Ill Communication [PA] by Beastie Boys (CD, May-1994, Capitol/EMI Records)

While most Beastie Boys albums can be classified as having one dominant sound, that's harder to do with Ill Communication. In 1994, they released their most eclectic album yet, one that contains some of their mellowest tracks as well as some of their heaviest. Punk, hard rock, funk, and tons of other stuff round out Ill Communication, though it's the classic Beastie Boys style of rap that comes off as strongest.

Sure Shot kicks it off with its familiar whistle and chorus of "Cause you can't, you won't, and you don't stop." The Beasties deliver tight rhymes throughout, keeping the verses chock full of humor, social conscience, and simile: "I got more action than my man John Woo/ And I got mad hits like I was Rod Carew." The very funky and upbeat Root Down has been one of my favorite Beasties tracks for a while with its tight rhymes and vinyl sound. Plenty of other diverse B-Boys rap is scattered throughout the album on the likes of Get It Together, Do It, and Alright Hear This. Their blending of old school styles with new styles (though not necessarily what's popular) is what makes their music stand out, even if it is sometimes hard to get into.

Check Your Head featured one of the Beastie's punk-style songs; Ill Communication has two. Tough Guy lashes out a basketball player who can't keep his elbows to himself while Heart Attack Man describes a dangerously obese person. Both tracks are fast, loud, and somewhat humorous. They're fun to listen to (even if they do disrupt the flow a bit), but it's still clear that the Beasties chose the right genre to focus on.

It is rock however that really helped this album. I'm talking about Sabotage, an explosive mix of rock and rap. It rocks harder than any other B-Boys tune, even those from their first album. A fantastic video parodying old cop dramas propelled Sabotage to elite status in terms of Beastie Boys singles.

Ill Communication contains a lot of instrumentals, all of which are very good. Some are fairly upbeat while most are mellow in a funky kind of way. Futterman's Rule and Bobo On the Corner are two of the more upbeat ones, while Sabrosa could make some nice porn music. Even though the instrumentals are good, they dominate two thirds of the tracks, giving the album too mellow a mood after the first seven. There are some decent rap tracks, but they almost get lost in the softness. The Beastie Boys could make a whole album of groovy, jazzy instrumentals (which they have as a compilation of album tracks), but after hearing Sabotage and Root Down, it's not what I want for so much of the album.

Ill Communication is a very good at showcasing the Beastie Boys' skills in many areas of music. However, the overabundance of instrumentals takes too much focus off the later rap tracks, making it hard to get into. If you play this in your car, you'll find yourself hitting skip quite a few times. But if you're in a "whatever" mood, Ill Communication works just fine as an eclectic album to throw in and kick back to.