Ain't It Funky Now: Back To The Boutique

Beastie Boys

Paul's Boutique 20th Anniversary Edition

(2009 - Capitol)

It's hard to believe that Paul’s Boutique was a commercial failure upon its initial release. Even now, looking at this twenty years on, who would have thought a bunch of snotty Brooklyn Jewish kids (who formed originally as a hardcore band) could realistically cash in on the latest bad boy street rap trend and become trendsetters?

Now, like then, Paul's Boutique is a hard-core love letter to 70s funk. Its boogie is on the dance floor (or possibly the dirt floor, according to the 15 second banjo romp “5 Piece Chicken Dinner”), and it also doesn't shy away from heavy-hitter samples from the likes of Mountain, The Ramones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Costello, and Johnny Cash. The sound is a mish-mash of rhymes, scratches, and bass beats courtesy of the West Coast’s Dust Brothers and Mario Caldato Jr. who seemingly toss in whatever might have popped out of their heads at the moment while still keeping that consistent and constant groove throughout. The 40-minute album also maintains its beat and lyrical muster by dropping funky guitar and bass riffs into the mix before snatching them back, simultaneously contemplating the serious and the snotty and sometimes even the ridiculous:

Fear and loathing across the country listening to my 8 Track…

Bust a Travis Bickle when I feel I’m getting pushed…

Droppin’ science like Galileo dropped the orange….

The standout tracks are easy to remember: "Hey Ladies," "High Plains Drifter," and "Johnny Ryall" to name the obvious few, but then again, there's nary a stinker in this bunch o’funk. Songs such as "Shake Your Rump," "Egg Man," and "Car Thief" act as perfect companions to the above-mentioned rap-a-long singles and keep the overall momentum flowing, sometimes even eclipsing the individual standouts themselves.

The down note in an otherwise triumphant re-release this year is Beastie member Adam “MCA” Yauch's recent cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, it was found early enough for successful treatment, but not soon enough to avoid postponing the release of the Boys' 2009 album, Hot Sauce Committee Part One, and canceling their upcoming tour. So, raise a glass of Brass Monkey in toast to The Beasties’ new album and to MCA’s health, and to this truly one of a kind dance platter that is as necessary to your ears as gravity is to your own sweet moves.

-Blake Rainey

Ed: Blake Rainey is a singer/songwriter based in Atlanta. He has two excellent solo record albums available for your musical pleasure, as well as several brutish punk recordings with his famed bandmates in the Young Antiques. Check out all them groovy dudes HERE! And HERE!