"Check My Brain" | ||||
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Single by Alice in Chains | ||||
from the album Black Gives Way to Blue | ||||
Released | August 14, 2009 [1] | |||
Recorded | October 23, 2008 –March 18, 2009 [2] [3] | |||
Studio | Studio 606 in Northridge, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:57 | |||
Label | Virgin/EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jerry Cantrell | |||
Producer(s) | Nick Raskulinecz | |||
Alice in Chains singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Check My Brain" on YouTube |
"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 Hot Rock Songs charts in September 2009. [6] This was the first time an Alice in Chains song would hit number-one 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 number 92, [8] and also their first number-one on the Alternative Songs chart. "Check My Brain" received a nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 52nd Grammy Awards. [9]
"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]
It is in F minor. The tonic (F) is played as F♭ bent up, so it can be unbent back to F♭. (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]
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." [4]
In 2012, Loudwire ranked the song at number 39 on their list of "Top 50 Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century". [5]
"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, 2009 and it was added to the PlayStation Network on October 1, 2009. [18]
The song was featured in the season four premiere of the Showtime series Californication , "Exile on Main St." in 2011, when Charlie picks up Hank from jail. [19] [20]
The music video for "Check My Brain" premiered on September 14, 2009 and was directed by Alexandre Courtes. [21] The video shows the band in a discolored setting in Los Angeles, California where Cantrell moved in 2003. [22]
On October 1, 2009, Alice in Chains released a behind-the-scenes video about the making of the music video. [23]
Alice in Chains debuted "Check My Brain" on August 1, 2009 in Marlay Park, Dublin, Ireland. [24] 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. [25]
"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 Hot Rock Songs chart, which combines mainstream and alternative rock airplay. [7] "Check My Brain" debuted at number 99 of the Hot 100 on the chart issue of October 3, 2009, peaking at number 92. [8] In addition, it charted on the Canadian Hot 100, reaching number 62.
Weekly charts
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Alice in Chains is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne Staley. Starr was replaced by Mike Inez in 1993. William DuVall joined the band in 2006 as co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, replacing Staley, who died in 2002. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, the glam metal band Alice N' Chains.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement, and is known for its distinctive vocal style and the harmonized vocals between Cantrell and Layne Staley. Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap. After Staley's death in 2002, Cantrell took the role of Alice in Chains' lead singer on most of the songs from the band's post-Staley albums, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013) and Rainier Fog (2018), with DuVall harmonizing with him in the new songs and singing Staley's vocals in the old songs in live concerts.
Boggy Depot is the debut solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. The vinyl edition was released on March 31, 1998, and the CD was released on April 7, 1998, through Columbia Records. The album was named after the ghost town of the same name in Oklahoma, where Cantrell's father grew up. In addition to singing, Cantrell also played guitar, piano, clavinet, organ, and steel drums on Boggy Depot. Cantrell produced the album along with Toby Wright. Cantrell's Alice in Chains bandmates, Sean Kinney and Mike Inez are featured on the album, as well as Les Claypool, Pantera's Rex Brown, and Fishbone's Angelo Moore and John Norwood Fisher. Boggy Depot debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and spent 14 weeks on the chart. The tracks "Cut You In", "My Song" and "Dickeye" were released as singles to promote the album. "Cut You In" peaked at No. 5. on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, "My Song" reached No. 6 and "Dickeye" peaked at No. 36. "Cut You In" was nominated for two Billboard Music Video Awards: Best Hard Rock/Metal Clip and Best New Hard Rock/Metal Artist Clip. Boggy Depot was reissued on colored vinyl on December 13, 2019.
"Them Bones" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains. It is the opening track and the second single from their second album, Dirt (1992). "Them Bones" peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and at No. 30 on the Alternative Airplay chart. The song was also included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A live performance of the song is included on their live album Live (2000).
"Down in a Hole" is a power ballad by Alice in Chains, and the fifth and last single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the twelfth song on most pressings of the album and fourth or eleventh on others. The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. The single spent 21 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and peaked at No. 10. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) and Music Bank (1999). An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD.
"No Excuses" is the lead single from American rock band Alice in Chains' third EP, Jar of Flies (1994). Written by guitarist and co-lead vocalist Jerry Cantrell, the song was well received by music critics and was a charting success, becoming the first Alice in Chains song to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, spending a total of 26 weeks on the chart. It has gone on to become one of the band's most popular songs. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Alice In Chains performed an acoustic version of "No Excuses" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, which marked the last time they performed the song with Layne Staley, and that version was included on the band's Unplugged live album and home video release.
"Would?" is a song by Alice in Chains, written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell as a tribute to his friend Andrew Wood, lead vocalist of Mother Love Bone, who died in 1990. Cantrell sings the verses of the song, while Layne Staley sings the chorus.
"Grind" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains. It is the opening track and the lead single from their third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995). The song was written by Jerry Cantrell, who also sings lead vocals with Layne Staley harmonizing with him. "Grind" spent 16 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 7. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1996.
"Angry Chair" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was the third single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the eleventh song on most copies of the album and twelfth or tenth song on others. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).
"Heaven Beside You" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the second single from their third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995). It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. Cantrell sings lead vocals, with Layne Staley doing harmonies during the chorus. The song spent 26 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 3. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. "Heaven Beside You" was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).
"Get Born Again" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and, along with "Died", one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002. The song was released as the lead single from the compilation Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) on June 1, 1999. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at No. 12 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Get Born Again" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2000. The song was also included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).
The discography of Alice in Chains, a Seattle-based rock band, consists of six studio albums, three extended plays (EP), three live albums, five compilations, two DVDs, 44 music videos, and 32 singles.
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 2009, on the 17th anniversary of the release of their second album, Dirt. It is their first record without original lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002, and their first album with new vocalist and rhythm guitarist William DuVall sharing vocal duties with lead guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who sings lead vocals on most of the songs. The title track is a tribute to Staley featuring Elton John on piano. This is the first Alice in Chains album released on Virgin Records and their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all of their previous releases. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA on May 26, 2010, with shipments exceeding 500,000 copies in the U.S. and over 1 million copies sold worldwide. "Check My Brain" and "A Looking in View" were both nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver magazine's Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010.
"A Looking in View" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). It was the first publicly released song from the album and was available for purchase on June 30, 2009, and for a limited time it was available as a free download through the official Alice in Chains website. Although it was not the album's first official single, Rock stations across the U.S. started playing the song after it was made available for streaming. The first official radio single, "Check My Brain", was released in August 2009.
"Your Decision" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). Written by Jerry Cantrell, who also sings lead vocals on the song, it was released as the second single from the album on November 16, 2009 in the UK, and on December 1, 2009 in the US. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs and Mainstream Rock charts, and No. 4 on the Alternative Songs chart. "Your Decision" was featured on CSI's season 10, episode 8, "Lover's Lane".
"Lesson Learned" 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 third and final single from the album on June 22, 2010. The song reached No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, and No. 10 on Hot Rock Songs.
"Hollow" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the first single from their fifth studio album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, released on May 28, 2013. The band debuted the song on YouTube with a fan-made lyric video on December 18, 2012. The lyric video contains static images submitted by fans via Instagram. The song was made available for digital download on January 8, 2013. "Hollow" reached number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. It is played in a 6/4 time signature during the verses, and in a standard 4/4 signature during the choruses.
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on May 28, 2013 through Capitol Records. It is the band's second reunion album. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), Alice in Chains began work on a new album. The making of The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here lasted for more than a year and the release of the album was delayed numerous times. The band entered the studio in July 2011 to start work on their fifth album. During the writing and recording sessions, guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell underwent shoulder surgery, which resulted in the delay of the album. The recording sessions of The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here were completed in December 2012.
"Stone" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the second single from their fifth studio album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013). The song was released as a single on March 25, 2013, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. A music video directed by Robert Schober was released for the song. The song was first played live on April 10, 2013, during Alice in Chains' appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles. The lyrics to "Stone" are printed on the bottom plate of a limited edition of Jerry Cantrell's signature Dunlop Cry Baby Wah pedal released in 2013.
Rainier Fog is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains, released on August 24, 2018, through BMG, the band's first release on the label. The title was inspired by Mount Rainier, a volcano that overlooks the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, and the title track is a tribute to the Seattle music scene. This is the band's third album with William DuVall sharing lead vocals with Jerry Cantrell, and the first Alice in Chains album in 22 years to be recorded in their hometown of Seattle. The album was partially recorded at Seattle's Studio X, the same studio where the band recorded their 1995 self-titled album. Rainier Fog is also Alice in Chains' third collaboration with producer Nick Raskulinecz, marking their first time recording three full-length albums with the same producer.