Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Beastie Boys
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Capitol Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: Beastie Boys make some noise you will want to hear on new record Hot Sauce Committee Part Two!

Album Review:
Don't look here for a review that is going to blow tons of hype your way about the Beastie Boys making a come back and going back to their early roots on their eighth LP, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Do you wanna know why? Because I don't think the boys from New York ever went away and honestly if you didn't expect this type of quick whip-smart hip hop rock blend then maybe you should examine their catalog again. Sure, To The 5 Boroughs [2004] may have not been the freshest sounding thing they put out but it was far from off the mark. With that said, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two comes at you with the rhyme guns blazing and instead of trying to hide their age, the Beastie Boys embrace it. They make reference to Ted Danson and Kenny Rogers Roasters while throwing out "We gonna party for the motherfucking right to fight!" in the album's first single "Make Some Noise". The sound of the record falls into the "don't give a shit what you think" category, as Adam "MCA" Yauch, Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz seem to just be having a blast on each and every track. This laid back swagger is what makes the Beastie Boys great because their songs just smolder and although you may not initially hear tons of "singles" on Hot Sauce, I guarantee that these tracks stay in your head and pushing repeat play at its conclusion becomes a automated response. Both guest appearances here add value, as Nas gives more teeth to "Too Many Rappers" and Santigold reggae's up "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" that provides a nice mid album break. The Beastie Boys don't try too many new things here, as their standard old school form and delivery is what makes Hot Sauce Committee Part Two so strong. While listening to Hot Sauce you also need to be completely honest with yourself - you really wouldn't want it any other way!

Key Tracks: "Make Some Noise", "Too Many Rappers", "Lee Majors Come Again"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Grandmaster Flash
Beck
A Tribe Called Quest

Beastie Boys: Ill Communication [Deluxe Edition] [Fire Note Review 7/22/09]
Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique [20th Anniversary Edition] [Fire Note Review 2/12/09]

Beastie Boys Website
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Capitol Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony