Amazon.co.uk Review
American bands have never got in the habit of their British counterparts, who tend to release lots of extended singles filled out with not-meant-for-prime-time experimentation. If the Beasties had got into that habit, this would be their B-side compendium: a dozen instrumental tracks showing off their groovier side, complete with plenty of wah peddle on the guitar and prominence given to frequent Beastie collaborators "Money" Mark Nishita (keyboards) and Eric Bobo (percussion). It's tough to believe that the same band is responsible for this and the
Aglio e Olio EP, but it goes a long way in explaining how they've remained viable for so long.
--Randy Silver
CD Description
A testament to the talent of the Beastie Boys is that even a compilation of instrumental cuts, all previously released (although some admittedly on limited-run singles), could remain relevant to the music world. Not only is THE IN SOUND FROM WAY OUT intriguing, but it could be argued to be the greatest statement of the threesome's musicianship. In their existence, the Beasties have transmuted themselves from a streetwise hardcore band, to a bratty white-boy rap collective, to a more sincere rap trio, to indie-funk-soul-punk-rap innovators.
These instrumental interludes started popping up in the last of these phases, and play like groove-funk soundtracks to '70s films that never were. From most artists, a collection such as this one would seem self-serving and pretentious, but these are the Beastie Boys. Wordless wonders like"Eugene's Lament" and "In 3's", rightly deserve a spot on the musical landscape. No, this is not a calculated marketingstrategy to extract money from consumers, but a CD that pretty much had to be; these cuts the Beastie's laid down on separate albums were meant to be played together, and THE IN SOUND FROM WAY OUT completes that puzzle.