Shazam! by Beastie Boys
July 09, 2004 | 
7 Comments
The Artist: Beastie Boys
The Song: Shazam!
The Album: To The 5 Boroughs
Released 2004
I don’t have a lot of time right now, so I’m going to keep this short. I know, I know, you’re thinking — thank GOD! It’s about time he kept something short. That, and — I’ll believe it when I see it.
Anyway, I’ve got kind of a love/hate feeling about the Beastie Boys. I’ve been a fan from the old days. I saw them open for Madonna before even Licensed to Ill was out. They were boo’ed off stage, talked all kinds of dirty about Madonna and after the show mingled with the crowed leaving the venue.
Paul’s Boutique ranks in my top 10 albums of all time — easy — and might even be up in the top 5. So in that sense I love them. But I just haven’t been able to get of their stuff much after Check Your Head. I never did understand why.
Well, I’ve seen the mixed reviews of this latest album and was pretty sure it would suck. But then I saw that Rolling Stone gave it five stars. I figured I’d better ch-ch-check it out.
Well, I like it quite a bit. Best album by them in a long, l-o-o-ong, time. It’s got much more of an old school Beastie feel and you can actually hear some of what made them what they are. The beats are tough, even amazing, at times and the lyrics and wordplay is pretty tight as well.
I’ll admit my first listen was a bit rough, you have to listen to it on a real system to really get the sound. It doesn’t sound right via small Powerbook speakers. So hook your ‘puter up to your stereo before listening to this week’s track, “Shazam!”
Recommended if you like: Beastie Boys
Filed under: Song of The Week
Comments
1. Colly said:
Good review Keith (agreed about Paul’s Boutique). Here’s a review I did of the album for Speakers Push The Air:
If you’re a fan, you need it. If you like variety, you don’t. If you need insightful political enquiry, you need to buy a Billy Bragg album instead. To The 5 Boroughs bollocks along in uncompromising Beastie Boy fashion. It’s hip-hop all the way - no instrumentals, ‘experiments’ or faux-punk, just beats. Like Paul’s Boutique, it pays homage to New Yoik, with ‘An Open Letter To NYC’ the most blatant - an audible map of the city’s ‘hoods:
“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”
The presence of bearded basketballin’ hobos, coffee-slurping Manhattan types and the characters from Different Strokes are most tangible. ‘Ch-Check It Out’ kicks things off, establishing the sound that remains the same, so we focus on the overtly political lyrics. Unfortunately, the boys ain’t political analysts. ‘It Takes Time To Build’ sees them putting us straight on such hot potatoes as Kyoto and OPEC, and even calling for Bush’s impeachment:
“By the time Bush is done what will be left, Selling votes like E-pills at the discotheque, Environmental destruction and the national dept, But plenty of dollars left in the fat war chest”
Oooh. Trouble is, it’s the Beastie Boys. I know we are supposed to take them seriously these days, but this just sounds awkward. What if Dick Cheney started rapping? It wouldn’t work, and neither does this. Why didn’t they go the whole hog and have a duet between Yauch and the Dalai Lama?
Anyway, buy it. It sounds f—ing ace. Just don’t expect to learn anything from it. (SC)
Posted on July 9, 2004 06:04 PM | #
2. Patrick H. Lauke said:
i have to admit that i prefer the slightly more focussed “ill communication” to their earlier work, but that’s just me. i’ll get my headphones and give this a test drive, methinks…
Posted on July 10, 2004 10:28 AM | #
3. ryan said:
I am a huge Beastie Boys fan. I have a soft spot for Hello Nasty as I lived in NYC when it came out. I was a little cold on this release at first, but after many, many listens it has turned into something else entirely. I think you really need to give this one a few listens to see its value. I can overlook some of the political lyrics (I do think I prefer 40 year old guys give their opinion on the Prez rather than on slamming beer or smokin’ dust…it just seems more real) because they showcase some serious rhyming skills on this album. Old school Beasties, for sure (which isn’t a bad thing) and getting better with every listen!
Regarding Paul’s Boutique being in your top ten…who can argue with that? That record still amazes me.
Posted on July 12, 2004 07:14 AM | #
4. Seth Thomas Rasmussen said:
Ahahahahajskfh… really?
Seriously though, I haven’t been looking forward to this since a year or two ago when they released that one sort of teaser track. I recall it supposedly being sort of politically edgy. Maybe mocked Bush. But I also remember it being a horrible waste of time, and leaving me not at all whetted for new Beastie Boys.
And frankly, I think we’re all quite familiar with how New Yorker’s feel about New York and the fact that they live there and/or are from there. People move to NYC, and within’ days they assume that whole overdone fraternity. *yawn*, says I.
I’ve been thinking of doing something similar in my blog, though. It’s something to write about… heh.
Posted on July 12, 2004 08:43 AM | #
5. Shannon said:
Hi, when I first heard the Beastie Boys, it was around the same time as I heard Glass Tiger. It was that BB album with the airplane image, which on the back cover of the album was crashed into a wall… my mommy and daddy thought it was bad, and wouldn’t let me buy it so I had to buy the glass tiger album. Paul’s boutique est ok :)
Posted on July 12, 2004 10:04 AM | #
6. Maggie said:
i’ve heard their earlier music and i loved it when i was littler. Now they came out with a new CD that i love and ive been trying to get it for days. I really liked their old stuff & now i love their new stuff to. I’ve loved these guys cence i was 9.
Posted on October 17, 2004 01:57 PM | #
7. Ricky said:
I have been a Beastie Boys fan ever since i started listening to music. they are the only band ive been listening to since i can remember that i still like today. I heard pretty bad reviews about this album but after reading this one I really should give it a chance. I don’t think many people do, and they are making a mistake. I’ll check it out definitely.
Posted on March 9, 2005 01:34 AM | #
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