I fear sounding hyperbolic when I say how impactful the Beastie Boys were on my adolescent development, but after learning of Adam Yauch's passing today, perhaps I don't really care at the moment.
It started with Ill Communication around age 13 in the 'burbs of Ohio, the year I began seriously collecting music. Yes, there was some Alanis Morrisette and The Offspring thrown in the mix (Christ, I was a teenager...) but I was just starting to get real, visceral reactions from hearing certain artists. I still can't articulate properly what happens when I hear good music. I suppose the best analogy I can think of is DJ Greybush releasing a guttural "Uhhh" while combing through new tracks at his computer. I'm a tad more reserved in my reactions, always have been. As my teen years wore on, my tiny yet growing collection was quietly stirring me up with it's near constant rotation of the Beastie's fourth album, Radiohead's OK Computer, Bjork's Post and Homogenic albums, and the greatest hits of Otis and Aretha.
Perhaps I had purchased Ill Communication because I had been captivated by their Spike Jonze-directed music video for "Sabotage". The video, with its cheeky pastiche and nods to 70s cop films and TV, is itself something to behold. But the song -- as great as it is -- is not even the best part of the album, despite its pop cultural recognizance. "Root Down," "Sure Shot," and "Get It Together" are now classics in my opinion and the album's instrumentals show real artistry and technique. Hell, I even liked the punk tune "Heart Attack Man," though, it could have something to do with Mike D exploding into a giggle fit in the song's intro.
When you are young and different, you can appreciate those -- like the Beasties -- who are not only unafraid to be weird but are also deservedly championed for it. They also fostered the talent of other people who couldn't be easily categorized by Billboard. My first concert (tickets funded by one generous and hip older sister)? Luscious Jackson, a band just as unconventionally awesome and on the Beasties' Grand Royal label roster.
So I went back into their catalog and subsequently fell in love with Paul's Boutique, an album full of obscure samples and hooks that made it a nice companion to De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising. By the time Hello Nasty came out in 1997 (propelled by their kitschy video for "Intergalactic," replete with Godzilla doing the robot) I was on the more obsessive side of their fandom, perhaps accelerated further by my own hormones and fantasy that I would marry a Beastie one day. [sk as a teenager, crying into her pillow: "When will my Jewish, New York City-bred emcee with progressive political beliefs finally come??"]
MCA always had a special place in my heart. He was clearly the most skilled emcee of the bunch, his raspy verses serving as a nice counterpart to the more nasal, high-pitched delivery of AdRock and Mike D. He was low-key, yet still had a fierce sense of humor which, to me, made him the funniest one.
The group as a whole often spoke out against racism (check out Colorlines' video of Yauch speaking out against Islamophobia in 1998), homophobia, and sexism, but MCA's deep commitment to Tibetan rights was admirable, particularly looking back from the present day where Kony 2012 fever has struck and fizzled and every starlet with an IMDB page is being named an ambassador for UNICEF or the UN. Further, Yauch's directorial vision of the Beasties' music videos and their 2006 concert film (as Hornblower) showed how multitalented he really was, someone who knew how significant combining the aural with the visual was. He also directed the 2008 basketball documentary Gunnin' for that No. 1 Spot.
According to Rolling Stone, Yauch was not feeling healthy enough to attend the Beasties' recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I'm glad to know that we was still with us to realize that their creativity and talent was recognized, even by the most mainstream of the mainstream. I like to think he would have shown up in a fake mustache and lederhosen had he felt up to it. Wherever he's going or heading, I'm sure he's suiting up now.
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