Product Description

Some albums define an era, a place, a certain time in one'slife; they exist as soundtracks for our memories, bringing that extra scent of poignancy to them. CHECK YOUR HEAD practically defined the summer of 1992 for those who were wary ofthe mainstreaming of rap and somewhat bored by the insurgency of grunge. By holding their heads firmly outside of any particular musical genre, MCA, Adrock & Mike D. created theirown space; distorted, fuzzy, peppered with the swagger of punk and the rootsy earthiness of early-'70s soul-jazz, and layered with ten years of hip-hop know-how.
From the opening chords of "Jimmy James", it's clear that the Beastie Boyswould have a chance to permanently shed the label of "fratboy rappers" that LICENSED TO ILL had forced upon them. Lo-fi, garagy, guitar-riff-loaded tracks like "Pass Da Mic" and "Gratitude" made it clear that the Beastie Boys could be taken as serious musical forces, even innovators. Yet they couldstill call back on their silly selves for romps like "Professor Booty" and "Funky Boss". One of the best albums of the 90's, CHECK YOUR HEAD is a turning point for a band and the genesis of a new musical hybrid.

Track Listing

1. Jimmy James
2. Funky Boss
3. Pass The Mic
4. Gratitude
5. Lighten Up
6. Finger Lickin' Good
7. So What'cha Want
8. Biz Vs The Nuge
9. Time For Livin'
10. Something's Got To Give
11. Blue Nun
12. Stand Together
13. Pow
14. Maestro
15. Groove Holmes
16. Live At PJ's
17. Mark On The Bus
18. Professor Booty
19. In 3's
20. Mamaste

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35889 in Music
• Released on: 1992-04-21
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
With their third album, the Beasties transformed themselves from smart-ass punks with hip-hop tones into a playful live funk band with some solid rhymes, assisted by the extraordinary keyboardist "Money" Mark Ramos Nishita. A couple of tracks look back to their old school rap roots, and they still deploy goofy samples like nobody's business, but they're mostly making their own grooves (including some instrumentals worthy of being sampled in their own right). Their universalist world-view results in some excellent, off-the-wall fusions--the metalloid bump that forms the funk pulse of "So What'cha Want", Sly Stone's "Time for Livin'" transformed into a hard-rock bomber--but the Beasties don't have to prove how clever they are any more, and they're stronger and more humane for it. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews

beastie boys best
tunes baby yeah?


everyone raves about the debut of these cheeky chaps but the true beastie gems are "check you head" and "ill communication".


this album is top of the drawer.



i love the way they get the old school sound by recording the album live.


the sound of the congas really rocks out. the tops tracks are definatly:

1: so whatcha want?
2: stand together
3: professor booty


buy this now man, itll rock your world like a giant pebble

Takes Me Back
I haven't listened to this for years and it took me back to my teenage years.

It's unbelievable to think this CD was released nearly 14 years ago!!

Favourite Tracks: Gratitude, Mark On The Bus, In 3's

AMAZING!!!
Let me put it simply: THIS IS THE BEST RECORD THE BEASTIES HAVE EVER DONE.
Unbeatable, unforgettable, unputdownable!
This is the bomb, buy this album right now and forever live knowing you bought one of the greatest albums of all time.
From the opening 'Jimmy James' (dedicated to Hendrix) to the closing mysterious and inventive 'Namasté', this album is a masterpiece.
The best tracks undoubtably are 'So What'cha Want', 'Gratitude' and 'Something's Got to Give', but all the songs are top notch.
I love the way the cover has the boys doing the See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil thing. Its the coolest album cover I've ever seen.
'So What'cha Want' is my second favourite Beastie Boys song (just behind 'Intergalactic'). Buy this album now.

P.S. Please visit www.communigate.co.uk/chesh/egg for some great music. Keep rockin with the sure shot yall!