Beastin' it up with the Boys

I am a rocker at heart, but there are some rappers, especially those with a strong rap influence who do fall into my favorites category. The fact that the Beastie Boys were a bunch of punk middle-class kids who never took themselves too seriously also might have something to do with their flavor, perhaps, or perhaps there's just something universal with wanting to Fight for your Right to Party.

1. Fight for your Right to Party by the Beastie Boys - From the album Licensed to Ill - Let's start from the very beginning, a very good place to start, especially when the song kicks-ass like this. Anyone who's gone to high school knows what it's like to
FIGHT for your RIGHT to PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!

Lyrics

The Beastie Boy's video - a classic of the 80's video scene, no fancy tech, but some damn awesome fun.

Fight for Your Right to Party AMV - anime: Azumanga Daioh, Dead or Alive 3 (XBOX), Dead or Alive 4 (XBox 360), Fruits Basket, Inu Yasha (TV), Inu Yasha: Affections Touching Across Time (Movie 1), Love Hina (TV), Love Hina - Spring Special, Please Teacher (TV) - I'm usually not a great fan of compilation of different animes AMV's since it dilutes the connection between the song and the partiular anime, but this was spectacularly well done, especially since it captured the melodrama of the original song by mixing school and teenage scenes with intense action scenes.

2. Intergalactic by Beastie Boys - From the album Hello Nasty - What does it all mean? I'm not sure but it's great fun and it's full of rush of energy and damn it it's intergalactic-planetary.

Lyrics

Beastie Boys' video - Pretty awesome, nice little scenario, although I'm a bit tired of making fun of campy Japanese monster movies.

Intergalactic AMV - anime: FLCL (Foolie Coolie) - It works because it's crafted with attention of course, but also because FLCL is intergalactic-planetary all the time every day.

3. So What cha'Want by Beastie Boys - From the album Check your Head - (Thank you very much I will) - So what do you want?

Lyrics

The Beastie Boys' video - Pretty trippy video, which if that's your thing that's great, me, it's well pretty good, but not great.

So What cha' Want AMV - anime: Love Hina - a good anime, song match, since Love Hina's all about confused, frustrated desire, but just like my good boys it doesn't take itself that seriously.

4. Sabotage by the Beastie Boys - From the album Ill Communication - Look if I didn't include this, that would be a mirage.

Lyrics

The Beastie Boy's video - This is the quintessential Beastie Boys' video. Is it funny? Yeah. But is it awesome? HELL YEAH!

Sabotage AMV - anime: Cowboy Bebop - After I watched this it took me a little while to find it again since the maker of the AMV has the same misspelling trait as me and wrote Sabatage, just as I did before I was corrected by the spell edit. But it was more than that which convinced me to put up this AMV link. I mean first of all, Cowboy Bebop rocks, but there was actually another Cowboy Bebop Sabotage AMV, but unlike the one I ultimately went with this other AMV didn't match the mood to the moment of the song. AMV's aren't just throwing music at video buddy boys.

5. No Sleep Till Brooklyn by Beastie Boys - From the album Licensed to Ill - Whenever I'm tired, whenever anyone else says they're tired, whenever the concept of sleep comes up in any way, shape, or form, I have to just say - NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!!!!

Lyrics

The Beastie Boys' video - While still an excellent video, this has become a bit of a period piece, recalling the old days when although rock had acquired so legitimacy, rap got no respect. Times have changed I suppose, although perhaps not for everyone, but even I, a man who admits to be a rocker at heart, can admit rap rocks, it really does.

No Sleep Till Brooklyn AMV - anime: Gundam Wing - With a song like this, the main point is to keep the energy on, if the song's No Sleep, the video can't sleep, and here even when the action pauses there's enough tension to keep your head roaring awake.


So we've beasted it up with the boys, now what? Now we go to Disneyland! Actually no. Anywho, this is probably about all I'm going to give you guys today, but seeing as you are all bums, I imagine you still have work to do. So before your head touches that pillow, just remember...

NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So take it to your head, take it to your heart, and remember Rand rocks. Goodnight Folks!