Beastie Boys - "Hello Nasty"

Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
1998, Capitol

1. Super Disco Freakin'
2. The Move
3. Remote Control
4. Song For the Man
5. Just a Test
6. Body Movin'
7. Intergalactic
8. Sneakin' Out the Hospital
9. Putting Shame in Your Game
10. Flowin' Prose
11. And Me
12. Three MC's and One DJ
13. The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Movin')
14. Song For Junior
15. I Don't Know
16. The Negotiation Limerick File
17. Electrify
18. Picture This
19. Unite
20. Dedication
21. Dr. Lee, PhD
22. Instant Death

Hello Nasty continues in the vein of the B-Boys previous albums - infectious rap songs bundled together with experimental alternative tracks. They've gotten a bit more electronic here, eschewing the more organic sounds of Ill Communication and Check Your Head. I don't have a problem with this. The raps are still just as catchy as they always are. I will say that after listening to all these Beastie albums I definitely prefer it when they just write awesome rap songs instead of wandering into artsy-fartsy territory. Also, this disc is about three tracks too long. "Dedication" is really kind of boring. "Dr. Lee, PhD" is a rambling track with some guy pontificating over it. It's about as captivating as watching paint dry. Also, the closing track "Instant Death" is a similar snooze fest. This is probably why I really like To the 5 Boroughs... even though it's not a fan favorite. There's no garnish on that one. I really enjoy Hello Nasty despite my complaints.

Useless Fact: In the video for "Intergalactic" the band pays homage to Japanese Kaiju movies. They pilot a big robot and fight an evil monster. I know... everyone's seen that video but I'm not exactly a Beastie Boys expert yet.