dee_bee_76
06-15-2004, 01:06 PM
Ch-checking in
In their ode to New York, the Beastie Boys are more mature but far from tame
By Renee Graham, Globe Staff
June 15, 2004
On the cover of the Beastie Boys' new album, a Matteo Pericoli sketch, "Manhattan Unfurled," depicts New York City from a bygone era -- lower Manhattan with the twin towers of the World Trade Center rising mighty and unscathed high above the city. Like that poignant drawing, "To the 5 Boroughs" is the group's heartfelt valentine to its beloved hometown.
Much, of course, has changed since the Beastie Boys -- Adam "MCA" Yauch, Mike "Mike D" Diamond, and Adam "Adrock" Horovitz -- released their last album, "Hello Nasty," in 1998. Back then, the biggest White House scandal involved the frisky doings between President Bill Clinton and former intern Monica Lewinsky. Now, we are still suffering the repercussions of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and America is a nation at war. This unsettled sociopolitical landscape is very much on the minds of the boys, resulting in their most political album to date.
"Is the US gonna keep breaking necks?/ Or maybe it's time we impeach Tex," MCA raps on "Time to Build," one of several songs that take President George W. Bush -- and his policies -- to task. As much a call for world unity as an anti-Bush rant, the song sounds more like something one would expect from Oakland's the Coup than the guys who put themselves on the map with the 1986 frat-boy anthem "Fight for Your Right."
Then again, that contrast is what has made the evolution of the Beastie Boys so compelling. It's too facile to say that its members, now all in their late 30s, have simply grown up and put away childish things. The Beastie Boys have always acted their age. When they crashed the scene with their 1986 debut album, "Licensed to Ill," they behaved like the beer-drenched mooks whom they were rapping about in "Brass Monkey" and measured a woman's worth by her ability to wash dishes and clothes in "Girls."
Now, their music reflects the perspective of men who, with age, have garnered a more expansive view of the world. But that doesn't mean they aren't still goofy. "Ch-Check It Out," the new album's first single and its opening track, is a delirious slice of old-school rap with tossed-off references to Miss Piggy, Klingons, and "Bonanza" actor Lorne Greene. It's also a sonic table-setter for the album, the first produced entirely by the group. Boasting an early 1980s hip-hop sound and the turntable magic of Mixmaster Mike, this is unfussy vintage rap stripped to its essence and free of the excessive curlicues that cluttered "Hello Nasty."
Bouncing along on a sample of the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," "Triple Trouble" is loopy fun. Opening with a spoken introduction (reminiscent of ska band Madness and complete with faux British accent), the song features this line from Mike D: "See, I like to party, not drink Bacardi, 'cause I'm not looking to throw up on nobody." It's obviously a play on 50 Cent's "In Da Club," and its lyric "We're gonna sip Bacardi, like it's yo' birthday," but it's just silly enough that even 50 is unlikely to hold a grudge.
Another standout is "An Open Letter to NYC," with its chorus, "Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten, from the Battery to the top of Manhattan/ Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin/ Black, White -- New York, you make it happen." It's an ode to the city that only a trio of natives could write, and they manage it without an ounce of sappiness. And even though non-New Yorkers might not understand references to the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) and "The Deuce" (42d Street and Times Square when it was better known for strip joints than shopping ), the deep affection here is infectious and undeniable.
The album closes with "We Got The," a call to action for social empowerment. At 2 minutes, 27 seconds, it's a short track, which means it ends before it can get preachy or pedantic. It's also a perfect coda for "To the 5 Boroughs," the Beastie Boys' most mature album, though fortunately, maturity hasn't led to stuffiness or pompous self-importance. Still fighting for the right to party, they're now just as concerned with fighting for their rights.
In their ode to New York, the Beastie Boys are more mature but far from tame
By Renee Graham, Globe Staff
June 15, 2004
On the cover of the Beastie Boys' new album, a Matteo Pericoli sketch, "Manhattan Unfurled," depicts New York City from a bygone era -- lower Manhattan with the twin towers of the World Trade Center rising mighty and unscathed high above the city. Like that poignant drawing, "To the 5 Boroughs" is the group's heartfelt valentine to its beloved hometown.
Much, of course, has changed since the Beastie Boys -- Adam "MCA" Yauch, Mike "Mike D" Diamond, and Adam "Adrock" Horovitz -- released their last album, "Hello Nasty," in 1998. Back then, the biggest White House scandal involved the frisky doings between President Bill Clinton and former intern Monica Lewinsky. Now, we are still suffering the repercussions of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and America is a nation at war. This unsettled sociopolitical landscape is very much on the minds of the boys, resulting in their most political album to date.
"Is the US gonna keep breaking necks?/ Or maybe it's time we impeach Tex," MCA raps on "Time to Build," one of several songs that take President George W. Bush -- and his policies -- to task. As much a call for world unity as an anti-Bush rant, the song sounds more like something one would expect from Oakland's the Coup than the guys who put themselves on the map with the 1986 frat-boy anthem "Fight for Your Right."
Then again, that contrast is what has made the evolution of the Beastie Boys so compelling. It's too facile to say that its members, now all in their late 30s, have simply grown up and put away childish things. The Beastie Boys have always acted their age. When they crashed the scene with their 1986 debut album, "Licensed to Ill," they behaved like the beer-drenched mooks whom they were rapping about in "Brass Monkey" and measured a woman's worth by her ability to wash dishes and clothes in "Girls."
Now, their music reflects the perspective of men who, with age, have garnered a more expansive view of the world. But that doesn't mean they aren't still goofy. "Ch-Check It Out," the new album's first single and its opening track, is a delirious slice of old-school rap with tossed-off references to Miss Piggy, Klingons, and "Bonanza" actor Lorne Greene. It's also a sonic table-setter for the album, the first produced entirely by the group. Boasting an early 1980s hip-hop sound and the turntable magic of Mixmaster Mike, this is unfussy vintage rap stripped to its essence and free of the excessive curlicues that cluttered "Hello Nasty."
Bouncing along on a sample of the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," "Triple Trouble" is loopy fun. Opening with a spoken introduction (reminiscent of ska band Madness and complete with faux British accent), the song features this line from Mike D: "See, I like to party, not drink Bacardi, 'cause I'm not looking to throw up on nobody." It's obviously a play on 50 Cent's "In Da Club," and its lyric "We're gonna sip Bacardi, like it's yo' birthday," but it's just silly enough that even 50 is unlikely to hold a grudge.
Another standout is "An Open Letter to NYC," with its chorus, "Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten, from the Battery to the top of Manhattan/ Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin/ Black, White -- New York, you make it happen." It's an ode to the city that only a trio of natives could write, and they manage it without an ounce of sappiness. And even though non-New Yorkers might not understand references to the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) and "The Deuce" (42d Street and Times Square when it was better known for strip joints than shopping ), the deep affection here is infectious and undeniable.
The album closes with "We Got The," a call to action for social empowerment. At 2 minutes, 27 seconds, it's a short track, which means it ends before it can get preachy or pedantic. It's also a perfect coda for "To the 5 Boroughs," the Beastie Boys' most mature album, though fortunately, maturity hasn't led to stuffiness or pompous self-importance. Still fighting for the right to party, they're now just as concerned with fighting for their rights.