Critic's Review
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Endlessly complex and relentlessly innovative, Paul's Boutique is The Beastie Boys' masterpiece. It's very dense, with samples from nearly every genre of music and clever, literate, absurd lyrics dropping references from Jack Kerouac to Dragnet; Paul's Boutique is a virtual catalog of pop culture, deeply rooted in the 1970s. As rappers, The Beasties have grown immeasurably, writing lyrics that are both smart-assed and smart. Musically, the album is much richer than Ill, covering everything from funk and pop to country and hip-hop, with several layers of samples and beats on each track. Paul's Boutique is a brilliant, visionary album, and hasn't aged a day since its release. [Paul's Boutique is also available in an import release.]
