CD Review:
The first successful white rap band, the Beastie Boys came out of the New York punk scene to take on the hip hop world and became its most successful group of the 80s. Licensed to Ill was the first rap album to hit #1 in the States.
What fostered this accomplishment was the cross over hit "Fight for Your Right (To Party)," a song that brought in fans from outside the hip hop world. Def Jam Records with Rick Rubin as producer made hip hop relevant to the mainstream. The Beasties and Rubin used their metal pedigree (Rubin was a metalhead working with bands such as The Cult and Slayer) to mesh the two genres and create a watershed moment in music.
Run DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys were all under Def Jam's wing during the 80s when hip hop exploded. They led the way until hip hop turned more to the criminal side during the 90s.
Licensed to Ill has kept its popularity because it is also a fun record to listen to. Mix the beats and metal with an over-the-top humour-laced lyrical style that pokes fun at everything from college drinkers to tough guys and women. It's hard not to laugh at the bombastic output of Mike D, Ad-Rock and the rest of the Beasties. The album is one of the greatest in hip hop history and deservedly makes most of best album lists.
FS Staff
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| Band |
Beck |
| Album Title |
Odelay |
| Date Of Release |
1996 |
| Genre |
Rock/Pop |
| Official Website |
Beck |
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CD Review:
What is there to say about Beck's Odelay? It defies any comprehensive description. You could say it's a mix of almost every genre of music. But what is Beck trying to do with this release?
On first listen, it was great and it still is if you just listen to the music. But once you start listening to the lyrics you come to realize you are missing something. So you read the lyrics sheets and still don't get what he saying. You get the feeling he is describing the derision of modern cultural life, but you are not exactly sure. Then the lyrics start to become clearer; what he is saying has nothing to do with the words themselves, it is more the images that pop into your mind when you listen to them.
But after a few more listens you forget the lyrics, because the continual "cute" use of the adjective gets quite old and you don't want to ruin what is a great sounding CD. There are only so many times that descriptive words like "Garbage Can Trees," "Cadillac Pants," "Hot Dog Dance," "The Mangling Strangers" and "Chromosome Cowboy" can hold any magic before they get old and frustrating. And the continual referral to shoes and pants just becomes annoying.
Beck's voice is a bit ordinary also. But for an unknown reason I keep listening to the CD because it is something special. Maybe the production by the Dust Brothers is what the hook is because the album is put together very well. So if you want to try a medley of genres and an eclectic sound, then try this out, it was worth my 15 bucks.
FS Staff
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