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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Category: Volume 19
Tags: Beastie Boys > Focus on Beastie Boys

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A series of 14-track (and sometimes 29-track) volumes that consist of songs that either time forgot about or are overshadowed by the artists' other work. Some of these volumes are artist-specific while others are simply eclectic; either way, they would make for good mixed tapes.