Beastie Boys

Originally released through the Beastie Boys' French fan club, The In Sound From Way Out! is a collection of the group's funky instrumentals from Check Your Head and Ill Communication, with a couple of new tracks thrown in. The Beasties have a flair for loose, gritty funk and soul-jazz, and the stuttering, greasy keyboards of Money Mark give the music an extra edge -- he helps make the music sound as authentic as anything from the early '70s. Fans of the band's dynamic wordplay might find The In Sound From Way Out! a disappointment, but anyone who grooved on the wildly eclectic fusions of Check Your Head and Ill Communication will find the album endlessly enjoyable. [The Japanese release includes two remixes each of "Get Together" and "Sure Shot."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide