Beastie Boys verses Beatles

[Floydoid]

Deano! wrote:

> I'm wondering if anyone can remember what was on the cover of any Beastie Boys CDs!
>

I couldn't even tell you the name of a Beastie Boys album... or song for that matter.

[Floydoid]

Guilbert wrote:

> A few years ago the BBC did a series of programs asking people
> to vote the best comedy shows on TV.... The overall winner was Men Behaving Badly, which happened to be showing at the time, over shows like say Morecambe and Wise.
>

I'm reminded of a massive poll done by HMV shops at around the turn of the millennium where they asked the public to name their favourite music acts of all time, and being totally disgusted to discover that my beloved Pink Floyd came 17th - 1 place behind Steps (who just happened to be popular at the time). As far as I'm aware the PF back catalogue is still selling steadily - but who's still buying Steps (or indeed remembers any of their music)?

Surveys like this will always contain a mix of the classic and the currently popular, so can never be a true gauge of anything.

[Jonone]

What is admirable about the Beastie Boys is that the Beastie Boys followed Licensed To Ill - which sold about 19 million copies in the US alone - with Paul's Boutique which was an entirely different kind of album. There was also probably a time lapse between the two of two or three years.

The Beastie Boys could have just milked the success of Licensed To Ill by producing Licensed To Ill 2 in double quick time, but they didn't. They made an artistic rather than a commercial decision to do what they wanted to do, and produced some great albums.

People like Neil Young and get kudos for not bowing down to 'the man', but the Beastie Boys have demonstrated the same kind of principles but would never get recognition for it.

I can't think of many artists who followed a multi million selling album with a relatively uncommercial volte face which is what Paul's Boutique was.

[The Last Word]

Jonone wrote:

> What is admirable about the Beastie Boys is that the Beastie
> Boys followed Licensed To Ill - which sold about 19 million
> copies in the US alone - with Paul's Boutique which was an
> entirely different kind of album.

Not quite, but it did sell very well: 9 million US, 6 million international.

> The Beastie Boys could have just milked the success of Licensed
> To Ill by producing Licensed To Ill 2 in double quick time, but
> they didn't. They made an artistic rather than a commercial
> decision to do what they wanted to do, and produced some great
> albums.

Would people have wanted a second helping though? And hadn't most sussed them out as rich, middle class boys posing as (admittedly very entertaining) poor white trash anyway? Knocking all that on the head was as much a career decision as a creative one. Fair play, it certainly worked, but they were never as much fun as they were at the start.

[Deano!]

Floydoid wrote:

> Guilbert wrote:
(snip)
> I'm reminded of a massive poll done by HMV shops at around the
> turn of the millennium where they asked the public to name
> their favourite music acts of all time, and being totally
> disgusted to discover that my beloved Pink Floyd came 17th - 1
> place behind Steps (who just happened to be popular at the
> time). As far as I'm aware the PF back catalogue is still
> selling steadily - but who's still buying Steps (or indeed
> remembers any of their music)?
(snip)

That's probably sillier than the Beatles comming 2nd to the Beasties. Steps were like a Eurovision act weren't they? The blond chick was worth a romp though!

[Floydoid]

Yep I agree mate the blond bird (I forget her name) would have been worth giving a good porking.

[Jonone]

I don't believe that the perception of their 'authenticity' was integral to their initial success or that if they'd chosen to write another 'No Sleep Til Brooklyn' or 'Fight For Your Right' that it wouldn't have been successful.

Whatever the reasons behind it, it's very unusual for a band or artist at that stage of their career to challenge audience perceptions of what the act is about and deliberately follow-up a multi-million selling album with one that rejected the 'formula' of the first and was thereby less accessible.

Whatever the rationale it was still a high risk strategy. Perhaps a recent comparison could be Radiohead and The Bends and OK Computer although there are two years between the two rather than the three between the Beastie Boys albums. The better comparison would be to imagine The Bends followed by Kid A and even then bear in mind that sales figures for The Bends were 30% of those for Licensed To Ill.

[Guilbert]

>I thought few Beach Boys albums achieved true iconic status because . . . . . . THEY WERE SHITE! Yank shite at that . . . . .

I think many of us in the UK heard a few Beach Boys hit singles based around surfing and thought that is all the band were.

But Brian Wilson left touring with the band early and spent all his time in the studio laying down the backing tracks for some great album tracks that many UK people never got to hear.

I suggest you listen to some of the great album tracks that are on albums like Pet Sounds, Beach Boys Today, and Summer Days and Summer Nights.

Listen to God Only Knows, Here Today, Wouldnt it be nice (and others) off Pet Sounds.

Please let me Wonder, Kiss me baby, When I grow up from Beach Boys Today

Your so good to me, California Girls etc off Summer days and Summer nights.

Brian Wilson used only the best backing / studio musicians and spent hours in the studio laying down the tracks. Many of the people he used were from the famous Wrecking Crew who included some great musicians



The rest of the band then came in a laid down the fantastic harmonies.

Do yourself a favour and dig out some of the great hidden gems in the Beach Boys collection.

[Guilbert]

Here are some great Beach Boys tracks on You Tube

All written and produced by Brian Wilson

(Listen to these and tell me the Beach Boys were shite)

God Only Knows


You still believe in me (brilliant production, and stunning vocals)


Dont Worry Baby


Youre so good to me


Warmth of the sun


Kiss Me Baby (strong Phil Spector influence)


Please let me wonder


Here Today


When I grow up


California Girls


Surfer Girl


In my room (one of the first ever really personal song from any band)

[Mr Mark]

Everyone has different tastes.

Personally i'd take The Beastie Boys over the Beatles any day. Mixmaster Mike is a modern day genius.