So what do you want, what do you want? If your first instinct upon reading this phraseology is to think of “Beastie Boys,” then you’ve come to the right place. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Beasties’ multi-platinum album from April 1992 Check your headUMe will be releasing a limited reissue of the 4LP deluxe version on August 12th.
Originally released exclusively for an artist shop in 2009, this long-out of print box set includes the 2009 remaster of the original double album plus two additional LPs of bonus content including remixes, live versions and B-sides. All four LPs are pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a cloth wrapped, stamped hardcover sleeve. We’d like to confirm that this set is pressed in the Czech Republic, as are many UMe vinyl box sets these days, and will update this post accordingly either way.
Meanwhile the Check your head The 4LP box set is available for purchase at participating independent retailers and is also available to pre-order exclusively through the Beastie Boys’ official online store.
Check your head was considered a milestone for the Beastie Boys on several levels after its April 1992 release. It was their first album to be a) produced entirely by Beastie Boys with Mario Caldato Jr., b) featured keyboardist Keyboard Money Mark, and c) be recorded at the band’s G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California . Now classic head Tracks you’ll probably remember include “So What’ Cha Want”, “Pass The Mic”, “Gratitude” and “Jimmy James”.
Not only all that, but Check your head also marked the return of live instrumentation to the apex and backbone of the Beastie Boys sound, with most of the head Album featuring Mike D on drums, Adrock on guitar and MCA (RIP) on bass for the first time since the band’s hardcore punk recordings in the early 1980s.
I myself love hearing the Beasties’ collective ingenuity in action – and was literally blown away by the crowd when I saw them play live at the Roseland in NYC on May 23, 1992 (a story for another time) – but I have to admit I’m still quite taken with all the sampling brilliance they’ve achieved by July 1989 Paul’s boutique, especially its most pleasing 180g 2LP wax form. That means I’ve never owned a copy of it Check your head on vinyl, so I’m really looking forward to making this one – and I hope you are too. Pass the mic in the comments section below if so. . .
BEASTIE BOYS: CHECK YOUR HEAD
180g 4LP Limited Edition Box Set (UMe)
lp 1
page A
Jimmy James
funky boss
Pass the microphone
gratitude
brighten
Side B
delicious
So, what do you want?
The biz versus the nuge
Time to live
Something has to be given
LP 2
Side C
The blue nun
stick together
phew
The Maestro
Groove Holmes
Side D
Live with PJ
marking on the bus
Professor Booty
In 3s
Namaste
lp 3
side E
Dub The Mic (Instrumental)
Pass the Microphone (Part 2, Skills to Pay the Bills)
Drunk mantis style
Netty’s girl
side f
The Skills to Pay the Bills (Original Version)
So What’ Cha Want (Soul Assassin Remix Version)
So What Do You Want (Butt Naked Version)
Groove Holmes (Live vs The Biz)
lp 4
side g
Stand Together (Live at French’s Tavern, Sydney, Australia)
Finger Lickin’ Good (Government Cheese Remix)
Gratitude (Live at Budokan)
Honky Rink
side h
Jimmy James (original original version)
Booming granny
drinking wine
So What’ Cha Want (All The Way Live Freestyle Version)