Beastie Boys Mark 40 Years of Licensed to Ill With Limited Vinyl Reissue
Beastie Boys are marking 40 years since their debut album, Licensed to Ill, with a limited edition vinyl reissue. The original album came out on November 15, 1986, three days from now. The new pressing is due on March 18, 2027, in a limited edition from Vinylphyle, Rolling Stone reported.
The album was produced by Rick Rubin and became the first rap record to top Billboard's main album chart. That chart counts the albums sold and streamed each week in the United States.
The sound was rebuilt from the source. The reissue's lacquers, the master discs that pressings are made from, were cut from a high-resolution digital transfer of the original 1986 quarter-inch master tape, the analogue tape the album was recorded on. Audio engineer Joe Nino-Hernes worked from the physical tapes at Sterling Sound. The records are pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, a heavier weight of disc.
The packaging is built for collectors. The reissue comes in a gatefold sleeve, a cover that opens out wide like a book, and includes new liner notes by Public Enemy's Chuck D. A four-panel insert carries photos of the master tapes. The fourth side of the second LP has an etching, a design cut into the surface of the record.
The band is also offering a separate product, To the Five Boroughs, a limited edition three-LP set. Beastie Boys' website lists 11 bonus tracks on it, including remixes and B-sides, which are songs that were originally released on the flip side of singles. The set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and comes in a triple gatefold jacket with pop-up elements. It also includes a subway map lithograph, a printed map, and sits in a firm slipcase, a sturdy outer sleeve.
Fans who prefer to watch as well as listen have more on offer. The band's classic music videos have been remastered in HD. The Beastie Boys Book, a New York Times bestseller, was the inspiration behind a live documentary by Spike Jonze, the film director and longtime collaborator of the group.
For anyone hoping to own the 1986 album on vinyl, the March release date is the one to note. The limited run is a set number of copies, so buyers who want one will need to act when it goes on sale.
