THE CD: Let it Beast
PERFORMER: The Beastles
WEBSITE: here

YOU’LL LIKE IT IF YOU LIKE: Jay-Zeezer, Mash-up Radio
SELECT TRACKS: “Ladies Do Love Me”; “Let it Beast”; “Building My Life”
SOUNDS LIKE: Either the Beatles or the Beastie Boys invented a time machine and met up at Abbey Road.

Every once in a while an album comes around that makes you say “I wish I would have thought of that,” and The Beastles “Let It Beast” is just one of those albums. Part Beastie Boys, part Beatles and all of Boston’s DJ BC, make this one of the best mash-up albums ever.

The first track, “Ladies Do Love Me” is an extremely tight mixed version of “Love Me Do” and the Beastie Boys “Hey Ladies” which works amazingly well together. As the Fab Four sing “so please…love me do,” the Beasties interject “Hey Ladies!” just in time to make these two tracks seem like they were each made with the other in mind. Throw in the fact that “Love Me Do” is sped up with a new beat added and you can kind of imagine where this thing is going. Doesn’t sound great to read, sure, but just check, check, check ch, check it out (OK, that was cheesy).

By far one of the most interesting tracks is “Belly Movin,” a song that seems if it is about to fall apart before the Beasties kick in some versus from their 1998 track “Body Movin.” I’m not for sure which Beatles track this is but I suspect it’s from sometime around the White Album from the sitar. The effect of these two songs together is interesting to say the least but somehow works.

The song that will definitely find its way to my IPod before this week ends though has got to be “Buildin My Life.” Whether you agree with the Beasties 2004 take on the state of the union track, “It Takes Time to Build,” or not, you have to think that John Lennon would crack a smile at hearing it over “In My Life” (Even though Paul wrote it, I think…anyways, I could be wrong). Either way it’s an interesting social commentary all the same and a good song to boot.

There isn’t too much else I can say about the Beastles Let it Beast besides its great. There are a few tracks like “Anna’s MCs” and “Electrified Kite” that won’t get much play but the rest is all good if remixes are your thing. If anyone is interested they can download this internet only release yourself here. Better yet have a look at the Beastie Boys official home page here, which offers acappella versions of some of their songs for people to use in their own remixes. It doesn’t get much better than that.

~ By Mark Totten

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