Who hasn’t heard the Beastie Boys? Anybody, Bueller?

The original bad white boys of rap, the B-Boys also were one of the first bands to hit it big in the rap industry. The New York threesome with the help of super-producer Rick Rubin revolutionized the industry with the 1986 release of Licensed to Ill on Def Jam. I clearly remember the album back in the day.

Flashback
My cousin Jeff is 2 ½ years older than me. Having grown up in a much more populated area of the state than me, he always seemed more cultured and more interesting than the normal country schleps around my geographical area. Back in the late 1980’s he adored the Beastie Boys. I remember listening to the album on vinyl up in his room. At that time, I thought it was strange, but I found myself strangely drawn to its rock-infused rap rhythms. The rebellious tone of ”Fight for your Right" fell on deaf ears back in the day…what does a 12-year-old care about that?

Fast forward to 1995. I had just gotten a brand new Aiwa stereo including a 7-CD changer. It was my first stereo with CD capabilities (don’t laugh). My music collection on cassette tape revolved around hair metal (those left over tapes from the 1980s), grunge, and rock and roll. It only seemed appropriate to start buying CDs to augment that rather bland mixture. My first purchase was Live’s Throwing Copper.

Soon, the collection grew and I picked up a copy of Beastie Boys debut album Licensed to Ill. Drawn by its hard-hitting beats and great liveliness, I recalled my childhood idolizing my cousin. The album quickly became one of my party favorites. I would play the CD every chance. I studied to it. I got ready to go out to it. Hey, I even fell asleep to it! My college life would have proven empty without the Beastie Boys.

As all college students know, the song ”Girls” is an anthem of sorts. Played at the right moment both the guys and gals will jump up and scream the easy to remember lyrics in unison. I can’t exactly say that this is the best song in the world, but so far as good ol’ fashioned party songs go, you can’t go wrong with a classic B-Boys track like this. I’m getting chivers (more intense than shivers) thinking about all of the good times I had partying to this song in college. Oh, to be 19 again…

See, that’s just one example of what the Beastie Boys are good for. They keep on making better and better music that usually is worthy of a good time. Of course, their first album is one of the all-time best party albums, hence the fact that I chose this for my write off submission. This album helped to make me the person I am today. It brought me out of my gold-plated shell. It allowed me to feel more comfortable with myself and my decisions. Who ever thought that this album could prove so influential and so important to a girl from rural Michigan? This album, and these songs, finally made me comfortable to scream aloud the lyrics I knew best. Who cares what people think? Not me…not when any one of these thirteen tracks is played.

Bridging fjords between rap and rock was the mega hit ”Fight For Your Right”. Little more than a track meant to entertain, the song proved to be a hugely popular Beastie Boys teenage angst song. Featuring the vocal stylings of Mike Diamond, Adam Horowitz, and Adam Yauch, the song was loud and obnoxious. It seemed a perfect song to anger parents everywhere. The song was everything that rock fans wanted…sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll (the guitars helped accomplish that goal). Despite their less-than-usual rap look, the B-Boys were regarded as ‘real’ rappers for the day. This song was in turn the one that made the band a household name thus launching their now twenty-year career in the biz.

Another party favorite is the drunk anthem ”Brass Monkey”. Yeah, you know that one…that is you know it if you’ve been anywhere doing ANYTHING in the last fifteen years. The song isn’t musically genius. No, no. At this point in time, music critics didn’t and couldn’t appreciate them as innovators of any kind…that would take until the band’s second release 1989’s Paul’s Boutique. ”Brass Monkey” is meant to be fun. Period. There’s no redeeming social quality, it’s not a masterpiece. The best part of the track are these lines: Put your left leg down - your right leg up, tilt your head back - let's finish the cup. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve personally witnessed soused party goers actually attempting that move. Ha!

Oh but wait! There’s another party favorite amidst these gem. As one of the original B-Boys singles to be released from this album ”No Sleep Till Brooklyn” is yet another (this is getting repetitive) seminal party tune. Licensed to Ill is one of those albums you can just drop in the stereo and let ride. People love every moment, I’ve loved every moment. The hard rock influences are great, heavy drums and guitars are a strange (but effective) backing to the squealing rap of the B-Boys.

I’m not about to say that this is a musical masterpiece…see, this album was meant to induce spontaneous dancing and yelling. It’s frat rock and rap all rolled up into one tight little ball. I have fond memories of these songs thanks to my great growing up party that happed during my freshman year of college. As an album, there are some weaker moments musically. The rest of the songs aren’t truly awful in my opinion. They are just more mediocre examples of tracks than fans have come to expect from the Beastie Boys.

The intro to ”Rhymin’ and Stealin’” brings back great memories. That aside, it’s okay. Not impressive. ”The New Style” is nothing more than self-serving. The music actually proves a bit annoying at best. The rock riffs at the beginning of ”She’s Crafty” are interesting, but when the rapping finally happens, it lacks creativity. ”Slow Ride” is an decent track. Full of bass, the rapping is too slow to appreciate as a whole. Again, I have fond memories of singing along to the Run-DMC written ”Paul Revere”. But, in retrospect the sound is hollow and completely lacks any musical interest. ”Hold It Now, Hit It” is another bassy track. It is likely popular among certain crowds (including scads of college students). The building of ”Slow and Low” could have been better used. The tempo proves annoying at times. I wish it were just a bit better paced. Finally, ”Time to Get Ill” always got itself the boot on my stereo. I never liked it. I still don’t like it.

Yeah, so. One the albums I most associate with my life is only mediocre. What it did do was prime audiences for the rap invasion and for the Beastie Boys and their soon-to-be talent. They exhibited great diversity and great noise on their albums that followed. This was just Kindergarten. Anyway. Forgive me for my taste in music. College was a great time in my short life, and this album is representative of those times.

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I want to graciously thank the wonderful and infinitely cool connoisseur of great music Divine_Cheese for inviting little ol’ me to participate in this History Write Off. It’s been a great honor to offer my words (of wisdom?). Anyway, there are plenty of other great contributors…check ‘em out!

Daniel_RF
ALawston
xtrmntr
thevoid99
tallgent
LessThanNick1

You’ll surely be impressed by their musical taste and writing prowess.


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