Beastie Boys Book cover art

Beastie Boys Book

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Beastie Boys Book

By: Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz
Narrated by: Full Cast
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.99

Buy Now for $32.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES, GRAMMY-NOMINATED BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, ROLLING STONE, AND ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself-by band members AD-ROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more .

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE 5-TIME EMMY NOMINATED, SPIKE JONZE-DIRECTED
BEASTIE BOYS STORY

'One of the greatest music books ever published.'
MAX PORTER

Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam "AD-ROCK" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the almost impossible-to-fathom overnight success of their debut studio album Licensed to Ill; that album's messy fallout; their break with Def Jam, move to Los Angeles, and rebirth as musicians and social activists, with the genre-defying masterpiece Paul's Boutique. For more than twenty years, this band has had a wide-ranging and lasting influence on popular culture.

With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir.

'Memoir, graphic novel, cookbook, photo-journal, love letter, elegy: this vast, unwieldy, marvellous book, narrated, like the band's songs, scatter-gun style by the two surviving Beastie Boys, is as original, uncategorisable and attention-grabbing as their music.'
SUNDAY TIMES (BOOK OF THE YEAR)

'Wide-ranging and unorthodox . . . [a] treat . . . insightful about the group's shifting music and are expert yarn-spinners, homing in on telling vignettes rather than doling out a straightforward history . . . shot through with yearning and melanchonly.'
GUARDIAN (BOOK OF THE YEAR)

'Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the ban With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir . . . Our clear winner for Book of the Year.'
ROUGH TRADE (BOOK OF THE YEAR)

'The Beasties didn't play by the rules during their career, and this memoir by surviving members Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz doesn't either . . . hiliarious, at times heartwarming.'
ROLLING STONE (BOOK OF THE YEAR)

©2018 Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz (P)2018 Faber Audio
Entertainment & Celebrities History & Criticism Celebrity Funny

What listeners say about Beastie Boys Book

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    323
  • 4 Stars
    30
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    284
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    276
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible narration

Really enjoyed this and 5 stars just for the incredible line up of narrators.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic audiobook

From the opening credits through to the end of the last chapter, this is a great listen. The voice cast is incredible and really help to bring some of the stories to life. The original book is an absorbing read on its own, but this audio book takes things to another level. Highly recommended!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Finger licking good ya’ll!

Excellent reading with a great celebrity cast (inc Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Jarvis Cocker, Chuck D and Kim Gordon… amongst many!) as well as AdRoc and Mike D. Lots of little surprises and the odd sound treatments just like their records. Most entertaining audiobook I’ve heard yet. Even if you have the book itself, pairing it with this will give it new life. An experience any Beastie Boys fan will adore.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertainment factor through the roof

The best conception of a band bio I can think of. There's history, humour, humility aplenty. So well conceived and executed. Do yourself a favour!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great evocation of a band, an era

Aside from the huge cast (Elvis Costello, LL Cool J, Amy Poehler and everyone in between), this is the story of a band that broke but never broke up. Under it all runs the absent voice of Adam Yauch, who brought them together as a band and served as their big brother. There’s no dirt (though producer Rick Rubin comes out grubby) as the Bots are honest about their experiences even the frat boy moments and kicking their friend out of the band. It gets nerdy at times (playlists, tech tallies) but all up it’s an amazing audio book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

All Killer

Hands down the best reason to listen to a book ever. Hilarious, informative and life affirming. Loved the Beasties before love them more now. Thank you MCA

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome!!

Absolutely loved it! So many great stories and insights into the Beastie Boys. Great guests reading the chapters too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Listen to this even if you have read the book.

There was nothing I disliked about this audiobook. The performances from the cast were great. A must for any early 90’s teenager or any beasties fan.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Any fan of the Beastie Boys will love this amazing Audiobook version. It's an experience unlike any other.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ch-Check It Out

If you’re a B’boys fan, you should have already heard this. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.