Check Your Head is the third album by the Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992.

Three years elapsed between the release of the band's second album, Paul's Boutique and their recording of this album, which occurred at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California in 1991. The album features the popular hits "So Whatcha Want" and "Pass the Mic"; the music videos for both songs are available on the Criterion Collection Beastie Boys Video Anthology DVD set.

Album information

In contrast to their previous album, Paul's Boutique, the Boys returned stylistically to their punk rock roots on Check Your Head, playing their own instruments for the first time on record since their early EPs. Hence photographer Glen E. Friedman's idea to shoot photos with their instrument cases (one of which became the cover). The cover itself is a subtle depiction of the famous Three Wise Monkeys: "See No Evil," "Hear No Evil," and "Speak No Evil." (This theme is revisited in the lyrics of "Finger Lickin' Good.") The album was their first collaboration with Mario Caldato Jr..

There's been some debate about the Dutch band Urban Dance Squad, who had toured America with Living Colour in early 1991, influencing the Beastie Boys to play live instruments again; as the Beastie's earlier hardcore style bears little resemblance to the style they play on Check Your Head. The Urban Dance Squad album, Life 'n Perspectives of a Genuine Crossover, was recorded at ICP, Brussels, in the spring of 1991 and released in the autumn; while the Beastie Boys recorded Check Your Head throughout 1991 and released it in spring 1992. This is of interest because the "Life 'N' Perspectives" interludes on the UDS album sample the same Jimi Hendrix song ("Happy Birthday") and overlay near identical live drums as the Beastie Boys would later use on the song "Jimmy James" from Check Your Head.

The Beastie Boys toured with the Rollins Band in the fall of 1992 to support Check Your Head.

Reception

Rolling Stone (6/25/92, p.41) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...their most unconventional outing to date...Beneath the seeming chaos, the Beastie Boys have created a harmonious playground out of their musical fantasies..."

Spin (9/99, p.124) - Ranked #12 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."

Spin (12/92, p.67) - Ranked #4 in Spin's list of the `20 Best Albums Of The Year'.

Alternative Press (7/95, p.81) - Ranked #23 in AP's list of the `Top 99 Of '85-'95'.

Village Voice (3/2/93, p.5) - Ranked #5 in the Village Voice's list of the 40 Best Albums Of 1992.

Track listing

1. "Jimmy James" – 3:14
2. "Funky Boss" – 1:35
3. "Pass the Mic" – 4:17
4. "Gratitude" – 2:45
5. "Lighten Up" – 2:41
6. "Finger Lickin' Good" – 3:39
7. "So What'cha Want" – 3:37
8. "The Biz vs. The Nuge" – :33
9. "Time for Livin'" – 1:48
10. "Something's Got to Give" – 3:28
11. "The Blue Nun" – 0:32
12. "Stand Together"– 2:47
13. "Pow" – 2:13
14. "The Maestro" – 2:52
15. "Groove Holmes" – 2:33
16. "Live At P.J.'s" – 3:18
17. "Mark on the Bus" – 1:05
18. "Professor Booty" – 4:13
19. "In 3's" – 2:23
20. "Namasté" – 4:01

Japanese Bonus Tracks

1. "Dub The Mic (Instrumental)"
2. "Drunken Praying Mantis Style"
3. "Skills to Pay the Bills (Pass the Mic, Pt. 2)"
4. "Netty's Girl"

MCA vs. MC Serch

"Professor Booty" features MCA delivering a diss rap aimed at MC Serch from 3rd Bass for insulting the Beastie Boys on The Cactus Album. For example:

But one big oaf who's faker than plastic
A dictionary definition of the word spastic
You should have never started something
That you couldn't finish
'Cause writin' rhymes to me
Is like Popeye to spinach

Partial List of Samples

The following lists some songs and sounds sampled for Check Your Head.

Jimmy James

• "Rockin' It" by Fearless Four
• "Fresh is the Word" by Mantronix
• "Beat Bop" by Rammelzee vs. K Rob
• "Surrender" by Cheap Trick (Live version from At Budokan)
• "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're the Royal Macadamia Nuts)" by The Turtles
• "3rd Stone from the Sun", "Foxy Lady", "Happy Birthday", & "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" by Jimi Hendrix

Funky Boss

• "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players
• "Under Mi Sensi" by Barrington Levy
• "Anywhere But Nowhere" by K.C. White
• "Acid", & "Bicentennial Nigger" by Richard Pryor
• "Duppy Conqueror" by Bob Marley & the Wailers

Pass The Mic

• "Choir" by James Newton
• "Funky Jaws" by Larry Jones
• "Big Take Over" by Bad Brains
• "So What'cha Sayin'?" by EPMD
• "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" by Dr. John
• "Big Sur Suite" by Johnny "Hammond" Smith

Finger Lickin' Good

• "Aquarius" by 5th Dimension
• "Breakout" by Johnny "Hammond" Smith
• "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" by Bob Dylan
• "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone
• "Freaks for the Festival" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk

So What'cha Want

• "Just Rhymin' With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane
• "I've Been Watching You" by Southside Movement

The Biz vs. The Nuge

• "Homebound" by Ted Nugent

The Blue Nun

• "Hector" by The Village Callers

Stand Together

• "Silvadiv" by Back Door
• "Be Black Baby" by Grady Tate

Live At P.J.'s

• "Change Le Beat" by Fab Five Freddy

Mark On The Bus

• Dialogue from Wild Style (A hip-hop graffiti movie)
• "Mr. Roberts #1" from National Lampoon's That's Not Funny, That's Sick! (1977)
• Dialogue from a bootleg recording of pioneering black metal band Venom's 1986 performance at City gardens, New Jersey

Professor Booty

• Dialogue from Wild Style (A hip-hop graffiti movie)
• "Give it Up" by Kool & the Gang
• "Loose Booty" by Funkadelic
• "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" by Jimmy Smith

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1992	The Billboard 200	10
1992	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	37

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1992	So What'cha Want	The Billboard Hot 100	93
1992	So What'cha Want	Hot Dance Music/Max-Singles Sales	26
1992	So What'cha Want	Hot Rap Singles	18
1992	So What'cha Want	Modern Rock Tracks	22
1992	Pass The Mic	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	38
1992	Jimmy James
1992	Gratitude

Footnotes