Beastie Boys

The Mix-Up - Capitol Records A decade ago, when the Beastie Boys released The In Sound from Way Out!, a collection of jazz/funk instrumental tracks

that were mostly outtakes from Check Your

Head and Ill Communication - I was smitten. I thought that it would be great if they did more albums like this. I learned to be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it. The Mix-Up is not a bad Beastie Boys record - they have yet to stumble - but this one is just not as interesting as the outtakes album. Made in the studio, this one aims for the feel of instrumental soundtracks from early 1970s Blaxploitation films like Shaft, Superfly or Dolemite, with lots of wah-wah peddle on the guitar and organ and bass grooves. It lacks the rawness of In Sound, and for an album like this to really work there should be a theme that songs come back to, as Curtis Mayfield did with the classic Superfly soundtrack or with the score that Isaac Hayes did for Shaft. To their credit the Beastie Boys do play all of the instruments, with DJ Money Mark on the keyboard parts. They almost get the feel right, but it seems that they ran out of steam

halfway through. Although The Mix-Up

shows how diverse the Beastie Boys are, it lacks their trademark enthusiasm.

Bob Jones is the founder of Silver Platter CDs EST1998 in Fort Myers. For more info or to suggest music, email recordreviews@comcast.net