BEASTIE BOYS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: A lesser-cited early EP by the Beastie Boys, 'Root Down' was one of the group's first forays into riding and fusing elements of jazz-punk. All the tracks on the EP are variations on the track of the same name, which hailed from the earlier 1994 album, Ill Communication. While the EP begins on a predictably Beastie hip-hop note, things take a sharp turn for the varied with 'Heart Attack Man', on which their hardcore punk origins are heard loud and clear, before all manner of live trip-hoppy funk goodness ensues with 'Sabrosa', not to mention the even weirder mashup 'Flute Loop'. Wild, sorely undersung stuff from the Boys!

Review: Few have ever matched the rawness and visceral hip-hop energy of the Beastie Boys, have they? To catch them live is no doubt one of the most explosive musical experiences of the last 50 years. If you never have, fear not, because an album like this one takes you back in time to be there in the flesh, in this case at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan in September 1992. It was a performance broadcast live on radio and it comes now on nice heavyweight vinyl with plenty of lesser-known tunes in amongst some of the bigger moments. A real must for collectors and fans alike.