Paul’s Boutique

Awesome beats. Can appreciate there wasn't really anything like it before.

The rapping was OK but I did struggle to make out some of it.

I found this to be pretty boring and annoying. Started off ok though.

pa okej. bolje od prvog, ništa posebno. meni dosta podnošljivije i zabavnije od većine repa, al ne bih slušo

Cool album start to finish - very interesting how dense the samples are. When I went to whosampled.com I was surprised just how many samples were present in every song. Then I learned about the Grand Upright Music Ltd v. Warner Bros Records case that basically killed wholesale sampling in rap. In other words, this album couldn't exist just a couple years later. Although the samples are a little more in your face obvious than later hip hop, the Dust Brothers and Beastie Boys still make it their own. I may not be a big rap fan, but I really enjoyed this album...I'll give it the 5 it clearly deserves. Favorite tracks: Shake Your Rump, Johnny Ryall, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun (by far my favorite track on the album), Car Thief, and two parts of B-Boy Bouillabaisse: Stop That Train and A Year and a Day.

Hard to beat The Boys!

I listened to this twice, including the bonus content.

4.5

To all the reviewers upset about the reviews calling this a couple of guys shouting their brags at a microphone: Yes, that's exactly what this is, and no, it's not enjoyable.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

probably my favorite of the three beastie boys albums weve had so far but similar issues as the other ones. good for a song or two but hard to listen all the way through.

Well this album sure is GREAT
All those haters do is HATE
If you don't like it I suggest you STOP
Cuz this right here is the cream of the CROP

A bit weaker than Ill Communication, but it still has great rhymes and great vibes.

These guys were truly just the coolest.

4/5

Beastie Boys - one of these groups where my response to seeing them as the album of the day is "hell yeah"

decent but not sure what the hype is...

A landmark hip hop album, there will never be another quite like it. I know the Beasties can be a divisive group but regardless of how you feel this album is important to understand hip hop history.

3.0

In the last year or so, there's been a discussion about sampling in music, as there was 40 years ago, but it's more of a different discussion. Modern sampling is just not good, not done correctly or properly to the point that people are saying sampling is boring or uncreative. But I disagree. Sampling, to me, works better when it's chopped and screwed, pitched higher or lower, to the point where you just make a whole new beat AND where the sample originates. You look at classic hip-hop and you see how much of funk, soul, gospel, rock, metal, and they work that into their advantage. No other group, in my opinion, did that better than Beastie Boys. No other example of some of the greatest sampling work done in hip hop history is Paul's Boutique.

The mastery over sampling continues on this album, same as License to Ill. I will say this album sits in a more vibey spot than License to Ill, which I both like and dislike in comparison. Just comes down to which I prefer at that moment. The vocals aren't bothering me as much as on License though, and its a more varied album. A lot more interesting guitar work and sample usage of guitars on this one.

This is hip-hop, right? So I must hate it, right? Wrong! So what's the difference between this and 2Pac and Outkast?

Its humour. It isn't up it's own arse. It doesn't have an agenda. And, most importantly it's got a great groove.

It's awesome. The mixing of hip hop, funk, punk, and rock, plus the prodigious use of sampling, creates an incredibly creative, forward-thinking, and influential record. The frat boy rhymes can be both intelligent (Pass me the scalpel, I'll make an incision I'll cut off the part of your brain that does the bitching; Put it in formaldehyde and put it in the shelf; And you can show it to your friends and say "that's my old self"), and bawdry (Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair; So I can climb up and get inside your underwear).

As with all hip hop, it shows its age, but I also think it has aged like a fine wine with a realization of how foundational and influential this album was during the early days of hip hop. 4.5 stars.

Often considered their magnum opus, and I can see why now that I've finally listened to it. Love how many samples they used, loved the energy they bring to every record. I think I'd put Ill Communication a hair above this, but I can't argue with anybody saying that this is their best.

Great energy and great sampling