By the time Ill Communication blasted onto the scene in 1994, the delayed embrace of Paul's Boutique and the subsequent "comeback" success of Check Your Head had repositioned the Beastie Boys as major pop-music players. And so, eight years on from Licensed To Ill, they had a No. 1 album again, a runaway hit single in the form of "Sabotage" and a fan base that understood that the Beasties were gonna throw it a curveball every now and then. Funny how that all worked out, eh?

First listen: