Beastie Boys
The Mix Up

Review By Jeff Rabin
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Note: Amazon link below is CD version. LP version is reviewed below.

  Byran LavigneLast week I was feeling a little blue so popped into the big HMV on Yonge Street in Toronto for a little retail therapy. While the selection of vinyl at HMV (Toronto's largest record!) I thought I would try my luck. I came out with the Beastie Boys new LP of instrumentals, The Mix-UP. As 'Groove Holmes,' named after the great organist, from Check Your Head is one of my all time favorite pop instrumentals, I plunked down my $20 (only marginally more than it would have cost on CD) and took my treasure home.

On placing the marginally warped record on the table and lowering the needle, I found the LP to be more than aptly named. There is not a great song on it, the whole thing is a mix-up, and sonics are nothing to write home about. Indeed, the whole thing sounds like outtakes, bad-ones at that. Indeed, there is little original or fresh here. And those great Beastie lyrics (and the amazing delivery of them) is conspicuously absent. I'd like to say more, but just don't have that much to say. In writing this note, I did learn a little about Groove (known and verb) Holmes and look forward to hearing more. I recommend that fans of the Beastie Boys give this one a miss. If you need Beastie fix, go Check Your Head.

Enjoyment: Zero

Sound Quality: Zero