Paul's Boutique

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Paul's Boutique
Paul's Boutique cover
Studio album by Beastie Boys
Released July 25, 1989
Recorded  ???
Genre Rap
Length 53:03
Label Capitol Records
Producer(s) Dust Brothers, Mario Caldato Jr.
Professional reviews
Beastie Boys chronology
Licensed to Ill
(1986)		 Paul's Boutique
(1989)		 Check Your Head
(1992)


Paul's Boutique is an album by American rap group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989 (see 1989 in music). The Beastie Boys' previous album, Licensed to Ill, had been enormously popular and received generally positive reviews among both mainstream and hip hop critics, although its simple, heavy beats and comedically juvenile lyrics caused it to be labeled as "frat rap". Paul's Boutique was initially considered a commercial failure by the executives at Capitol Records, as its sales did not match that of their previous record, and Capitol eventually pulled the plug on promotion of the album. Despite this, it gained a cult following in the years after its release and became known as their artistic breakthrough. Highly varied lyrically and sonically, the album secured the Beastie Boys' place as critical favorites in the then still-dormant field of popular hip hop.

Paul's Boutique was produced by the Dust Brothers, whose extensive, innovative use of sampling helped establish the practice of multi-layered sampling as an art in itself. The musical backing tracks were allegedly initially produced with the intention to be released under the production team's name, but the Beastie Boys convinced the duo to use their prospective debut album as the basis for Paul's Boutique.[citation needed] The sampling on the album was uncleared, which was only possible back before the landmark lawsuit against Biz Markie by Gilbert O'Sullivan, which changed the face of hip hop sampling. It has been said that Paul's Boutique would be considered a too cost-prohibitive and risky album to produce in today's music industry climate. [1]

Some B-sides of Paul's Boutique are "Some Dumb Cop Gave Me 2 Tickets Already," "And What You Give is What You Get," "Caught in the Middle of a 3-Way Mix," "Your Sister's Def," "33% God" and "Dis Yourself in '89 (Just Do It)." The latter two compositions are also bonus tracks on the Japanese version of the CD. [2]

Contents

[edit] Cover image

The cover folds out to show an (almost) 360° view as seen from the corner of Ludlow and Rivington streets. As can be seen by the keen eye in the cover and sleeve art, the address that is supposed to be 'Paul's Boutique' (but can clearly be identified as Lee's Sportswear by the top sign) is on 99 Rivington St., where Rivington intersects Ludlow in New York City's Lower East Side. Currently in this building is an eatery named 'Paul's Boutique' in honor of the album - the album was not named after an actual place as may be expected.

[edit] Accolades

In a late-1990s VIBE interview of all three Beastie Boys, with the group displayed on the cover, Chuck D of Public Enemy was quoted as saying that the "dirty secret" among the black hip-hop community at the time of release was that "Paul's Boutique had the best beats."

During the same VIBE interview, Mike D was asked about any possible hesitation he or the band might have had regarding their overt "sampling" of several minutes of well-known Beatles background tracks. He claimed that the Beatles filed preliminary legal papers, and that his response was "What's cooler than getting sued by the Beatles?"

[edit] Track listing

  1. "To All the Girls" – 1:29
  2. "Shake Your Rump" – 3:19
  3. "Johnny Ryall" – 3:00
  4. "Egg Man" – 2:57
  5. "High Plains Drifter" – 4:13
  6. "The Sounds of Science" – 3:11
  7. "3-Minute Rule" – 3:39
  8. "Hey Ladies" – 3:47
  9. "5-Piece Chicken Dinner" – 0:23
  10. "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" – 3:28
  11. "Car Thief" – 3:39
  12. "What Comes Around" – 3:07
  13. "Shadrach" – 4:07
  14. "Ask for Janice" – 0:11
  15. "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" – 12:33
    1. "59 Chrystie Street"
    2. "Get on the Mic"
    3. "Stop That Train"
    4. "Year and a Day"
    5. "Hello Brooklyn"
    6. "Dropping Names"
    7. "Lay It on Me"
    8. "Mike on the Mic"
    9. "A.W.O.L."

[edit] Personnel

  • Beastie Boys - Producer
  • Allen Abrahamson - Assistant Engineer
  • Mario Caldato, Jr. - Producer, Engineer
  • Mike Simpson - Ensemble
  • The Dust Brothers - Producer
  • Matt Dike - Ensemble
  • Ricky Powel - Photography
  • Jeremy Shatan - Photography
  • Nathaniel Hörnblower - Photography
  • Dominick Watkins - Photography

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Album

Year Chart Position
1989 The Billboard 200 14
1989 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 24

[edit] Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1989 Hey Ladies The Billboard Hot 100 36
1989 Hey Ladies Hot Rap Singles 10
1989 Hey Ladies Modern Rock Tracks 18

[edit] Partial List of Samples

The following lists some songs and sounds sampled for Paul's Boutique.

To All the Girls

Shake Your Rump

Johnny Ryall

Egg Man

High Plains Drifter

The Sounds of Science

3-Minute Rule

  • "Feel Good" by Fancy
  • "Brave and Strong", & "Poet" by Sly & the Family Stone

Hey Ladies

  • "Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet
  • "Party Time" by Kurtis Blow
  • "Holy Ghost" by the Bar-Kays
  • "Shake Your Pants" by Cameo
  • "Pumpin' it Up" by P-Funk All Stars
  • "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang
  • "Machine Gun" by The Commodores
  • "Jazzy Sensation" by Afrika Bambaataa
  • "Change Le Beat/B-Side" by Fab 5 Freddy
  • "Come Let Me Love You" by Jeanette "Lady" Day
  • "Dance Floor", & "So Ruff, So Tuff" by Zapp & Roger
  • "Ain't It Funky Now", & "Funky President" by James Brown
  • "Hey DJ" by Malcolm McLaren & the World Famous Supreme Team
  • "High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)

5-Piece Chicken Dinner

Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun

  • "Time" by Pink Floyd
  • "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
  • "Last Bongo in Belgium" by the Incredible Bongo Band
  • This track is the only track on the album to feature live instrumentation in the form of electric guitar played by Adam Horovitz, and bass played by Adam Yauch, as seen in the music video for this track.

Car Thief

What Comes Around

Shadrach

  • "Say What" by Trouble Funk
  • "That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
  • "Do Your Dance" by Rose Royce
  • "Never Let 'Em Say" by Ballin' Jack
  • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
  • "Hot and Nasty" by Black Oak Arkansas
  • "Sugarhill Groove" by the Sugarhill Gang
  • "Loose Booty" by Sly & the Family Stone

B-Boy Bouillabaisse

01. 59 Chrystie Street

02. Get on the Mic

03. Stop That Train

04. Year and a Day

05. Hello Brooklyn

06. Dropping Names

07. Lay It on Me

  • "Let the Music Take Your Mind" by Kool & the Gang

08. Mike on the Mic

  • "At the Fever" by Lovebug Starski

09. A.W.O.L.

  • "Good Times" by Chic
  • "Good to Go" by Trouble Funk
  • "Loran's Dance" by Idris Muhammad

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ White rappers
  2. ^ Info about the Japanese release on Amazon Japan

[edit] External links

Beastie Boys
Mike D - Adrock - MCA
Discography
Albums: Licensed to Ill - Paul's Boutique - Check Your Head - Ill Communication - Hello Nasty - To the 5 Boroughs
EPs and compilations: Pollywog Stew - Cooky Puss - Rock Hard - Some Old Bullshit - Aglio e Olio - The In Sound from Way Out! - The Sounds of Science - Solid Gold Hits
Singles: Brass Monkey - Fight for Your Right - Hey Ladies - Sabotage - Intergalactic - Ch-Check It Out - Triple Trouble - Right Right Now Now
Related articles
Old school rap - Capitol Records - Mix Master Mike - Money Mark - DJ Hurricane - Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! - Grand Royal
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