Beastie Boys – Check Your Head

Top quality. Quiet pressing on quite heavy vinyl, thick cover. I'm not surprised they're re-pressing the 2022 edition. This is definitely a must-have in any collection.

This pressing sounds really good to me… i take it’s identical to the 2009 remaster?

Bumps loud and I was playing on low volume. I never heard the 09 press, but it’s the fucking Beastie Boys… it will always sound best on your grainy cassette in your gmom’s basement. One of the best albums I own. Every single remix and bonus all on one album!?! Type of shit I’m talkin bout!!

The 2024 repress of this comes with a new OBI and is pressed at Furnace Record Pressing (as stated on the VMP site).

I've owned several copies of this album over the years, and it holds a special place in my collection. This was the first hip-hop album I ever bought on vinyl back in 1992. At the time, I had a Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (EU, Unknown/mid-2010s). I've since sold the 1992 Korean, 2009 EU, and 2009 US editions.

When this box set was announced, I was curious about the sound quality. I’m not generally a fan of Chris Bellman’s remastering style. He tends to boost the low end excessively, which I don’t always enjoy. However, given that this album already has a strong, punchy low end, I was hopeful that Bellman could improve it further. I was excited to see how this edition would compare to the already excellent versions in my collection. In the end, my curiosity got the best of me, and I grabbed the box set.

TL;DR: This box set is the second-worst sounding edition of this masterpiece, only suring the 2009 EU edition. I don't recall the 2009 EU pressing being particularly bad, but both this box set and that edition share similar sound characteristics.

I started by playing "Finger Lickin' Good" from side B, my favorite track. Right from the beginning, something felt off with this release. The sound was muddy and dull, lacking the fun, energetic vibe that I expect from the BBoys. After finishing side B, I immediately put on the 2009 US edition from the box set. The dynamics, punch, and detail were incomparable. In comparison, this box set lacks punch, depth, and sparkle. Bellman’s cut fails on every level.

On this album, the BBoys are rocking funky beats that create a groovy vibe, and the 2009 Ray Janos cut captures that energy best. Unfortunately, Bellman’s cut doesn’t convey that same feeling. The box set sounds flat and lifeless, making it hard for me to get into the groove. I ended up pulling out all my other editions and playing both sides A and B just to remind myself of how it should sound.

Conclusion:

If you’re after youthful, fun energy, look for the Ray Janos cuts (2009 Box Set, 2009 US standard 2LP edition, 2022 US 2LP).
If you're an audiophile, the VMP Edition cut by Ryan Smith is the best. The VMP edition is the most detailed, yet it still preserves the groovy vibe of the album.
As for Beastie Boys - Check Your Head 1998 US edition, as both share "GR 66" in the matrix. The sound of this bootleg, however, is exactly what I expected from a Bellman cut—dynamite. It’s even punchier and has a wider soundstage than any other edition I own. The only downside is that the pressing quality isn't up to the standards of the other pressings, and my copy came in a Grand Royal die-cut sleeve without a proper gatefold. Based on a review of the 1998 US edition, I suspect this EU bootleg is a bastard sibling of the 1998 US pressing. Maybe I should track down that 1998 edition.

Despite its flaws, this box set does have its merits for B-Boys and B-Girls. If you missed out on the 2009 box set, the bonus materials here are definitely worth having.

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Modded Rega RP6, Nagaoka MP500, Graham Slee Excession MM, Sugden S21se Signiture, ATC SCM 19v2

if this doesn't make your nipples hard, then you are probably a rotting corpse...
just sayin
it's sweeter than a cherry pie with reddi-whip topping
aw yeah!

Beautiful clean sound right out of the package. Fits in perfect with Paul’s Boutique and Ill Communication to complete the holy Beastie trinity!

Sounds great, even though it's not one of the better albums.

InnerSleeve has this for $60, love the b-boys and this sounds amazing. The first set they sent was sealed, but the first LP was missing, so no fault of their own, but they were very helpful in replacing it. 12 year old me is loving this

I just did a comparison with this one: https://discogs.versitio.com/release/22425517-Beastie-Boys-Check-Your-Head - which uses the same mastering as the 2009 release.

The only difference I noticed was that the wax was red on this VMP release, and the cover is grainy too (Looks like a FAX which apparently is what it originally was anyway).

So yeah. Buy whichever version floats your boat.