Beastie Boys Music is a compilation that arrives at the end of a period or self-reflection by the surviving Beastie Boys, an era kicked off by the 2018 publication of Beastie Boys Book, which was supported by a brief theatrical tour, which in turn was captured in Spike Jonze's 2020 film Beastie Boys Story. Beastie Boys Music arrived a few months after Beastie Boys Story, and it covers familiar territory, containing 13 of the 15 songs from 2005's Solid Gold Hits (everything you'd expect, from "[You Gotta] Fight for Your Right [To Party]" through "Sabotage" to "Intergalactic"), then adding five cuts to help round out the narrative. These additions and swaps make a big difference. Two cuts from To the 5 Boroughs, "An Open Letter to NYC" and "Triple Trouble," are dropped in favor of "Make Some Noise" and "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win," both from 2011's Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, then "Paul Revere," "Hold It Now, Hit It," "Shadrach," "Get It Together," and "Jimmy James" are all necessary ingredients added to the mix. The result is the best Beastie Boys greatest hits yet assembled: it has all the major items, presented in a lively fashion.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo