59: Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique (1989)

This album comes across just as intriguing, just as clever and just as dense as it did back then. Back then, when sampling wasn’t something that artists quibbled and argued over. With the help of the Dust Brothers, the Boys gave us all a glimpse of what sampling could do for the genre (and music in general) right before the whole concept turned into a money-maker and (therefore) costly endeavor for bands to engage in. Even without all that important impact shit, Boutique is fun and classic, and I couldn’t ever live without it.

Beastie Boys “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” (mp3)