Hands down---the best album of 1989 was the Beastie Boys' monumental Paul's Boutique, 53 minutes of rump shaking, egg throwing, high plains drifting joy. The band is releasing a re-issue to celebrate the 20th anniversary, which you can read about here. The album includes a mind-boggling but seamlessly woven 105 samples, and I was surprised to read that "Shake Your Rump," one of the album's best tracks, includes a sample of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times"---not because the Beasties weren't fans of Zeppelin, of course ("Rhymin and Stealin" after all, was pure "When the Levee Breaks")---but because I've listened to "Shake Your Rump" probably a thousand times and I'd never noticed it. But I think I've found it---it's in a drum roll.
I got to thinking of how much I love this album after reading this fantastic poet's list of 20 influential albums. It's hard to believe it's been 20 years. I don't think e-mail even existed in 1989, or if it did, I sure didn't have it. In those days, when I could handle being among the sweaty mass and front row pit of bodies at a Beastie Boys show, I saw them live five times. I'm too old to handle the ruckus of the shows now, but now and then I can sure enjoy a good flashback, like this:
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2 comments:
Me and otha-joe were going to request "high plains drifter" as your intro song at the inner ear. well, it was gonna be that or "Big Papa." Ha.
email did exist in 1989, in UNIX format, I believe. Not that I know what I am talking about, really. Funny, 1989 was my freshman year in college and I remember listening to this album with a Jersey girl who was surprised to find another Beatie Boys fan in Minnesota.
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