Everything fits at Paul's Boutique

Kinda bummed about the passing of MCA. I knew he had cancer, I noticed he missed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but I couldn't buy into a world without the Beastie Boys, so I did not research how bad he was.

Beastie Boys came along when I was pretty young and impressionable, but I honestly didn't think that highly of License to Ill when I was 12. It was too radio cheesy and I always felt like it was missing music or something. I understand how ground breaking that LP was, but it was not my cup of tea back then (still isn't).

My love of the Beasties came along later.  It wasn't until 1994 that I took notice of a matured, grown up Beastie Boys taking their game to the next level. I loved what I heard and I respected what they became. What I didn't know at the time is that while I was by ignoring them, they had already released what has grown to become my favorite Beastie Boys LP, 5 years before 1994's Ill Communication took the world.

Very few bands can transcend their roots they way they did. The Beastie Boys can be as Hip Hop as they want, and they still get new rock radio cred. High schoolers (the cool ones) love them, college kids love them, old dudes (like me) love them, the old school hip-hop crew gives them a nod and just about every walk of life has some Beastie in it. Their influence goes beyond music with their charitable work and work in independent film and directing (all championed by MCA).

Timing is everything. The Beastie Boys hit it out of the park at least twice in regards to timing. 1986 and 1994 cemented their superstardom. Timing could not be any more perfect then the two respective LP's released those years. License to Ill and Ill Communication cemented them as legends.

For just a minute however, I want to focus on their 2nd album, 1989's Paul's Boutique. It's brilliant. Maybe not their best work in everyone's opinion, but hands down my favorite. It was released at a time when sampling was done without regard to artistry, but the Beasties and the Dust Brothers made it an art form all it's own. Beyond that, the record is witty, fun, and for me a true classic. One of my top 10? If not, it's close to it. Definitely my favorite hip-hop album of all time.

Now I know what you are thinking, who the hell am I to judge a hip-hop album? I eat what I like, that's how. I know enough to be dangerous. I may seem like a poser to the rap purist, but like I said, Beastie Boys transcended it ten-fold, so sit on it Potsy.

Besides that, the album has grown legs since 1989, and has become a critic favorite despite the original lack of sales (like 2M copies is a flop!). For that reason, it is really special because I rarely agree with critics (at least the ones gettin' paid).

I discovered the Paul's Boutique 10 years after it's release, and I go to it frequently. It's fresh, it is the height of sampling, something that was never duplicated again due to lawsuites. But it is cohesive in a way that every great album should be, and time passes quickly when you are lost in this gem.

So I leave this blog with a song in honor of Adam Yauch from an album that has stuck with me for many years. RIP my friend. You were an original.

You got to fight, for your right, to nerd.