midzi
11-11-2005, 02:11 AM
Beastie as usual
November 11, 2005
http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/beastie-as-usual/2005/11/10/1131578157723.html
Beastie Boys have released an album full of their hits.
Andrew Murfett discovers what's what with one of hip-hop's most enduring bands.
THE Beastie Boys have not broken up. That's the message from Mike Diamond, or Mike D as he is universally known, as the New York trio gear up for the release of their second best-of compilation.
"We actually stopped existing as a group 10 years ago," he deadpans. "Our albums were made in advance, frozen and defrosted."
The Beastie Boys began in New York's early-'80s hardcore scene and, after several line-up changes, Adam Yauch (aka MCA), Adam Horovitz (aka Adrock) and Mike D solidified to become one of hip-hop's enduring trios.
"We were always going to hardcore shows and seeing bands like Black Flag," he says. "When hip-hop made the transition to record and hip-hop records actually started to come out in NYC, right away it was something all of us embraced. The obvious next step was to memorise all the rhymes, and then eventually start trying to do it all on your own."The trio's rapid rise through hip-hop's ranks corresponds with their alliance with pioneers Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons), who established Def Jam Records.
The group quickly went from playing dingy clubs to opening for the likes of Kurtis Blow and Run DMC. However, their rise into the mainstream culminated with a highly inappropriate slot supporting Madonna in 1985.
"It was a national tour playing in front of tens of thousands of people who not only didn't know who we were, but couldn't care less, because they're just waiting to see Madonna. By the end of each show, pretty much everyone in the audience hated us. But we definitely made a name for ourselves. Most bands today, if they get an opening slot, think, 'Cool, we'll get some exposure, play to more people, and sell some records'. Our philosophy was a little different. We knew everybody would hate us, so we're just going to go down and make a name for ourselves."The poor response to their profane act did little to douse the momentum of their career. In fact their landmark Rick Rubin-produced record Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to go to number one on the US pop charts.
Sadly, the relationship between the band and Rubin soured and they moved to LA.
"Things got funny, financially and then also with Def Jam," Diamond says.
"Everybody had their own take on what should happen with us. Nobody was particularly interested in what our thoughts were on the topic so we just felt the need to get away from the whole thing."The boys eventually moved back to New York, where they produced a string of hit albums including the 1999 smash Hello Nasty.
Still, the Beastie Boys in 2005 are a far different proposition to the lewd, antisocial misfits who notoriously introduced a giant erect penis as their stage's main set piece in the late 1980s.
These days it's Tibetan freedom concerts, benefit gigs for New Yorkers Against Violence, and anti-war songs.
Yet Solid Gold Hits comes just five years after their career anthology. Are the Beastie Boys in financial trouble?
"I guess it begs that obvious question," Diamond says. "I'll just say that the anthology is out there for people who are up on what we do anyway, Solid Gold is for people who don't really want to go any deeper; they just want the hits, and that's all they get."
The only other activity in the Beasties camp this year is an upcoming film project that will document a huge show at Madison Square Garden.
"We gave out 50 digital video cameras to kids in the crowd to shoot the show, and we got them back and did a documentary on the whole thing, and it will come out next year," Diamond says.
"Besides that, we haven't been up to a whole lot, to be honest. I hate putting a time frame on a new album because whatever I say will always be wrong. So I don't even want to hazard a guess."
November 11, 2005
http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/beastie-as-usual/2005/11/10/1131578157723.html
Beastie Boys have released an album full of their hits.
Andrew Murfett discovers what's what with one of hip-hop's most enduring bands.
THE Beastie Boys have not broken up. That's the message from Mike Diamond, or Mike D as he is universally known, as the New York trio gear up for the release of their second best-of compilation.
"We actually stopped existing as a group 10 years ago," he deadpans. "Our albums were made in advance, frozen and defrosted."
The Beastie Boys began in New York's early-'80s hardcore scene and, after several line-up changes, Adam Yauch (aka MCA), Adam Horovitz (aka Adrock) and Mike D solidified to become one of hip-hop's enduring trios.
"We were always going to hardcore shows and seeing bands like Black Flag," he says. "When hip-hop made the transition to record and hip-hop records actually started to come out in NYC, right away it was something all of us embraced. The obvious next step was to memorise all the rhymes, and then eventually start trying to do it all on your own."The trio's rapid rise through hip-hop's ranks corresponds with their alliance with pioneers Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons), who established Def Jam Records.
The group quickly went from playing dingy clubs to opening for the likes of Kurtis Blow and Run DMC. However, their rise into the mainstream culminated with a highly inappropriate slot supporting Madonna in 1985.
"It was a national tour playing in front of tens of thousands of people who not only didn't know who we were, but couldn't care less, because they're just waiting to see Madonna. By the end of each show, pretty much everyone in the audience hated us. But we definitely made a name for ourselves. Most bands today, if they get an opening slot, think, 'Cool, we'll get some exposure, play to more people, and sell some records'. Our philosophy was a little different. We knew everybody would hate us, so we're just going to go down and make a name for ourselves."The poor response to their profane act did little to douse the momentum of their career. In fact their landmark Rick Rubin-produced record Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to go to number one on the US pop charts.
Sadly, the relationship between the band and Rubin soured and they moved to LA.
"Things got funny, financially and then also with Def Jam," Diamond says.
"Everybody had their own take on what should happen with us. Nobody was particularly interested in what our thoughts were on the topic so we just felt the need to get away from the whole thing."The boys eventually moved back to New York, where they produced a string of hit albums including the 1999 smash Hello Nasty.
Still, the Beastie Boys in 2005 are a far different proposition to the lewd, antisocial misfits who notoriously introduced a giant erect penis as their stage's main set piece in the late 1980s.
These days it's Tibetan freedom concerts, benefit gigs for New Yorkers Against Violence, and anti-war songs.
Yet Solid Gold Hits comes just five years after their career anthology. Are the Beastie Boys in financial trouble?
"I guess it begs that obvious question," Diamond says. "I'll just say that the anthology is out there for people who are up on what we do anyway, Solid Gold is for people who don't really want to go any deeper; they just want the hits, and that's all they get."
The only other activity in the Beasties camp this year is an upcoming film project that will document a huge show at Madison Square Garden.
"We gave out 50 digital video cameras to kids in the crowd to shoot the show, and we got them back and did a documentary on the whole thing, and it will come out next year," Diamond says.
"Besides that, we haven't been up to a whole lot, to be honest. I hate putting a time frame on a new album because whatever I say will always be wrong. So I don't even want to hazard a guess."