TS: Check Your Head vs. Ill Communication

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For the few of you who still care about the Beastie Boys, which of these two middle-period albums do you like better?

― Christian, Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Aren't they the same album? Which one has "So Whatcha Want"? I vote that.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Edge goes to 'Check Your Head.'

― bkjj40a (bkjj40a), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ill Communication is a much better album, but Check Your Head has the better mise en scene

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head.

― latebloomer: now with 20% less cetacean content (latebloomer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head, and I'm a big fan of both albums. Check Your Head has the RAWK.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 04:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head, easily, for the song that was recorded on the L.A. city bus

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 04:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

CYH definately, but MAD LOVE to Ill Communication. Much Respect!

― Michael Costello (MichaelCostello1), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 05:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head, of course. If it had never existed, Ill Communication would be regarded higher, but in this universe IC was basically a more clench-arsed copy of the former, and thus its merits pale.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 06:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head, this isn't even particularly close.

― Taste the Blood of Scrovula (noodle vague), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 06:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

I stupidly bought "The In SOund From Way Out" before I heard "Check Your Head" so the album always felt checkered and hotch-potch to me.. "Ill Communication" will always be my fave I think.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 07:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

check your head brought in the whole mario c. / money mark era. ill communication is a repeat of that whole vibe. check your head (album&tour) is just way fresher on every level.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 07:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Another Check Your Head vote. Much looser album, more fun, druggier too.

― Omar (Omar), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 08:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head! i agree with noodle that this isn't even that close.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 11:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head has the better songs and instrumentals, while Ill Communication only has better dancers.

― Negativa, True Believer (Sheryl Crow in a Britney costume) (Barima), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 11:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ooh. Check Your Head, which meant a lot to me in the summer of '92. I burned "Sabotage" and "Get It Together" on my newest copy.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ill Communication was the album with which i met Beastie Boys as a band, Sabotage, Get It Together (probably my fave B. Boys track ever), Root Down, Sure Shot, Sabrosa, Flute Loop, Shambala, Bodhisattva Vow. Excellent album, my memories wouldn't ever be the same without this album, even though I found it at least a year or more later.

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head by a big margin. Ill Comm is "Check Your Head 2" but I know some peoeple like the sequel more.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head by an incalculable number of light years. Ill Communication was a big let-down from where I'm sitting (though not as big a let-down as their last one).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

PLease --Check Your Head----

ill communication was the start of the fall for me
don't even get me going on their new album...

― jj, Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

CLEARLY Ill Communication. I don't think there's a Beasties song more played out than "So Watcha Want"; I would be a happier man if I could guarantee that I would never, ever, ever, ever hear that song again.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

I don't think there's a Beasties song more played out than "So Watcha Want";

Yeah, but the arguable notion that the song is "played out" isn't the song's fault.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'll go with IC, but simply b/c of "Phone is ringin'...oh mah God."

Don't ask these tough questions this early. Damn.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

It is true that it is more the fault of every corny vaguely-or-genuinely alternarat I've known since high school that the mere idea of this song makes my teeth hurt and causes my hackles to rise like a battle souffle. This does not change the fact that I now cannot stand even the thought of the song and I wish it had never existed (besides "Check The Mic" is and always will be a better song).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

Fuck either, just get The Sounds Of Science

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

It could be argued that "Fight For Your Right To Party" is more "played out."

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

causes my hackles to rise like a battle souffle

I'm so sorry, Dan, but I'm afraid I read this as "testicles to rise".

― Negativa, True Believer (Sheryl Crow in a Britney costume) (Barima), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

is there any band ever for whom Miccio won't jock a singles comp above any studio album?

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

but it's true that both albums are tremendously uneven. I love "Check Your Head," but it don't flow like "Paul's Boutique" or "License To Ill."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

is there any band ever for whom Miccio won't jock a singles comp above any studio album?

Sugar Ray >> 14:59 > The Best Of Sugar Ray

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

and I'll take Licensed To Ill over Sounds Of Science

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

It could be argued that "Fight For Your Right To Party" is more "played out."

It could be but that would be WRONG. Every other Beastie song is more played out, including non-singles like "Paul Revere".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

(Blatant hyperbole there.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ill Communication, cuz if it's gonna be that kinda party, I'm a stick my dick in the mashed potatoes.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also for the sick ass flute loops, "Eugene's Lament", the Tibetan dudes, and all that enlightenment shit.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Erase Pass the Mic.

Wait.

Expose them with Pass the Mic.

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head, in lots of places, might as well be a MONEY MARK album.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check Your Head is certainly fresher, and is often charming, even exciting in that respect. But it's also not very good.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

the singles might be better, but not the album

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

GABBNEB COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY OTMFM

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Gabbneb's right. I'll take "Hello Nasty" over either.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 15:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

WELL, I AM - THE MAESTRO!!

― Negativa, True Believer (Sheryl Crow in a Britney costume) (Barima), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 15:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

6 years pass...

here's another question - would anyone vote Ill Communication if "Get it Together" was removed?

― frogbs, Tuesday, 1 November 2011 18:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

a full record of "punk" rock songs like Time for Livin' could've been a Beastie Boys masterpiece:

― nostormo, Tuesday, 25 December 2012 22:17 (4 months ago) Permalink

I would vote Ill Comm tbh. I did hear it first mind you, and for some reason had The In Sound From Way Out before CYH so it never really worked for me in the same way as it might for others.
But to me Ill Comm is just a brighter, poppier and less messy record. The entire first half is smash after smash, style after style - here's a party rocker BAM! Okay here's a hardcore song! BASH! Now let's do a crazy boss's nova BOSH! It pulls no punches whereas COY sounds sloppier to me, like a disorganised mixtape, which is maybe why a lot of people prefer it.

― besides Sunny Real Estate (dog latin), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 01:10 (4 months ago) Permalink

Now let's do a crazy boss's nova

― ( ͡° ͜ʖ͡°) (sic), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 01:24 (4 months ago) Permalink

Haha, iPhone Lola

― besides Sunny Real Estate (dog latin), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 01:28 (4 months ago) Permalink

*Lols

― besides Sunny Real Estate (dog latin), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 01:28 (4 months ago) Permalink

um, nostormo

― t_s (how's life), Wednesday, 26 December 2012 09:12 (4 months ago) Permalink

it's ok, but it doesn't have the fat-dirty sound of Time for Livin', and there are no melodies, only straight hardcore punk, so...

― nostormo, Wednesday, 26 December 2012 15:33 (4 months ago) Permalink

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