The 500 - #219 - Licensed To Ill - Beastie Boys

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #219
Album Title: Licensed To Ill 
Artist: Beastie Boys
Genre: Rap Rock, Hip Hop
Recorded: Chung King Studios, New York City, NY

Released:  November, 1986 
My age at release: 21
How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, moving up 27 places to position 192
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn

I love novelty songs -- those catchy humorous ditties that often parody popular culture. Humorous titles first appeared on my radar in 1976 when K-Tel records released two compilation novelty albums consisting of 48 songs -- Goofy Greats and Looney Tunes. When I was 11, my friends and I were easy marks when the commercials began airing on kid-friendly afternoon television. Within a few weeks, my pal David McNeilly owned copies of both.

The albums contained songs that had hit the charts in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Some even held the #1 spot, including Yakety Yak, My Ding-a-Ling, Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and, of course, the perennial October favourite, The Monster Mash, by Bobby “Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Keepers. The successful novelty song trend continued through the ‘70s and ‘80s as I began to develop my musical tastes. However, by the time Rick Dees landed at  #1 with Disco Duck in 1977 and Joe Dulce's Shaddap You Face became one of the biggest hits in Canada in 1981, I was starting to outgrow this often rudimentary form of comedy. Not only had my comedic tastes advanced, so had my understanding of music.

Album cover for Joe Dolce's Shaddap You Face.

The first time I heard Beastie Boys, the American hip hop/rock group from New York City, I thought they were a novelty act. The song, (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!), hit local radio stations in the spring of 1987 and climbed the charts quickly. It was actually the fourth single release from their debut album Licensed To Ill. The previous three singles, issued before the album was released, had failed to crack the Top 100 in Canada and had performed only slightly better in the United States.

Album cover for the single release of (You Gotta) Fight For
Your Right (To Party!).

I dismissed the song off-handedly when I first heard it. It was an obvious parody of the hard-rock party culture prevalent in the '80s. It was certainly poking fun at the glam-metal rebel party anthems of the time, including Twisted Sister's I Wanna Rock, Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time , Motley Crue's remake of Smokin' In The Boys Room or Turn Up The Radio from Autograph.

Album cover for Twisted Sister's I Wanna Rock.

I suppose, as a long-haired hard-rock devotee, I also took some offence. Beasties’ Fight For Your Right seemed like a swipe at fans of the hard-rock genre. It was fairly common at the time for the media to distill the metalhead to an unfair stereotype – a low-intelligence, grubby, head-banging moron perpetually intoxicated and with little ambition or few prospects. While this generalized view had some merit, most of the metal fans I knew were intelligent, well read and artistic, with the same penchant for libation and celebration as other cliques -- the preppies, the jocks or the punks.

A stereotypical 80s metal/hard rock fan.

If you’d asked me in the spring of 1987 to define Beastie Boys and their seemingly omnipresent hit, Fight For Your Right, I would likely have shrugged them off as a one-hit wonder. I figured that, by that summer, they would be relegated to the "where are they now?” file occupied by the aforementioned novelty artists, Joe Dolce, Rick Dees and Bobby “Boris” Pickett.

Album cover for Monster Mash, by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett 
and The Crypt-Keepers.

I was wrong. Beastie Boys followed up their initial success with three tremendously catchy numbers, Brass Monkey, No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn and Girls. By the summer, I had reluctantly accepted that the band was here to stay and, slowly, I was won over by the trio's tongue-in-cheek blend of hip hop, rock and comedy.  

Mike "Mike D" Diamond (), Adam "Ad Rock" Horovitz and
Adam "MCA" Yauch.

I may have been late to the "party", but I wasn't alone. Licensed To Ill became the first rap album to top the Billboard chart and the second, after RUN DMC's Raising Hell (#123 on The 500), to go platinum. The record also enjoyed overwhelming critical acclaim. Slant Magazine called Licensed To Ill the "Best Album of the 1980s" saying:

"Rife with layer upon layer of sampling, start-stop transitions, and aggressive beats, it helped transform the genre from a direct dialogue between MC and DJ into a piercing, multi-threaded narrative" and "helped set an exciting template for the future".

I'll happily admit I was wrong. Beastie Boys were not a flash-in-the-pan novelty group destined for the discount record section. But neither was I entirely inaccurate. By 1989, with the release of Paul's Boutique (#156 on The 500), the trio from Manhattan had reinvented their sound and image. They continued to grow and innovate, releasing seven platinum-selling albums. Eventually, Fight For Your Right was dropped from their live set-list.

Beastie Boys perform in 1987.

The group revealed that Fight was intended to be a send-up of Frat Boy Culture (not heavy metal devotees). They were frustrated that it had become an anthem for the same individuals they were parodying. Mike D. later said:

“The only thing that upsets me is that we might have reinforced certain values of some people in our audience when our own values were actually totally different. There were tons of guys singing along who were oblivious to the fact it was a total goof on them. Irony is often missed.”

One-off performances of Fight dotted their live performances in the early ‘90s. But, by the 1994 Lollapalooza festival tour Beastie Boys retired the song for good.

Lollapalooza Tour Poster (1994).

I really liked where Beastie Boys took their career after Licensed To Ill. I'll try to explore that in a little over a year when we get to Paul's Boutique.

 

 

The 500 - #220 - Look-Ka Py Py - The Meters

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #220
Album Title: Look-Ka Py Py 
Artist: The Meters
Genre: Funk
Recorded: Le Fevre Studios, Atlanta, Georgia

Released:  December, 1969 
My age at release: 4
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, moving down 195 places to position 415
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Look-Ka Py Py

Initially, I thought  The Meters’ second studio record, Look-Ka Py Py, would be a new discovery. In many ways, it was. It turns out, I have heard songs by The Meters before – their distinct instrumental brand of New Orleans Funk making it an immediate reminder. Some rudimentary research showed their music has been featured in several commercials and on television programs and movies which I was aware of.

An example was The Meters’ biggest hit, Cissy Strut, which was featured humorously in the 2020 Danish black comedy Druk (labelled Another Round for English releases) that my wife and I watched during the height of the pandemic. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen, who had already secured success in Hollywood as the Bond villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006) and as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the television series Hannibal (2013-15).

Danish movie poster for Druk (2020)

Druk/Another Round tells the story of four high-school teachers who commiserate about their careers and mid-life malaise. They struggle to motivate their students and feel their lives have become routine and boring. At a dinner celebrating a 40th birthday, the foursome discuss a ‘theory’ from Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud.  Skårderud (sort of) postulated that humans are born with a deficiency in their blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05%. It didn’t take long for the characters to conjecture that elevating one's BAC to a positive 0.05% would improve relaxation and creativity. By way of comparison, 0.05% is achieved by most adults knocking back two standard drinks.

Mikkelsen on the poster for the 
English release of Another Round.

The group decides to embark on an experiment, punctuating each day with enough alcohol to maintain this slightly positive BAC. At first, things go swimmingly and this emboldens the quartet to up the ante, often drinking to excess in the evening and on weekends. During one scene featuring a robust session of imbibing, the song Cissy Strut from The Meters is played on a turntable. The montage that follows captures the delightful bacchanalian excess that an evening of intoxicated celebration with friends can bring. Predictably, the darkly funny film also addresses the short and long term effects of boozy celebration. I won't spoil it as the Academy Award winning flick is worth your time watching.

Slightly intoxicated is a good way to describe how listening to The Meters makes me feel. The music features light, infectiously melodic grooves, punctuated by punchy, fun bass riffs and a danceable drum beat. Much like the characters in Druk/Another Round, it triggers an impulse to dance on the furniture. Formed in 1965 in New Orleans, The Meters comprise Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jones Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). Look-Ka Py Py is the group's second release and the title track, along with Cissy Strut from their debut albums, are considered funk classics.

The Meters - clockwise from left: Zigaboo Modeliste,
Art Neville, George Porter Jr. and Leo Nocentelli

The group did not experience much mainstream success but are highly-regarded by critics. Along with James Brown, they are recognized as the originators of the funk genre. They also served as back-up band for multiple artists, including Leo Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John. Coming across this bit of trivia reminded me I had also seen the band perform on Saturday Night Live when I was twelve-years-old. It was in 1977, when SNL was  routine viewing for me. That performance can be seen here.

Dr. John's sixth album, In The Right Place, which features
The Meters as his backing band.

We will revisit The Meters in 81 weeks when we reach album #139,  Rejuvenation, on The 500 list. However, I suspect I will listen to it well before the November, 2025 date. The Meters is a band  I was thrilled to re-discover after unknowingly being locked up in my head for more than 40 years.

The 500 - #221 - Loveless - My Bloody Valentine

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #221
Album Title: Loveless 
Artist: My Bloody Valentine
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Noise Rock
Recorded: February, 1989 - September, 1991

Released:  November, 1991 
My age at release: 26
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, moving up 148 places to position 73
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Only Shallow

"Wow! That haircut makes you look so much younger."

"Geez, you're stronger than you look."

"You write a blog? I wish I had so much free time to do something fun like that."

"You went to The University of Windsor? I was going to go there, before I got accepted at Western."

The backhanded compliment -- casual remarks that seem to say something pleasant about a person, but have a twist easily inferred as an insult. We've all heard them and, likely, we've delivered a few of our own -- either accidentally or intentionally.

From 15 Compliments That Hurt More Than Insults - And
How To Deal With Them. 

There are also positive-sounding words that can be considered pejorative. Referring to someone as "assertive", "sensitive" and "idealistic" might convey they are “bossy”, “thin-skinned”, and “out of touch with reality”. Or imply more admirable qualities, such as "confidence", "thoughtfulness" and "an aspirational spirit".

The blessings and curses of being
highly sensitive.

When looking up the etymology of  "shoegaze" -- a subgenre of alternative rock characterized by a mixture of  loud, distorted guitars and obscure, ethereal vocals -- I discovered it, too, has alternative meanings. Shoegazing can be used as an insult, suggesting a band is uninspired, lacking enthusiasm and energy -- literally the performers staring at their shoes as they play. However, the word also defines an important musical movement that has its roots in ‘70s psychedelic rock, pioneered by Irish-English band My Bloody Valentine (often stylized in all lowercase letters or known by the initials MBV).

MBV are (clockwise from top left) Kevin Shields, Bilinda
Butcher, Colm Ó Cíosóig and Debbie Googe

MBV's second album, Loveless, took more than a year to record, utilizing 19 studios with multiple engineers at the soundboard helm. Much of the record was developed by vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields who led the sessions as he experimented with sound. Shields used non-standard guitar tunings, digital samples and multiple production effects to create the unique sound that, for many, defines the shoegaze genre. The distinctive sound of Shields’ guitar was achieved by a modification on the instrument to allow him to manipulate his tremolo bar while also strumming. A tremolo bar (sometimes called a whammy bar, vibrato, vibrolo or wigglestick) is a metal rod that extends from the bridge of an electric guitar (where the strings connect on the guitar body). It can be manipulated to bend and distort sound and create effects such as  the scream of a dive bomber, a motorcycle roar, a squeal of delight, or animal sounds.

The first guitar I bought had a tremolo bar. As a 16-year-old hopeful musician, this was important because I wanted to recreate the sounds I'd heard from my guitar idols. Unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to invest in lessons and the beginner guitar book I borrowed from the library was an inadequate substitute. The guitar I purchased was a Kay, an inexpensive student-grade, entry-level instrument. I got it from Woolco, a discount department located in a nearby mall and paid about $65 for it (about $260 in 2024 currency). It was money painstakingly saved from babysitting gigs and a part-time job where I worked 10 hours a week for $5.52 an hour (significantly more than minimum wage).

The headstock on a Kay guitar.

On the day I purchased it, I rode my 10-speed bicycle to the mall. I am sure I turned a few heads as I pedaled the five kilometres home, holding the guitar by its neck while steering one-handed. Ahh, the passionate impulsiveness of youth. That romantic, idealistic teenager seems like a stranger in a distant memory to me now. However, recalling moments like that guitar-laden bike ride home suddenly pulls him into sharp focus…and I miss him.

My bike ride home from Oakridge  Centre in London,Ont.

 Byron, Ontario

My guitar aspirations were put on pause about a year later when I sold my six-stringed “axe” to a high-school acquaintance. I was nearly thirty, when I returned to learning the instrument, encouraged by the arrival of the internet and a guitar-playing roommate.

My favourite, current guitar - a Jay Turser
acoustic - with no whammy bar.

Loveless went on to become a critical darling and is considered one of the greatest albums of all time on multiple lists (moving up to #73 on the updated 2020 list of The 500). It is also cited as a landmark work in the shoegaze genre. Clash magazine called the record "the magnus opus of shoegaze". Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins told Spin magazine that the record was exciting because "it is rare in guitar-driven music for someone to do something new."

So, what does "shoegaze" connote? It turns out that it carries many meanings. It can be used pejoratively to define a genre negatively. Or it can be understood as an evolutionary step in music technology and sound. However, my researched revealed a more practical etymology. When performing live, a shoegaze guitarist needs many “effect” pedals that can be manipulated with the feet. Consequently, to replicate the "studio sound", shoegazing is a necessity that became the nomenclature for the genre it created.

An array of foot effect pedals by which a guitarist manipulates

the instrument's sound.

MBV only released three studio records but, following a 10-year hiatus, they regrouped in 2013 with the classic line-up from Loveless. They are currently working on new material and Shields has hinted of another "experimental album" and "something more melodic and song oriented." As a new fan, I'll be sure to check both out.

The 500 - #222 - New Orleans Piano - Professor Longhair

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #222
Album Title: New Orleans Piano
Artist: Professor Longhair
Genre: Blues, New Orleans R&B
Recorded: New Orleans, November, 1949, and  November, 1953

Released: 1972
My age at release: 6
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Tipitina

A signature dish in Louisiana is a stew called gumbo. It is a meat or shellfish broth mixed with celery, bell peppers and onions -- often dubbed the "holy trinity of Cajun cuisine". Gumbo is complemented by a thickener. Most recipes call for okra, aka "lady's fingers", an edible green seed pod plant originally from East Africa but now cultivated in warm temperate or tropical regions. Other Gumbo dishes feature filé powder, a spicy herb seasoning from the North American Sassafras tree. The dish can be made more hearty with the addition of rice, shellfish, Andouille sausage, ham or chicken. Some versions contain duck, rabbit or even alligator and squirrel.

Gumbo is, in many ways, the perfect metaphor for Louisiana -- a beautiful, saucy, spicy mix of cultures and flavours. There are influences from West Africa, France (by way of the Nova Scotia Acadians), Portugal, Spain, Sicily and the Indigenous populations of the surrounding area (the Chitimacha. Coushatta, Choctaw and Tunica-Biloxi peoples). Louisiana, and New Orleans, in particular, is a melting pot of zesty influences from all these cultures. It can be found in their food, language, architecture and, of course, their music. New Orleans is often considered to be the birthplace of many uniquely American musical genres, including ragtime (Jelly Roll Morton), jazz (Louis Armstrong), Dixieland (King Oliver) and rhythm and blues (Fats Domino).

New Orleans native, the legendary Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong.

Professor Longhair, aka: "Fess" (birthname Henry Roeland "Roy" Byrd) was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, in 1918, a small town near the Alabama border. His distinctive style of piano playing came from his childhood when he learned to play on an instrument with missing keys. His style, a type of New Orleans Blues, was influenced by the jazz music he was hearing alongside a variety of Caribbean sounds, such as rumba, mambo and calypso.

Professor Longhair (c: 1950s).

In his book, The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, music journalist Tony Russell wrote "the vivacious, rumba-rhythmed piano blues and choked singing typical of Fess were too weird to sell millions of records." However, he served as an inspiration and father figure to the legendary Louisiana artists who followed him, including Fats Domino, Huey "Piano" Smith, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John -- who has two records on The 500 list (#404 and #143).

Malcom John Rebennack Jr. -- aka: Dr. John.

In March, 2010, my wife surprised me with a trip to New Orleans. We enjoyed a five-day adventure walking the lively streets of The Big Easy, enjoying the music, culture, history and cuisine of the legendary Crescent City. We ate po-boy sandwiches and jambalaya. One morning it was freshly baked beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde and in the afternoon, a traditional New Orleans Muffaletta Sandwich from the Central Grocery and Deli.

My wife, Angela, about to tuck into a Muffaletta Sandwich.

Without a doubt, the best night of music happened when we left the touristy French Quarter and Bourbon Street region (overrun by NCAA basketball fans who were there for the March Madness tournament). We took a long cab ride to the Vaughan Lounge in the Bywater neighbourhood on the east side of town. Every Thursday, since the 1990s, well-known jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins hosts his BBQ there. The New Orleans native spends the day at an outdoor grill, preparing the food. Then, as the sun goes down, he and his band, The Barbecue Swingers, take the stage. The show is an open jam with many talented locals joining the small stage for an improvisational session of riotously fun jazz and blues.

Exterior of The Vaughan Lounge.

During the intermission, everything comes to a stop and the BBQ is served. A long table is set-up at the back of the restaurant and everyone -- musicians, serving staff, cooks, bartenders and patrons -- fill their plates with white bread and scoops from giant metal pots containing rice, red beans and that day's barbecued meat. It is a wonderful, communal and culinary experience. After about a half hour, a piano is heard and, within minutes, Kermit and the band are jamming again.

Kermit Ruffins outside the Vaughan.

New Orleans is a city worth revisiting. It is a touchstone of many satisfying attractions –  music, food, history, art and culture. Next time, I will add the music venue Tipitina to our itinerary. It is at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in the Uptown district. The name was inspired by a song of the same name from Professor Longhair, his biggest hit and the second track on this week's album, New Orleans Piano. Constructed in 1912, it has been a gambling house, gymnasium, brothel, juice bar and restaurant. It is also a location where numerous live records have been recorded by many musicians of whom I am a fan, including The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Jane's Addiction, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Radiators, Phish and, of course, Professor Longhair. He recorded Ball The Wall: Live at Tipitina's, fewer than two years before his death in 1980. It was a seemingly fond farewell to a mecca rich in southern heritage. Hopefully, we will return to New Orleans in the coming years. It will give us another chance to enjoy their traditional gumbo -- real and metaphoric.