Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science

Barnes & Noble

More than a decade after they first fought for their right to legitimacy, the Beastie Boys have finally received the treatment that befits the righteous rock-'n'-roll institution they've become: an anthology. By buffering classic cuts (from "Slow and Low" to "Intergalactic") with the spoofs and goofs that made them fun to grow up with, this two-disc greatest hits, misses, and disses album defines a life force that's made them bad like the Stones and as cuddly as the Beatles. Along with virtually every standard in the Beasties' catalog ("Shake Your Rump," "Fight for Your Right," "Skills to Pay the Bills," "So Whatcha Want," "Sabotage," Fatboy Slim's remix of "Body Movin' "), this set offers a new track ("Alive") and a bunch of rare stuff, like two country spoofs ("Country Mike's Theme" and "Railroad Blues"), the spacey anti-drug anthem "Live Wire," as well as some funk jams, lounge hams, and good 'ol hardcore slop. But the absolute, drop-dead classic is a version of "Benny and the Jets" (with Biz Markie on vocals), which predates Mary J. Blige's also-brilliant take on the Elton John pop classic and ranks among the most inspired covers ever recorded. Throw in the great new single, "Alive," which praises the beauty of free-living while taking aim at the health-care industry, and you've got a promise of righteous fighting for decades to come. Jon Dolan

All Music Guide

At the close of the '90s, the Beastie Boys had only released five albums, which may not seem like enough music to provide the foundation for a double-disc retrospective. But between 1981 and 1999, they released countless B-sides, non-LP singles, and EPs, resulting in a sprawling discography ripe for a compilation. So, in 1999, the Beasties released the two-disc compilation The Sounds of Science, which covers every incarnation of the band from Pollywog Stew to Hello Nasty. Inevitably, some well-known songs are missing -- only three cuts from Licensed to Ill are here, and their breakthrough single "Rock Hard" had to be pulled when AC/DC refused permission for a sample. Ultimately, that doesn't matter, since the set captures the spirit of the Beasties so well. Usually, compilations that don't follow chronological order are a little muddled, but The Sounds of Science benefits from its jumbled sequencing, since it emphasizes the band's astonishing musical reach and consistency. After all, every album since Paul's Boutique has followed a similarly unpredictable pattern, as the group moved from hip-hop to punk to funk to jazz. What's remarkable about The Sounds of Science is that it has all the obvious suspects, but since they're rubbing singles with album tracks and B-sides like "Skills to Pay the Bills," two outtakes from the abandoned country album, alternate versions of "Jimmy James" and "Three MC's and One DJ," Fatboy Slim's brilliant remix of "Body Movin'," goofs like the Biz Markie-sung cover of "Benny and the Jets," and the excellent new single "Alive," it all sounds fresh. There's much more than hits here, but The Sounds of Science achieves something most anthologies don't: it summarizes the attitude and spirit of the band, while offering some new revelations even for dedicated fans. Stephen Thomas Erlewine