![]() And I can assure you, you’ve never heard this album sound so good. Those original master tapes were indeed used to remaster VMP’s pressing of Check Your Head. And yes, it proved beyond question that Beastie Boys were a band with more on their minds than just rhymin and stealin.Īs it happens, Check Your Head was also one of the rare hip hoppy albums of the era that was actually recorded to tape. Coupled with the group’s uncanny ability to conjure a catchy rhyme and a filthy beat, Check Your Head was the Beastie Boys album that celebrated every facet of the band’s musical ambition. That approach also opened the door to loose little jam sessions that lend an air of jazz, and funk-infused trip hop to the album. Playing instruments led to a massive shift in how the band wrote and recorded the tracks on Check Your Head, which take on a warm, lived-in feel all but absent their first two releases. ![]() The band shifted gears again with 1992’s Check Your Head, sending the samples packing, and picking up their instruments once again to record live in the studio. That album was, of course, a sharp left-turn sonically from the one that preceded it, the band’s iconic 1986 debut Licensed to Ill, which blended pop, hardcore, and hip hop in ways the world had really never heard before. But this is the band that released 1989’s sample-crazed marvel Paul’s Boutique, which is a hip hop masterpiece if ever there was one. So much so, it hardly seems right to slot them into any single one. And that’s not really inaccurate, even if their style, sound, and overall approach to song craft ranged slyly into several other genres. More than any of that, the band will ever rank among the most wholly original in the history of music.Īs adventurous as the band was during their run, most folks pit Beastie Boys firmly in the realm of hip hop. They were not only one of the best-selling acts of the 90s and 2000s, but one of the more critically adored groups of the era, and continue to boast arguably as fervid a fan base as they had during their heyday. And that tactic absolutely includes November’s pick, Check Your Head by Beastie Boys.īy no stretch of the imagination am I gonna lay down a history lesson about Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA right now because, well, they’re the effing Beastie Boys, man. hitting Springsteen last month, and notching Bob Dylan for December. Primarily, VMP has been setting their sites on historically larger albums for the Essentials track of late – i.e. If you’ve been tracking the comings and goings of Vinyl Me, Please since the early days fo the service, you have likely noticed a pretty dramatic shift in focus over the past several months. For the Love of Music, Please Do Not Bend Do your turntable a favor and sign up today.Īs for November’s box Team VMP tabbed what is, in my personal opinion, the best album of the 1990s for the Essentials treatment in the Beastie Boys 1992 masterpiece Check Your Head. That means you can flip any VMP pick you’re not interested in for a past featured album from any track (including Essentials, Country, Classics, and Rap/Hip Hop). If you’re peckish about relinquishing control of your record collection to complete strangers, know that VMP’s Swaps Program is in full effect. Members are privy to reduced “Members Pricing” as well, so joining the club definitely has its rewards. Word to the wise, while the store is open to the public, most of the more covet-worthy stock is only available to subscribers. The store is open, and Team VMP are dropping fresh new selections to their stock every single week. ![]() You’ll have membership privileges in the VMP store too, which means you can grab a copy of previous VMP selections from the archives – including their jaw-dropping reissue of Bruce Springsteen’s low-key classic Nebraska – or choose from a slate of super-limited releases pressed exclusively for Vinyl Me, Please. Each custom pressing (often on colored vinyl!) also comes with killer extras like original artwork and informative listening companion booklet. You send Vinyl Me, Please some of your hard-earned money (a 3-month membership will set you back about $119) and they send you one carefully selected album they feel is Essential to any record collection. Delivering limited edition vinyl pressings of new and classic albums directly to your doorstep, VMP operates under a simple philosophy: The Album Lives! With a carefully curated catalog of new and hard to find releases, the subscription service is more than just a record club, it’s a lifestyle choice for folks who wish Record Store Day could happen every month… in their living room. ![]()
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