219 - Beastie Boys - License to Ill

I was 13 years old when License to Ill was released. I have always associated the album with teenager rebellion, crass immaturity, and slothy hedonism. To the album's credit, the sampling is superb. The riffs selected, the liberal scratching, the start/stop dynamics,...it really excels when placed next to other rap act of that era.

License to Ill is fun. There's no deep message, no statement for this generation, no commentary on contemporary society...or is there? The conflict between recreational enjoyment and critical satisfaction is strongest when paying attention to the subject matter and character sketches provided by the lyrics. How much of this is persona? How much is intended for humor and how much for pride? The Beasties aren't lone targets for this line of questioning; just ask Eminem. Wherever the album is placed on the spectrum of satire, there is no doubting the influence it had in American culture. The fact that the Beastie's brilliant Paul's Boutique suffered from the lack of critical respect of their debut is a knee-jerk reaction caused by License to Ill that has been, thankfully, reexamined since then.

Songs I Knew I Liked: "Rhymin' And Stealin'," "She's Crafty," "Girls," "Fight For Your Right," "No Sleep Til Brooklyn," "Paul Revere," "Hold It Now, Hit It," "Brass Monkey," and "Slow And Low"

Songs I Now Like: Renewed my interest in "New Style"

Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: None