Hello Nasty

In Ster-e-er-e-o
by: bill aicher

No wonder it is this summer's hottest selling album.  The Beastie Boys are back at it, kicking out the jams with the style only they can deliver.  Old-School meets new school?  Not in the least.  It is classic Beastie Boys gone galactic.

This album, their fifth studio release, is the Beastie Boys.  If you are not familiar with the Beasties, they are THE biggest white hip-hop band ever.  Having gotten their start in the early 80's, these Manhattan boys began as more of a joke than anything else.  Their first single was recorded in a dorm room, and the quickly became the biggest frat band of the 80's.   Their style is very old-school, even with the new technologies included in the new album.  One can see the Black Flag influence, with their rap/hip-hop style mixed in with rock elements.  Hello Nasty builds upon their classic style along with adding the futuristic sounds which are only possible through today's technology.   This mixture leads towards a 90's Beastie Boys.

Mixmaster Mike rips through the vinyl.   Not many groups break out the vinyl these days, and of those that do, there is nothing much to brag about.  If you want to see what can be done with vinyl, check the album out.  Mixmaster Mike is featured on more than a few tracks.  Many of the other tracks include guest vocals by artists such as Brooke Williams, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and the Diabolical Biz Markie.  The album also has a wide variety of musical guests performing on various instruments from the violin, to flute, to cello, to beatbox.  The album's instrumental tracks range from laid back to mexican styled jams.

"Intergalactic" was a great choice as first single from the album.  It shows the Beastie Boys, though already in their early 30's, are still capable of the same as they were as before.   Their songs may not focus as much on partying, women, and drinking as before, but as times change so does music.  They are still having fun, whether rapping about their music, singing a ballad, or just letting everyone know how much ass they kick.   I mean, how many bands can get away with sampling their previous works?  You either have to kick some serious ass, or else be an idiot, and Beasties are no idiots.   (Adam Yauch is the founder and organizer of the annual two-day Tibetan Freedom Concert).  They are out to have fun, and give their fans what they want.   "Unite" even samples what sounds like the 80's Atari™ game - Asteroids® - very interesting when set over a carnival beat with rap overlay. 15-Mar-1998 4:00 PM