Most fans and critics would agree that few rap bands shaped the course of music in the ’90s as much as the pioneering hip-hoppers Beastie Boys. In the ’80s, the radical Beasties Boys trio comprising of Michael “Mike D” Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam “MCA” Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz (vocals, guitar) introduced rap to white high school kids when their 1986 debut studio album Licensed to Ill broke down the barriers between rap and rock. Licensed to Ill was a phenomenal chartbuster, defying critics and engrossing fans the world over. Not only was it the first Rap LP to top the Billboard album charts, but it was also a huge commercial success.

Then, on the critically acclaimed and equally successful  1989 follow-up studio album, Paul’s Boutique, the trio took sampling and rap song structure to brand new heights. Since then, the band fashioned a unique rap style that drew its inspiration from a multitude of musical genres – a distinctive sound that was comfortable borrowing riffs from just about any source, whether it be Cannonball Adderly, Zamfir, or even AC/DC.

On their greatest hits compilation The Sounds of Science, the Beastie Boys packaged most of their biggest hits along with a few new tracks, B – Sides and some previously unreleased rarities. Though it did well commercially, it created discord among fans and critics alike. By trying to appeal to both die-hard and casual fans, the group ended up satisfying neither party. Casual fans didn’t give a flip about hearing the insipid “Country Mike” material, while die-hard fans really didn’t want to hear “Fight for Your Right” again. It’s also a safe bet that only a small portion of the band’s followers actually enjoyed their excursions into hardcore punk. The band would have been better off releasing The Sounds of Science as two separate CDs – one with the rarities and new tracks and one with their greatest hits.

As a collection of their best hits, the only noticeably absent tune was “No Sleep ’til Brooklyn“. Perhaps the band was still bothered by the drug references in that song. As a collection of rarities, it’s a shame that neither “Rock Hard” or “Spam” were included on The Sounds of Science. These songs had popped up on bootlegs for a while, and we are sure many fans would love to have clean recordings of these songs. Instead, they got a cover of Benny & the Jets that features a vocal by Biz Markie. It’s funny the first time, annoying after that. Apparently, “Rock Hard” failed to find a place due to AC/DC’s reluctance to give permission for the “Back in Black” sampling. It’s said Mike D even spoke to AC/DC’s Malcolm Young to sort this out but with no success.

From the start, the Beastie Boys knew they could never make a definitive “Greatest Hits” album. This is mainly due to the fact that their fans held widely varied opinions about which songs were/are actually the group’s best. Some claim that Licensed to Ill is the band’s best record, in fact, Rolling Stone magazine still considers it as the “Best Debut Album of all time”, others argue that it’s their worst. Knowing this, the band decided to let their fans even make their own custom CDs too via mail order.

Nonetheless, whatever your reason, this Beastie Boys anthology (in spite of all its inconsistencies) is a must for any fan of 90s hip hop genre that this uncustomary rap-rock band truly redefined. It’s worth knowing that The Beastie Boys is perhaps the only rap band that has sold more than 26 million records in the United States and over 50 million records worldwide, making them the biggest-selling rap group of all time. Now that’s something.

Disc One
1. “Beastie Boys” Polly Wog Stew 0:56
2. “Slow and Low” Licensed to Ill 3:38
3. “Shake Your Rump” Paul’s Boutique 3:19
4. “Gratitude” Check Your Head 2:45
5. “Skills to Pay the Bills” “So What’cha Want” single 3:13
6. “Root Down” Ill Communication 3:32
7. “Believe Me” Aglio e Olio 1:19
8. “Sure Shot” Ill Communication 3:20
9. “Body Movin'” (Fatboy Slim Remix) “Body Movin'” single 5:31
10. “Boomin’ Granny” Jimmy James single 2:18
11. “Fight for Your Right” Licensed to Ill 3:27
12. “Country Mike’s Theme” Country Mike’s Greatest Hits 0:35
13. “Pass the Mic” Check Your Head 4:17
14. “Something’s Got to Give” Check Your Head 3:28
15. “Bodhisattva Vow” Ill Communication 3:12
16. “Sabrosa” Ill Communication 3:31
17. “Song for the Man” Hello Nasty 3:11
18. “Soba Violence” Aglio e Olio (Japanese) 1:14
19. “Alive” Previously unreleased 3:48
20. “Jimmy James” (Original Version) Jimmy James single 3:05
21. “Three MC’s and One DJ” (Live Video Version) Remote Control / 3 MCs & 1 DJ single 2:18

Disc Two
1. “The Biz vs. the Nuge” Check Your Head 0:33
2. “Sabotage” Ill Communication 2:59
3. “Shadrach” Paul’s Boutique 4:10
4. “Brass Monkey” Licensed to Ill 2:37
5. “Time for Livin'” Check Your Head 1:48
6. “Dub the Mic” “Pass the Mic” single 3:01
7. “Benny and the Jets” Previously unreleased 4:06
8. “The Negotiation Limerick File” Hello Nasty 2:52
9. “I Want Some” Aglio e Olio 2:00
10. “She’s on It” Krush Groove soundtrack 4:18
11. “Son of Neck Bone” “Sure Shot” single 3:19
12. “Get It Together” Ill Communication 4:06
13. “Twenty Questions” Previously unreleased 2:28
14. “Remote Control” Hello Nasty 2:59
15. “Railroad Blues” “Country Mike’s Greatest Hits” 2:38
16. “Live Wire” Previously unreleased 3:06
17. “So What’cha Want” Check Your Head 3:37
18. “Netty’s Girl” “Pass the Mic” single 3:00
19. “Egg Raid on Mojo” Polly Wog Stew 1:27
20. “Hey Ladies” Paul’s Boutique 3:47
21. “Intergalactic” Hello Nasty 3:30
22. “Big Shot (Live)” (Japan bonus track) “Alive” single 3:03