Beastie Boys- Solid Gold Hits

Beastie Boys were formed in 1981 and released their first rap album in 1986. This mid-career Best Of was released in 2005.

Somehow, despite all their success, Beastie Boys have passed me by. So I tried to make amends by buying this compilation, subconsciously hoping it would be my ticket to hanging out with the cool kids!

Early signs aren't good, though. I find So What'cha Want somehow sounds harsh. And while the hammond organ is a nice touch, the song is too stop-start for me to properly get into a groove. It's a similar story for Brass Monkey.

The shredding guitar riff of No Sleep Till Brooklyn makes it much more pop-friendly, so it's a song I can really get into. It's also held together nicely with a great, anthemic chorus. Taking the rock influence a step further is Fight For Your Right. It's so cheesy, but I totally dig it.

Hey Ladies is probably my favourite "typical" Beastie Boys song. It's the one time I really get into the breakneck pace of the shared lyrics, and the snappy interplay between singers. Holding it together is a nice funk influence in the backing music. It all goes a bit experimental, which is interesting at first, but unfortunately starts killing the groove towards the end. Surprisingly for late 80s rap, the song features some pretty hectik bass.

Speaking of dubstep, Pass The Mike has great appeal thanks to it's smoother, menacing groove. And the bass-quakes are again an amusing element.

An Open Letter To NYC is fantastic on many levels. The swirling electronic backing has great intriuge, and I really enjoy the husky vocals for some reason. But the highlight is the lyrics, which brings a wonderful humility and emotion to the bustling metropolis that is New York:
Dear New York, I know a lot has changed
Two towers down but you're still in the game
Home to many rejecting no-one
Accepting peoples of all places, wherever they're from

On some songs, I get the feeling that the backing tracks would make great songs if it weren't for the rapping. Hmmm. The beatnik-jazz style of Root Down and Sure Shot are examples of this.

Intergalactic is bonkers. Fantastically bonkers. I have no idea what they're singing about, yet this confusion only increases the sense of a sci-fi adventure while tripping balls. And that organ groove is brilliant.

Similarly, Sabotage's backing music brings a grand scale to the song. It fits perfectly with the rapping, very much like Rage Against The Machine. My favourite moments are how it cranks back up to full attack after a short breather.

Favourite songs

No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Pass The Mike, An Open Letter To NYC, Intergalactic

Worthwhile?

In the end, I can't help thinking that rap isn't my cup of tea. While there are many enjoyable moments here, I think it's more the pop novelties that are holding my interest in the Beastie Boys, which is kinda missing the point. All of this probably means that I am not worthy of this great album...