Perfection, Part Deux

THE BEASTIE BOYS
Paul's Boutique (July 25, 1989)
1. Shake Your Rump
2. Johnny Ryall
3. Egg Man
4. High Plains Drifter
5. The Sounds of Science, Part 1
6. The Sounds of Science, Part 2
7. 3-Minute Rule
8. Hey Ladies
9. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
10. Car Thief
11. What Comes Around
12. Shadrach
B-Boy Bouillabaisse
13. A Year and a Day
14. Stop That Train
15. Dropping Names
16. Lay It On Me
17. 59 Chrystie Street
18. Get On the Mic
19. Mike On the Mic
20. Hello Brooklyn
21. AWOL
Produced by The Dust Brothers; The Beastie Boys; and Mario Caldato, Jr.

A lot of people who claim to be hip-hop "purists" seem to think the Beastie Boys are less deserving of their respect because they have been accepted in rock & roll circles. As a result, many people who have otherwise good taste in hip-hop never hear Paul's Boutique, dismissing the Beastie Boys as "frat rap," whatever that means....Sure, the lyrics on this album are often immature, but the production is so revolutionary (Paul's Boutique is nearly 20 years old, mind you) that it still sounds like it could have been released in the underground last week.

A few notes: B-Boy Bouillabaisse is a compilation of songs the Beastie Boys began recording between 1986 and 1989. Some (A Year and a Day, Stop That Train) are more complete than others (59 Chrystie Street, AWOL). The original CD had the entirety of B-Boy Bouillabaisse on one track, with the songs in a different order. Apparently, the file for 59 Chrystie Street is titled "59 Christie Street."

Because Paul's Boutique was released before samples had to be cleared, the list of songs sampled is incredible. Here's a list of the samples from Wikipedia:

1. Shake Your Rump
"That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
"Cut the Cake" by Average White Band
"8th Wonder" by the Sugarhill Gang
"Jazzy Sensation" by Afrika Bambaataa
"Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin
"Dancing Room Only" by Harvey Scales
"Funky Snakefoot" by Alphonze Mouzon
"Tell Me Something Good" by Ronnie Laws
"Unity" by James Brown and Afrika Bambaataa
"Get the Funk Out Ma Face" - Brothers Johnson
"6 O'Clock DJ (Let's Rock)", "Born to Love You", & "Yo Yo" by Rose Royce
"Super Mellow", by Paul Humphrey, Willie Bobo, Shelly Manne, & Louis Bellson

2. Johnny Ryall
"A.J. Scratch" by Kurtis Blow
"Sharon" by David Bromberg
"Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight
"One of These Days" by Pink Floyd
"Momma Miss America" by Paul McCartney
"Magnificent Sanctuary Band" by Donny Hathaway
"Military Cut (Scratch Mix)" by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)", & "The New Style" by the Beastie Boys

3. Egg Man
"Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield
"Sport" by Lightnin' Rod
"Pump it Up" by Elvis Costello
"I'm Ready" by The Commodores
"Drop It in the Slot" by Tower of Power
"Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone
"Bring the Noise" & "You're Gonna Get Yours" by Public Enemy
The lyrics in the song's middle eight (starting with "We all dressed in black...") are interpolated from the Beastie Boys' earlier punk rock song "Egg Raid On Mojo."
Aliens
Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
"Jaws Theme" by John Williams
"Shower Theme" by Bernard Hermann, from the film Psycho

4. High Plains Drifter
"Those Shoes" by The Eagles
"Suzy Is a Headbanger" by The Ramones
"Your Momma Don't Dance" by Loggins & Messina
"Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)" by The Fatback Band

5/6. The Sounds of Science
"Back in the USSR", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", "The End", & "When I'm Sixty-Four" by The Beatles
"Don't Sniff Coke" by Pato Banton
"Walk from Regio's" by Isaac Hayes
"My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions
"Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown

7. 3-Minute Rule
"Feel Good" by Fancy
"Brave and Strong", & "Poet" by Sly & the Family Stone

8. Hey Ladies
"The Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet
"Party Time" by Kurtis Blow
"Holy Ghost" by the Bar-Kays
"Shake Your Pants" by Cameo
"Pumpin' It Up" by P-Funk All Stars
"Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang
"Machine Gun" by The Commodores
"Jazzy Sensation" by Afrika Bambaataa
"Change Le Beat/B-Side" by Fab 5 Freddy
"Come Let Me Love You" by Jeanette "Lady" Day
"Heartbreaker", & "So Ruff, So Tuff" by Zapp & Roger
"Ain't It Funky Now", & "Funky President" by James Brown
"Hey DJ" by Malcolm McLaren & the World Famous Supreme Team
"High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)

9. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
"Time" by Pink Floyd
"Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
"Last Bongo in Belgium" by the Incredible Bongo Band

10. Car Thief
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan
"I'll Bet You" by Jackson 5
Woodstock (Max Yasgur speech)
"Drop the Bomb" by Trouble Funk
"Rien Ne Va Plus" by Funk Factory

11. What Comes Around
"Moby Dick" by Led Zeppelin
"It's Hot Tonight" by Alice Cooper
"Put on Train" by Gene Harris & The Three Sounds

12. Shadrach
"Say What" by Trouble Funk
"Catch a Groove" by Juice
"That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
"Do Your Dance" by Rose Royce
"Never Let 'em Say" by Ballin' Jack
"Funky Drummer" by James Brown
"Hot and Nasty" by Black Oak Arkansas
"Sugarhill Groove" by the Sugarhill Gang
"Loose Booty" by Sly & the Family Stone

13. A Year and a Day
"That Lady, Pt. 1 & 2" by The Isley Brothers
"Ebony Jam" by Tower of Power
"When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin
"High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)

14. Stop That Train
"Draw Your Brakes" by Scotty
"Save the World" by Southside Movement

15. Dropping Names
"Into the Night" by Sweet
"Hey Pocky A-Way" by The Meters
"The Well's Gone Dry" by The Crusaders

16. Lay It on Me
"Let the Music Take Your Mind" by Kool & the Gang

17. 59 Chrystie Street
"Here We Go" (Live) by Run-DMC
"Rocket in the Pocket" by Cerrone
"Buffalo Girls" by Malcolm McLaren
"Burundi Black (Pt. 2)" by Burundi Black
"Are You Experienced?" by Jimi Hendrix
"Change Le Beat/B-Side" by Fab 5 Freddy
"My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions

18. Get on the Mic
"At the Fever" by Lovebug Starski

19. Mike on the Mic
Lloyd Lindsay Young quote.
"At the Fever" by Lovebug Starski

20. Hello Brooklyn
"Breathe" by Pink Floyd
"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

21. A.W.O.L.
"Good Times" by Chic
"Good to Go" by Trouble Funk
"Loran's Dance" by Idris Muhammad

I didn't feel the need to write a complete review of this album, because most people who are going to listen to it already have. Beyond that, if your views on hip-hop are similar to mine and you have not heard it (for whatever reason), I think the samples used for the beats on Paul's Boutique speak for themselves. Production-wise, this is one of the 10 best albums ever released.