Artist – Album: The Beastie Boys – Check Your Head
Released: 21st
April 1992
Sounds Like: Funky hip hop
The Beastie Boys first struck gold with the exaggerated frat
boy image (not to mention the then novelty of white men rapping) of ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to
Party!)’, a riotous and dumb punk rap amalgamation which unfortunately
became a VW-emblem-shaped albatross around their necks. For some reason, people
found it hard to take seriously a trio of wealthy, middle-class Jews that wore
stupid clothes and rapped about not wanting to go to school (go figure), and
they seemed destined to pave the way for other hip hop jokes such as Vanilla
Ice.
In 1989 they sought to change this with their second album
Paul’s Boutique, their sprawling and sophisticated magnum opus. Despite some
rave reviews, the album tanked. It did, however, begin to gather a cult
following, and by the time of Check Your Head’s release, the Beasties were
relevant again – only in a much more permanent way then the party animal personas of before. Although not as important,
nor as rewarding, as their previous masterpiece of an album, Check Your Head is
an accessible and enjoyable follow up.
Blending rock samples and hip hop beats with their nasal,
shouted vocals has been a staple of their sound throughout their careers, and
it’s in full force here. But, equally, there’s also funk, punk, soul, jazzy
interludes, and even a prominent Bob Dylan sample on this admittedly messy
record.
Following the groundswell of love for Paul’s Boutique, Check
Your Head arrived at just the right time to announce the Beastie Boys return to
the big league, and cemented their place as one of the most forward thinking
and influential collectives of their time. Their fourth album, Ill
Communication, and lead single 'Sabotage' would both be smash hits two years later, and two years on from that
Beck would basically update this album’s formula to release the seminal Odelay.
Albumaday... rating: 7/10
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 – 0:33
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
Listen to ‘So What’cha
Want ’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru3gH27Fn6E
 |
Also released on the 21st April:
2008: Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords
|
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Also released on the 21st April:
2009: The Horrors – Primary Colours
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