by LeRoy, Dan
The resultant mixture of hip-hop, funk and a return to the band’s punk roots seemed uncommercial enough, but Capitol would soon have been rid of the Beasties anyway, following this second album of a two-record deal. “There really wasn’t much expected of us,” Mike D would later say. “Check Your Head was going to be our last cigarette.”
That final smoke would unexpectedly catch fire during the spring and summer of 1992. The label employed a patient grassroots marketing campaign that was particularly effective in reaching the growing “alternative” market, and sent the album into the top ten. A full-fledged tour followed, and suddenly Capitol had the stars it thought it had purchased four years earlier.
* * *
The Beastie Boys were on the way up again, but the Dust Brothers and Matt Dike weren’t along for the ride. The three-way partnership between King, Simpson and Dike had faded after Paul’s Boutique, while Dike and Mike Ross would fall out; the label survived, but Delicious Vinyl’s short run as the West Coast answer to Def Jam was over.
Despite the poor commercial showing of Paul’s Boutique, Mike Simpson still felt certain he and John King would work with the Beastie Boys again. That the call never came “was just kind of surprising,” he says, still sounding baffled. “Once the record came out, we basically never heard from them again.”
He struggles to explain the end of the collaboration. “I don’t know if this is true or not … but we got a lot of the credit for Paul’s Boutique. And on some level, they may have wanted to get away from us, and say, ‘Hey, we’re the talent here.’ And they are. But I’m sure they wanted to prove they could do it themselves.”
John King’s take is slightly different. “After the album was done, we got exposed to the business side of the music industry, and being new to it all, had idealistic views of how things worked. We felt like we were being treated unfairly, but really we weren’t,” he contends. “It’s too bad, because I think that created a rift—if not mutually—at least from our side.”
The Dust Brothers would nonetheless prosper. They produced the massive bubblegum hit “MMMBop” for the teenaged sibling trio Hanson in 1997, and lent their skills and credibility to the Rolling Stones on that year’s Bridges to Babylon. But it was their collaboration with a Silver Lake neighbor, Beck Hansen, that produced the collection now viewed as the logical successor to Paul’s Boutique.
Nowhere near as sample-heavy as that album, Beck’s Odelay nonetheless boasted the same multigenre bouillabaisse. This time, though, the public was ready for it; the disc not only erased Beck’s reputation as a one-hit “Loser,” it won a pair of Grammys. The partnership was so successful, Simpson says, because “at the end of the day, my best work comes from turning samples into songs. And often when successful people have hired us, I wasn’t hired to do what I do best.”
“So when it came to doing Odelay with Beck, he really recognized, ‘Okay, this is what these guys do. Let me use them to their fullest.’ Very similar to the way we did it with the Beastie Boys, except that Beck was a lot more involved musically.”
In 2004, the Dust Brothers rekindled their relationships with both Beck and the Beastie Boys. Simpson and King joined Beck to make Guero, while Simpson and Mario Caldato would help remix the Beasties’ single “An Open Letter to NYC.” Also joining in, unexpectedly, was Matt Dike. The Paul’s Boutique team had nearly come full circle, at last.
* * *
The old axiom about the Velvet Underground’s first album was that it might have sold modestly, but inspired anyone who bought it to start a band. Everyone who purchased Paul’s Boutique didn’t also buy a sampler, yet many people who did have made their own profound contributions to music history.
According to Russell Simmons, producer Eric B once claimed he could have created fifteen albums with the ideas from Paul’s Boutique. Even the late Miles Davis reportedly once said he never tired of the record. Yet the crackdown on sampling that occurred soon afterward meant that the disc’s full influence would not be realized until years later, when a new generation of artists would craft even more dense soundscapes—DJ Shadow’s breathtaking debut, … Endtroducing, and the Avalanches’ own thrift-shop opus, Since I Left You, among them—from even more obscure source material.
Despite the public cold shoulder it first received from the hip-hop world, Paul’s Boutique became a touchstone for coundess rappers and producers, particularly in the fertile American underground. Otis Jackson Jr., better known as Madlib, would adopt the album’s musical MO and bong-friendly aesthetic on a series of acclaimed releases.
“I didn’t expect that record, but it’s one of my favorites. Paul’s Boutique inspired me to get all crazy with my beats—it just let me know you could do it,” says Madlib, adding with a chuckle, “‘Course, you gotta be sneaky about it nowadays.”
* * *
After being ahead of the game for so long, the Beasties found themselves perfectly aligned with the zeitgeist in 1994, thanks in no small part to the cultural wheels set in motion by Paul’s Boutique. Retro-chic, seventies funk, sampling, credible white rappers—all had gradually entered, or re-entered, the common lexicon after 1989. The recorded beneficiary of that trailblazing, Ill Communication, went to number one, the Beasties headlined Lollapalooza and Adam Yauch made millions aware of the plight of Tibetans oppressed by communist China.
Following that peak, marriages, families and side projects began to intrude on the trio. Not only did they have to live up to their first three releases—each of which had helped redefine pop music—but they were competing with an image fueled by a bratty sense of humor they’d outgrown. Yet the Beasties’ mid-nineties renaissance had kept interest high in their back catalog, and Paul’s Boutique would be certified platinum before the decade ended, rediscovered as a classic by fans both old and new. As writers began compiling end-of-the-millennium best ofs, the once doomed disc became a fixture on such lists. Around that time, Tim Carr—then working at DreamWorks, now a resident of Bangkok—“stopped being Tim ‘Megadeth’ Carr and became Tim ‘Beastie Boys’ Carr,” he says with a grin. “So I guess at that point I felt vindicated.”
* * *
Long ago, John King shared a joint on the flagpole tower of the Capitol Records building, at the Paul’s Boutique release party, with Michael Diamond and Adam Yauch. A security guard forced them to come down, but King is reminded of that strange afternoon every day. “I can see that building from my house,” he says, “and I always tell my kids how I climbed up on the top.”
* * *
Because Paul’s Boutique was the product of such an unlikely set of circumstances, it is impossible not to wonder: what if the Beastie Boys had never left Def Jam? The question has been asked numerous times over the years, but Mike D pauses to consider it anew.
“At the very best, we would have ended up with a compromise,” he says finally. “They would not have let us go to LA and work with some producers they’d never heard of, and stay out there forever. And we definitely couldn’t have gotten an air hockey table.”
* * *
The familiar-looking building on the corner of Rivington and Ludlow streets in New York City, is now a café called … Paul’s Boutique. What comes around, goes around.
* * *
“So once upon a time,” Tim Carr had said hours earlier, “there was a band called the Beastie Boys, and a kingdom called Paul’s Boutique.”
That kingdom, somewhere between Oz and the Playboy Mansion, still exists, as close as a needle, a laser or a mouse click from entry, yet as impossible as ever to comprehend in its sprawling totality.
But there’s always the chance that one more journey will make everything clear, and even if it doesn’t, there are no bad trips to the musical wonderland of Paul’s Boutique. Whether you’ve never been, or just returned an hour ago—what are you waiting for?
Bibliography and Sources
Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes are from interviews conducted by the author between January and November 2005
.
The Holy Bible, New International Version, Zondervan Publishing House, 1991
Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science, Beastie Boys, powerHouse Books, 2004
Rhyming and Stealing: A History of the Beastie Boys, Angus Batey, Omnibus Press, 1998
The Future of Nostalgia, Svetlana Boym, Basic Books, 2001
Def Jam, Inc., Stacy Gueraseva, Ballantine, 2005
Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money and God, Russell Simmons, Crown, 2001
The Beastie Boys Companion, John Rocco, Schirmer Books, 2000
Secondary Reading
Will Pop Eat Itself? Pop Music in the Soundbite Era, Jeremy J. Beadle, Faber and Faber, 1993
The Vibe History of Hip Hop, ed. Alan Light, Three Rivers Press, 1999
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, Andy Miller, Continuum, 2004
Rap Attack 2: African Rap to Global Hip Hop, David Toop, Serpents Tail, 1991
Legendary hip-hop photographer Ricky Powell, who contributed the previously unreleased photos seen in this book, also has available several volumes of his work. The latest, published in 2005 by powerHouse Books, is the “greatest hits” collection Public Access. However, all the Rickster’s tides are highly recommended.
Magazines and Newspapers
“Gathering Dust,” Bay Area Music Magazine, Nancy Whalen, May 6,1994 (interview with John King and Mike Simpson)
“Building the Perfect Beastie Album,” Billboard, Chris Morris, September 9, 1989 (interview with Michael Diamond)
“Sounds Too Beastly!” The Daily Mail, Marcus Berkmann, August 14, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“Very ’70s in the ’90s,” Gannett News Service, Marshall Fine, November 19, 1997
Paul’s Boutique review, Hip-Hop Connection, Nick Smash, August 1989
“Morning Report,” Los Angeles Times, Aleene MacMinn, June 29, 1989 (news item about Paul’s Boutique release party)
“Beastie Boys, Cool J Are Still Bragging,” Los Angeles Times, J. D. Considine, August 11, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“Morning Report Pop LP Charts,” Los Angeles Times, Dennis Hunt, August 11,1989 (news item about Paul’s Boutique sales)
“Label Seeks New Talent for Sagging Rock Roster,” Los Angeles Times, Paul Grein, September 26, 1989 (interview with Joe Smith)
“Boogie and the Beast,” L.A. Weekly, Danny Weizmann, September 7, 1989 (interview with the Beastie Boys)
“Cocks of the Walk,” Melody Maker, David Stubbs, July 29, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“Animal Crackers,” Melody Maker, Ted Mico, August 5, 1989 (interview with the Beastie Boys)
“Boys Keep Illin’,” New Musical Express, date unknown, 1988 (interview with Adam Yauch)
“In the Belly of the Beasties,” “Still Ill,” New Musical Express, James Brown, July 15 and 22, 1989 (two-part interview with the Beastie Boys)
“The Style Council, Royal Albert Hall,” New Musical Express, Stephen Dalton, July 22, 1989 (The Style Council concert review)
“That ’70s Revival: Clinging to the Malaise Decade,” Newsday, Josh Ozersky, May 28, 2000 (book review)
“Critic’s Notebook: Does Chaos Mix With Jewish Music?,” New York Times, Alex Ross, March 11, 1995 (concert review)
“Who’s Deffer? The Beastie Boys and LL Cool J Wrestle for the Summer’s Hip Hop Crown,” Request, Keith Moerer, August 1989 (interview with the Beastie Boys and Matt Dike)
“License Renewed,” Rolling Stone, Fred Goodman, June 15, 1989 (interview with the Beastie Boys and Russell Simmons)
“The Beasties: Def, Not Dumb,” Rolling Stone, David Handelman, August 10, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Revolution, Bill Holdship, November 1989 (interview with the Beastie Boys)
“Interview With Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch,” Shambhala Sun, Amy Green, January 1995
“To Live and Get High in L.A.,” Select, Adam Higginbotham, July 1994 (interview with the Beastie Boys)
“The Story of Yo,” Spin, Alan Light, September 1998 (Interviews with the Beastie Boys and many supporting characters from the Beastie universe)
“Interview with Mario Caldato, Jr.”, Tape-Op Magazine, Darron Burke, January 2002
“People: Boys Will Be Beasties,” Time, Emily Mitchell, August 14, 1989 (News item about Paul’s Boutique)
Paul’s Boutique review, Time, David Hiltbrand, August 1989
“How Ya Like ’Em Now?” Village Voice, Robert Christgau, August 15, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“Highbrow Hip-Hop: Thoughtful Rap from Beasties & Boogie Down,” Washington Post, Mark Jenkins, July 30, 1989 (Paul’s Boutique review)
“The Remix Masters,” Wired, Eric Steuer, November 2004
Internet
Beastieboys.com message board, Adam Yauch, date unknown
Beastiemania.com, “Who’s Who: Catherine Lincoln,” http://beastie mania.com/whois/lincoln_catherine/
Beastiemania.com, Andy Van Dette interview, May 2003, http://beastie mania.com/interview/interviewvandette.php
New Music Box, Greg Sandow, March 1, 2004, http://www.new musicbox.org/page.nmbx?id=59vw01
Velvet Chain biography, Jeff Stacy, October, 2005, http://www.velvetchain.com/jeffbio.html
Videography
“MTV News” interview, June 29,1989
Beastie Boys DVD Video Anthology, Criterion, 2000
Beastieography documentary, MTV, 1998
Audio
The Beastie Boys: The Interview CD (British bootleg; taken from an uncredited 1989 radio interview), Baktabak, 1997
KCRW radio interview with the Dust Brothers, February 13, 1997
Numerous bootleg studio and concert recordings were also consulted, in particular an illuminating bootleg commonly known as Paul’s Boutique Demos.
More praise for the 33 1/3 series:
We … aren’t naive enough to think that we’re your only source for reading about music (but if we had our way … watch out). For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you’d do well to check out Continuum’s “33 1/3” series of books.—Pitchfork
As individualistic and idiosyncratic as the albums that inspired them—Rob Trucks, Cleveland Scene
The best albums ever made—turned into books!—Blender magazine
This is some of the best music writing going on right now—Pulse of the Twin Cities
Music writing done right—Tape Op magazine
Admirable … 33 1/3 has broken new ground—THES (UK)
The series quietly breathes some life into the world of music fanaticism … an explosion of sincere, humbled appreciation—The Portland Mercury
The series represents the Holy Grail of millions of late Baby Boomers—All About Jazz
Inspired—Details
Neat—Nick Hornby, The Believer
A much-needed reprieve from the bite-size capsule reviews that rule much of today’s music criticism—San Francisco Bay Guardian
Informed, fun and personal—Paste Magazine
The series tries to inject new life into a tired form—Newsday
All [these] books revel in the distinct shapes and benefits of an album, its ability to go places film, prose or sculpture can’t reach, while capable of being as awe-inspiring as the best of those mediums—Philadelphia City Paper
These first few installments set the bar pretty high for those to come—Tangents
At their best, these Continuum books make rich, thought-provoking arguments for the song collections at hand—The Philadelphia Inquirer
A really remarkable new series of books—The Sunday News-Herald, Michigan
A brilliant idea—The Times (London)
The series treats its subjects with the kind of intelligence and carefully considered respect they deserve—Pop Culture Press
Lucid … each volume provides insightful commentary—The Paper, Central Illinois
Idiosyncratic, pocket-sized monographs done with passi
on and insight … the analysis is both personal and articulate—Harp Magazine
The series delves as deep as it’s possible to go without resorting to padding … 5 stars each—Classic Rock Magazine (UK)
Passionate, astutely written, and they lend real insight—Amplifier Magazine
If an enterprising college professor were to put together a course on pop criticism and classic rock ’n’ roll records, the textbooks could clearly be found among the … 33 1/3 series presented by Continuum Books. Each book delves deeply into an iconic album of the past 40 years, with a variety of approaches—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Informative, thought-provoking, creative, obsessive and more—Albany Times Union
Articulate, well-researched, and passionate—Library journal
A cracking good idea, and if you like the albums in question, you’re sure to love the books—Leaf Salon, New Zealand
Eclectic enough that there should be something for everyone—Maxim
A nifty little string of books that deserves more attention—Columbia Daily Tribune
These little tomes have captured me in a gobsmacked haze … These writings are so vivid and uplifting—Cincinnati City Beat
Cultural elitism never had it so good—Louisville Eccentric Observer
Praise for indivdiual titles in the series:
Meat Is Murder
My personal favorite of the batch has to be Joe Pernice’s autobiographic-fiction fantasia … Over little more than a hundred pages, he manages a vivid recollection of a teenage New England Catholic school life circa 1985, in all its conflict and alienation, sexual fumblings and misplaced longing—Tangents
Pernice’s novella captures these feelings of the despair of possibility, of rushing out to meet the world and the world rushing in to meet you, and the price of that meeting. As sound-tracked by the Smiths—Drowned in Sound
