It’s been twenty years since the release of the Beastie Boys’ landmark second album, Paul's Boutique (if that’s really possible), and to mark the occasion a new 20th anniversary edition recently hit the shelves featuring a bunch of non-musical extras (poster, audio and video commentaries, music videos, t-shirt, depending on the edition) The album was essential in helping solidify the Beasties’ reputation, proving their ability to follow up the classic License to Ill minus Rick Rubin when they appeared ready to fizzle out quick. Despite what at first seemed to be dismal sales, the album showed off the Beastie Boy’ musical skills with a much more diverse sound, and eventually it helped elevate them to the level of hip hop royalty. The fifteen tracks were recorded mainly in Los Angeles with producers the Dust Brothers (in fact, many of the beats were originally intended for a solo project) and include some absolute Beastie classics, such as “Shake Your Rump,” “Hey Ladies,” and “Shadrach.”
What is really impressive about the album is its sonic range and experimental nature, which helped push the envelope for all of hip hop. The samples on the album were more numerous, varied, and spliced-up (from Hendrix, Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd to Afrika Bambaataa, Johnny Cash, and Chic), and the quirky, intelligent lyrics that made the trio famous had matured from their first album with much more range and content. Even the look and feel of the album was momentous, with the famous 360-degree panoramic photograph (which the liner notes reveal MCA thought of doing after seeing a version done of the Himalayan Mountains) taken for the cover art featuring New York’s Ludlow and Rivington Street intersection and the fictional Paul’s Boutique.
The music still holds up and seems as smart as ever, and now that the Boys have exchanged the drugs for snowboards and a more peaceful existence, their stories about making the album have an ironic sensibility. The reissue is a work of art, and listening to the remastered full-length album years later, it’s easy to understand why the work is on so many “best album” lists and considered by many to be their crowning achievement.
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