Hello Nasty

07/14/1998 3:00 AM, LAUNCH
Craig Rosen

One of the most amazing things about Hello Nasty, the Beastie Boys' fifth proper album and first in four years, is the mere fact it exists. In 1986, following the release of the trio's debut album, Licensed To Ill, many dismissed the Beasties as nothing more than producer Rick Rubin's obnoxious white rap puppets. 12 years later, the Beasties (who haven't been boys for years) have survived by melding hip-hop and alternative rock--two genres notorious for spawning one-hit wonders.

With Hello Nasty, the Beasties are bigger than ever in terms of record sales and sound. The whopping 22-track Nasty opens with a blast. "Super Disco Breakin'," "The Move" and especially "Remote Control" and "Intergalactic" pack the attitude and energy that first made us take notice. Although the numerous hip-hop tunes get a little tedious at some points, the usual and unusual Beastie curve balls keep things interesting. Those oddities range from the horn-laden retro shuffle "Song For The Man," the Santana-esque instrumental "Song For Junior," the introspective ballad "I Don't Know" (have they been listening to Grand Royal label mate Sean Lennon?), and dreamy "Picture This."

The real question posed by this latest effort is how long can the Beasties keep this up? Hello Beastie Grandpas, anyone?