Licensed to 3: Yauch Concluded

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When I was a kid and the Beastie Boys first got play for their music video, I had a hard time figuring out what the word Ill was, but I did know what a Roman Numeral three looked like. So I often wondered if these Brooklyn guys really had two other records out there and people were just saying Ill because they didn’t know. What could I say? I was a goofy kid.

Before I go on, Ch-Check THIS out. Neal Brennan (now know as awesome in my book) knows the pain we’re feeling. Co-creator of Chapelle’s Show, he unleashed an appearance of the Bea-stie-Boys LIVE outdoors in 2004 – never seen until now. Already erased by Viacom at least once, it’s back! I’ll make a dupe of this just to make sure it’ll be harder to kill than a certain Holiday Special. Hurry and watch the clip below – and get more blown away since I won’t say what song it is. [I’d say to watch out for language, but even work should let you blast this. You’re mourning, yo!]

This post was intended as a conglomerate of links and images. Since I came across some great articles and stories which I mostly hid in the other two posts, I figured why not make this subject a trilogy and make it a hodgepodge of links and images amongst additional material. To tease a taste, here’s someone’s tribute to MCA/Nathan Wind – delivering pizza dressed as Cochese.

New York officially mourns the death of Adam Yauch. Don’t believe me? Here’s the document for proof, or watch the video below. Continue reading →

Singnature Bassist – Donald Dunn

May14

According to longtime pal and bandmate Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn passed away in his sleep; in Tokyo while on tour. As lore states (according to Blues Brothers Central):

“Duck’ Dunn was a member of Jake and Elwood’s Blues Brothers Band in the 1970s until Jake went to prison. He then joined Murph and the MagicTones along with several other ex-members, until he rejoined the Blues Brothers Band in 1979. After a very brief tour, he went to prison with the rest of the band. By 1998 he was out of prison and working with Steve ‘The Colonel’ Cropper hosting WEXR 103.7 Talk Radio in Chicago. It was there that Elwood Blues convinced him to come back to the band, where he remained for several more years. His current whereabouts are unknown.”

If you prefer the “IRL” story of Dunn, why read it? Check this short retrospective; produced in 2005 by Dan Lakin for the Lakland 10th anniversary concert.

How do I remember him best? As the genius of an electrician who was the only member of the band Jake Blues shot straight with and had the most reverence for. Donald quit his job working for a burglar alarm company to help get the band back together, but ~~absconded with~~ forgot to return the company van in the process. If you don’t remember that part of the movie, or if you love alternate histories of anything, then read the book! It’ll make you love Dunn (and the other members) all the more.

Even though the obvious clip would be the snazzy version of Dunn and company backing ~~Cab Calloway~~ Curtis, what better way to show off this bassist’s moves than seeing “The Duck” shake his tailfeather?

Thanks for the grooves, the pipe, and the times you rocked the fiery halo of a hairstyle.

(click the pic for the bigger version)

Yauch Loss Committee Part Two

May11

Instead of jumping on the “R.I.P. to the celebrity” bandwagon, “top ten” train, or writing a straight article, I hoped to give some of my own thoughts and memories intercut with glimpses or additions to what’s already been written about the man I never knew was Nathanial Hörnblowér {I assumed it was a name for the whole band collaborating or Spike Jonze – and can you blame me?}. Even if you skim this one…make sure to check the very last video.

Getting carried away as usual, I did the smart thing and separated the meat from the milk – the reminiscing from the eye candy (best I could). Since it took so long to get the first part off, I hope this still seems vaguely unique and current: though I feel mourning or reminiscing doesn’t have an expiration date.

If I had to peg a favorite Beastie live television performance, only one comes to mind. The MTV appearance with the band wearing suits and getting way into it was cool – as the old knocking stuff over and prankster days also had great examples; when they assumed everyone was in on the joke (Weird Al had a big presence at the time, so I knew what a good parody was. Sorry, fratboys). Continue reading →

MCA: Who Let the Beat Drop?*

May9

*The title does NOT insinuate the subject dropped anything except amazing albums, forward thinking, and proving a man [or band] can embrace a past just as much as denouncing parts of it without needing to be defensive; along with unabashedly making a difference in this world. Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA created the beat and passed it along to us: making it our responsibility not to let it drop…or fall silent on the turntables of today or the future.

It was downtown Chicago in the year 2000. Rush hour as I remember it, but there was always some form of constant congestion; far as surface streets were concerned. I couldn’t say there was any cruising on that occasion, but it sure did feel like it at points. Blame/Praise the music for that.

There were two of us in a freshly battle-damaged Budget [rent-a-]van. Going between locations for a feature film, I was riding shotgun and intermittently wincing from the rays of “golden hour” whenever the sunlight slipped between buildings and connected with a direct hit to either eyeball.

Both windows were down and the sonic libations flowed freely – forming a sound loop engulfing a lane’s worth on both sides of the truck, which was rented on the dime of the “production company” as the duo referred to themselves. Loud as it was, the driver could still shout over musical firepower of this magnitude: known as the Beastie Boys. Continue reading →