I've learned a few things over the last 17 years of blogging. I've kept notes on which artists elicit the most activity, as well as which artists are met with near silence. I can tell you, there aren't very many Burning Wood readers who are fans of the Beastie Boys. The Beastie Boys, not to mention hip-hop in general, actually make a few of you angry.
I have been a fan of the Beastie Boys since day one, and I believe their first four records are true works of art, especially "Paul's Boutique," which by the way, is another example of a second record that is better than the first.
While listening to "Paul's Boutique" this week, and once again getting blown away by the genius use of sampling, an idea came to me. In the second song alone, which is "Shake Your Rump," there are no less than 15 songs sampled. And while you can holler all you want about how this isn't songwriting, or even take it as far as saying it isn't "music," I would say that it is absolutely music, and there is definitely room for this kind of music among all of the "junes" and "moons" and the "jealouses" and "as well ases."
(Sorry, didn't mean to spray the screen.)
What the Beasties and their producers The Dust Brothers do on this record is not the same thing as your pop star du jour singing an entire song over the sample of a Marvin Gaye tune. This record is an intricate puzzle, with occasionally breathtaking cutting and pasting. It's not only knowing when and where to place a beat or a phrase, it also takes a deep knowledge of music so that you have all of your pieces right there at your disposal. Furthermore, it's a whole lotta fun!
But I digress.
Do I love all hip-hop? To quote Ralph Kramden, "No sir sir sir!" But I do love what I love. I respect the purpose of the genre and how the tracks are put together. I'll take the brilliant silliness of the Beasties over the often ham-handed, profanity-laced, misogynistic freestyling while the same single note beeps away to a cheap drum track for four minutes anyday.
That being said, I am not here to cause a stir or to attempt to change your minds about the Beasties or the genre. I get it. Hip-hop is not for everyone. But I am here to share a mix that features all of the songs that were sampled in "Shake Your Rump." And if you make it through the mix, and find that you enjoyed what you heard, you can listen to the Beastie Boys' "Shake Your Rump," the song that inspired the idea, right below. Maybe you'll have some fun listening for the Beasties dazzling placement of the songs you just heard.
Or, I can just go fuck myself again.
:)
I hope this interests at least a few of you.
TRACKLIST
Funky Snakefoot- Alphonse Mouzon
Super Mellow- Louis Bellson, Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey
Tell Me Something Good- Ronnie Laws
6 O'Clock DJ (Let's Rock)- Rose Royce
Born To Love You- Rose Royce
Jazz Sensation (Bronx Version)- Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5
Yo Yo- Rose Royce
Dancing Room Only- Harvey Scales
That's The Joint- Funky 4+1
Get Off- Foxy
8th Wonder- Sugarhill Gang
Unity Pt. 2 - Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown
Rock The House- The B-Boys
One Score & Four Drummers Ago- Louis Bellson, Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey
Put The Boogie In Your Body- The Treacherous Three
16 comments:
I have loved the Beastie Boys throughout their entire career. Sorry to say I never saw them live. Paul's Boutique is a masterpiece.
I saw the tour for the first album with topless women in cages and it put me off the Beasties for a while. then i heard "Shake Your Rump" over a club PA and all was forgiven. the album is one of a kind.
Fantastic idea! I love this type of post. I'm really looking forward to hearing all these tunes, thanks for pulling it together. As great as Paul's Boutique is, I'll always have a soft spot for Licensed To Ill. I was managing a record store when Licensed was released. We played that album to death! Juvenile? Yes. So what. But what a sound! Happy days.
"Well I'm Mike D and I'm back from the dead" -- is a line I repeat to this day.
Every time I listen to Paul's Boutique, I hear more and more depth and beauty of this record. It may be their masterpiece.
One of my favorites albums for its release. The Dust Brothers were intending to release ‘Shake Your Rump’ as an instrumental dance track… enter The Beastie Boys. Lol! (The Boys say the Brothers had about half the album’s tracks fully assembled prior to them becoming involved). A perfect summertime, top-down album for me. Thanks so much for the mix. I’ve read of the over 100 samples on the album but, haven’t taken the time to listen. And many of these I’ve never heard. And this mix plays awesome! :)
Looks like Odelay is on deck. After giving Paul’s Boutique another listen, of course.
For some reason, I'm reminded of the old Sid Ceasar bit where he played modern jazz guy Progress Hornsby, whose band had a guy in it on radar. In case they got too close to a melody. 😎
SS—Never heard this one before but I love it! Sometimes when I hear be-bop I'll say "I guess they couldn't decide what note to play so they just play all of them."
What a great idea. I do like the B-Boys for the same reason you did, it's not songwriting but something else that results in a different type of music which I can appreciate..
I didn't like Paul's Boutique when it came out (I'm really old) but I got it out today after listening to your sample playlist and I was amazed by how much it has improved.
“I’m shakin’ it boss, still shakin’ it” ….
Love all the Beastie Boys albums but Paul's Boutique is definitely their masterpiece. Sampling really was an art form for many years. The hip-hop from mid-80s to mid-90s is my favorite era because of the inventive sampling. Especially enjoy some of the jazz-rap of that era like Guru (Gang Starr) and Us3. You've probably seen it but here's a YouTube video of every sample from Paul's Boutique. It's a fun way to spend 15 minutes for fans of the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYwCZqzrmaQ
I'm with you on hip hop- I like what I like. And I love the Beastie Boys.
Quite a lot of electronic music get the same stick as hip hop... it's not real music!!, what a load of utter bollocks. I have no problem with 2,3,4 kids (regardless of colour, creed, gender or nationality) who between them can't play any "classic" instrument but have more imagination than the countless generic guitar band shit that clogs up the airwaves..I'm looking at you Oasis & Coldplay.. live & let live people, its a big enough world for us all.
I haven't gone for the Beasties, save for a song or two, but I'd never begrudge them their place in the world, and that goes for hip-hop and Oasis and Coldplay, the latter two of whom I collectively have maybe ten songs; hip-hop generally leaves me cold, but what I like I really like, as with other genres that aren't my cuppa. I admire the creative use of samples, and agree that doing it artfully is music, and I include mash-ups (which I REALLY like) in that. I've heard forever what a gem Paul's Boutique is, so I'm looking forward to hearing the song, and (the real attraction for the hopeless music junkie I am) the comp of all the stuff that went into it.
C in California
Love the Beasties, though I never got the instrumental funk album after several tries and do think Hello Nasty is a bit overrated. Totally agree about Paul's Boutique. It's a work of art. The idea that the Beasties make some of my fellow readers here angry fills me with disdain. They should go put on Pink Floyd for the umpteenth time and STFU. There's some music you post about that I don't get or just don't care for upon listening. None of it makes me angry.
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