Track Listing

1. Sure Shot
2. Tough Guy
3. B Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak
4. Bobo On The Corner
5. Root Down
6. Sabotage
7. Get It Together
8. Sabrosa
9. Update
10. Futterman's Rule
11. Alright Hear This
12. Eugene's Lament
13. Flute Loop
14. Do It
15. Ricky's Theme
16. Heart Attackman
17. Scoop
18. Shamballa
19. Bodhisattva Vow
20. Transition

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11671 in Music
• Released on: 1994-05-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
By 1994 the Beasties had settled into their cultural role as the grand arbiters of cool, and Ill Communication is pretty much a catalogueof 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. --Douglas Wolk

CD Description
First time around they were written off as more of Presley's snot-nosed ancestors, shamelessly appropriating breaking black musical styles. Then, after creating an undisputable hip-hop masterpiece (1989's PAUL'S BOUTIQUE), they were tossedaside because they'd seemingly lost their commercial value.But now, having successfully made their "new style" over and debut it at Number 1, the only thing the Beastie Boys can be dissed about is their media over-exposure.
The phattening pleasures of ILL COMMUNICATION's 20 tracks come when they visit the old school--whether with DJ Hurricane on the wheels of steel in "Sure Shot", or freestyling classic Beastie rhymes with Q-Tip on "Get It Together". Or when they turn that classroom on its ear by replacing the samples and machine-beats with live jams.
And it's not just their musical skills which have progressed over the years. On ILL COMMUNICATION, the lyrical jokesters who've previously added figures as diverse as Japanese baseball legend Sadahura Oh and prominent science dude Galileo Galilei to hip-hop's lyrical canon,finally allow their individualism to shine brightly throughthe usual veil of Beastie-speak. By casually expounding on an undercurrent of values ranging from Buddhism, to corporate slackdom, to (of all things) marriage, ILL COMMUNICATION goes further to define the parameters of a twentysomething community than any other commercially successful record in recent memory.

Customer Reviews

Licensed To Ill Communicate
When I first stumbled across this album, back when I was about 10, I took it back to the shops a week later. I had heard 'Sabotage' and thought I'd try it, but it sounded like a mess.

About two years later, after slowly purchasing other Beastie Boys releases and beginning to appreciate different syles of music as a whole, I picked it up again. I began to get it a little bit more with each listen, until it became arguably my favorite album of all time up to this present day.

I wrote a review in 2003, but thought I'd right another one as that particular one doesn't do this amazing record justice. So to the record...'Sure Shot' IS hip hop. You will not find a more straight up hip hop cut on any album by anyone, especially not in todays rap society. It's a perfect opener.

From then on you'll probably be surprised, but stick with this record. Distortion effects on the vocals can be heard throughout, something which may or may bot take awhile to get your around. But it makes Ill Communication ito a dirty sounding record, a pure old skool street sounding album, with throbbing, pumping basslines and some wonderfully enthusiatic rapping by the 3 MC's.

'Alright Hear This', 'B-Boy's Makin' Wit' The Freak Freak', 'The Scoop', 'Root Down' and 'Get It Together' is hip hop at a level no one has done before. It's rap, but it doesn't sound like the clear, slickly produced so called Hip Hop of today, or in some cases even back then. They're raw and jazzy, and simply performed to stunning effect

But Ill Communication crosses several musical boundaries. For instance, the Beasties as musicians shine in the chilled, funked-out instrumentals in the face of 'Sabrosa' or the wonderful album closer 'Transistions', while the hardcore punk rawness of 'Tough Guy' and the old skool thrash of 'Sabotage' add to this dense, sprawling masterpiece perfectly.

It may take awhile to get your head around, but when you do, Ill Communication is an album you can live inside. And you want to know the best thing? There are 5 other classic album by these talented men across 20 years, and this is juts one. And the other best thing? Ill Communication-wise I haven't even mentioned the various references, solo spots, instruments, collaborations (see Q-Tip on 'Get It Together') and straight up cool style seen on this record.

The Beasties have always done their own thing, and it's always had a marvellous result, and Ill Communication is a beautiful example of how effective they were, are and always will be. Own one of the best records of all time now.

so ill it hurts
From start to finish this is one of the greatest albums ever released and the Bestie's finest hour.

1994 was a great year for music and this was the best of the pile. It has perhaps the greatest start ever in "sureshot" and includes several moments of genius.

It covers so many styles its unture, from punk rock ("tough guy", "heart-attack man") to mellow musical interludes "transition"). Then of course there is also there trademark break-neck beats and hip-hop rhymes that make them unique as a group.

If this album isn't in your musical collection then you have got a large hole there. To think I have managed to review the album and not even needed to mention "sabotage", yup, thats how good it is.

Fantastic
A lot better than the overrated Licenced to Ill, Ill Communication is an epic hip hop masterpiece, with a nicely varied sound, including a couple of old-style thrashing guitars ones (eg. Heart attack man), mixed with a few chilled out instrumental numbers, and plenty of others. This is a must for any fans of the Beastie Boys, whether you like their Fight for your right style songs, or the more sample based Paul's Boutique stuff.