(THIS) POLL REVERE(S) — ILM Artist Poll #19 — Beastie Boys RESULTS

Whiney OTM that She's On It at least had a video/was in Krush Groove and I actually saw copies of the 12" in record shops. "Rock Hard" didn't get anywhere near that kind of push, and was a huge collector's item pre-internet.

Just one more point, as it doesn't really matter. Christgau had "Rock Hard" in his top 10 singles for '85 (#7); I own the 12-inch (got it and Cookie Puss at some weird warehouse sale in the late '80s). If it's not on CD, that's a good point--didn't realize that. I guess what I'm saying is it's far from obscure for me--i.e., a subjective call.

"Rock Hard" is mindblowing though.

^^That's the key point.

I love that EZ Snappin's definition of "not obscure" is "it's on the internet"

we're all famous!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NOakdZolYQ

43. "POSSE IN EFFECT" (1986) [136 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote]

^ that's #42 btw

I bet all of License to Ill made the top 60.

ga-ron-teed

Just about the post the same thing re: every LTI track. Surprised to not see any Paul's Boutique yet.

"posse in effect" is so great

#2 on my ballot

your crew's all soft and I'm disgusted

Super sick track. That's my #1. Everything I love about the Beasties condensed to under three minutes. Hits every topic: girls, beer, records, New York, kicking your ass, and humor.

Glad "Bodhisattva Vow" made it. (More actually psychedelic than anything on PB, imo.)

I see "bodhisattva vow" as part of a song cycle of psychedelic MCA solo jams, with "year and a day" and "flowin prose"

"posse in effect" also great cause it's one of the licensed to ill tracks that never sounds dated, it will always be some electroshock future vision of teen hooliganism

xpost

Yup. But "Bodhisattava" has some kick to it, too. Not just floaty flowery.

I love that EZ Snappin's definition of "not obscure" is "it's on the internet"

― thommys got bendz (Whiney G. Weingarten)

If there are almost 18 million results for it and a youtube of it is the first google option then yes, it's not obscure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFP79Dlc928

41. "3 MINUTE RULE" (1989) [138 points, 6 votes]

(plz to pardon the stupid youtube...it's not the proper instrumental, just somehow has the vocals way buried in the mix.)

I'm so rope they call me mr roper

ddddoo wah diddy and bust em with the pre-roll

(only Johnny Ryall on youtube was a demo, and this thread already has enough embeds anyway)

40. "JOHNNY RYALL" (1989) [143 points, 9 votes]

If there are almost 18 million results for it and a youtube of it is the first google option then yes, it's not obscure.

that's silly. to search for it, you have to know of it. and the way most people are gonna get to know most beastie boys songs is through the albums. or by reading about their general history and discography somewhere. or in this day and age, via a youtube link, which, sure, might be "rock hard" as easily as anything else.

still, i doubt that most casual beastie boys fans even know that "rock hard" exists, whereas they all surely know of their albums. that's why i think the phrase "a bit more obscure" makes some sense, and that's where this all started.

here's johnny ryall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pKNmLMs7ugw#t=288s

Cool, I didn't realize that whole album thing had it broken down by track.

can we just say the word "relatively" is usually IMPLIED in front of the word "obscure" and that context is everything and move the fuck on?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XflfiylNNXY

39. "THREE MC'S AND ONE DJ" (1998) [145 points, 8 votes]

I cut this last. I thought I loved it but it turns out I don't.

Johnny Ryall, a real person who made records or not?

no.

I thought mike d said yes? and then there's this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuhGGth0_M4

Love the video for "Three MCs" as much as the song. Which is a fair amount in both cases.

I'm going by the 33 1/3 book on Paul's Boutique:

Johnny Ryall was a vagrant who frequently turned up on the stoop of Diamond's New York apartment building after the Licensed to Ill tour. No one recalls his real name, but he was rechristened by Diamond's roommate at the time, Sean Carasov, who also invented a history for the amiable beggar. "I had this brain fart that he used to be a rockabilly star. He had that look," says Carasov "Actually, he kinda looked like the fifty-miles-of-bad-road version of Chet Baker."

I do love the video.

this version has a shot of the 45, you can see the name johnny ryall under some sharpie scribbles, perhaps the fictional backstory became so detailed it began to intrude upon reality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBInorRr9p4

If there are almost 18 million results for it and a youtube of it is the first google option then yes, it's not obscure.

― EZ Snappin, Monday, May 14, 2012 2:43 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oooh, a whole 69,306 views on YouTube. I'm sorry, my glasses are a little fogged up there, dad, is that Justin Bieber?

huh, i always figured they were actually saying "johnny royale" and just called it "johnny ryall" as a joke

johnny ryall is great, huge nostalgia for this

those sharpie scribbles are apparently an inscription from johnny himself!

Hey Whiney that song was like a million posts ago, how about you pick a new fight about a new song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99v9-4uk9ZQ

38. "SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS" (1992) [152 points, 8 votes]

How and why did that track get left off Check Your Head?

forgot to vote for this! So damn good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teQqelBTw7g

37. "SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE" (1992) [157 points, 7 points]

I always visualize that song with the MTV promo that played it over shots of the Los Lobos "Kiko" video

THIS ONE IS CALLED RECTIFY

is there a good beasties comp of like non-album tracks from like "Rock Hard" --> "Alive"

i might have to cobble it myself in a spare weekend sometime

last one for today...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZdMuIq3NLY

36. "REMOTE CONTROL" (1998) [169 points, 9 votes]