Im curious....original Beastie fans

[BowieCokeMirror]

LTI and then PB. What did you think when you popped in CYH??? I remember getting it the day it came out and I was soooooooooo disappointed. The only song I liked was So Whatcha. I was pissed off because the mics didnt sound clear. All this instrumental stuff. Its the first album that I had to listen to non stop that grew on me after each listen. I think this album is what made me a true BEASTIE....

[Laver1969]

I understand where you're coming from. With CYH being the first album where they just had some instrumental and slow jams and non-rap kinda stuff. It took me a while for them to grow on me.

I absolutely loved the hiphop tracks on CYH so I'd just skip the other stuff. But eventually I came around.

[DJ_Skrilla]

I saw the SWW video on MTV and I remember being mad dissapointed. It was just different at the time. It was ahead of its time, but became my favorite. I used to buy CYH for my Girlfriends and they would get hooked on the BBoys. Werd.

[Michelle*s_Farm]

When CYH came out I immediately bought the tape and that evening I took the tape to my local bar which was an alternative music drinking hole (2 dollar rum and cokes!) filled with university kids, some drug addicts and two dealers. Everyone was united by an interest in so-called 'alternative music'. When I was talking to the DJ (he also played in some local bands) about my latest purchase of the Beastie Boys album he immediately made a copy and played the tape from beginning to end in the bar. His favourite track at first listen was Funky Boss. It was a fun night. Nothing better than getting your favorite music played by a DJ at your favorite bar.
(y)

[Kid Presentable]

Yeah I loved it right off the bat. Honestly I thought the instrumentals were kind of boring, but it just meant that boring became one of my new favourite things. I was pretty young, though.

[pesto pizza]

LTI and then PB. What did you think when you popped in CYH??? I remember getting it the day it came out and I was soooooooooo disappointed. The only song I liked was So Whatcha. I was pissed off because the mics didnt sound clear. All this instrumental stuff. Its the first album that I had to listen to non stop that grew on me after each listen. I think this album is what made me a true BEASTIE....

i had forgotten thats how i felt that day. i only liked pass the mic,finger licken good and proffessor booty.i did get all my mates into that album though they were all stoners and they loved the instrumental stuff and they only normally listened to rap.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

I thought Whatcha Want and Pass the Mic were instant classics. The drums in Whatcha Want just had me hooked to that track. I got seriously hooked on that shit. I dug all the rap tracks. I really liked Time For Livin' too because I was into punkrock. I did skip a lot of the instrumental stuff. I'm not sure it was because I didn't like it, it was more like I just wanted to hear the tracks I liked so much. After a while though the instrumental stuff started to grow on me. By the time Ill Comm came out I was still mainly in it for the rap cuts but soon after that everything clicked.

[Bernard Goetz]

I loved every little thing about it. I think my age and where I was in life helped that along. I was 18/19 and just got into smoking pot and drinking beer and wearing flannel and listening to Dinosaur Jr and fIREHOSE, and was into some new hip-hop (like Low End Theory and Sons of the P) along with just getting into George Clinton's catalog. Paul's Boutique was by early '92 (and still is) the greatest thing ever, but that 3-year period between PB and CYH was probably the era that the band came closest to disappearing completely, more than any other time between albums (maybe even more than the time between LTI and PB). It's hard to believe now, but without the internet, and without the band having their hands in any other honey jars (film production, magazines, record labels) you heard nothing about them at all from early 1990 to late 1991 (the first I heard that they were even still together and recording was Spike Jonze's Dirt magazine piece from fall '91).
Paul's Boutique flopped hard, and though I still loved the band and was excited for their return, I assumed no one but me and my buddies would care about a new Beastie Boys album (again, I know I sound like an old man but it can't be stressed enough: no internet - no discussion groups - no email - the only way to know someone was into the same shit you were was if they were wearing a t-shirt or you saw them at a show).
So when Professor Booty was released to radio in late February, and my friend scored the 45 from his college station, and later, when Pass the Mic showed up on radio, then the 12 inch was released, with Dub The Mic and Drunken Praying Mantis Style and "sorry the album took so long" it was a perfect storm of coolness. They were back, they were effortlessly cool and laid back, the music was trippy, dense, and dope. The alchemy of rap, punk, funk and fashion aesthetic was almost too much to take. They were superheroes in Pumas. The best band ever. And with CYH, it was cool to like them again. Everyone did. Even PB started to get its heartbeat props. CYH changed everything. IC cemented it, and HN furthered it. Damn the '90s were nice.

[Thunder D]

I skipped school to go buy CYH during my senior year. I was hype on it, since my friends and I saw the video for Pass the Mic months prior and their stop on Yo MTV Raps! I still remember my friend yelling from the other room yelling "new Beastie Boys", on some late night random video show on a Saturday night. Pre internet and we had no clue that they were still making music. Fun times that night!

[cj hood]

CYH was probably the first cd i was ready for. knew it was coming....saw the PTM vid and the 'Hangin w/mtv' appearance. it took a couple of listens to appreciate it (which is how all good beastie cds should be). was in college and dj'ing at the time....promoted CYH like the leader of the street team!!!!! you're welcome mike d!

[mickill]

I had already taped Pass The Mic onto cassette from the tv and been listening to it everyday. Even though it's the most "conventional" rap song on the album, I could tell that they were heading in a slightly different direction. And then this guy I knew got his hands on a promo copy and told me that it had a lot of fuzzed out rock and 70s funk shit, and that they were playing instruments on it. I didn't know if he was serious or not.

When it was finally released, as I was listening to it, I remember thinking it sounded exactly the way it looked. Like, the cover, the packaging, the fonts, the pictures and everything seemed to really fit the sound of the music itself. I liked that. But I thought the overall sound was a lot looser and almost kind of improvised sounding. What I loved about PB was the tight way it was put together, how the songs were seamless and the rhymes locked in together. CYH was kind of the opposite in that respect. But I grew to love it.

[Michelle*s_Farm]

I loved every little thing about it. I think my age and where I was in life helped that along. I was 18/19 and just got into smoking pot and drinking beer and wearing flannel and listening to Dinosaur Jr and fIREHOSE.

Thanks for that post as it brought back a lot of my own memories. It was an important aspect of the band's development at a somewhat quirky (perhaps unstable) period in the history of generation x.

By the way I went to see Dinosaur Jr the other night and it was a fantastic show. There were a lot of young kids really into the new tracks. Made me feel good for some reason :)

[facedownfall]

Once the time had passed since they released Lookin' Down The Barrell Of A Gun and Shadrach videso to MTV in early 1990, I started sleepin' on Paul's Boutique and became a massive fan of P.E./NWA and dismissed the Beastie Boys for a brief period of time from 1990-91. Young and confused, I thought I would get more cred by only listening to black emcees (I was 13-14 then).

However, MTV did one of those end of the year shows for 1991 and looked ahead to 1992, in one of the clips they showed the Beastie Boys chillin' on a couch talking about a new album they just recorded and mentioned it had more of a "grunge" sound to it. They also ask if anybody wants to donate instruments to them drop them off their shows. Anybody have this appearance some where? Anyways, I got super excited when I heard they were making a new album, which I had no idea when it was coming out.

I remember eating dinner one night with my mom, my sister and her boyfriend are in the next room watching MTV, and I heard Adrock's distinct voice in the "Pass The Mic" video, I jumped out of my chair and tried to watch it but the channel changed. Later that week, my sister's boyfriend borrowed the Pass The Mic cd and played it for me...I was mesmerized.

On another note, the local newspaper ran a phone service called INFOLINE, it was where we would get info for local concerts, horoscopes, movie showtimes, etc. Music reviews would appear in paper with a 4 digit code to dial on INFOLINE for a preview of a song, I called it about 3 times a day after they review CYH. The only track for preview was "Funky Boss", I could not get enough of the 30 second clip. :)


I believe it was a few weeks after it came out that I finally bought Check Your Head, being 14 going on 15, I had an allowance so I had to collect enough to get the cassette tape from NationalRecordMart (NRM). My mom waited in the parking lot while I walked into the store, heart beating rapidly as pulled the cassette off the rack and took it to the register, My first attempt I was rebuffed by the clerk because I was not over 18 and it had the infamous parental advisory sticker on it, so dejected I went back to the parking lot and told my mother. After much pleading, she went in the store and bought it for me. Our next stop was the grocery store, so naturally I waited in the car while she bought groceries and slipped the CYH cassette in.

From that moment on, my music life was changed forever. The first 3 tracks are pretty normal hip-hop jams, then Gratitude came on and I was like "whoa", then the next track I'm like are those mcdonald's straws in this song?

My mother finished her grocery shopping and was back in the car in time for "Finger Lickin' Good", and so I asked her who is saying "I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough", and she tells me it's Bob Dylan and how she can't stand his voice. I became an instant Bob Dylan fan right there from that sample and moment, love his work.

It became the soundtrack of summer 1992 for me and turned me on to new music and shaped who I am as far as my tastes are today. "Time For Livin" introduced me to hardcore and Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Flag and the like. The instrumentals had me researching and listening to Sun Ra, Sonic Youth, Sly Stone.

So on first listen, I was blown away!! Sorry for the lenghty novel.

[pm0ney]

Check Your Head was actually the 2nd Beastie album I ever heard. I had an old copy of Licensed To Ill which I listened to for a straight year (1st grade thru 2nd grade), and so my dad bought me a new boombox and a cassette of Check Your Head for x-mas in 2nd grade (1992). Jimmy James was so fucking out there that I didn't listen to it and just kept bumping LTI until around that summertime, when I decided to give it another listen. And man, I swear, every single day I would go to the beach, come home and listen to Check Your Head. I was completely in love with that record. I remember even at 8 years old I was amazed at the scratching on Jimmy James. I was all like, "this is the coolest shit ever!"

[3stooges]

I loved PB from beginning to end, so I was highly anticipating the next album. I was reading about it in magazines, how they were playing live on it, and I was excited about that. At the time I was 21, I was into a lot of 'alternative' rock and punk, along with the hip hop, skating, partying, weed, psychedelics, so the whole thing was a perfect fit for me.

I was in this record store in Torrance and asked the clerk about when it was coming out. He told me he had an early bootleg, and he'd make a copy if I wanted, so I gave him a blank and came back a couple days later and picked it up. This was about a month before it actually came out so I felt kinda special. This copy was kinda low quality (I imagine many generations of copies) but I could hear what was going on and loved it. It was definitely a 'new sound' to me, but I was digging it. It just sounded really raw and funky, and the energy was great.

A couple weeks later, I saw them at this aids benefit in Hollywood. This was a crazy bill with Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Primus, Porno for Pyros, and I think it was Rollins Band too. Beasties played about a half hour, and played some of the new songs, such as Gratitude, I remember them playing that one specifically cause I always liked that song from the first time I heard it. I also remember them doing a live band version of Paul Revere. Their live show wasn't really all together at that point, but I along with just about everybody there was just psyched to see them playing live. They hadn't done it in a long time. It was kinda weird seeing them doing songs that nobody knew. I must have been one of the few folks there that had heard them at that point.

Couple weeks later, the cd came out in the store. Then I got to hear it in pristine digital quality and loved it even more.

I still love that album and put it with PB as their best work.

[RobMoney$]

They also ask if anybody wants to donate instruments to them drop them off their shows.


THANK YOU!!!

I thought I was the only person in the world who remembered they did this.

[YoungRemy]

also interesting, facedownfall, that you mention you found Dylan through the Beastie Boys. this was similar for me with Dylan, Zeppelin, Marley, anything they were sampling I was trying to hear the orginal source when I was growing up.

i still have my CYH cassette from High School

[SpacemanSpliff]

Don´t laugh at me but Beavies & Butthead introduced me 1st to "Check Your Head"!!!

After LTI and PB i didn´t even know that CYH was released already .... all i remember was chilling totally stoned on my couch watching Beavies & Butthead .... then this amazing guitar riff of "Gratitude" kind of made me clean and i was going like Beavis "WooooooooW, the Beastie Boys play their own instruments .... they rock, rock, rock ...". Watch this excellent episode i´m talking about (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOYtxg5XNRI#t=8m56s)

[cj hood]

anyone send a SASE for the lyrics besides myself?

[RobMoney$]

Got the Pass the Mic 12" the day it dropped.
I heard it on the radio before that tho.

Also got CYH the day it dropped.
Took it back to my boys house, smoked a bowl and threw it on.
We were both hooked instantly.

[Laver1969]

anyone send a SASE for the lyrics besides myself?

Oh yeah...and it included lyrics from a Year And a Day from PB. I think they had some European tour dates on there, too.

(y)

[cj hood]

Oh yeah...and it included lyrics from a Year And a Day from PB. I think they had some European tour dates on there, too.

(y)

and.....and......beastie gear!

[facedownfall]

and.....and......beastie gear!

Yes!!! I would read the cover letter, look at the order from, and read the lyrics sheet over and over. Once I saw the "A Year and A Day" lyrics it became one of my favorite songs as well.

I remember the SASE letter would say
"Dear Grand Royal shareholder" and it would have the GR logo as a watermark on the paper. I wish I still had that paper somewhere.

[facedownfall]

also interesting, facedownfall, that you mention you found Dylan through the Beastie Boys. this was similar for me with Dylan, Zeppelin, Marley, anything they were sampling I was trying to hear the orginal source when I was growing up.

i still have my CYH cassette from High School


I also found Minor Threat, Sly Stone, Rollins Band, and new york hardcore through them. They covered "Stand Up" when they played Norfolk, VA on the CYH tour.

[Laver1969]

I remember the SASE letter would say
"Dear Grand Royal shareholder" and it would have the GR logo as a watermark on the paper. I wish I still had that paper somewhere.

I've still got mine. I think this might be my scan on beastiemania... http://www.beastiemania.com/merch/zoom.php?pic=gr/hi_res/19921stgrmailer01_hr.jpg&width=679&height=874

[Michelle*s_Farm]

Got the Pass the Mic 12" the day it dropped.
I heard it on the radio before that tho.

Also got CYH the day it dropped.
Took it back to my boys house, smoked a bowl and threw it on.
We were both hooked instantly.

Now that brings back memories (y) although my Pass the Mic single was
on CD because I had foolishly got rid of my Dual record player at the time.

[Hypestyle]

I had passed on boutique when it first came out (copped it a few years later).. so all I knew was License to Ill.. nothing about the punk background.. so when Check Ya Head came out.. I dug it when I bought it, including the instrumental stuff, though Time For Livin' was neither here nor there with me.. I mainly dug the rap tracks, the funk-jazz instrumentals and the "talk" tracks were cool and neat.. I just wish the album had been promoted to Urban radio, which it was not.. they stumbled into the post-Nirvana alternative-rock craze without it being a calculated move.. Beasties early 90s comeback was basically with "mainstream" music fans/audiences.. they ended up becoming a successful rap group (again) without a "substantive" black/latin audience anymore... When Eminem finally came out, Urban radio started acting like playing white dudes was brand new.. as I would buy the subsequent albums and enjoy them, it was still weird to observe that they were all but invisible to urban minority fans..

[M.C. Guevera]

Okay, I wasn't a fan back then (I was only 4!), but seeing old videos, reading old magazine articles, looking at the old Billboard charts, it seems as though the Beasties were still very much promoted in the hip-hop community. Check Your Head and Ill Communication both were in the Top 10 on the Hip-Hop/R&B charts, MTV Jams and Yo MTV Raps! still played their music videos, VIBE Magazine did a cover story on them (they were the first white rappers to appear on the cover of VIBE Magazine too), "So What'cha Want?" was nominated for Best Rap Video at the Soul Train awards. It's probably true that alot of blacks/latinos weren't really into them, but still, they were still considered hip-hop first and foremost. Certainly more so than when Hello Nasty and To The 5 Boroughs came out.