Volume 20 Introduction
Posted on | August 25, 2010 | No Comments
Volume 20, like Volume 10 before it, will focus on women in music. In fact, women being under the spotlight every 10 Volumes will be a tradition on this site going forward.
That said, this introduction will be relatively short. (The Vol. 10 introduction, I think, is pretty encompassing and there isn’t a whole lot else to add.) Compared to Vol. 10, though, this Volume will feature songs that run a wider gamut: everything from a couple of Phil Spector-produced songs (one of which is probably the most surreal song that’s been written in the last 50 years) to a few modern electronic and dance songs to a couple of live songs (one featuring a band with a full-bodied performance, the other a solo performance with only a piano and no live audience) to a song whose noise practically drowns out the vocals.
Finally, the same “rules” apply from Vol. 10: all of these songs feature women singing lead vocals, and all of these songs are ones that could really only be sung by a woman (no offense to any of the guys).
Volume 19, Track 14
Posted on | August 19, 2010 | No Comments
“Shambala” & “Bodhisattva Vow” by Beastie Boys (1994)
My biggest complaint about Ill Communication (and granted it isn’t a very big one in the overall scheme of things) is that the combo of “Shambala” and “Bodhisattva Vow” should have ended the album, rather than being the bridge that leads to the final track, the instrumental “Transitions.” I would have stuck “Transitions” elsewhere or left it on the floor entirely.[1] “Shambala” starts with a slow fade intro of a Tibetan monk chant (Shambala is a mythical kingdom in the Buddhist religion) before shifting into a kind of funky instrumental of the sort that would fit comfortably in a ’70’s movie soundtrack that required a funk presence.[2] “Shambala” has the perfect amount of funk, slinky-ness, and atmosphere. The bridge to “Bodhisattva Vow” is made up of the same Tibetan chants but “Vow” leaves behind the funk and goes straight into a more fundamental hip hop sound, comprised of pitch-perfect bass lines, record scratches, and horn samples before the chants end that song as well. Individually, these two songs are pretty strong, but combined they make one of the best back-to-back punches in the Beastie Boys catalog.
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[1] Please don’t misinterpret this as being that I don’t like “Transitions.” I do. I just don’t think it fits very well within the whole of Ill Communication.
[2] “Shambala” was also used to great effect in the season 3 finale of Breaking Bad in a scene that incorporated humor, tension, and violence so perfectly that I wouldn’t be surprised if Quentin Tarantino started flogging himself for not thinking of it first. (Non-music-related side note: rent Breaking Bad immediately if you have not seen it yet. It is hands down the best show on television right now, and it is probably the greatest television show of all time that deals so bluntly with morality.)
Volume 19, Track 13
Posted on | August 18, 2010 | No Comments
“Dr. Lee, PhD” by Beastie Boys (1998)
The Lee referred to in the title of the song is Lee “Scratch” Perry, a musician who was very instrumental in getting reggae and dub music to be welcomed globally. Perry is generally credited with being one of the first people to produce a song that included a sample (“People Funny Boy,” which included a sampled baby crying). “Dr. Lee, PhD” mostly features Perry singing but intermittently finds the Beastie Boys in the background making exaggerated coughing sounds and whatnot. “Dr. Lee, PhD” is the penultimate track on Hello Nasty and it is equal parts history lesson and wonderfully crafted song. It is a history lesson because I would suspect that “Scratch” was a big influence on the Beastie Boys and getting him to collaborate on a track was probably the fulfillment of a collective wish. But this song is also wonderfully crafted: it is kind of inherently disjointed but everything fits so perfectly. At the end of the song you can hear Perry make a comment suggesting that they need to cut another song, and I could not agree more. Perry needs to make more appearances with those Beastly Boys, and their beastly toys.
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Volume 19, Track 12
Posted on | August 17, 2010 | No Comments
“Time For Livin’” by Beastie Boys (1992)
There is a moment—right at the 1:01 mark, to be precise—during “Anarchy In The U.K.” by The Sex Pistols where the background vocals of the word “be” are sung/shouted so perfectly that the overall texture of the song is kicked up a notch and the song goes from simple punk to punk classic. “Time For Livin’” never aspires to become classic punk per se but when the chorus of “soul fire” is yelled at the 1:03 mark the song is kicked up another level—just like “Anarchy” was by its chorus. Aside from Mike D’s detectable voice, “Time For Livin’” is a song that sounds unlike any Beastie Boys track before or since. Clocking in at under a minute fifty seconds, this track is raucous and rockin’ enough to satiate the tastes of someone who enjoys punk or straight-up rock. If you were to have a conversation with someone who has Check Your Head as their favorite Beastie album, this track will eventually be submitted as proof of its excellence.
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Volume 19, Track 11
Posted on | August 17, 2010 | No Comments
“I Don’t Know” by Beastie Boys (1998)
If I didn’t include a picture of the Hello Nasty album cover or didn’t explicitly reference the title of this song and the artist name, you would probably never know that “I Don’t Know” is a Beastie Boys song. Even if I gave you 50 guesses you probably would never guess Beastie Boys. Not only is “I Don’t Know” an über mellow track which features Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori singing background vocals, it is, more importantly, a really pretty and listenable song. All too often artists who do not write mellow music attempt to slum it in this genre as a means of looking multi-faceted[1] but this track (and the Beasties’ motivation) comes across as pure and not trying to wink at you. “I’m walking through time/Deluded as the next guy/Pretending and hoping to find/That distant peace of mind,” sings MCA with a feel that seemingly mirrors his Buddhist outlook and point of view. Musically, between the easygoing drums, the thick (but never overpowering) bass guitar, and the summery notes from the quasi-flamenco guitar, “I Don’t Know” stands out for obvious reasons when compared to other Beastie tracks. But it’s not just a matter of different structure that sets this song apart—it really is a beautiful song to listen to. Even if you are predisposed to not liking the Beastie Boys.
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[1] I’m looking at you, Green Day, with your God for-fucking-saken “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).”
Volume 19, Track 10
Posted on | August 16, 2010 | No Comments
“Egg Man” by Beastie Boys (1989)
In the wrong hands, using Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly” as a sampled beat could fall into the realm of blasphemy. But by choosing to use this sample minus the horns (but still keeping a solid, funky beat while also including lyrics about hitting bigots and racists with eggs) the Beastie Boys more than make up for adventuring into territory that could have easily bitten them in the ass. In addition to “Superfly,” you have samples from the scores of Psycho and Jaws, a sample of Chuck D from the classic Public Enemy track “Bring The Noise,” as well as samples from Elvis Costello and Sly & The Family Stone (and even a reference to Dolemite). “Egg Man” was never released as a single, but revisionist history would probably have dictated that this be the first single from Paul’s Boutique over “Hey Ladies.” This is one of the best overlooked songs of the ’80’s.
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Volume 19, Track 9
Posted on | August 15, 2010 | No Comments
“Unite” by Beastie Boys (1998)
What a loose and fun song.[1] Hello Nasty has a few terrific gems[2] and “Unite” may very well be the crown jewel of the album in terms of instant accessibility. This song is a treat to listen to in every sense of the word. I would write more about it, but this really is one of those tracks that are so perfect that to try to come up with a relatable metaphor or to try to heap words or praise on it is unnecessary. “Unite” is a song that simply needs to be listened to and enjoyed. This track alone is almost reason enough to buy Hello Nasty if you do not already own it.
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[1] I mean, within 30 seconds there’s an Atari sample.
[2] One gem will appear later on this volume, the other I’m saving for a rainy day.
Volume 19, Track 8
Posted on | August 15, 2010 | No Comments
“Professor Booty” by Beastie Boys (1992)
By starting the song with sampled dialog from the movie Wild Style[1] and then following it up with a conversation (with exaggerated voices, no less) that goes like,
“Professor, what’s another word for pirate treasure?
Well, I think it’s ‘booty’”
“Professor Booty” goes out of its way to show you that this song is meant to be fun, and a nice nod to the frat humor of the Beastie Boys of a few years prior. “I’m in the pocket just like Grady Tate/I got supplies of beats so you don’t have to wait/’Cuz I’m the Master Blaster/Drinkin’ up the Shasta/My voice sounds sweet ‘cuz it hasta,” exclaims Mike D during the introductory lyrics. Musically, the beats are heavy but still pitch-perfect. But the music of “Professor Booty” also shows a side of the Beasties that people who are familiar only with their hit singles probably are unaware of: the end of this song is kind of psychedelic. At around the 2:45 mark, the beats get a little slower and become spliced with exaggerated breathing. It’s kind of an unexpected shift but not only does it work, it also shows the creative range of the band in that they were able to seamlessly integrate trippy music without the help of disparate samples.
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[1] Wild Style is widely considered to be the first rap/hip hop movie made.
Volume 19, Track 7
Posted on | August 14, 2010 | No Comments
“Get It Together” by Beastie Boys (1994)
As I’ve mentioned before, if Q-Tip can be featured in one of your songs there is a really good chance that said song will be fantastic. There isn’t a whole lot to the beat of “Get It Together” but there’s enough inherent movement to it that separates it from the rest of the album. But what really seals this song’s excellence is how seamless Q-Tip is side-by-side with the Beasties.[1] Towards the end of the song they throw it back to Q-Tip (the part that begins with “Because I had to talk about the times when I’m rhymin’…) and between his voice and the musical shift that that part takes, it is what every collaboration between two artists should be: a perfect communion of one’s sound with the other’s style.
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[1] Honestly, I don’t know why they never collaborated more often.
Volume 19, Track 6
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | No Comments
“The Maestro” by Beastie Boys (1992)
On Paul’s Boutique there’s a point in which an advertisement for the store Paul’s Boutique is played. The sound quality is average—it sounds like it was recorded with a handheld tape recorder near the TV speaker. “The Maestro” begins with someone leaving a voicemail directed at someone named Cory telling him to kiss his ass. Though the two aren’t directly related, it seems like the latter was recorded as a rebuttal of some sort to the advert for Paul’s. Of course, this little intro can also be used to sum up some of the changes that the Beasties went through in between albums. On Check Your Head the multi-layered sampling is mostly gone, replaced with either real instruments or more straight-up studio style beats. The Beasties also allowed a little bit of their punk influences to seep through this album. Overall, “The Maestro” exists inside of a nice compromise: real instruments intermixed with record scratches and other post-production touches; semi-aggressive lyrics intermixed with shout-outs to TV detectives (Columbo). Shortly after high school, a friend of mine got new speakers and “The Maestro” was the first song that he chose to play really loud on them. It was a no-brainer for us at the time as this song is a great Beastie track that has a fair amount of rock influence underneath its surface.
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Volume 19, Track 5
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | No Comments
“Shadrach” by Beastie Boys (1989)
“Shadrach” is the penultimate song on Paul’s Boutique (it leads into the glorious, twelve minute opus “B-Boy Bouillabaisse”) and its strength lies in the Beasties’ ability to produce an addictive and fun song. Using eight samples to make up the track—most notably, the use of Cynthia Robinson’s vocals from Sly & The Family Stone’s “Loose Booty”—”Shadrach” references the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. How many other artists could make a catchy-as-hell hip hop song that references the story of the three men who were cast into a furnace and came out unharmed or smelling of smoke? Exactly, not very many. In many ways, this song is kind of a microcosm of the Beastie Boys genius both in ability to create a great song and in terms of lyrical creativity. “Shadrach” also has one of my favorite Beastie lyrics: “More Adidas sneakers than a plumber’s got pliers/Got more suits than Jacoby & Meyers.” I don’t know why but that lyric always makes me laugh. In any case, this is one of the best tracks from a particularly loaded masterpiece of an album.
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Volume 19, Track 4
Posted on | July 30, 2010 | No Comments
“Root Down” by Beastie Boys (1994)
Some Dude’s 126th Ironclad Law of Music states: “Great beat + overlaid sample of static from a record player = solid gold.” Ill Communication is filled with great treasures and “Root Down” is one of the best tracks from the Beasties ‘94 release which featured the über popular “Sabotage” as well as the fan favorite “Sure Shot.” The last single to be released off of Ill Communication, “Root Down” shows the Beastie Boys doing what they do best while they were in post-Paul’s Boutique mode[1] which was producing hip hop that had very definite ’70’s influences and flourishes. And for the connoisseur of vintage hip hop and Beastie history you have Mike D dropping this on you, “On the way back up hearing Battle Tapes/Through the underground, underneath the sky scrapes/It’s like Harlem World battles on the Zulu Beat Show/It’s Kool Moe Dee versus Busy B, there’s one you should know,” all within a nicely wrapped beat. This is easily one of the ten best songs that the Beasties produced in the ’90’s.
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[1] Which is to say: music that moved away from using a disparate number of samples per track. I.e.–”Root Down” only used two samples (and one was uncredited).
Volume 19, Track 3
Posted on | July 19, 2010 | No Comments
“Lighten Up” by Beastie Boys (1992)
“Lighten Up” is an interesting song, to say the least. The fifth track on Check Your Head, this song is a big departure from the first four songs on the album as the first minute and a half or so is almost all mood music. The first half of “Lighten Up” snakes and slinks around musically as it goes from sounding tribal in some moments to sounding jazzy and abstract in other moments. In between, you have the lyrics “lighten up, gotta lighten up, gotta lighten up right now” being almost chanted in the background, and all of it acting as a build-up to the perfectly loud and polished gear that the song eventually shifts into. This track may be looked at as filler by some, but I think it nicely displays the Beasties ability to produce quality music without samples and electronic beats. (If nothing else, one should respect Money Mark’s talents with a keyboard on this track as it all sounds so damn… cool.) Check Your Head was a bit of a departure from the Paul’s Boutique sound[1] but it was definitely refreshing to find that the Beasties still embraced the notion of producing an album with varied styles and sounds. “Lighten Up” is a good representation of this embrace.
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[1] Heavier sound, lyrics weren’t as fun; the normal changes indicative of a rap group trying to fit in post Straight Outta Compton.
Volume 19, Track 2
Posted on | July 15, 2010 | 1 Comment
“Sneakin’ Out The Hospital” by Beastie Boys (1998)
“Sneakin’ Out The Hospital,” the eighth overall track on Hello Nasty, is the first instrumental song that appears on the album.[1] One of the things that I have always found fascinating about this song is that this is the song that follows “Intergalactic” on the album. “Intergalactic,” the biggest hit from this album and the most radio-friendly in general, is not followed by something that is energetic or catchy in a radio sense—but rather, it is succeeded by a track that kind of evokes of a sort of low level creepy/dark feeling. The combination of real instruments and Mix Master Mike’s compelling scratches and effects makes for a strong track to begin the second 1/3 of the album.[2]
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[1] Yes, there are some vocalizations on this track but I consider it an instrumental all the same. Sue me over semantics if you’d like.
[2] I always thought that this song would make for good atmosphere during a dream sequence in a movie or television show. But that’s just me.
Volume 19, Track 1
Posted on | July 15, 2010 | No Comments
“To All The Girls” & “Shake Your Rump” by Beastie Boys (1989)
“To All The Girls” is the track that begins Paul’s Boutique and it bleeds right into “Shake Your Rump.” The former has a long fade intro (which is weird, considering it is only a minute and a half long) whereas the latter starts with very loud drum samples courtesy of Alphonse Mouzon’s “Funky Snakefoot.” Both set the tone for the album as a whole—”To All The Girls,” a foreshadowing of any reference/joke about girls and sex; “Shake Your Rump,” ditto, but also a tone-setter for the type of in-depth sampling that appears on the album throughout, as well as the lyrical cornucopia of frat humor and other intermittent absurdities.[1] “Shake Your Rump” also has a terrific, exaggerated bass line at each of the breaks that was sampled from a Rose Royce song (I think). A fitting way to start a classic album, and a fitting way to get this volume started.
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[1] For example, “Like Sam the butcher bringing Alice the meat/Like Fred Flintstone driving around with bald feet/Should I have another sip?/No, skip it/In the back of the ride and bust with the whippet”
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