So What’Cha Want
My favourite T.
As part of a series, this blog delves into the songs and bands that have shaped my love for music. By sharing these stories, I hope to entertain and introduce you to new music or reintroduce you to music you previously enjoyed.
In 1993 I had my, graphic designer, girlfriend paint these words on the side of my “camper” van, Check Your Head, a shout-out to one of my favourite bands.
Have you ever had music that just reached out and grabbed you? Music that made you feel happy, excited, and energized? That was the Beastie Boys’ music for me. It’s hard, smart, and fun, with great beats and even better lyrics.
OK, Fight For Your Right To Party wasn’t exactly a deep rhyme but it did open doors for the band and the Beastie Boys never looked back.
“Over the years I've grown and changed so much/Things I know now, years ago I couldn't touch/There are things I've done that I wouldn't do again/But I'm glad that I did 'cause I learned from them” – Beatie Boys
Back to the van…
Honeymooning in California, 1993. FYI - font style used is from another one of my other favourite bands, The The, more on them later.
The roof was loaded up with windsurfing equipment, and inside we had a bed, a cupboard, and a couple of 6 x 9 speakers cranking out So What’Cha Want as we hummed down the highway.
“Well, I'm as cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce/ - You've got the rhyme and reason, but got no cause” – Beatie Boys
In 1993 I married that graphic designer girlfriend and road-tripped to California on our honeymoon. The music of the Beastie Boys was our soundtrack as we traveled through the Canadian Prairies, the salt flats of Utah, and the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.
“If you can feel what I’m feeling then it’s a musical masterpiece/ If you can hear what I’m dealing with then that’s cool at least/ What’s running through my mind comes through in my walk/ True feelings are shown from the way that I talk” – Beatie Boys
The Beastie Boys will always remind me of windsurfing, road trips, and fires on the beach. So, get in your car, download this tune, turn up the volume, and put a smile on your face.
About
Formed in 1981 in New York City, the group initially consisted of three members: Michael Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA), and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock).
The Beastie Boys enjoyed great success throughout the 1980s and 1990s with the release of groundbreaking albums such as "Paul's Boutique," "Check Your Head," and "Ill Communication." The group embraced musical versatility and experimentation, incorporating elements of funk, soul, and jazz into their signature sound.
Tragically, Adam Yauch passed away from cancer in 2012 at the age of 47. His death was a devastating loss for both the Beastie Boys and the music world at large. In the wake of Yauch's passing, the remaining members of the group decided to disband, marking the end of a legendary career.
“D.I.Y., that means do it yourself/I don't sit around waitin' for someone's help/I don't sit back and say 'Good enough'/I keep on striving, reinventing, keepin' it off the cuff” – Beatie Boys
Pau'l’s Boutique
In 30 years since its release, Paul’s Boutique has become an undisputed classic. The album is now over 2x-platinum, and Rolling Stone ranked it #156 on their “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.