Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (1986)
Easily one of the most important, influential albums for me – one of the things I could point to and say “I discovered this!” Actually, my friend Aaron had it first. Probably from his older brother. But as soon as I heard it I was sold. I remember exactly the room – at Aaron’s house. We were there, as was the way back in the late 1980s, to play computer games. And while they loaded (!!?!) we listened to music. I was sold on the Beastie Boys then and there. And it’s been a lifelong love. I was deeply saddened when MCA died, I was thrilled just to say I got to see them one time. I have collected up everything of theirs – but I’ve hardly owned anything on vinyl. Just a couple of the records. This, their debut, has been reissued as a 30th Anniversary celebration. It’s a masterpiece from another era, a master-class in rock-record sampling; this was as much my introduction to John Bonham as any Led Zeppelin recording. It’s juvenile and snotty but wonderful – and wonderfully so. I can forgive them their antics, they atoned at least also with the way they developed – as human beings and musicians – but somehow this, a lone vestige (almost) of my pre-teen and teen listening stands up for me every time I hear it. Wonderfully nostalgic. And then something more than that too.
Sample Track: Slow Ride
The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown