How The Beastie Boys Can Make You More Productive: A Review of The Mix-Up
I have been waiting and finally got the chance. The new Beastie Boys album is out in stores and it will definitely leave you with an impression and an opinion. Why? There are no words throughout the album. It is completely instrumental. There is no catchy “Brass Monkey” nor motivational “Fight For Your Right”. It is closer to something you would hear in the elevator than on the radio.
Polarize Me
Depending on your musical taste, you will either love or hate it. It is not an album that was put out for commercial value. It was an experiment by the boys from Brooklyn and I have to applaud them on this effort. They put their souls into something without even worrying about selling millions of albums (Then again, it helps that their previous albums are still chart-toppers two decades into their existence).
While one must commend their motivations and desires, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the album is as polarizing as George W. is president. Review after review, I find people criticizing the record. Then, you’ll find a dozen more praising the record. I personally find the record sonically smooth. The mix, sounds, instruments, and genre reflect the vibe from Ill Communication rather than their newer electronic hip-hop stuff. It is raw and it is powerful.
The Productive Suprise
Yes, there is a lack of lyrics, but I think it has done the album good. Most times, I can’t listen to music while I work because of the distraction of words. I attempt to put in some smooth jazz or classical, but it never lasts long. I get bored or have a headache. It sucks because the instrumental music does help drown out many distractions.
This is where the Beastie Boys have broken new ground in their album. I can pop this in and feel energized to work through the day. Whether it is the disco era Freaky Hijiki or the cool rock of The Cousin of Death, I will not quickly become bored of this album. The boys might not have purposefully put out an album to boost productivity, but they sure did provide me with one of the most useful resources so far this year.
 My Opinion?
In the end, if you are looking for a catchy radio-friendly album to drop into your cd player then you might want to look elsewhere. The album isn’t for everyone as everyone has different musical needs. But if you are wanting to experiment in your musical taste, then you might just have found the album. Either way, you need to go check out the song clips from Amazon and decide for yourself. You might find that the album is the resource you need to help you be more productive in your day to day life.
Popularity: 18% [?]
1 Comment »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Nice review. I bought the album the week it came out and have been enjoying it. Like you say, it’s not one I’ll pop in the CD player of my truck and rock out to on the way home from work, but it is nice to listen to while working or reading.
Can’t wait for their next one!