The Beasties
Stimpson (stimpson@total.net)
Wed, 29 Jul 1998 14:49:27 -0400
Ok, I thought I could manage to stay out of this one, but I can't. Beasties
an 80's and 90's version of the Beatles. Beasties a more creative Beatles?
ARE YOU INSANE???!!! The B-boys are a pop act, and a good one at that, but
to even try to compare their achievements to those of the Beatles is sheer
insanity. The Beatles sell more records now, years after the fact, than the
Beasties do in their prime. They were miles ahead of the B-boys in terms of
songwriting, arrangements, musicianship, and everything else under the sun.
While the Beastie Boys may be covered in the future by a few bands, as all
bands are, their influence will never come close to that of the Beatles.
Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Luciano Pavarotti,
Burt Bacharach, BB King, and the list of superstars go on who have paid
tribute to the Fab Four, and they ain't even pop artists in the rock n' roll
sense of the word!! I ain't the world's biggest Beatles fan, but you just
gotta have ears to recognize the songwriting genius of Lennon and Mc
Cartney. Have the Beastie Boys written their "Hey Jude", "Imagine" or "A
Day In A Life" yet?? No, and I'd guess safely that they never will. Don't
get me wrong, I own all of the Beastie Boys records (as compared to one
Beatles record) and have seen them live numerous times, but to compare
their influence, even if only within the limits of rap, to the Beatles, is
sheer insanity. They ain't even in the same stratosphere. Where the
Beastie Boys may one day contribute significantly to the way hip-hop is
recorded, the Beatles have and will continue to influence musicians in every
concievable genre of music. If we have to talk about influential bands of
our generation, I'd say Nirvana (for their songwriting) will be remembered
down the line way before the Beastie Boys will, but I guess that's another
thread.
-----Original Message-----
From: Blkwallst1@aol.com <Blkwallst1@aol.com>
To: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 1998 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: new beasties
>In a message dated 98-07-28 16:26:21 EDT, you write:
>
><< I also think the fact that the Beastie
> Boys are white have contributed to much of their fame, fortune, and
> critical acclaim. Sorry to bring it down to that, but in this case I think
> it's a matter of calling a spade a spade... Actually, maybe you're right,
> they are like the Beatles of the 80s and 90s...
>
> gordon
> >>
>It's a sad, but true statement....they introduced rap to an audience that
>never would have listened to a Run DMC, or LL Coool J (at least not back in
>the day), or any of the other rap pioneers. Radio stations that wouldn't
>touch rap, because in their own words, it was "too black", were clamouring
to
>play Beasties singles. Don't get me wrong, I think they are an incredible
>group and deserve much credit because of their creativity, but we've seen
this
>sort of thing happen over and over and over.....again, its just that this
>time, the grop actually has some talent.
>
>You make a good point, maybe then, they are the Beatles of the 80s and 90s.
>Only the Beasties are more original and creative (uh-oh, did I just start
>something?) than the Beatles were when they became so incredibly popular.
>
>Well, those are my two cents.
>
>Greg
>