- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on any music download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
To the 5 Boroughs, the Beastie Boys' first LP in six years, is a thunderous return to form. Dispensing with the electro experimentation of the more challenging Hello Nasty, the boys get back to basics, seeming to sense that the time is exactly right to launch the return of their old-skool sound. Lead single "Ch-Check It Out" blows open the doors, with its booming meaty beats and funky vibes, reminding us just how exciting the rap-rock genre was back in the day when these guys helped pioneer it, before all the whiney "Limp Linkins" came along and commodified it.
To the 5 Boroughs captures the sound of the Beasties in their prime, spitting invective (as on the Bush-baiting "That's It That's All") over urgent bass-driven cuts with fortysomething voices that are as fresh as ever. They may be less concerned now with the Party than with a picnic ("grilled cheese", "flapjacks", "matzoh", "cholla", "falafel", "gorgonzola", "spaghetti" and "chicken tikka" all get a shout), but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. With age has come Buddhist-influenced wisdom, and gone are the misogynistic tendencies of old; these days they're more likely to be rapping about "the beach" rather than a bitch. Though these Beasties bring a message of love ("we gotta keep the party goin' on; all lifestyles sizes, shapes and forms") they're tighter and truer than ever. --Paul Eisinger
Review
Parlophone have played this one fairly close to their chests. A blanket of security has surrounded recent publicity bashes by the Beasties. This smacks less of fears about piracy and more that the band has either veered off in a radical direction or, after 6 years, have produced a turkey. The good news is that neither outcome has occurred. This is just, well, a Beastie Boys album. It's old skool, it rocks and (and I never thought this could be said about the Beasties) it's rather sweet.
The crazy electronic experimentation of Hello Nasty has been swept under the carpet and Mike D, Ad Rock and MCA have returned to the freestyle, knockabout rhymes and drum heavy loops of old. As befits a bunch of wealthy, intelligent guys in their 40s the lyrics about girls, beer, lyrical prowess and parties are now transmuted, via the alchemical touchstone of age and Buddhism into raps concerning politics ("Time To Build"), food, lyrical prowess and erm...parties. In other words they still want to rock the house but the only people they want to offend these days are the powers that be. As they say in the aforementioned "Time To Build": 'We've got a president we didn't elect/the Kyoto treaty he decided to reject/and still the US just wants to flex...'
Taken as a whole To The 5 Boroughs is just that: an ode to their home town of New York and a celebration of its continued vivacity and diversity post 9-11: 'Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten/ from the Battery to the top of Manhattan/ Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin/ Black and white, New York make it happen...'
Of course the best way they can do this is to liberally spice the political commentary and world-saving philosophising with the playful lyrical shenanigans that made them far more than just another white hip hop act. Little tics and stutters make it a joyous noise, as when someone shouts 'What the Helen of Troy is that?' on "Triple Trouble". On this evidence they're still not too old for the epiphet 'Boys'. And the party is still going on... --Chris Jones
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
With 'To The 5 Boroughs' the Beastie Boys have returned, and yet again have shown that they are incapable of making a bad record. 'Licence To Ill' and 'Paul's Boutique' hold their own in the history of hip-hop, and rightly so. The following three records ('Check Your Head', 'Ill Communication' and 1998's 'Hello Nasty') showed the Beasties talent in a variety of ways amidst a contagious blend of styles.
So, six years on, and what's different? Well firstly, TT5B remains a focused hip-hop record throughout, mixing new technology, their old-school roots, and their trademark rapping - as enthusiastic and referential as ever - over a variety of fairly straight-forward beats and minimalist samples. Opener, and first single, 'Ch-Check It Out' is everything you'd want from the Beasties. Brass samples stab in and out over a thumping old-school rhythm, with MCA, Adrock and Mike D cutting loose lyrically...It also boasts a cracking chorus, confirming the Beastie Boys are well and truly back for 2004.
It sets a template, and as such TT5B is a highly enjoyable listen. While very much one for the b-boys and b-girls, the record manages to stay clear of sounding the same throughout. Songs such as the politically charged and edgy 'Right Right Now Now', the fun Sugar-Hill sampling 'Triple Trouble,' and the jazzy 'That's It That's All' are as good as anything the Beasties have done in the past, and in terms of rapping, perhaps better. The three MC's personalities are effectively reinforced, and well, they do sound like they've been performing and writing together for twenty years, to sublime effect. The free-flowing lyrics, meanwhile, are in full force, whether spitting their grievances ('I went to get a loan and they asked my race, I wrote down human inside the space...') or proclaiming their love for various foods ('I'd like a lettuce, tomato and Munster on rye,
all this cheese is gonna make me cry...'), they are nothing if not entertaining.
As the title would suggest, New York gets plenty of shout outs, along with the Beasties aforementioned new found political responsibility. The outstanding 'It Takes Time To Build', a fierce cry for America to change it's ways and, well, it's president, uses scattered beats and it's concise and on point lyrical delivery to create a real sense of urgency. The track that really hits home though is 'An Open Letter to NYC', an emotional yet stirring tribute to the city that means so much to them. It's impossible not to feel some kind of connection to New York via the love poured into the track. The focal point of the album, making for a darker tone over an old Dead Boys sample, in itself a neat reference to the Beasties hardcore roots steeped in the big city.
The production is crisp and, for the most part, adds to an admirable air of understatement throughout the record. It's stripped down; beats and lyrics, samples and the odd Mix Master Mike scratch-interlude, so no, TT5B is not a further development of the experiments found on the diverse Check Your Head. Neither is it an advance on the sheer wackiness on Hello Nasty. But TT5B says what it wants to say, and as such is a very strong and effective return. The Beasties can do sparse as effectively as dense, then.
So, six years on, and what's different? Well firstly, TT5B remains a focused hip-hop record throughout, mixing new technology, their old-school roots, and their trademark rapping - as enthusiastic and referential as ever - over a variety of fairly straight-forward beats and minimalist samples. Opener, and first single, 'Ch-Check It Out' is everything you'd want from the Beasties. Brass samples stab in and out over a thumping old-school rhythm, with MCA, Adrock and Mike D cutting loose lyrically...It also boasts a cracking chorus, confirming the Beastie Boys are well and truly back for 2004.
It sets a template, and as such TT5B is a highly enjoyable listen. While very much one for the b-boys and b-girls, the record manages to stay clear of sounding the same throughout. Songs such as the politically charged and edgy 'Right Right Now Now', the fun Sugar-Hill sampling 'Triple Trouble,' and the jazzy 'That's It That's All' are as good as anything the Beasties have done in the past, and in terms of rapping, perhaps better. The three MC's personalities are effectively reinforced, and well, they do sound like they've been performing and writing together for twenty years, to sublime effect. The free-flowing lyrics, meanwhile, are in full force, whether spitting their grievances ('I went to get a loan and they asked my race, I wrote down human inside the space...') or proclaiming their love for various foods ('I'd like a lettuce, tomato and Munster on rye,
all this cheese is gonna make me cry...'), they are nothing if not entertaining.
As the title would suggest, New York gets plenty of shout outs, along with the Beasties aforementioned new found political responsibility. The outstanding 'It Takes Time To Build', a fierce cry for America to change it's ways and, well, it's president, uses scattered beats and it's concise and on point lyrical delivery to create a real sense of urgency. The track that really hits home though is 'An Open Letter to NYC', an emotional yet stirring tribute to the city that means so much to them. It's impossible not to feel some kind of connection to New York via the love poured into the track. The focal point of the album, making for a darker tone over an old Dead Boys sample, in itself a neat reference to the Beasties hardcore roots steeped in the big city.
The production is crisp and, for the most part, adds to an admirable air of understatement throughout the record. It's stripped down; beats and lyrics, samples and the odd Mix Master Mike scratch-interlude, so no, TT5B is not a further development of the experiments found on the diverse Check Your Head. Neither is it an advance on the sheer wackiness on Hello Nasty. But TT5B says what it wants to say, and as such is a very strong and effective return. The Beasties can do sparse as effectively as dense, then.
Format:Audio CD
Hmmm. The first upsetting Beastie release. I read the negative reviews on amazon.com (much more reviews over there than on the uk site) but still went ahead and bought this album. Bad move. There are frankly no tunes on this record!! The Beasties include all the lyrics, an attempt to possibly take your mind off the fact there is no music to enjoy? Basically this is just the boys rapping over lame beats. Over and over. Each track sounds the same and I got bored halfway through the album and switched it off - I mean, how bad is that? One of the things I like about the B.Boys is that their albums have variety - funk/rap/rock/punk/disco/hip hop but this album is hip hop 100%. I knew that before I bought it so I wasn't put-off by that fact, I was put-off because each song sounds lame. It's a boring CD, don't waste your money. My faves are Licensed To Ill, Check Your Head and Hello Nasty.
* EDIT *
Having listened to this album quite a few times now over the course of a month I must say that it has grown on me somewhat! Unfortunately Amazon won't allow me to give it any more stars but I can amend the review...
The old school beats on this album are actually quite endearing and it is more of a return to the Licensed To Ill and Paul's Boutique era but obviously in a minimalist style. The rapping is great, lots of humour and The Brouhaha is hilarious! What hooks and melodies there are here are subtle and it takes quite a few plays before they lock into your subconscious. So, unlike me, you should give this album time before deciding you don't like it! I take back the 2 stars and would actually give this 3.5 (so that's a 4 on Amazon then).
* EDIT *
Having listened to this album quite a few times now over the course of a month I must say that it has grown on me somewhat! Unfortunately Amazon won't allow me to give it any more stars but I can amend the review...
The old school beats on this album are actually quite endearing and it is more of a return to the Licensed To Ill and Paul's Boutique era but obviously in a minimalist style. The rapping is great, lots of humour and The Brouhaha is hilarious! What hooks and melodies there are here are subtle and it takes quite a few plays before they lock into your subconscious. So, unlike me, you should give this album time before deciding you don't like it! I take back the 2 stars and would actually give this 3.5 (so that's a 4 on Amazon then).
Format:Audio CD
Most people reading this will probably already have a good idea what to expect from a Beastie Boys release by now. And what you get with "To the 5 Boroughs" is pretty much standard B Boys fare. The CD contains some decent tracks, but many sound a little familiar. Still, as far a rap goes these days they are still amoung the best going. And its good they haven't moved away from their old school sound. It would just be a bit better if they had also kept their inventiveness heard on earlier albums.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
It hurts to say it...
especially if you've spent money on it and there is that ever present need to sift through the CD and declare that there are "a couple of good tracks on it" but, having gone back... Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2009 by Claxtondog
3 the hard way!
You can say what you want about the Beastie Boys, but the fact is they are still rocking it 20plus years since they started out. Read more
Published on 28 July 2004 by Abbey Account
What a let down..
I'm really reluctant to write a bad review, but this album is frankly poo compared to their other work. Read more
Published on 14 July 2004 by N. R. J. KENCHINGTON
'nuff style
this is a fun record. by no means a classic, maybe the first beastie release that might have gone unnoticed if they werent one of the biggest hiphop acts already. Read more
Published on 6 July 2004 by rich c
Disapointing
Now I love the Beasties...always have. But unfortunately they've just reached a point where they can't produce the quality tunes that they once made. Read more
Published on 5 July 2004 by A. AU-YONG
Beastie Boys Take A Bit Of A New Direction
They used to be my favourite band but i strayed from thier rap style into the thrash music that they grew out of. Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2004 by steven paynter
Maybe not the best....but still worth the listen!!!
Now the Beastie Boys are great artists really, but this isn't their best work by far. The album is creditable and has a few great tracks, such as Open Letter to NYC!! Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2004 by E. Foster
Give it time
My expectations were high. There was no way this album was gonna do what I wanted. I wanted some Paul's Boutique freshhhh with the In Sound From Way Out funk. Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2004 by John Schell
Beastie Boys step up to the plate
The first single "Check it out", really doesn't give an indication of the direction of this album, which on the whole has a much more focused, stripped down and new (old) school... Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2004 by "bradleys121"
possibly.....................the best album of the year?
The boys are back!before this album came out i wasnt a big fan of theres although there were a good few tunes on there last album oh and also the 'classic' brass monkey. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2004
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
