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Check My Brain

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"Check My Brain"
Song

"Check My Brain" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). It was released as the first official single from the album on August 14, 2009,[1] marking it as the band's first single in a decade (since 1999's "Fear the Voices"). The single topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Rock Songs charts in September 2009.[6] This was the first time an Alice in Chains song would hit #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart since their 1994 single "No Excuses".[7] This is Alice in Chains' first and currently only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #92,[8] and also their first #1 on the Alternative Songs chart. "Check My Brain" received a nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 52nd Grammy Awards.[9]

Lyrics

"Check My Brain" features the lyric "California's all right/Somebody check my brain...".[10] The lyric is in reference to guitarist Jerry Cantrell moving to Los Angeles, California in 2003, with Cantrell commenting, "I like how I am right now...and I like where I'm living."[10][11]

Cantrell on the song:

There's a certain aspect of sarcasm, I guess, being a guy from Seattle who lives in L.A., ex-drug addict who lives in the belly of the beast and doesn't partake, and being totally cool with that...It's like being the bad gambler and living in Vegas. It's right there. It's just the irony of that and a little bit of sarcasm. And it's not putting this place down at all. It's just kind of like, 'Wow, you know, check my brain, wow.'[12]

Composition

It is in F minor. The tonic (F) is played as Fb bent up, so it can be unbent back to Fb. (The guitars are downtuned (which is "standard Alice in Chains tuning" according to Cantrell) and the bass is drop D.) Both the bass and rhythm guitar do this. Also the vocals follow. The chords in the chorus are F5, E♭5, B♭5, A♭5, B♭5, C5, F5.[13]

Release and reception

On August 12, 2009, the band released a 30-second sample of the new single.[14] On August 14, 2009, the full version of the song was released to radio stations as the first official single from the album.[1] "A Looking in View" was available for purchase[15] and was streaming for free on the band's website in June 2009, but it wasn't released as the album's first single.[16][17]

Ronald Hart of Billboard said that the song "is faithful to the grunge terrain Alice in Chains mapped out in 1995. Written by guitarist/chief songwriter Jerry Cantrell, who shares lead vocal duties with William DuVall, the song revolves around Cantrell's distaste for his relocation from rainy Seattle to sunny Los Angeles. The band's classic, downtuned stomp could easily pass for an unreleased track from the "Dirt" era and is sure to keep longtime fans feeling pleasantly dystopic."[18]

In 2012, Loudwire ranked the song at No. 39 on their list of "Top 50 Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century".[19]

"Check My Brain" was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band and Rock Band 2 music video games for the Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles, as part of Alice In Chains Pack 01, which also includes older hits "Rooster", "Would?", and "No Excuses", along with "A Looking in View", also from Black Gives Way to Blue. It was added to the Xbox Live Marketplace and in-game Music Store for the Wii on September 29 and it was added to the PlayStation Network on October 1.[20]

The song was featured in the Season 4 premiere of the Showtime series Californication, "Exile on Main St." in 2011, when Charlie picks up Hank from jail.[21][22]

Music video

The music video for "Check My Brain" premiered on September 14, 2009 and was directed by Alexandre Courtes.[23] The video shows the band in a discolored setting in Los Angeles, California where Cantrell moved in 2003.[24]

Live performances

Alice in Chains debuted "Check My Brain" on August 1, 2009 in Marlay Park, Dublin, Ireland.[25] They played it again the next day at the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth Park, Stevenage, United Kingdom, and again two days later on August 4, 2009 at The Scala in London. The song is regularly performed at the band's concerts.[26]

Cover versions

L.A. Guns covered the song on their 2010 album Covered in Guns.[27]

Personnel

Production

Chart performance

"Check My Brain" has become one of the band's most commercially successful singles of their career, especially on rock radio. This was their second number one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, after 1994's "No Excuses".[7] It became their first number-one song on the Alternative Songs chart and also topped Billboard's Rock Songs chart, which combines mainstream and alternative rock airplay.[7] "Check My Brain" debuted at #99 of the Hot 100 on the chart issue of October 3, 2009, peaking at #92.[8] In addition, it has charted on the Canadian Hot 100, reaching #62.

Positions

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 62
Polish Singles Chart[29] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[30] 92
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[32] 1
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[33] 1

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "ALICE IN CHAINS: 'Check My Brain' Released To Radio; Audio Stream Available". Blabbermouth. August 14, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  2. ^ "Alice In Chains - Check My Brain". MusicStack. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "Alice in Chains Working With Rush/Foo Fighters Producer". Blabbermouth.net. 2008-10-23. Archived from the original on 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2009-06-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Alice In Chains Set To Release First Album In 14 Years". Ultimate-Guitar.com. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  5. ^ a b c "Alice In Chains – Check My Brain". Discogs. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 2009
  7. ^ a b c "Chart Beat Wednesday: Alice In Chains, Jason Aldean, Katy Perry". Billboard. 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Alice in Chains Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "Alice In Chains Garner Grammy Nomination For 'Check My Brain'". Ultimate-Guitar. December 7, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "A studio visit with Alice in Chains". Los Angeles Times. 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-07-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Alice in Chains returns after death of singer". CNN. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Alice in Chains To Headline 99.5 KISS FM 'Bone Bash' - Aug. 17, 2009". Blabbermouth.net. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  13. ^ "Alice in Chains "Check My Brain" Guitar Center Sessions on DIRECTV".
  14. ^ "Alice In Chains Posts "Check My Brain" Clip Online". metalunderground.com. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  15. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: New Song Available Via iTunes, Amazon". Blabbermouth. August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  16. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Performs Three New Songs In London; Video Available". Blabbermouth. August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  17. ^ "Alice in Chains 'A Looking in View' — VIDEO". Noisecreep. July 8, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  18. ^ Ronald Hart (September 4, 2009). "Alice In Chains, "Check My Brain"". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "No. 39: Alice In Chains, 'Check My Brain' – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs". Loudwire. June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  20. ^ "'Rock Band' Celebrates Release Of New ALICE IN CHAINS Album With Five-Pack". Blabbermouth. September 26, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Check My Brain by Alice In Chains". Song Facts. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  22. ^ "californication s04e01 check my brain". YouTube. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  23. ^ "'Check My Brain' Video To Premiere On Monday". Blabbermouth.net. 2009-09-11. Archived from the original on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2009-09-13. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Alice In Chains - Check My Brain". YouTube. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  25. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Performs 'Check My Brain' For First Time; Video Available". Blabbermouth. August 2, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  26. ^ "Check My Brain by Alice in Chains Song Statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  27. ^ "L.A. Guns cover of Alice in Chains's 'Check My Brain'". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  28. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. ^ "Polish Singles Chart |".
  30. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  33. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
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