On October 4, 2019, a series of limited edition colored vinyl will be released to mark the anniversaries of Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique (30th anniversary), Ill Communication (25th anniversary), including the Root Down EP, and To The 5 Boroughs (15th anniversary). All versions are pressed on 180gram vinyl .
Paul’s Boutique 30th Anniversary (2LP Violet Colored Vinyl):
To mark the 30th anniversary of Beastie Boys’ 1989 landmark second album, Paul’s Boutique will be released as a 2LP set pressed on standard black vinyl as well as limited edition violet colored vinyl.
Recorded in Los Angeles with a sample-based Dust Brothers production, Paul’s Boutique marked a giant creative leap forward for Adrock, Mike D and MCA. Ranking high on critic’s lists including Pitchfork’s “Top 100 Albums of the 1980s,” Time Magazine’s “100 Greatest Albums of All TIME” and Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” Paul’s Boutique went on to sell over 2 million albums.
Ill Communication 25th Anniversary (2LP Silver Metallic Colored Vinyl) + Root Down EP (Orange, Red, Blue, Green Colored Vinyl):
Beastie Boys’ multi-platinum selling album Ill Communication will be released as a limited edition, 2LP set pressed on silver-metallic colored vinyl. There will also be multiple limited edition vinyl pressings of Root Down EP, available as orange, red, blue and green, that will be randomly distributed and sold separately.
Released in 1994, Beastie Boys’ fourth studio album Ill Communication debuted at No. 1 and was an unstoppable force, pervading every aspect of pop culture.
Its charge to the top of the charts was led by “Sabotage” and its legendary Spike Jonze/Nathanial Hornblower ’70s TV police drama tribute, as Rolling Stone dubbed Ill Communication 1994’s “soundtrack for summer.” Crowds and critics alike were floored by highlights “Sure Shot,” “Root Down” and “Get It Together,” as Vibe—in the magazine’s first cover story on a white artist–hailed Beastie Boys as “perhaps the most consistently innovative musicians to emerge out of hip hop.” It was a claim that Ill Communication has justified for years to come, and 25 years later Ill Communication’s impact has resonated with generation after generation.
Shortly after, Beastie Boy’s released the Root Down EP featuring the original album version of “Root Down” off Ill Communication, plus several remix versions. Also included are seven live tracks from their 1995 European winter tour.
To The 5 Boroughs 15th Anniversary (2LP Blue Colored Vinyl):
Beastie Boys’ self-produced dedication to their home state of New York, To The 5 Boroughs, celebrates its 15th anniversary with a 2LP, limited edition blue vinyl pressing.
Released in 2004, the platinum selling To The 5 Boroughs hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Top Rap Albums, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Current Albums, Rap Album Sales and Top Album Sales charts. The album features a steady mix of deep pop culture references in tracks such as “Shazam!” and “Ch-Check It Out,” as well as more serious social and political issues with “Right Right Now Now,” “It Takes Time To Build” and “An Open Letter To NYC.” Rolling Stone stated “To The 5 Boroughs is an exciting, astonishing balancing act: fast, funny and sobering,” while Pitchfork proclaimed, “the album’s easy air speaks to veteran, nothing-to-lose attitude of both the city and the group.”
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