ARTIST: Beastie Boys
TITLE: Paul’s Boutique
YEAR RELEASED: 1989
CHART ACTION: #14 US, #24 R&B, #44 UK
SINGLES: Hey Ladies (#36 US, #18 Alternative, #76 UK), Shadrach
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Shake Your Rump, Egg Man
LINEUP: Mike D, Ad-Rock, MCA, Mario Caldato, the Dust Brothers
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: An incredible tour-de-force of rhymes, beats, and samples. Loads and loads of samples. Perfect.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: There’s still juvenile snotty humor, extolling drugs, ladies, and partying. But, but, this is not the party album that Licensed to Ill was. It’s it’s own thing.
And it’s a good thing.
The production by the Dust Brothers incorporates a great deal of deep, deep samples – mostly from the results of crate digging for funk and soul records of the 60’s and 70’s. The rhymes move somewhat away from the party and are full of obscure references (Harthrone Wingo, FTW!), and the beats by Mario Caldato are spot on. The transitions between tracks are spot on, too, and it’s a looped album (the ending notes and the beginning notes are the same).
Then there’s “B-Boy Boulliabase” – nine snippets of tracks of different styles all sewn together expertly, and it’s 15 minutes well spent.
It’s not a stretch to say that this album is one of the top 5 hip-hop albums of all time and its influence resonates today.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Mike D. bought the music and rights from the Dust Brothers and they were put on the project to create this. Also, check out https://paulsboutique.info/.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Two in Japan.
GRADE A+: Ask for Janice.