Licensed to Ill
| Licensed to Ill | ||||
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| Studio album by Beastie Boys | ||||
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Publication |
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Def Jam Recordings Columbia Records |
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Format (s) |
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Title (number) |
13 |
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running time |
44:33 |
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Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the US hip-hop band Beastie Boys . It was produced by Rick Rubin and released in November 1986.
The combination of hip-hop beats and catchy guitar riffs achieved platinum status straight away . The album is considered the most successful hip-hop album of the 80s and is still one of the milestones of the genre. It is the first pure hip-hop album to reach number 1 on the US Billboard charts . The album held this position for five weeks. To date, over ten million units have been sold in the USA alone. Five tracks were released as a single from the album , including the song (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!) , Which is one of the band's biggest hits.
Track list
- Rhymin & Stealin - 4:08
- The New Style - 4:35
- She's Crafty - 3:35
- Posse in Effect - 2:26
- Slow Ride - 2:56
- Girls - 2:14
- Fight for Your Right - 3:27
- No Sleep Till Brooklyn - 4:06 (featuring Kerry King )
- Paul Revere - 3:40 (written by Horovitz, Rubin and Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels from Run-DMC )
- Hold It Now, Hit It - 3:26
- Brass Monkey - 2:37
- Slow and Low - 3:38 (written by Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC)
- Time to Get Ill - 3:37
illustration
The front cover shows the fuselage of a Boeing 727 with a Beastie Boys logo and the lettering 3MTA3 ( Eat Me in mirror writing ) on the tail unit. Only on the back of the plate can you see the front part of the machine, which crashed into the ground.
The band photo in the booklet is from the photographer Ricky Powell.
reception
| source | rating |
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| Allmusic |
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| Pitchfork Media |
 
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| Music Express |
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The music magazine Rolling Stone has Licensed to Ill at number 219 in the list of the 500 best albums of all time , and in 2013 it was even ranked number 1 of the 100 best debut albums of all time. Pitchfork Media voted it # 41 on the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s. Licensed to Ill is one of the 1001 albums You Must Hear Before You Die .
“The ultra-harsh rhythm tracks are bursting with metal guitars, slowed down brutal drums and silly scratch breaks. Their voices sound hoarse, like after 24 hours of drinking. Their singles were awesome, but Licensed to Ill (in German about "empowered to go crazy") is a milestone. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine on Allmusic.com (accessed February 25, 2018)
- ↑ Review by Dominique Leone on Pitchfork.com (accessed February 25, 2018)
- ^ A b Review by Andrian Kreye, in: Musikexpress Sounds 12/1986, issue 371, p. 86.
- ↑ 500 Greatest Albums of All Time on rollingstone.com (accessed February 25, 2018)
- ↑ Licensed to Ill. In: The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone , March 22, 2013, accessed May 10, 2016 .
- ↑ Top 100 Albums of the 1980s on pitchfork.com (accessed February 25, 2018)