Beastie Boys

Anthology is like a mix tape for a friend to introduce them to your favourite band. Included are a couple of tracks from nearly all their full-lengths and EPs, going all the way back to their punk rock days (excluding only their first forays into hip-hop, the Cookie Puss EP.) Like any good mix tape, the Beasties have included their must-have mega hits like “Fight For Your Right,” “So What’cha Want,” “Intergalactic,” “Sabatoge,” and all the others that everyone knows by heart. Plus, there’s some great B-sides, album tracks, different mixes, and some hard-to-find and unreleased tracks (the old school “She’s On It,” the flexi-single only release “Benny And The Jets,” “Country Mike’s Theme,” and the new “Alive”). Of course there are songs missing that should have made the cut, but you can fight forever over that problem. And while it may seem sort of disorientating to find the songs mixed in no particular order and without dates for any of the tracks, a quick listen will attest to the wisdom of sequencing the two discs this way. The constant mix between old and new only proves that the Beastie Boys’ old tracks are just as good as those that have been released more recently. Plus, the packaging on this compilation is phenomenal, with photos of each of their singles, a track by track breakdown of what was going down at the time of each recording, and some nice photos from throughout their career. Anthology is an absolute must-have for hardcore Beastie fans or for those who just want to hear a little more of the Beastie Boys. Show some “Gratitude” and get the Anthology.