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 first official single from the album on August 14, 2009, 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. 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“.
This is Alice in Chains‘ first and currently only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 92, 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.
Check My Brain features the lyric “California’s all right/Somebody check my brain…”. 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.”
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.’
The music video 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 Angeles, California where Cantrell moved in 2003.
Tracklist:
- Check My Brain
Alice in Chains
Jerry Cantrell: lead vocals, lead guitar
William DuVall: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Mike Inez: bass
Sean Kinney: drums
Production
Mastering: Ted Jensen
Mixing: Randy Staub
