"Ah yes indeed, its fun time" from Sure Shot.

Who would have thought that three Jewish boys from the Bronx, Adam Horowitz, Mike Diamond, and Adam Yauch could have turned out decades of mad hits and escaped their frat party women objectivizing beginnings to be enlightened social conscious but still oh so cool rappers. They have done it though being ground-breakers for the hip hop movement along the way.

This collection is far from a greatest hits collection. And therein lays its strength and weakness. You get to hear a variety of Beastie Boys sounds and in doing so get closer to the complete picture of what the band is all about, but if you don't care for their speed metal punk early days you might find yourself always skipping to the next track. It's hard to listen all the way through from track to track because of the b-sides and rarities. But some of those b-sides stand out as the best tracks on the CD. You can't get them anywhere else. The cool bossanova groove of "Twenty Questions" featuring Miho from Cibo Matto with lead vocals is just one of the best examples of this.

Another great feature of this CD is the liner notes that have some background gems on each song. It says something for the band that they were willing to take the time to put those interesting tidbits of musical inspiration, inane trivialities, thoughts, philosophies, and feelings instead of just pooping out another CD that sells with everyone's faves. In the liner notes, Adam Horovitz points out their dichotomy from putting out their breakthrough first album "License to Ill" with "Fight for Your Right" and "She's On It" to the socially conscious songs of "Song for The Man" and "Alive." I think Horovitz addresses the rift in ideology well when he says, "...in this $%!$'ed up world all you can hope for is change, and I'd rather be a hypocrite to you than a zombie forever."

The change sounds pretty good here, but if you buy it don't expect a Greatest Hits. But all those songs in between the few that might annoy you are some of the most innovative, creative, and fun hip hop that's been around for a long time. You may think that Biz Markie's singing in Elton John's cover "Benny and the Jets" is pretty horrendous and wince at "Boomin' granny" but you no doubt will be groovin' to the new age jazz of "Something's Gotta Give" and rockin' out to "So What'cha Want."

"I use the microphone like Picasso used clay / down with freckles from around the way / Peace to Bambata and Jazzy Jay / I rock the mic from here to Bombay" Rock on wee little Beasties.

who bought this CD set for my teenage daughter. She is, however, unable to get it away from me as I absolutely love these CD's. Here I am putting my suit and make-up on for work every morning - dancing and singing along to (especially, but not limited to) Shadrach and Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys! Who would think? This is one of the most enjoyable, upbeat music ensembles that I have heard in a long time. They appeal to more than just the teenage crowd! Beastie Boys - you are immensely talented and your moms should be proud!

The Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds Of Science is the latest and greatest cd for the band. The sounds, styles and quirky lyrics make for a wonderful trip down memory lane. It took me back to days of youth and reminded me of things long forgotten. As someone who hasn't owned a Beastie Boys cd in over ten years it was a thrill to hear this 142 minute collection. I recalled things like The Together Forever tour they did with RUN DMC, the movie Krush Grove, my very first apartment and even my high school graduation night. The recordings are so clear and the older songs sound better than ever. I am very impressed how well designed and produced this cd is. However, one song missing is "Paul Revere". It should have been included, if only to hear it with the tremendous sound quality this cd provides. Another bad thing with this is that the cd box is white, which makes it extremely hard to keep clean. Still if that's all I can find to complain about, you know this is a must have cd for any one who has ever liked just one Beastie Boy song. A helpful hint if you are buying this cd for someone as a gift - don't wait to give it to them. Give it right away so they can listen to this music while wrapping presents this holiday season. This cd provides you with a special satisfaction that MTV and radio stations cannot. Also included is also an 80 page booklet that provides several lines of background on the songs and how they came about. This cd could possibly be one of the largest selling "Greatest Hits" cd's of all time and I am thrilled to be an owner. JC in Atlanta.

These 2 CD's are exactly what it says on the sticker on the cover. The Beastie Boy's HITS, MISSES, and RARITIES, and that's exactly what these two cd's are! How could people be so idiotic and think it's only their greatest hits. Personally, I don't think Son of Neckbone or Country Mike's Theme are close to hits. First of all, everyone has their favorite b-boy songs. It would be impossible to get everybody's favorite songs on it. That's why everyone has the chance to make their own greatest hits cd at beastieboys.com. Second, this is more of a sample of their career. It has instrumentals, hardcore songs, rap songs, rock songs, etc. along with their 3 newest recordings. Actually, these songs were picked by the boys themselves. They are the most interesting of their songs with stories behind them as mentioned in the 80 page booklet. Some Licensed to Ill songs aren't on it because they are different people now and they see some of them as offensive. It probably killed them to put Fight for Your Right and Brass Monkey on it the way it is. Third, Biz vs. the Nuge and Beastie Boys were thrown on the albums as introductions to each cd! They are not their greatest hits.

Warning---This is not a greatest hits cd, it's a compilation of their wonderful career. (It still rocks!)

Remember MTV's Party to Go series? This is like a KFC Bucket of Party with some Party Biscuits and four large Parties to go with it. This is IT, this is the BODY ROCK of 'em all - the Beastie Boy Anthology. And yes, it is that finger lickin' good.

Notable - Rare "Skills To Pay the Bills," the Fatboy Slim mix of "Body Movin'", hilarious "Boomin' Granny", "Country Mike's Theme" and "Railroad Blues," new track "Alive," and the excellent "3 MC's and One DJ (live)".

Track order is excellent - put these side by side in your changer and you have two hours of party with no interruption. The booklet is filled with Beastie trivia, photos, nostalgia, and album covers, even if the box looks like it uses Window's default Times New Roman font and a Photoshop plug-in...

Must buy for: anyone liking hip-hop, punk, turntablists (Hurricane and Mix Master Mike), and tha Booty Bass - it's all here in spades - plus beginning B-side and rarity hunters.

Downers: Some missing classics - "No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn," "Flute Loop," "Professor Booty" - prevent this from being truly complete - but then, you might as well just buy the five main albums.