Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique" LP - 1st edition w/4-panel gatefold (C1-92844)

$

60

Baron Elmo proudly presents a vinyl gem from old-school rap postmodernists BEASTIE BOYS: a first pressing limited-edition copy of their second album Paul's Boutique, issued in 1989 by Capitol. This copy comes in a stunning four-panel gatefold, each side with a different panoramic view of the funky side of New York City. Misunderstood and under-bought at the time of its release, Paul's Boutique has steadily risen in esteem through the years, and is considered by them as knows hip-hop to be their masterpiece. This album explodes with amazing ideas, deft beats and mind-bending rhymes, with Mike D, Ad Rock and MCA proving that they did indeed have the skills to pay the bills. You need this record, without a doubt... why not own a copy in this mega-rare limited edition, limited to a single pressing? Both the record and the jacket are in gorgeous, near-mint shape; in fact, the cover has been stored in a plastic sleeve from day one, to preserve its lustrous sheen.

We will combine multiple purchases, so the more you buy, the more you save on shipping. Thanks for the visit – please check out our eBay store to see the other amazing items we carry!

Track listing
To All the Girls
Shake Your Rump
Johnny Ryall
Egg Man
High Plains Drifter
The Sounds of Science
3-Minute Rule
Hey Ladies
5-Piece Chicken Dinner
Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
Car Thief
What Comes Around
Shadrach
Ask for Janice
B-Boy Bouillabaisse

When The Beastie Boys hit platinum with their debut album, they were instantly labeled the Elvises of rap, accused of being just another bunch of white musicians stealing from black music. But what was overlooked was that the Beasties actually had some interesting ideas to take hip hop to new levels. While in the years to come other white rappers like Vanilla Ice and Jesse Jaymes would prove they were the true cultural thieves, the Beasties defended themselves by recording a seminal rap album, Paul's Boutique. The record was, in fact, so legit that it eroded their commercial appeal in middle America. Paul's Boutique is a sample-fest--a post-modern epic of cut and splice studio wizardry. Taking snippets of music from sources as disparate as Curtis Mayfield, The Beatles, B.D.P., The Ramones and The Jaws soundtrack (as well as countless others), they built songs out of the debris of modern culture. Over these mind-blowing tracks, they wove tall tales, self-promotional proclamations and sheer nonsense into a singular vision of inspired lunacy. Besides Public Enemy, no one else was producing albums as complex as this. Paul's Boutique sounds two or three years ahead of its time, perhaps why the album was considered such a failure upon its release. Whatever the case, there really is no album that sounds quite like this one does; the Beasties returned to the top of the charts a few years later with Check Your Head, but they may never be able to top the originality and depth of their stunning sophomore effort.
~ All Music

One reason nobody knew what they'd do for an encore is that Licensed to Ill redefined rap as music: it was avant-garde rap and pop metal, foregrounding riffs and attitude any hedonist could love while eliminating wack solos and dumb-ass posturing. Jam-packed, frenetic, stark, the sequel isn't as user-friendly. But give it three plays and half a j's worth of concentration, and its high-speed volubility and riffs from nowhere will amaze and delight you. It's an absolutely unpretentious and unsententious affirmation of cultural diversity, of where they came from and where they went from there. They drop names from Cézanne to Jelly Roll Morton to Sadaharu Oh, sample the Funky Four Plus One (twice), Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Public Enemy, the Wailers, Eek-a-Mouse (I think), Jean Knight, and Ricky Skaggs (I think) just as tags - for music there are countless funk and metal (and other) artists I can't ID even when I recognize them. And they make clear that they're not about to burn out on their vaunted vices - not cheeba, not pussy, certainly not fame. The Beasties are still bad - they get laid, they do drugs, they break laws, they laze around. But they know the difference between bad and evil. Crack and cocaine and woman-beaters and stickup kids get theirs; one song goes out to a homeless rockabilly wino, another ends, "Racism is schism on the serious tip." Here's hoping other bad boys take these bad boys seriously. GRADE: A.
~ Robert Christgau