Today I listened to a couple of albums I confess I hadn't paid much attention to: David Bowie's Low, considered the #1 album of the 1970s (!) by Pitchfork magazine, and the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique, which squeaked in at #98 of their top 100 of the 1980s.
Which is better? No contest. Low: OMG, so pretentious and boring... a total snoozefest.* Paul's Boutique? All that puerile Beastie energy and humor laid out over the most clever jazz, rock, funk, and (yes) country samples you're likely to hear. It's easy not to take the Beastie Boys seriously, possibly because they did not want to be taken seriously. But what a joyful, fascinating soundscape.
* With fairness to Pitchfork, it's hard to argue with their #2-#5 of the 1970s: London Calling, Marquee Moon, There's a Riot Going On, and Blood on the Tracks.
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