Beastie Boys: Anthology: The Sounds of Science

Beastie Boys: Anthology: The Sounds of Science

1999

Grand Royal/Capitol Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing:

Disc 1: 1.  Beastie Boys  2. Slow and Low  3. Shake Your Rump  4. Gratitude  5. Skills to Pay the Bills  6. Root Down  7. Believe Me  8. Sure Shot  9. Body Movin' (Fatbosy Slim Remix)  10. Boomin' Granny  11. Fight for Your Right  12. Country Mike's Theme  13. Pass the Mic  14. . Something's Got to Give  15. Bodhisattva Vow  16. Sabrosa  17. Song for the Man  18. Soba Violence  19. Alive  20. Jimmy James (Original Version)   21.Three MC's and One DJ" (Live Video Version)

Disc 2:  1. The Biz vs. the Nuge  2. Sabotage  3. Shadrach  4. Brass Monkey  5. Time for Livin  6. Dub the Mic  7. Benny and the Jets   8. The Negotiation Limerick File  9. I Want Some  10.  She's on It  11. Son of Neckbone  12. Get it Together  13.Twenty Questions   14. Remote Control  15. Railroad Blues  16.  Live Wire   17. So What'cha Want  18. Netty's Girl  19. Egg Raid on Mojo  20. Hey Ladies  21. Intergalactic
This cover, although hilarious, is also kind of sad now...We'll never really get to see all three Beastie Boys together as old men with canes and shit...Uh-oh...Now I'm getting all choked up....Get yourself together, man...Must think good thoughts...I know....

A nice box of  El Robusto cigars...

 ...wrapped in bacon...

...and a nice 12 year old single malt Scotch...

...which I would drink out of a beer helmet...

...and a stack of nudie magazines this high... "Cabaret!" Ooo la-la!

Alright, I'm feeling better now...

"The Soundsw of Science" is a two-disc retrospective of the Beastie Boys career up until 1999.  This release was notable because there was a website where you could choose the songs you wanted to appear on the album,  and have a customized version shipped to you..That was probably too ambitious for me, so I just bought the regular version sold in stores...The group wanted to use their 1985 single "Rock Hard" but couldn't get the clearance for the AC/DC sample...Which is too bad...It's a kick-ass track that is now out of print...Once again, thank God for youtube...

"The Sounds of Science" consists of familiar  hits and a ton of previously unreleased and rare material...Since I have already gone over the hits I'll stick to the material I haven't covered...

Things start appropriately enough with their theme song "Beastie Boys," which comes from their hardcore debut "Polly Wog Stew."



"Polly Wog Stew" was later reissued in the 90's along w/ the early hip hop single "Cooky Puss," on the "Some Old Bullshit" compilation. I know a lot of people weren't into it but I always liked it...Man, I haven't heard it in years...



Also from "Polly Wog Stew" they throw in "Egg Raid on Mojo," the lyrics of which were later reused on "Eggman" from "Paul's Boutique."


And why were there no hardcore songs on "Hello Nasty?" Well, there was supposed to be, but the band wrote too many of them, so they put out the separate "Aglio e Olio"  hardcore e.p. Two of which "I Want Some" and the ultra-catchy "Believe Me," appear here.   Again, being a DFL admirer I love this 80's throwback shit... Also included is "Soba Violence" (a hardcore track with the added bonus of glitchy electronics) which appeared on some overseas versions of "Aglio e Olio."

The previously unreleased cover of "Benny & the Jets," is one of the greatest things in the entire Beastie boys' canon...Biz Markie gives the mush-mouthed performance of a lifetime, while the band delivers a jerky backing, and  a virtual crowd goes wild...I don't throw this word around often on this site, but here it is...Genius! Pure and simple...

My other favorite track on here is "Railroad Blues" from the rare "Country Mike's Greatest Hits" album (which featured the awesomely sitcom back story of Mike D getting hit on the head and getting amnesia and thinking he was 'Country Mike' and the rest of the band having to play along). I've listened to this 500 times and it still always cracks me up, mostly due to the unbelievably intrusive railroad whistle and lyrics like, "America was young, but she was a-growin'..."

On the bottom of the heap, are the dumb jokes "Netty's Girl" and "Boomin' Granny,"(a take on LL Cool J's "I Need Love" aimed at the Sunday Night Bingo crowd...) both of which are amusing for maybe 30 seconds...

There's the usual assortment of remixes and alternate versions, some of these I think people will be interested in, since the versions of "Body Movin'" and "Three MC's and One DJ" are the alternate versions featured in their excellent music videos.   "Pass the Dub" is probably the coolest remix they have...The 70's dub style suits the song well, and manages to maintain my interest for its duration...

This compilation features the popular single "Alive" which previews the heady mix of serious social consciousness, goofy pop culture jokes and hip hop boasts that would provide the blueprint for the Beastie Boys next album "To the 5 Boroughs." But we'll get to that tomorrow...

This anthology is lots of fun and beats the pants off the later "Solid Gold Hits" retrospective...



So I'd say skip that and go straight for "The Sounds of Science,"  unless you're really only interested in their hits only, but c'mon...branch out a little bit...

So let's listen to "Benny & the Jets" by the Beastie Boys and Biz Markie...Enjoy...