Check My Brain
Encyclopedia
"Check My Brain" is a song by Alice in Chains
, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue
(2009). It was released as the second single from the album on August 17, 2009. The single topped the Billboard
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Rock Songs
charts in September 2009. 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
". "Check My Brain" received a nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 52nd Grammy Awards
.
moving to Los Angeles
, California
in 2003, with Cantrell commenting, "I like how I am right now...and I like where I'm living."
Cantrell on the song:
, and at number one on the Billboard rock charts — Rock Songs
, Alternative Songs and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In Canada
, the song reached the top 70 on the Canadian Hot 100
.
The song was released as downloadable content
for the Rock Band
and Rock Band 2
music video game
s 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.
The song was featured in the Season 4 premiere of the Showtime series Californication.
for "Check My Brain" premiered on September 14, 2009 and was directed by Alexandre Courtes
. The video shows the band in a discolored setting in Los Angles, California were Cantrell moved in 2003.
, Dublin, Ireland. 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. It has been a staple at concerts during the band's 2009-2010 tour.
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, after 1994's "No Excuses
". It became their first number-one song on the Alternative Songs chart and also topped Billboards Rock Songs
chart, which combines mainstream and alternative rock airplay. "Check My Brain" debuted at #99 of the Hot 100 on the chart issue of October 3, 2009, peaking at #92. In addition, it has charted on the Canadian Hot 100
, reaching #62.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue
Black Gives Way to Blue
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late...
(2009). It was released as the second single from the album on August 17, 2009. The single topped the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
charts in September 2009. 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
No Excuses
"No Excuses" is the lead single off American grunge band Alice in Chains's third EP, Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:The song's sound is a departure from some...
". "Check My Brain" received a nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
.
Lyrics
"Check My Brain" features the lyric "California's all right/Somebody check my brain...". The chords in the chorus are F5, E5, A5, B5, C5, F5. The lyric is in reference to guitarist Jerry CantrellJerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 2003, with Cantrell commenting, "I like how I am right now...and I like where I'm living."
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.'
Release and reception
On August 12, 2009, the band released a 30 second sample of the new single. On August 14, 2009, the full version of the song was released to radio stations. On August 17, 2009, "Check My Brain" was released as the second single from the album and as of October 10, 2009, it has peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and at number one on the Billboard rock charts — Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
, Alternative Songs and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the song reached the top 70 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
.
The song was released as downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
and Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
s for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
consoles, as part of Alice In Chains Pack 01, which also includes older hits "Rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
", "Would?
Would?
"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
", and "No Excuses
No Excuses
"No Excuses" is the lead single off American grunge band Alice in Chains's third EP, Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:The song's sound is a departure from some...
", along with "A Looking in View
A Looking in View
"A Looking in View" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the first single from the album on June 30, 2009, marking it as the band's first single since the previous decade. The song was the band's first release with vocalist...
", also from Black Gives Way to Blue. It was added to the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
and in-game Music Store for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
on September 29 and it was added to the PlayStation Network on October 1.
The song was featured in the Season 4 premiere of the Showtime series Californication.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Check My Brain" premiered on September 14, 2009 and was directed by Alexandre Courtes
Alex and Martin
Alex and Martin were a music video directing duo consisting of Alex Courtes and Martin Fougerol. They directed several music videos with artists such as The White Stripes and U2....
. The video shows the band in a discolored setting in Los Angles, California were Cantrell moved in 2003.
Live performances
Alice in Chains debuted "Check My Brain" on August 1, 2009 in Marlay ParkMarlay Park
Marlay Park is a suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometres from Dublin city centre. The parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks...
, Dublin, Ireland. They played it again the next day at the Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
in Knebworth Park, Stevenage, United Kingdom, and again two days later on August 4, 2009 at The Scala in London. It has been a staple at concerts during the band's 2009-2010 tour.
Personnel
- Jerry CantrellJerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
– vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - William DuVallWilliam DuVallthumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Mike InezMike InezMike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Sean KinneySean KinneySean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
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 BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, after 1994's "No Excuses
No Excuses
"No Excuses" is the lead single off American grunge band Alice in Chains's third EP, Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:The song's sound is a departure from some...
". It became their first number-one song on the Alternative Songs chart and also topped Billboards Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
chart, which combines mainstream and alternative rock airplay. "Check My Brain" debuted at #99 of the Hot 100 on the chart issue of October 3, 2009, peaking at #92. In addition, it has charted on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, reaching #62.
Positions
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
62 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
92 |
| US Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Alternative Songs | 1 |
See also
- List of number-one rock singles (U.S.)
- Number one modern rock hits of 2009Number one modern rock hits of 2009This is a list of the songs the reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 2009. The chart was renamed from "Modern Rock Tracks" on June 20, 2009.-See also:*2009 in music*List of number-one alternative hits...
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits of 2009 (U.S.)