Beastie Boys ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2’ (Album Review)
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Written by Rob Sleigh
“Here we go again/give you more nothing lesser” yells Adrock on the aptly-titled ‘Make Some Noise’, the opening track from the Beastie Boys’ long-awaited eighth album. How, indeed, could we expect anything less? 25 years on from their chart-destroying debut ‘Licensed to Ill’ and the New York trio are back with their latest effort ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2’. Over the past quarter-century, the boys have given us plenty of reasons to expect great things. On their previous six albums since ‘Licensed to Ill’, the Beastie Boys’ sound has matured, evolved and expanded to transform them into one of the most diverse and highly-regarded acts in the world, successfully redefining them at a more gradual and convincing pace. Long gone are the days of pop hits such as ‘Fight for Your Right to Party’, although an amusing nod towards their early classic is made here.
After their last album, 2007’s all-instrumental ‘The Mix Up’, the Beastie Boys have stepped back to the mic this time around - and rarely do they step away from it. Unlike earlier offerings such as ‘Hello Nasty’, ‘Ill Communication’ and ‘Check Your Head’, each of which incorporated elements of punk and funk to break up the monotony of the band’s trademark hip-hop sound, ‘Hot Sauce Committee’ largely sees the boys sticking with what they know best. The few exceptions include instrumental track ‘Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament’, which fuses a chilled-out hip-hop beat with some live funk-driven sounds, and ‘Lee Majors Come Again’. The latter witnesses the trio displaying their usual collaborative rapping over a hectic rock rhythm, not heard since the days of ‘Sabotage’.
However, despite the almighty return to their customary hip-hop style, ‘Hot Sauce Committee’ contains an altogether more live feel than its predecessor ‘To The Five Boroughs’. Throughout their newest effort, the Beastie Boys can be heard to trade-in their frequently sample-focused music for more of their refined live band sound.
Overall, ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2’ is a great album and a welcome return for fans of their earlier work. It comes across as a full-on, audio-intensive rap assault while, at the same time, managing to keep things interesting and modest enough to keep you entertained. There are a couple of outstanding collaborations on standout tracks ‘Too Many Rappers’, which features an appearance from Nas, and ‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’, a dub-tinged song with vocalist Santigold.
After 25 years, Beastie Boys are still one of the most hard-working and respected rap outfits going and this latest offering is further evidence that they are still as relevant now as they were at any point during their extensive career. Here’s to the next eight albums!
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
After their last album, 2007’s all-instrumental ‘The Mix Up’, the Beastie Boys have stepped back to the mic this time around - and rarely do they step away from it. Unlike earlier offerings such as ‘Hello Nasty’, ‘Ill Communication’ and ‘Check Your Head’, each of which incorporated elements of punk and funk to break up the monotony of the band’s trademark hip-hop sound, ‘Hot Sauce Committee’ largely sees the boys sticking with what they know best. The few exceptions include instrumental track ‘Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament’, which fuses a chilled-out hip-hop beat with some live funk-driven sounds, and ‘Lee Majors Come Again’. The latter witnesses the trio displaying their usual collaborative rapping over a hectic rock rhythm, not heard since the days of ‘Sabotage’. 
