lyneday
06-26-2007, 10:46 AM
CD review
Beastie Boys
Hip-hop legends defy expectations on seventh album
By Tim Brodhagen
Special to Metromix (http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/music/natent-music-cdreview-beastieboys-s,0,629437)
ALBUM: "The Mix-Up" (Capitol)
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Everyone's favorite hip-hop white boys pull a complete about-face from their last album, the verbose and politically charged "To the 5 Boroughs," with the smooth and mellow "The Mix-Up." For their seventh release, the Beastie Boys deliver a sample and scratch-free effort consisting entirely of instrumentals.
Some may question their logic (especially since instrumental albums historically sell considerably less than vocal albums) but one listen should convert any skeptics. Virtuoso musicians they aren't, but the combination of MCA on bass, Ad Rock on Guitar and Mike D on drums conjures some seriously decent grooves. Drawing from a range of influences, "The Mix-Up" bounces from Meters-inspired funk to King Tubby-esque dub and makes many stops to funkytown in between.
Starting off with "B For My Name"—a classic jam that harkens back to the Boys' initial flirtation with live instrumentation on "Check Your Head"—the tempo quickly picks up on "14th Street Break" before toning down again with the latin dub sound of "Suco de Tangerina."
There are times when "The Mix-Up" sounds a bit too much like a poor man's version of jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, but the album remains mostly fresh. The best material comes from the psychedelic rock of "The Rat Cage" and "Cousin of Death" and the trip-hop of "The Gala Event" which would sound at home on one of Damon Albarn's Gorillaz albums.
Considering the Boys are all 40-plus, and more prone to waxing political than making the party anthems they are best loved for, releasing "The Mix-Up" may very well be the best decision they could have made right now. At the very least, it's exciting to hear them switch things up. Plus, it'll be interesting to see which enterprising rapper uses "The Mix-Up" to create a solo album—paging Danger Mouse.
Beastie Boys
Hip-hop legends defy expectations on seventh album
By Tim Brodhagen
Special to Metromix (http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/music/natent-music-cdreview-beastieboys-s,0,629437)
ALBUM: "The Mix-Up" (Capitol)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/images/citybeat/icons/stars-4.gif
Everyone's favorite hip-hop white boys pull a complete about-face from their last album, the verbose and politically charged "To the 5 Boroughs," with the smooth and mellow "The Mix-Up." For their seventh release, the Beastie Boys deliver a sample and scratch-free effort consisting entirely of instrumentals.
Some may question their logic (especially since instrumental albums historically sell considerably less than vocal albums) but one listen should convert any skeptics. Virtuoso musicians they aren't, but the combination of MCA on bass, Ad Rock on Guitar and Mike D on drums conjures some seriously decent grooves. Drawing from a range of influences, "The Mix-Up" bounces from Meters-inspired funk to King Tubby-esque dub and makes many stops to funkytown in between.
Starting off with "B For My Name"—a classic jam that harkens back to the Boys' initial flirtation with live instrumentation on "Check Your Head"—the tempo quickly picks up on "14th Street Break" before toning down again with the latin dub sound of "Suco de Tangerina."
There are times when "The Mix-Up" sounds a bit too much like a poor man's version of jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, but the album remains mostly fresh. The best material comes from the psychedelic rock of "The Rat Cage" and "Cousin of Death" and the trip-hop of "The Gala Event" which would sound at home on one of Damon Albarn's Gorillaz albums.
Considering the Boys are all 40-plus, and more prone to waxing political than making the party anthems they are best loved for, releasing "The Mix-Up" may very well be the best decision they could have made right now. At the very least, it's exciting to hear them switch things up. Plus, it'll be interesting to see which enterprising rapper uses "The Mix-Up" to create a solo album—paging Danger Mouse.