Grand Royal, Capitol Records, and UMe have announced a 30th anniversary reissue of Beastie Boys’ classic album Ill Communication, set to be released on July 26.
Editions include a 3LP Deluxe Edition that resurrects a rare version of the album originally released as a limited run in 2009.
Order the new edition of Beastie Boys Ill Communication now.
Long out-of-print and sought after by fans and collectors, the Ill Communication 30th anniversary vinyl edition features lenticular cover art and includes a third LP with 12 bonus tracks (featuring rarities including a live version of “The Maestro” from 1992’s Check Your Head, “Mullet Head,” and ten more remixes, B-sides and assorted oddities), all housed in a rigid slipcase and pressed on 180g vinyl.
A limited edition cassette of the original album will also be available, marking the first time in decades Ill Communication will be available in the format.
Originally released 30 years ago, Ill Communication was much more than the record that returned Beastie Boys to No.1 on the Billboard 200. In short order, the fourth album from Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Adrock” Horovitz, and Adam “MCA” Yauch would become a multi-platinum juggernaut that pervaded every aspect of pop culture.
Ill Communication’s charge to global domination was led by “Sabotage” and its unforgettable Spike Jonze/Nathanial Hornblower-directed tribute to 70s cop shows, as Rolling Stone dubbed the album 1994’s “soundtrack for summer.”
Fans and critics alike were equally and instantly floored by hip hop highlights like the opening “Sure Shot,” the classic Jimmy Smith homage “Root Down,” and the Q-Tip collaboration “Get It Together,” while a Vibe cover story hailed Beastie Boys as “perhaps the most consistently innovative musicians to emerge out of hip hop.”
It was a claim that Ill Communication continues to back up, as the album’s infectious sprawl enthralls multiple generations of listeners. From household name hits to sublime instrumentals (“Sabrosa,” “Ricky’s Theme”) to hardcore punk workouts (“Tough Guy,” “Heart Attack Man”) and realms beyond (“Bodhisattva Vow,” “Shambala”), Ill Communication has never stopped growing in stature and impact.
Order the new edition of Beastie Boys Ill Communication now.