Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (CD)

The joke of Licensed to Ill's cover--that the Beasties could crash their jet into the side of a mountain and keep on tickin'--serves as a good metaphor for a career that even some of their 1986 admirers thought might be over after the one-time-only shock of this full-length debut. That thousands of funk-junkie wannabes have since failed at re-creating its groove, breaking-the-law vibe, and ear-splitting mix of rock and rap is an even better joke. And funniest of all is the record itself, which packs dexterous boasts, aural puns, and lots and lots of yelling into a disc that can still be listened to with as much pleasure as it gave in '86.

1 Rhymin & Stealin
2 The New Style
3 She's Crafty
4 Posse in Effect
5 Slow Ride
6 Girls
7 Fight for Your Right
8 No Sleep Till Brooklyn
9 Paul Revere
10 Hold It Now, Hit It
11 Brass Monkey
12 Slow and Low
13 Time to Get Ill