History Music / PaulsBoutique

''Paul's Boutique'' is a 1989 album by The Music/BeastieBoys, second in their catalog and the EvenBetterSequel to their already promising debut ''Music/LicensedToIll'' (1986).

The group's debut had made the band synonymous with pubertal "party boy music". This image eventually hung like an albatross around their necks, mostly [[MisaimedFandom due to people who didn't get the satire]]. Wanting to grow past this perception, the Beastie Boys decided to make their next album [[GrowingTheBeard more mature]] and put the focus back on their musical skills. They even vetoed the idea of promoting the record, assured by the idea that their true fans would find it in the stores and appreciate the record on its own merits, alienating all the people who didn't look further than their "frat house" gimmick.

** "High Plains Drifter" is a shout-out to ''Film/HighPlainsDrifter''. The line "fear and loathing 'cross the country" references ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas''. "Bust a Travis Bickle" references the main character in ''Film/TaxiDriver'', while "a nice place to visit" is the title of [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E28ANicePlaceToVisit an episode of]] ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959''. "I feel like Creator/SteveMcQueen, a former movie star" (...) Film/DirtyMaryCrazyLarry, on the run from ''Film/DirtyHarry'' are film shout-outs. "Wherever I hang my hat's my home" is borrowed from Music/MarvinGaye's "Wherever I Lay My Hat" (1964). The "drunk named Otis" is a shout-out to Otis, the lovable drunk from ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''. ''Houdin'd out the cuffs'' is, of course, a verbalization of Creator/HarryHoudini.

* Corpsing: At the end of "What Comes Around", while the guys are ad-libbing, Ad-Rock says "Doris the Finkosaurus", and the other guys laugh.

Compare with Music/{{Beck}}'s ''Music/{{Odelay}}'', which was made by the same producers (Dust Brothers) and has a similar, sample-heavy production style.

** "The Sounds of Science" namedrops UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton, Creator/BenjaminFranklin, "E.M.D. squared" which references UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein's theory of relativity. "Rope-a-dope" references UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli 's boxing technique, conquistadore Ponce de Leon who sought the Fountain of Youth, the arcade game Robotron, ''ComicBook/CheechWizard'' and UsefulNotes/GalileoGalilei.

->''"Don't go anywhere without it. It's one of those records that you buy every time you're in a rental car. It's also one of those records that you thought sucked the day you bought it. You were mad because it sounded nothing like ''Music/LicensedToIll''. Then a month later, you're like, 'This is the best shit ever. "High Plains Drifter" is the best song ever made.'"''

[[caption-width-right:350: ''You be listenin' to my records', a number one sound/ Step to the rhythm, step, step to the rhyme/ I've got an open mind so why don't you all get inside?'']]

-->--'''Creator/ChrisRock''', who placed "Paul's Boutique" on nr. 8 in his personal list of 25 Best HipHop albums, published in ''Magazine/RollingStone'', 2006.

-->--'''[[Music/PublicEnemy Chuck D.]]'''

''Paul's Boutique'' is a 1989 album by The Music/BeastieBoys, second in their catalog and the EvenBetterSequel to their already promising debut ''Music/LicensedToIll'' (1986), which had made the band synonymous with pubertal ''party boy music''. This image eventually hung like an albatross around their necks, mostly [[MisaimedFandom due to people who didn't get the satire]]. Perceiving their debut as an OldShame the Beastie Boys decided to make their next album [[GrowingTheBeard more mature]] and put the focus back on their musical skills. They even vetoed the idea of promoting the record, assured by the idea that their true fans would find it in the stores and appreciate the record on its own merits, alienating all the people who didn't look further than their ''frat house'' gimmick.

Compare with Music/{{Beck}}'s ''Music/{{Odelay}}'', which was made by the same producers (Dust Brothers) and has been compared to ''Paul's Boutique''.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Mostly ranges around a 3 or 4, though "Looking Down a Barrel of a Gun" is at least a solid 5.

''Paul's Boutique'' became a SleeperHit, but eventually received a lot of praise, even from black hip-hop artists and Music/MilesDavis (!), who claimed he "never got tired from listening to it." The album is widely seen as the band's best and was included in both Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]] at #156 and in 2006 in Magazine/TimeMagazine's ''TimeAllTime100Albums'' list. Fan Favorites include "Hey Ladies" and "B-Boy Bouillabaisse". It has even had a long-lasting effect on our language; the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' notes that the song "3-Minute Rule" contains the first attested usage of the phrase "peace out" as a valediction.

''Paul's Boutique'' became a SleeperHit, but eventually received a lot of praise, even from black hip-hop artists and Music/MilesDavis (!), who claimed he "never got tired from listening to it." The album is widely seen as the band's best and was included in both Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]] at #156 and in 2006 in Magazine/TimeMagazine's ''TimeAllTime100Albums'' list. Fan Favorites are "Hey Ladies" and "B-Boy Bouillabaisse".

** "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" references American footballer Dick Butkus, jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton and Big Daddy Kane's "On the Bugged Tip" [[note]] "Get on the mic ’cause you know you eat chicken" [[/note]], ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', subway shooter Bernhard Goetz, rapper Special Ed, ''Theatre/OnTheTown'', Music/JohnnyCash's "Folsom Prison Blues" [[note]] "I shot a man in ''Reno'' just to watch him die." [[/note]], Creator/CurtSiodmak's ''Literature/DonovansBrain'' [[note]] "Amidst the mists and coldest frosts, With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts, he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts." [[/note]], American basketball player Harthorne Wingo, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, painter Paul Cézanne and actor Raymond Burr (''Series/{{Ironside 1967}}'').

** "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" references American footballer Dick Butkus, jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton and Big Daddy Kane's "On the Bugged Tip" [[note]] "Get on the mic ’cause you know you eat chicken" [[/note]], ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', sniper Bernhard Goetz, rapper Special Ed, ''Theatre/OnTheTown'', Music/JohnnyCash's "Folsom Prison Blues" [[note]] "I shot a man in ''Reno'' just to watch him die." [[/note]], Creator/CurtSiodmak's ''Literature/DonovansBrain'' [[note]] "Amidst the mists and coldest frosts, With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts, he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts." [[/note]], American footballer Hartthorne Wingo, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, painter Paul Cézanne and actor Raymond Burr (''Series/{{Ironside 1967}}'').

--> ''My favorite New York Knick was Harthorne Wingo''

** "Egg Man" samples "Superfly" by Music/CurtisMayfield, "You're Gonna Get Yours" and "Bring the Noise" from Music/PublicEnemy [[note]] Public Enemy sampled "Fight for Your Right" from ''Music/LicensedToIll'' on their song "Party for Your Right to Fight" on ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'', so the fact that the Beasties now sample "Bring the Noise" from that album is probably a good example of BookEnds. [[/note]], "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Music/{{Funkadelic}}, from ''Music/LetsTakeItToTheStage'' (1975), "Dance to the Music" by Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone, "Drop It in the Slot" by Tower Of Power, "Pump It Up" from Music/ElvisCostello's ''Music/ThisYearsModel'', "I'm Ready" by The Commodores, "Sport" by Lightnin' Rod and excerpts from the soundtracks of ''Film/{{Psycho}}'', Creator/CheechAndChong's "Next Movie" and ''Film/{{Jaws}}''.

** "Car Thief" samples "Rien ne va plus", "I Bet You" by Music/{{Funkadelic}} from the album "Funkadelic" (1970), "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Music/{{Donovan}}, "Woodstock" by Max Yasgur and "Drop the Bomb" by Trouble Funk.

** "3-Minute Rule" namedrops ''Series/{{Dragnet}}'', ''Series/ThreesCompany'', ''Film/TheLittleRascals'', "Proud Mary", "Doo-wah Diddy", the poem "Roses are red, violets are blue", Music/BobDylan, ''Music/MothershipConnection'' by Music/{{Parliament}} and ''Literature/OnTheRoad'' by Creator/JackKerouac.

** "Shadrach" namedrops ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', the Music/{{ACDC}} song "For Those About to Rock", the song "Amazing Grace", Al Barile (Society System Decontrol), ''Film/PutneySwope'', Franchise/{{Rambo}}, Creator/JDSalinger, Creator/CharlesDickens, UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman, Magazine/MadMagazine's mascot Alfred E. Neuman, televangelists Jimmy Swaggart [[note]] who is the first cousin of Music/JerryLeeLewis [[/note]] and Jerry Falwell and race car drive Mario Andretti.

** "High Plains Drifter" is a shout-out to ''Film/HighPlainsDrifter''. The line "fear and loathing 'cross the country" references ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas''. "Bust a Travis Bickle" references the main character in ''Film/TaxiDriver'', while "a nice place to visit" is the title of ''Series/TwilightZone'' episode. "I feel like Creator/SteveMcQueen, a former movie star" (...) Film/DirtyMaryCrazyLarry, on the run from ''Film/DirtyHarry'' are film shout-outs. "Wherever I hang my hat's my home" is borrowed from Music/MarvinGaye's "Wherever I Lay My Hat" (1964). The "drunk named Otis" is a shout-out to Otis, the lovable drunk from ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''. ''Houdin'd out the cuffs'' is, of course, a verbalization of Creator/HarryHoudini.

* AnimatedMusicVideo: "Shadrach" 's music video was animated by Klasky-Csupo.