Beastie Boys
To The 5 Boroughs
(Capitol)
In the six years since their last album, the Beastie Boys have decided to put politics first. Possibly ashamed of some of the more juvenile subject matter found on their previous (and far superior) albums—and maybe feeling a need to act their age (almost 40)—the boys have stripped their sound down so we can focus on their message.
Now, politics and music can blend together beautifully. (Take Neil Young’s “Ohio,” for instance.) But when the message overtakes the music, it can mean critical and commercial death for an artist. (Um, remember Jackson Browne’s career?) It’s a delicate balance and, unfortunately, one thing usually wins out: boredom. And if the music is boring, who’s going to stick around to hear what the artist has to say?
To The 5 Boroughs contains none of the pleasantly scattered spontaneity that’s historically made the Beasties stand out from the rest of the rap crowd. While much of the Boys’ lyrical talent remains intact, the beats are monotonous, the arrangements are unflinchingly dull and, most disappointing of all, the album just isn’t any fun.
When the group pauses from parroting the popular politics of the day, they pay tribute to New York City (the album’s lone bright spot), and repeatedly remind us how of great they are. Because they have to. Because this album certainly doesn’t.
Once dogging rappers who rapped like “a commercial,” the Beasties have done just that, cashing in on their past achievements in order to desperately maintain a fading image of greatness.
And while the Beasties might still be great, To The 5 Boroughs just isn’t. Ch-Check out the results in the used bins come November.
Posted by colrus at June 29, 2004 09:27 AM | TrackBackI always thought the most interesting part of "Ohio" was David Crosby screaming his heart out at the end.
And if the new BB album is about politics, I think they made a mistake in putting out "Ch-Check It Out" as the first single. If you're looking for political songs, you probably wouldn't buy the album after hearing the single. However, if you're looking for party anthems, you wouldn't like the rest of the album, based on your review. I hate marketing.
My 2cents :)
Posted by: rueyn at June 29, 2004 11:10 AMI hadn't thought of that. Either way, the album isn't very good, which is depressing because I am STILL listenting to Check Your Head after all these years...
Posted by: Bill Colrus at June 29, 2004 11:35 AMI still have "Check Your Head" in the player, but for my money, they never could come close to making another album like "Paul's Boutique". Musically, it was their best effort. It may not have had the mass appeal or been as fun as CYH, but damn if it don't have just the tastiest instrumentals. All that aside, the music is very tight and well thought out. From a purist's perspective, Boutique is it.
Posted by: Chuck at June 29, 2004 06:52 PMI say leave the politics to politicians and the music to musicians. Well, I don't really say that, but it seems to be most modern day bands have a hard time with being politically critical and popular at the same time. I think Pearl Jam's popularity decreased the more and more they became political, either that or people got tired of hearing every cd sound the same. The beastie boys should realize what Rage Against the Machine did, you can be as political as you want, but that doesn't mean your going to educate the masses. SOme of the biggest rage fans I knew, who bought into their "political ethos" or lack thereof, were also some of the most ignorant people I've met. They didnt' seem to understand how society worked.
Posted by: holtoch@Hotmail.com at June 29, 2004 11:02 PM