals echo from time to time and an added keyboard layer really adds a spacey dimension to this. My only problem with this track is minor, and it’s that NaS didn’t come in and spit a new verse. We hear changes from the boys, but NaS’s output is exactly the same as it was 2 years ago. His verse was good, so my complaint comes only as a super-fan.
A highlight follows “Too Many Rappers”, the song “Say It” feels like it belongs on Ill Communication. It’s dirty, features a punky guitar line and chorus. This fits very nicely next to their smash hit “Sabotage” and while that albums sound turns off some fans, I think it’s great, and this song is a nice throwback to that style. There’s a feel of angst and aggression that made me forget that these guys are in their mid 40’s. After a skit, the album changes pace with the reggae sounding “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” featuring Santigold. At first, I was really turned off to this song, it sort of sticks out like a sore thumb, but the more I listen to this album, the more I like this track. It’s really an area the Boys haven’t approached in this style. It’s got a catchy chorus from Santigold and the verses are solid. The next few tracks are more of what has been established on the first few tracks, “Long Burn the Fire” and “Funky Donkey” are both decent songs.
“Tadlock’s Glasses” follows another interlude and is one of the coolest beats on the album. This song was originally the title track of the album, and with good reason, it’s really unique. The samples are really cool, and the returning spacey vocals actually fit properly. “Lee Majors Comes Again” is another punky number that reminds me of their days as a legitimate punk rock band. It’s an odd track, and I can see it being something that the true hip-hop fans don’t like, but I think it’s pretty cool. They follow that with “Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament” a funky instrumental that acts as a nice cool down point following the loud and perhaps polarizing “Lee Majors”. The album ends with two decent tracks and a final skit, all of which entertain, but don’t do too much to make the album better or worse. Ending on a more bland note is a bit upsetting, but considering the bang of the first few tracks, it’s entirely forgivable.
At the end of the day there are visible errors with this album, problems that I can point at and say “I don’t like this thing” or “I wish they hadn’t done this,” but for every one of those moments there are two or three ones where I find myself going “That is really cool.” So the minor errors, ones that don’t have a truly negative effect on the songs, are entirely overshadowed by the unique, refreshing sound of the Beastie Boys. Having listened to this album several times, I can gladly say that it ranks among their best, and is sure to please true fans of the group. Also, I think it’s worth noting that this album has a much wider appeal, in the diversity of songs and beats, non-fans may find this album easier to dive into than say Check Your Head or even their debut. As of this moment, this is my favorite album of the year thus far. Will it hold onto that coveted title? Only time will tell.
