So let the battle begin....
Battle 1:
Jimmy James (Check Your Head) vs. Sure Shot (Ill Communication)
So you can tune out now if you want. I prefer Jimmy James to Sure Shot. Sure Shot is one of the boys' better singles, but Jimmy James has more of a rush to it. Both are bona fide winners for album starters, but someone's got to win, right?
Winner: Jimmy James (Check Your Head 1, Ill Communication 0)
Battle 2:
Funky Boss (Check Your Head) vs. Tough Guy (Ill Communication)
The question is who wins? The Funky Boss or The Tough Guy? The Tough Guy wins every time...58 seconds of pure old school punk...Winner: Tough Guy (Check Your Head 1, Ill Communication 1)
Battle 3:
Pass The Mic (Check Your Head) vs. B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak (Ill Communication)
As much respect as I have for B-Boys Makin' Wit The Freak Freak, Pass The Mic is probably one of my ten favorite Beastie Boys' singles. The winner goes to the song that puts your worries on hold here...Winner: Pass The Mic (Check Your Head 2, Ill Communication 1)
Battle 4:
Gratitude (Check Your Head) vs. Bobo On The Corner (Ill Communication)
The bass line on Gratitude is just filthy and the keyboard at the end is completely filthy. Bobo On The Corner is a weaker cut on Ill Communication. It's called Gratitude...Winner: Gratitude (Check Your Head 3, Ill Communication 1)
Battle 5:
Lighten Up (Check Your Head) vs. Root Down (Ill Communication)
If the bass and keys are filthy on Gratitude, then they turn the funk up on Root Down. Lighten Up is fine but head to head? I'll Fill You With The Fuckin' Rim Like Brim!Winner: Root Down (Check Your Head 3, Ill Communication 2)
Finger Lickin' Good (Check Your Head) vs. Sabotage (Ill Communication)
Who knows? On a strange day I might say forget the eternal love for Sabotage and go with an album track I've always adored. Unfortunately, Finger Lickin' Good isn't one of those album tracks...Winner: Sabotage (Check Your Head 3, Ill Communication 3)
Battle 7:
So Whatcha Want (Check Your Head) vs. Get It Together (Ill Communication)
This one is tough. Arguably, two of my favorites from the band..head to head. The match-up is stout enough to make John Gruden's head explode. I personally, right now, would rather listen to Q-Tip stop by and guest spot and because of the breaks in Get It Together and the lines about cheese and macaroni and Chachi and Joanie, I'm tipping towards the Ill Communication single.Winner: Get It Together (Check Your Head 3, Ill Communication 4)
Battle 8:
The Biz vs. The Nuge (Check Your Head) vs. Sabrosa (Ill Communication)
Hey, the wah wah guitars in Sabrosa are sweet but do they top a calling card from Ted Nugent and Biz Markie...I think not...Winner: The Biz vs. The Nuge (Check Your Head 4, Ill Communication 4)
Battle 9:
Time For Livin' (Check Your Head) vs. The Update (Ill Communication)
Why do I make up lists like this on occasion? So I can remember just how much ass Time For Livin' kicks. Blistering and messy all at once, The Update doesn't stand a chance.Winner: Time For Livin' (Check Your Head 5, Ill Communication 4)
Battle 10:
Something's Got To Give (Check Your Head) vs. Futterman's Rule (Ill Communication)
Futterman's Rule is a nice instrumental, but I've always found something heartwarming and introspective about MCA's vocals on Something's Got To Give. Plus the groove is easy to get lost in....Winner: Something's Got To Give (Check Your Head 6, Ill Communication 4)
The Blue Nun (Check Your Head) vs. Alright Hear This (Ill Communication)
I enjoy the Blue Nun, it's one of my favorite skits the band did. Unfortunately for Peter and the delicious wine, Alright Hear This is easily one of my favorite album tracks from the band. The bass is silky and smooth and Ad Rock mutters Old Grandpappy at some point. That's gold my friend...Winner: Alright Hear This (Check Your Head 6, Ill Communication 5)
Battle 12:
Stand Together (Check Your Head) vs. Eugene's Lament (Ill Communication)
The broken horn at the beginning of Stand Together and the flow of the rest of the tune still sounds fresh 2 decades later. Can't say the same about Eugene's Lament.Winner: Stand Together (Check Your Head 7, Ill Communication 5)
Battle 13:
POW (Check Your Head) vs. Flute Loop (Ill Communication)
Sure the lead up to the scream of POW is good fun. But I ask is it better than the flute sample going on in Flute Loop? Didn't someone go insane once listening to this song over and over and commit suicide? Or is that an urban myth from storyteller I once knew...Anything making me feel like busting out old Jethro Tull is fine....Winner: Flute Loop (Check Your Head 7, Ill Communication 6)
Battle 14:
The Maestro (Check Your Head) vs. Do It (Ill Communication)
If Battle 7 was the tough "singles battle, then this is the hard fought album tracks battle. Do It features the guys waxing over the groove in perfection. I'm 6.7 on the Richter Scale....And The Maestro is pretty damn fine as well especially the breaks in between the verses. Somebody say Columbo???? The funky chorus from Do It is the prime decider.Winner: Do It (Check Your Head 7, Ill Communication 7)
Battle 15:
Groove Holmes (Check Your Head) vs. Ricky's Theme (Ill Communication)
Here's the battle of the instrumentals. The nod goes to Groove Holmes for making me feel like this was an instrumental break on a Sanford and Son episode...Winner: Groove Holmes (Check Your Head 8, Ill Communication 7)
Live At PJ's (Check Your Head) vs. Heart Attack Man (Ill Communication)
True Heart Attack Man is another slice of punk thunder but I ask...Is it as fun as Live At PJ's where Ad-Rock plays the best lounge singer in America? I'm going with Live at PJ's. Plus it contains the lines: "Cause suckers like you / Just make me strong / When you're popping that bullshit all day long". Probably my favorite album track of the two albums...Winner: Live At PJ's (Check Your Head 9, Ill Communication 7)
Battle 17:
Mark On The Bus (Check Your Head) vs. The Scoop (Ill Communication)
Since B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak didn't win Battle 3, The Scoop is pretty close to that. I'll give it the edge over a sometime interesting and some not Mark On The Bus.Winner: The Scoop (Check Your Head 9, Ill Communication 8)
Battle 18:
Professor Booty (Check Your Head) vs. Shambala (Ill Communication)
Professor what's another name for pirate treasure? A late winner over a lukewarm instrumental, Shambala.Winner: Professor Booty (Check Your Head 10, Ill Communication 8)
Battle 19:
In 3's (Check Your Head) vs. Bodhisattva Vow (Ill Communication)
Yeah, I pretty much dig the freaky moan sample during Bodhisattva Vow and MCA pretty much has head set in the right place on this one. Winner: Bodhisattva Vow (Check Your Head 10, Ill Communication 9)
Battle 20:
Namaste (Check Your Head) vs. Transitions (Ill Communication)
Never been a fan of either of the instrumental closers but if I had a gun to my head, I'd pick the Check Your Head closer as my favorite...Winner: Namaste (Check Your Head 11, Ill Communication 9)
The Final Score:
Check Your Head: 11 (Winner)
Ill Communication: 9
Source: http://www.jhostation.com/2012/01/beastie-boys-check-your-head-vs-ill.html
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