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Check Your Head

by Beastie Boys

Released: April 21, 1992

Alternative rock, rap rock, hip hop, punk-rap, progressive rap

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Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Experimental Album.

The Album

"Check Your Head" is the third studio album by American hip-hop group Beastie Boys. The album is a mix of punk rock, jazz, funk, hip hop and rock. There are 20 tracks on the album, including popular songs like "So What'cha Want," "Pass the Mic," and "Gratitude." The album cover features a photo, taken by Ari Marcopoulos, of the band in front of a montage of 8x10 photos.

Inside the Recording

"Check Your Head" was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California, where the Beastie Boys played most of the instrumentals themselves, a departure from their previous albums which had been primarily sample-based. Over the years, it has been viewed as a pivotal LP that demonstrated the genre-mixing flexibilities of hip-hop during a decisive turning point in the music's evolution. The album's production was handled by Beastie Boys and Mario Caldato Jr., who also served as the engineer.

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Essential Tracks

Gratitude

There are 20 tracks on the album, including popular songs like "So What'cha Want," "Pass the Mic," and "Gratitude." The album cover features a photo, taken by Ari Marcopoulos, of the band in front of a montage of 8x10 photos.

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Beastie Boys - Check Your Head

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Reception

Released on April 21, 1992, by Capitol Records, this twelve-time Platinum (RIAA) certified album marks an important shift in the Beastie Boys' career, as the group started to play their own instruments on this project. Critical reception to the album was favorable, with critics acknowledging the album's experimental nature and the group's successful blending of various music genres. Beastie Boys' previous album, "Paul's Boutique", did not do as well commercially, but with "Check Your Head", they returned to the Billboard top 10 and it is often considered their return to prominence.

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The Complete Album Story

"Check Your Head" is the third studio album by American hip-hop group Beastie Boys. Released on April 21, 1992, by Capitol Records, this twelve-time Platinum (RIAA) certified album marks an important shift in the Beastie Boys' career, as the group started to play their own instruments on this project.

"Check Your Head" was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California, where the Beastie Boys played most of the instrumentals themselves, a departure from their previous albums which had been primarily sample-based. The album's production was handled by Beastie Boys and Mario Caldato Jr., who also served as the engineer.

The album is a mix of punk rock, jazz, funk, hip hop and rock. Beastie Boys' previous album, "Paul's Boutique", did not do as well commercially, but with "Check Your Head", they returned to the Billboard top 10 and it is often considered their return to prominence.

Critical reception to the album was favorable, with critics acknowledging the album's experimental nature and the group's successful blending of various music genres. Over the years, it has been viewed as a pivotal LP that demonstrated the genre-mixing flexibilities of hip-hop during a decisive turning point in the music's evolution.