Has it been 6 years or more? I think it has. Time for a new Beastie Boys record! Behold Hot Sauce Committee Part Two!After almost 30 years in the game, the Beastie Boys still continue to make music that is relevant. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated group, has proved that they are not willing to age gracefully. This album is a more hip-hop leaning experience, than some of their past efforts. Meaning all the vocals are rapped for the most part. The production consists of some obscure sampling, as well as the guys just playing their instruments. I believe that this is their 7th full-length studio album. Of course there have been the old stuff re-issues, as well as the instrumental fare. However, as far as actual full-length records with vocals, this is the seventh.
The album starts off with the extra catchy “Make Some Noise”! This is vintage Beasties. Distorted vocal effects, crazy catchy beat, as well as silly word play. When Adrock proclaims “I’m fly like a hawk, or better yet an eagle”, you know this is the crew at their best. They shot an accompanying video called “Fight For Your Right Revisited” as well. the video is 30 minutes long and has some major star power. I think that alone is a testament, to their impact on music as a whole. You can see that at beastieboys.com, or if you purchased the album on iTunes, it was included. “Nonstop Disco Powerpack” finds them trading rhymes about how fresh they are, and you are not! “Too Many Rappers” featuring Nas, is a holdover from the unreleased Hot Sauce Committee Part One. The song was ok in its original form. This version is more distorted, and nothing to write home about. Not horrible, but it would have been ok left alone. “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” featuring Santigold, has a nice laid back reggae vibe. “Lee Majors Come Again” has that alt/punk sound that the they capture so well. “Long Burn The Fire”, and “B-Boys In The Cut” are also stand out tracks. This are several different versions of this album. There are package deals you can buy on their website, as well as what the commercial retailers are carrying. I purchased the iTunes version, and was good with that. They have t-shirt deals, remix deals, etc… I guess it depends on your level of fandom.
All in all, this a good Beastie Boys album. Not classic, but better than “To The 5 Boroughs”. I also don’t think this record will win over any new fans. If you are a Beastie Boys fan, your opinion, like mine, will be pretty biased. However, this is a solid record all the way through. Hopefully, MCA will recover from throat cancer, which I believe he is still receiving treatment for. One of their major strengths is touring. If they can get out and perform, I will take back that comment about winning over new fans. If you have ever had the opportunity to see them perform live, you know they throw down. I once attempted to convinced a whole gang of mullet wearing rockers, that they would be Beasties fans if they ever saw them live. The year they co-headlined Lollapalooza with the Smashing Pumpkins, that actually happened! True story!
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