The Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)

By request! (In this particular case, "by request" means that a reader actually sent me a CD. Thanks!)

Admittedly, this kind of music isn't my thing and I probably would think differently about this album if I'd heard it when it was released. But in 1986, I was listening to more jazz and classical as I pursued a music degree. Nevertheless, I recognize a few of the titles so I'm not completely unfamiliar with what's here. So here goes my first listen to the complete album.

...

It's a fun album with lots of manic energy. I imagine it would be a great album to spin while hanging out with friends and imbibing by the pool, but I doubt I'll listen to this one again. More of a humor album than a rap album, maybe? As I mentioned after listening to Paul's Boutique, I like the backing tracks but I don't care much for the Boys' voices. But the album has been certified diamond (10 million copies sold) so what do I know?

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "Beastie Boys' crash and burn abandon is right on the money"
• Billboard: "energetic, decidedly adolescent, and ultimately satisfying"
• Stereo Review: "Stupid beyond all reason"
• High Fidelity: "among the most entertaining LPs you'll ever hear"
• Rolling Stone: "one hard-rockin' cartoon"
• Spin: "arguably the first album by a white band that succeeds both as posterior-punting rock and blaster bombast"

In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Licensed To Ill at #192.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1
• Billboard R&B: #2
• CashBox: #1
• Rolling Stone: #1

Tracks: I was previously familiar with Fight For Your Right, Girls, and Brass Monkey and those cuts are bringing back late '80s memories of watching videos on MTV and going to college parties.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I was earning my public school teaching credentials back in 1987, I had to spend 30 hours observing students and school culture in an normal classroom setting. Typical stuff. While most of my fellow music majors tried to get placed in a secondary school music classroom for their 30 hours, your humble blogger - a noted contrarian - asked to spend time in a 2nd grade classroom. At some point while watching second graders that semester, I noticed one student hiding something in his jacket and showing it to his friends. Grade school contraband! He had his eyes glued to the teacher because he didn't want her to catch him, so while he was doing that, I sidled up next to him and whispered, "Whachoo got?"

He looked at me in terror, thinking he was busted. He slowly opened his jacket to show me his older brother's Licensed To Ill cassette. He was showing his friends the album art on the j card, in particular the 3MTA3 and the crushed blunt. I doubt he understood any of it but who the hell knows. In any case, he dropped his head and started handing me the cassette but I just told him to put that away for the rest of the day and don't bring it back. As of this writing, students in that 2nd grade classroom would now be 44-45 years old. 😒

Previously revisited for the blog:
Paul's Boutique (1989)