Grand Royale was shut down a few years back IIRC

Sega killed Grand Royale by association after the JSRF soundtrack.

Actually, I think it was the bidding war for At The Drive In that contributed to their demise. GR signed them for a million or so, only for the band to split a year later.

You know what I wonder, is how many people understand the title of the CD "To the 5 Boroughs." Obviously I know what it means, and I know that John knows what it means, but people outside of the NYC area probably dont.

Don't be so myopic, everyone in the US learns that New York consists of 5 boroughs in like 4th grade U.S. history!

I side with ヴェスタ野郎 -- I know what the five boroughs are, myself.

As for the album: I'm "marginally disappointed." I couldn't imagine that the single would be the best song on the album. Yet, in the end, it is. I've listened to the whole album about ten times now, and I'm not really *feeling* most of it. As far as music goes, I've never been the kind to have to let music "grow on" me. There's always something that either immediately grabs me or doesn't. In time, something that initially grabbed might occur to me as more than grabbing -- maybe as brilliant -- though something that doesn't grab real tight stands little or no chance of being brilliant in the future.

What displeases me most on this CD is the total lack of live instruments. Mix Master Mike is overworked, here. He handles it all more than really well, though hell -- the man needs a break. Or have the Beastie Boys' distaste for rap-rock, expressed in both "Alive" and BS2000's "The Scrappy," put them off of ever using a guitar again?

It doesn't break any ground. There aren't any six-minute bossa nova tracks. No instances of Miho Hatori, or even The Biz. It's just straight-up rhyming.

As such, though, it's still pretty damn good. I just wanted more.

AND OH!!

Check out those Japanese lyric translations!! There are . . . footnotes!! It's so interesting to read the things footnoted for Japanese readers. And how they mishear/misdictate them. "Fred Stanford: a character in the American television comedy-drama 'Stanford and Son.'" My ex-roommate had the American "Hello Nasty" and had loved it for four years without ever knowing what a word of the lyrics meant. Heh.

I really like this album. It's throwback hip-hop.. old skool stuff.

I like the Rhyme the Rhyme Well, Triple Trouble, and Hey Fuck You set the best. Right Right Now Now is certainly good, An Open Letter to NYC and Crawlspace are also very good. I really like it. But, sure, it isn't as experimental or have as much 'filler' like Hello Nasty.

And for the record the Beasties have said they're going to do at least one more album. And they will be picking up the instruments for it. Let's just hope it isn't another six year wait, haha.

~random guy

Love the album myself, although thanks to the CCCD portion, I haven't bought it yet - holding out to see if any region releases a CCCD-free release. And even a Brit like me knows what the 5 Boroughs are. We had Boroughs in England too, you know ;) Frrrressssssssssh!

I think this cd is awesome i bough tit for only $10.99 (canadian price) which is cheap.
neways enjoyed it thoroughly (man are they getting old)

How do you get around the copy control??? Can you tell me please???

To get around the copy protection, you just hold shift when you put in the cd.

Or, you can turn off auto-play in your cd-rom's options.

well, to me open letter to NYc is an excellent one.
I think it's also a really good LP.

cheers !
jh.