This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on April 14, 2022.
Director: Spike Jonze.
Cast: Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz.
Beastie Boys Story is streaming on Apple TV.
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On May 4, 2022, it will have been 10 years since the death of Adam Yauch, aka MCA, aka the heart and soul of the hip hop legends Beastie Boys.
That the band ended with his passing is testimony not only to how integral he was to the group, but also the integrity of the remaining members Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad Rock). Since Yauch's passing, Diamond and Horovitz have used the Beastie Boys' name selectively, and predominantly to celebrate Yauch and their legacy as a trio.
This integrity and sense of legacy is evident in the two-shot of Beastie Boys Book and Beastie Boys Story. The first is an essential tome detailing the big and small of their career. It allows Diamond and Horovitz to right wrongs, set records straight, and peel back the curtain on a fascinating and hugely influential career.
The second is essentially a live stage show version of the book, turned into a semi-documentary in order to allow it to travel the world without Mike D and Ad Rock having to actually travel the world.
The advantage the doco has over the book is the endless stream of footage and music available to help sell the stories, give visual context, and provide opportunities to poke fun. When things go awry in the live show, Jonze leaves them in, because that's part of what Beastie Boys were all about - goofing around, making each other laugh, and generally having a laugh.
However there was always a seriousness hidden in the beats and rhymes of their music, and that's even more in the mix in Beastie Boys Story. Mike D and Ad Rock talk candidly about the mistakes they made and the personas they created around their smash-hit debut Licence To Ill, and how the touring and success of that record turned them into the very things they despised. Their honesty and mea culpas are impressive.
But it's when they talk about Yauch that the doco really hits hard. Watching Ad Rock struggling to talk about his departed friend is heartbreaking. It's part of the honesty that makes the film feel valuable and important, and not a cash-in - paying tribute to Yauch and his work is a key reason for this doco to exist.
Most of the film is excellent, but some parts don't work. While Ad Rock sounds like he's just chatting with the audience, Mike D sounds like he's reading off an autocue (because he is). Some bits drag and some gags bite. There's also nothing on their final two albums, with the doco skipping from Hello Nasty to Yauch's death - a 14-year leap that omits their post-September 11 album To The 5 Boroughs and their brilliant comeback/farewell Hot Sauce Committee Part II.
Perfect for the hardcore fans, it also serves as a great overview for the casual passers-by. A deeper dive would be welcome, but it feels like this is the best insight we'll ever get into the band, and perhaps the last word on a stunning and influential career.
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