The Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)

Oh tread carefully you innocent ones, it's got one of those 'Parental Advisory, Explicit Lyrics' stickers. Must be good then eh! I reckon this sort of sticker is a ploy to inflate sales, a dark and sinister marketing tool that more often than not achieves its aim. It lends teenagers in need of a way to further infuriate their guardians a vehicle to do so. There are so many albums with this much-abused sticker that I'm surprised no one has thought of a 'Teenage Advisory - No Explicit Lyrics'. It would surely appeal to the over-35's. So there were bad boys before Eminem, although you'd be hard pressed to be offended while listening to Ill Communication as the lyrics are indiscernible a lot of the time. The album was recorded in 1994 and entered the mainstream when 'Sabotage' and 'Sure Shot' became popular. A lot of ‘Ill Communication’s success could be put down to the clever video for 'Sabotage' which is a pastiche of 70's cop shows. The album sprawls over 20 tracks, which makes it close to impossible to take in, in a single listen.

The Beasties sound is a fusion of rap and hip-hop but they are prone to throwing in the sweetest guitar rolls that rounds things off nicely. The lyrics are intelligent (use the inlay card!) and rebellious and there are moments where the humour is side splittingly funny (who needs apple pie when you have mashed potato!). 'Sure Shot' slides on a repetitive flute groove that toddlers to Grans will find hard to resist. Incidentally the dog barking at the start is supposed to be saying 'I Love You'! 'Root Down' has that San Francisco flares and hot weather feel to it. So much so that dancing to it afro-less might feel like dancing naked in the rain. It is followed by the albums centrepiece 'Sabotage' where Adam Yauch more or less screams, records scratch, guitars tumble and a chorus of hoods join in at various intervals. It sounds a mess but is a piece of modern pop genius. The first 8 tracks are an album on their own and I rarely go beyond this point because all the juicier tracks are contained here. Things get a little skewed but not wayward from here on in. There is the sense of a bit of creative doodling going on highlighted by tracks like 'Flutterman's Rule' and 'Ricky's Theme' that provide gorgeous backdrops.

While Ill Communication is essentially a modern day production it has one foot set firmly in the corridors of pop history. This unique blend of influences gives the album a polished feel. For those not sold on Rap/Hip-Hop style (I've got my hand up) I would urge you to give Ill Communication a listen. Good music is precious; it should be embraced even when it comes from genres that are normally a turn off. This is a great album, why not get it together and do the necessary.


Rating: 7/10



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