First Review: The Beastie Boys "To The Five Boroughs"

I bought this album on its release date with high hopes. And the Boys came through. From the addictive radio hit "Ch-Check It Out" to the finale, "We Got The," the Boys address a number of mature (as in political and life, not inappropriate) subjects. "Ch-Check It Out" starts off with a fun song to nod your head, jump around, or rap along to. Then "Right Right Now Now" comes on a more serious note, talking about discrimination and corruption in the government, and speaking about how the world can be changed for the better (man do these guys need to be called on!). After "Three the Hard Way" is another song about world conditions, called "It Takes Time To Build." Then "Rhyme The Rhyme Well" is a classic fun B-Boys song, and Triple Trouble. "All Lifestyles" and "We Got The" continue the Boys' serious message. The highlight of the album is "An Open Letter To NYC," which is a moving ballad, or at least as much of a ballad as the Beastie Boys could produce, showin their love for their hometown. This is clearly the best track on the new album. The Boys score on the mike again, albeit in a different way. It's nice to see that they have grown up from the youngsters who had to "fight for their right to party" into men who are concerned about the world situation, but still know how to have fun. Note: You may want to buy the edited version (which reads, "Clean Version: Nothing Silly") because the Boys sometimes let some slip...

Pros: The Beasties mature, reaching new levels, talking about politics and their concerns. Plus, some great songs like "Ch-Check It Out," "An Open Letter To NYC," and "Triple Trouble."
Cons: Not really as "fun" an album as previous records, sometimes the mature topics, while good that they address them, take away from the fun. Parental Advisory.

Rating: 8/10