Beastie Boys - Check Your Head - Killer 90`s Hip Hop - 180 Grm 2LP RIP MCA
2LP

Beastie Boys - Check Your Head


Label: Grand Royal – C1-94225, Capitol Records – C1-94225
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Remastered, Album, 180 Gram, Gatefold
New
Country: US
Released: 07 Apr 2009
Originally Released: 1992
Genre: Hip Hop, Jazz, Rock
Style: Cut-up/DJ, Fusion


Tracklist

A1 Jimmy James 3:14
A2 Funky Boss 1:35
A3 Pass The Mic 4:17
A4 Gratitude 2:45
A5 Lighten Up 2:41



B1 Finger Lickin' Good 3:39
B2 So What'cha Want 3:37
B3 The Biz Vs The Nuge 0:33
B4 Time For Livin' 1:48
B5 Something's Got To Give 3:28



C1 The Blue Nun 0:32
C2 Stand Together 2:47
C3 Pow 2:13
C4 The Maestro 2:52
C5 Groove Holmes 2:33


D1 Live At P.J.'s 3:18
D2 Mark On The Bus 1:05
D3 Professor Booty 4:13
D4 In 3's 2:23
D5 Namasté 4:01



Companies etc
Recorded At – G-Son Studios
Mixed At – G-Son Studios
Credits
Bass – MCA
Clavinet, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Keyboards , Organ, Other [Master Carpenter] – Mark Ramos Nishita
Design, Art Direction – Haze
Drums – Mike D
Guitar – Adrock
Management – Danny Goldberg, John Silva
Percussion [Bata', Shakeree, Cuica, Conga, Tamboura, Mridunga] – James Bradley Jr. (tracks: A2, A4, B5, C3, D1, D5)
Photography [Cover] – Glen E. Friedman
Photography [Inside] – Val Gelineau
Producer – Beastie Boys
Producer, Engineer – Mario Caldato Jr.
Remastered By – Beastie Boys, Chris Athens
Notes
Recorded and mixed at G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, CA
Sequenced at PCP Labs
Remastered at Sterling Sound, NYC

© 1992 Capitol Records, LLC and Beastie Boys

Printed in the EU

This album goes out to David Scilken



Check Your Head brought the Beastie Boys crashing back into the charts and into public consciousness, but that was only partially due to the album itself -- much of its initial success was due to the cult audience that Paul's Boutique cultivated in the years since its initial flop release, a group of fans whose minds were so thoroughly blown by that record, they couldn't wait to see what came next, and this helped the record debut in the Top Ten upon its April 1992 release.




but it's the context and variety of styles that give Check Your Head its identity. It's how the old school raps give way to fuzz-toned rockers, furious punk, and cheerfully gritty, jazzy jams.


As much as Paul's Boutique, this is a whirlwind tour through the Beasties' pop-culture obsessions, but instead of spinning into Technicolor fantasies, it's earth-bound D.I.Y. that makes it all seem equally accessible -- which is a big reason why it turned out to be an alt-rock touchstone of the '90s, something that both set trends and predicted them.

"Check Your Head" is, simply, the Beastie Boys' best album. They have done nothing better (only Paul's Boutique comes close) and I find it doubtful they ever will. Although this is awesome to listen to at any time,

It just puts you in an irrepressable groove. As the Boys say "Life ain't nothin' but a good groove, a good mix tape to put you in the right mood" and that was their intention with this album, which they undoubtedly succeed at.

"Pass the Mic", "So Watcha Want", and "Professor Booty" are all hip-hop perfection. They take the genre to its absolute height. All of the other hip-hop songs are excellent too. The instrumentals are better than on any other of their albums, mostly because they're the most funky. I will always love to turn the gain up on my bass amp and play the riff from "Gratitude". This album is also Money Mark's first, and he makes his presence known, ruling most of the instrumentals. I can not say enough good things about this album.




Beastie Boys - Gratitude






Beastie Boys - Time For Livin'





Beastie Boys - Jimmy James

It started out as an instrumental with Yauch doing the scratching. He wrote lyrics and was going to do this as a solo track like "A Year And A Day", but Adrock and Mike D loved the song so much that they wanted to spit on the track too, so he let them. But when they asked for permission, the Hendrix Estate said no, so they rerecorded it with samples that sounded close to the originals.






Beastie Boys - Pass The Mic

Do you hear that beat?. That's the drum sound that is missing in hip hop. Hard hitting drums. Plus they used that banging bassline sample, which Dr.Dre used on "A N Witta Gun". They also new how to sequence the songs to keep you interested with the scratches and switches.







Beastie Boys, So What'cha Want - Hangin' w/MTV

Damn, I wish I could have seen em back in these days, they look like they put on such a sick show





Beastie Boys - In 3's - Roundhouse, London 2007