One of many posts about The Beastie Boys

Photo credit Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/amp/2018/10/beastie-boys-audiobook-mike-d-ad-rock-clip.html

My best friend and I discovered The Beastie Boys in the early 90s. She had the Check Your Head shirt, the stickers on her car, and Paul’s Boutique on cassette tape. We were fans, full stop.

There was no reason why a couple of teenage girls from Florida liked the music of three white boys rapping about NYC, a place we’d never been to, but the songs were cool so we were cool.

In my 20s and 30s, The Beastie Boys lingered in the background. I knew them. I liked them. I sang along to “Brass Monkey” and “Sabatoge” just like everyone else did who hears it on the radio.

It wasn’t until recently, when I re-introduced them to my husband who knew songs from his friends in Liverpool that had fallen under my radar. It’s as if their music was background music for most of our lives. We never sat and examined it, we just appreciate the music for what it was.

Then The Beastie Boys Story came out and I think most people embraced this rekindling of love for the group. When I was pregnant in 2019, I drove around a lot and wanted my baby to hear all sorts of cool music. Along with my grunge fixation, “This is Beastie Boys” welcomed us with some of their best songs. My husband read their book and kept telling me how much I’d enjoy it. He saw the documentary on Apple TV and one day made me sit and watch it as well, knowing how much I would dig it.

And then it began. The 17 year old girl in me, became obsessed with listening to their music and listened to it over and over again. The 45 year old woman I am, started analysing the lyrics, the way the words were pronounced so that they met in time with the music, and even what stories these three guys had to tell.

You know when people say, “There was a time in my life when I needed this band?” This is my time and The Beastie Boys have fit the bill. In a time when we’re all worried, stressed, confused, unable to make plans for normal things like holidays and meet ups, I need to have something upbeat, cool, and completely sure of itself, filling my speakers.

Daily. All the time. Spotify has told me that this was my #1 choice for the end of 2021, and it’s taking me into 2022 well.

I still don’t know a lot about them. I don’t know albums cover to cover (Paul’s Boutique is close though). But I like that I’m interested again. I’m curious about something more than mopey love songs. I have a band to be really into and at my age that’s something to be grateful for.

As the title of this article states, I’m sure I’ll revisit this topic again as I discover more and more music from these guys. Until then, if you haven’t explored The Beastie Boys Story, I highly recommend it. It’s fascinating to learn how a band grows and creates together.