Beastie Boys Pick Up Instruments

After two years on the shelf due to Adam Yauch (aka MCA) having cancer, the Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2 is now out. As long as listening to it I’m sure that many fans of theirs have been diving into their back catalogue again. I’ve certainly been doing so, and been paying special attention to 1992’s Check Your Head. It’s the album where Ad-Rock picked up a guitar, MCA strapped on a bass, Mike D took a seat behind the drum kit and Money Mark came in to play keyboard. They play raw funk grooves and hardcore punk rock which somehow fits in well alongside the hip hop tunes. Though they might be blagging it somewhat, the instrumental songs really stand up well, like Pow which features the only drum solo on any record ever that I look forward to.