May 8, 1999

Beastie Boys : Remote control

As the musical equivalent of popping bubble wrap, it's a marvellously addictive and enjoyable experience.

A correspondent to our Angst page recently poured scorn on our 'No Sell Out' issue and by contrast, named the Beastie Boys as the saviours of modern music. Strange that D it's hard to see how anyone could think these men are going to save us from mutually assured destruction, but they aren't half good at making you feel slightly happier for a few minutes.

The joy here stems chiefly from a deeply satisfying elephantine
beat
stomping all over it that sounds like a four-year-old violently slamming a door repeatedly for a laugh. Then the Beasties rap a lot about things you would never wish to understand, and shout "remote control" several times in the chorus. No great science, philosophy, rhyme or reason for that, but as the musical equivalent of popping bubble wrap, it's a marvellously addictive
and
enjoyable experience.

Jim Wirth