2LP – Black VinylBy 1994 the Beastie Boys had settled into their cultural role as the grand arbiters of cool, and ‘Ill Communication‘ is pretty much a catalog of coolness: live funk, a bit of hardcore, ingenious samples of obscure records, keyboards by analogue master Money Mark, guest shots by Q-Tip and Biz Markie, MCA‘s cop-show metal number ‘Sabotage‘, and the inevitable cascade of witty old-school rhymes. But it’s also a surprisingly mature record from a band that had, after all, been at it for 12 years already. The original jazz-funk instrumentals hold their own with the group’s favourite sample sources. their voices are modestly buried in the mix, and they’ve tempered their old snottiness with lyrical compassion: Check out ‘Bodhisattva Vow‘, a salute to buddhist spirituality. Tracklist: Side AA1 Sure ShotA2 Tough GuyA3 B-Boys Makin’ With The Freak FreakA4 Bobo On The CornerA5 Root Down Side BB1 SabotageB2 Get It TogetherB3 SabrosaB4 The UpdateB5 Futterman’s Rule Side CC1 Alright Hear ThisC2 Eugene’s LamentC3 Flute LoopC4 Do ItC5 Ricky’s Theme Side DD1 Heart Attack ManD2 The ScoopD3 ShambalaD4 Bodhisattva VowD5 Transitions