Happy Trails, MCA

I know I'm a few days late on this, but I have to get some thoughts down. The death of Adam Yauch - MCA from the Beastie Boys - necessitates some recollection of how much music has truly provided a memorable life soundtrack, and can force total recall of different eras of our lives. I was a latecomer to the Beastie Boys. Having detested "Fight For Your Right," their big top 40 hit from Licensed to Ill, I thought that that sound defined them and their music. How wrong could I be? It was Ill Communication in 1994 that everyone in college was listening to, and Sure Shot was definitely on every college playlist I had from the moment it came out. That's when I went back and listened to Check Your Head and Paul's Boutique, and realized just how varied and talented these cats were. They are explorers in sound, creating soundscapes and rhythms that are uniquely theirs. Many MANY times I came to visit my sister only to find her and her roommate watching Animaniacs with the sound turned down and a Beasties' album turned up, with the almost eerie synchronicity of the 3 Animaniacs with the Beasties' vocals providing endless bouts of laughter. The In Sound From the Way Out! was on perpetual rotation from 1996 on, as my fellow bandmates and I tried to make our own musical contribution to New Orleans. I actually remember going through several CDs of this album due to constant use (I mean, how much beeer and booze can you spill on a CD before fucking it up permanently, you know? For anyone who partied like I did in college, the back of the CD case gto all scratched to hell, too...some of you know what I'm saying, yeah?) MCA will be remembered by everyone who gave the Beastie Boys more than a fleeting moment's attention, and I most definitely fall in that category.