Ill Communication

Ill Communication
Studio album by Beastie Boys
Released May 31, 1994 (1994-05-31)
Recorded 1993–1994
Studio G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, California
Genre
Length 59:37
Label
Producer
Beastie Boys chronology
Check Your Head
(1992)Check Your Head1992		 Ill Communication
(1994)		 Hello Nasty
(1998)Hello Nasty1998
Singles from Ill Communication
  1. "Sabotage"
    Released: January 28, 1994
  2. "Get It Together"
    Released: March 17, 1994
  3. "Sure Shot"
    Released: May 31, 1994
  4. "Root Down"
    Released: 1995

Ill Communication is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on May 31, 1994 by Grand Royal Records. Co-produced by Beastie Boys and Mario C., the album is among the band's most varied releases, drawing from hip hop, punk rock, jazz and funk. As with their prior release Check Your Head, this album continues the band's trend away from sampling and towards live instruments. It features musical contributions from Money Mark, Eric Bobo and Amery "AWOL" Smith and vocal contributions from Q-Tip and Biz Markie. The Beastie Boys were influenced by Miles Davis' jazz rock albums Agharta and On the Corner while recording Ill Communication.[1]

Ill Communication became the band's second number-one album on the US Billboard 200 albums chart and their second triple platinum album. The album was supported by the single "Sabotage", which was accompanied by a music video directed by Spike Jonze that parodied 1970s cop shows.

Singles

The album's first single "Sabotage" was released on January 28, 1994.[2] The album's second single "Get It Together" was released on March 17, 1994.[3] The album's third single "Sure Shot" was released on May 31, 1994 [4] and features a sample from jazz flautist Jeremy Steig's "Howlin' For Judy", thereby providing the main instrumental part of the song.[5] The album's fourth single "Root Down" was released in 1995.[6] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[7]

Artwork

Beastie Boys Michael Diamond and Adam Yauch collaborated with Gibran Evans, son of the artist and designer Jim Evans of T.A.Z., to create the album packaging. The cover photo they chose was taken by photographer Bruce Davidson in 1964 at a Los Angeles drive-in diner called Tiny Naylor’s.[8] Davidson had been on assignment for Esquire, though the magazine ultimately didn't publish the photos.[9] Although Davidson hadn't heard the Beastie Boys and didn't understand their music – he recalled thinking it sounded like a "secret language" when they sent him a demo tape – he agreed they could use his photo.[10]

Jim Evans also designed the hand-drawn typeface specifically for Ill Communication,[11] and it was used throughout the promotion of the album. The album booklet features the artwork "Gaia" by Alex Grey.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
The A.V. ClubA−[13]
Entertainment WeeklyB[14]
Los Angeles Times[15]
NME8/10[16]
Pitchfork8.6/10[17]
Q[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
Select4/5[20]
The Village VoiceA−[21]

Upon its release, the album received universal acclaim. Rolling Stone included Ill Communication in their "Essential Recordings of the 90's".[22] Spin ranked it number 19 in Spin's list of the "20 Best Albums Of '94".[23] Q included it in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s".[24] The Village Voice ranked it number 15 in the Village Voice's 1994 Jazz & Pop Critics Poll.[25] Mojo ranked it number 54 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics".[26] NME ranked it number three in their list of the "Top 50 Albums Of 1994"[27] and it placed 13th in The Wire's annual critics' poll.[28] Guitar World included Ill Communication in the "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[29]

Track listing

All tracks written by Beastie Boys except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sure Shot"Beastie Boys, Caldato, DJ Hurricane3:19
2."Tough Guy"AWOL, Beastie Boys0:57
3."B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak" 3:36
4."Bobo on the Corner"Beastie Boys, Bobo, Money Mark1:13
5."Root Down" 3:32
6."Sabotage" 2:58
7."Get It Together" (featuring Q-Tip) 4:05
8."Sabrosa"Beastie Boys, Bobo, Money Mark3:29
9."The Update"Beastie Boys, Caldato, Money Mark3:15
10."Futterman's Rule"Beastie Boys, Money Mark3:42
11."Alright Hear This" 3:06
12."Eugene's Lament"Beastie Boys, Bobo, Gore, Money Mark2:12
13."Flute Loop"Beastie Boys, Caldato, Klemmer1:54
14."Do It" (featuring Biz Markie) 3:16
15."Ricky's Theme"Beastie Boys, Bobo, Money Mark3:43
16."Heart Attack Man"AWOL, Beastie Boys2:14
17."The Scoop"Beastie Boys, Caldato3:36
18."Shambala"Beastie Boys, Bobo, Money Mark3:40
19."Bodhisattva Vow"Beastie Boys, Caldato3:08
20."Transitions"Beastie Boys, Money Mark2:31
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
21."Dope Little Song"1:51
22."Resolution Time"2:49
23."Mullet Head"2:52
24."The Vibes"3:06
2009 Remastered Edition Bonus Disc
No.TitleLength
1."Root Down" (Free Zone Mix)3:49
2."Resolution Time"2:49
3."Get It Together" (Buck-Wild Remix)4:18
4."Dope Little Song"1:50
5."Sure Shot" (European B-Boy Mix)2:59
6."Heart Attack Man" (Unplugged)2:22
7."The Vibes"3:07
8."Atwater Basketball Association File No. 172-C"1:27
9."Heart Attack Man" (Live)2:10
10."The Maestro" (Live)3:16
11."Mullet Head"2:53
12."Sure Shot" (European B-Boy Instrumental)2:58

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[30] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] 2

See also

References

  1. ↑ Reynolds 2011, p. 182.
  2. ↑ "Sabotage by Beastie Boys | Song Stories". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The Best Beastie Boys Songs of All Time Pictures - 10. 'Get It Together'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  4. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The Best Beastie Boys Songs of All Time Pictures - 8. 'Sure Shot'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  5. ↑ "Beastie Boys: Sure Shot (1994)". Discogs.
  6. ↑ "Root Down [Explicit]: The Beastie Boys: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2005-11-08. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  7. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  8. ↑ "Change in the air: Rare images of 1964 Los Angeles". CNN.com. 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  9. ↑ "Bruce Davidson: Los Angeles 1964". Steidl Books. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  10. ↑ "'Ill Communication' at 20: An Everything Guide to the Beastie Boys Masterpiece". Grantland.com. 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  11. ↑ "Hand lettering for Ill Communication". Instagram.com. Retrieved 2017-03-28. @jimevanstaz: Yeah, it was a special hand-drawn alphabet just for this album – it is used throughout the booklet.
  12. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ill Communication – Beastie Boys". AllMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  13. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (July 14, 2009). "Beastie Boys". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  14. ↑ Browne, David (June 3, 1994). "Ill Communication". Entertainment Weekly (225). Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  15. ↑ Gold, Jonathan (May 29, 1994). "Boys' One-Note Bray Is Still Fun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Beastie Boys: Ill Communication". NME: 35. May 29, 1994.
  17. ↑ Patrin, Nate (July 14, 2009). "Beastie Boys: Ill Communication". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Beastie Boys: Ill Communication". Q (276): 134. July 2009.
  19. ↑ Diehl, Matt (June 2, 1994). "Ill Communication". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  20. ↑ Grundy, Gareth (July 1994). "Beastie Boys: Ill Communication". Select (49): 82.
  21. ↑ Christgau, Robert (July 26, 1994). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Essential Recordings of the 90's". Rolling Stone: 54. 13 May 1999.
  23. ↑ "20 Best Albums of '94". Spin: 78. December 1994.
  24. ↑ "90 Best Albums of the 1990s". Q: 82. December 1999.
  25. ↑ "1994 Jazz & Pop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. 28 February 1995.
  26. ↑ "100 Modern Classics". Mojo (150): 60. May 2006.
  27. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 1994". NME: 22. 24 December 1994.
  28. ↑ "Critics Choice: Record of the Year". The Wire. No. 131. London. January 1995. p. 29 – via Exact Editions.
  29. ↑ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Beastie Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  31. ↑ "Beastie Boys Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.

Works cited

  • Reynolds, Simon (2011). Bring the Noise: 20 Years of Writing About Hip Rock and Hip Hop. Soft Skull Press. ISBN 1-59376-460-X.
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