Licensed to Ill

Today's listen is Licensed to Ill, my fourth Beastie Boys album in this challenge. I've always wanted to like the Beastie Boys, but so far I've struggled to understand what all the fuss is about. Let's see if today's album can change my mind.

Musically, there's some brilliant sampling and production on *Licensed to Ill*, and I can appreciate the energy and creativity that went into making it. Unfortunately, I still find the vocals quite irritating, and some of the lyrics haven't aged particularly well.

The big singles are easily the best part of the album. They're catchy, full of energy and good fun, but outside of those tracks, I found much of the album rather dull and forgettable. Too many of the songs sound similar, and there's not enough variety to keep me interested.

I can understand why this album was so popular when it was released, and there's no denying the Beastie Boys brought something different to hip-hop. However, listening to it today, I think a lot of the music sounds quite dated.

Overall, *Licensed to Ill* is another mixed experience for me. There are some cracking tunes, and I enjoyed the better-known tracks, but the rest of the album didn't do much for me. Four Beastie Boys albums into this challenge, and I'm still not convinced!

Favourite track: "Fight for Your Right". A great tune, full of energy and easily one of the highlights.

Least favourite track: "Girls". I really didn't enjoy this one. The lyrics are poor, and several other tracks were equally dull and forgettable.

Album artwork: I love the album cover. Easily one of the best things about the record!

I kinda would’ve thought I’d like the Beastie Boys more than I do given how much I like Joey Valence and Brae. It these are always just alright to me

Fight for your right and no sleep till Brooklyn slap though

3

Brooklyyynnnnn (and I also mostly mean Manhattan) in the mother fucking house!!

Sitting down to actually think about this question and ponder its answer, I think I finally have it. Country is the worst music genre, followed closely behind by hip hop. I just can't stand listening to it. This old-school hip hop is just so repetitive; it's just yelling violently into the mic. Yeah, I know it's about the lyrics, the tone, the message, and the emotion, but I just get nothing from it. It's not conveyed through a medium that speaks to me or that I can understand. I can't say good things or bad things about this album in particular because it's the same old thing, just like with past albums of this sort. It's just not for me.

I did not enjoy this. It sounds like wannabe punk rockers imo

This was released in 1986? It barely sounds dated at all. The drums still hit hard, the guitar riffs are huge, and the Beastie Boys bounce off each other with so much energy that the whole album feels immediate rather than historical.

𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 is the obvious highlight for me: loud, stupid in exactly the right way, and almost impossible not to shout along with. But the album has that same reckless charm throughout. It sounds like three guys having far too much fun and somehow turning that into a genuinely great record.

For something nearly forty years old, 𝘓𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘭𝘭 still feels ridiculously alive.

Glad that this is the last album I’m receiving from this group. I’m not wowed, but I definitely think this is the best of the 3 on this list

This album has some pretty solid bangers back to back towards the middle. Some of the edge tracks the flows and stories get a bit stale, but I really liked this over all. 4/5

4.5 Classic, of course.

Rocking fun. I love how obnoxious the Beasties sound. Must have really scared some of the squares. The beats slam. The big songs are all-time bangers.

A stone-cold, straight from my youth classic and, although the lyrics haven’t exactly aged well, here are my top 5 lines from the album:

5. You're a fake wearin' sucker whose gold got rusted,
Cheaper than a hot dog with no mustard

4.. Her pants are tight and that’s okay.

3. I got a girl in the castle, one in the pagoda,
you know I got rhymes like Abe Vigoda.

2. I did it like this, I did like that, I did it with a wiffle ball bat.

1. Girls with boyfriends are the kind I like,
I’ll steal your honey like I stole your bike.

I was always kind of mixed on this album. There's a few songs I absolutely rock with, but damn there's a bunch of stuff on here that I hate. I appreciate "Rhymin and Stealin" more these days, but "Brass Monkey" is still one of the fastest skips I've ever done on an album.

Well, I certainly liked this more than Paul’s Boutique. I know its genre is Hip Hop but I heard a lot of post punk and hair metal in it. Fight for your Right to Party is so energetic and Girls is so sad and fun at the same time. Why am I not rating it higher? I think it is the old saying “you had to be there”. While I was physically on this earth at that time I wasn’t around people who liked them, the culture or the hype so I cant emotionally connect with it. That’s my answer anyway.

Favorite track(s): Rhymin & Stealin, Fight for Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey

Heard before
Previous rating: 7/10

Terrible.

Speaking of fellas who changed the game. Rules but I cannot listen to an entire Beasties album, the yelling (especially Mike D) gets very grating.

Dated sure, but they grew with the times.

This is my second album by the Beastie Boys. I think I enjoyed this one more than "Paul's Boutique", which was already good. Very good album (though I'm definitely not a hip-hop expert). Songs I enjoyed: "Rhymin & Stealin", "The New Style", "She's Crafty", "Fight for your right" (together with "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" my favourites), or "Paul Revere". This is between 4 and 5 stars for me.

It’s shit isn’t it

Feels appropriate for the day after a Knicks championship.
I don’t think there’s a better rap/rock fusion group, or record, than this one. The boys really cooked here. It’s everything Rick Rubin wanted to do with Run DMC & Aerosmith, but bolder and better (probably because he’d sold his proof of concept already).

I already covered the other two Beastie Boys records officially in the books, so going back to Licensed to Ill, it really feels like their first full-length hip hop effort after pivoting from hardcore punk.

The best way to view Licensed to Ill is as a frat party record. Three dudes from New York City goofing around as they rhymed over beats and guitars, live and sampled; it's as simple as that. Sure, the beats and sampling on this record aren't as creative or imaginative as they would be on later records, and some of the lyrics haven't aged well, particularly the joke lines on "Girls". But I can't deny that the vocal chemistry between Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock was defined well here, and that some genuinely fun tracks on here still hold up like "She's Crafty", "Paul Revere", "Hold It Now, Hold It", "Brass Monkey", and especially "No Sleep till Brooklyn" with that cool guitar solo from Slayer's Kerry King.

Overall, I consider Licensed to Ill to be a solid debut. The Beastie Boys would continue to grow and develop their sound, but at least this record showcased their potential.