Bad Brains Album: “Rise”

bad brains great band i bought this cd recently and the lyrics are good but its not the greatest cd by bad brains. theres more ska than the usual hard riffs but still a good cd. kinda gets boring after a wile.

i recomend u get BAD BRAINS LIVE

or at least listen to I Against I before you turn this band down

"Rise" is often overlloked by ans of the 'Brains older, more hardcore oriented material from their self-titled album through "i against i" This album should be given a few more listens and some reconsideration on their part. Although the music on this album is lower than their earler recordings it is still great all the way through with maybe one song that can be considered filler material. Standout tracks are: "rise", "miss freedom", "love is the answer" which is a great reggae track and "free".

I give credit to the 'Brains for another great album even in the abscence of H.R and Earl

Of course this album isn't as good as other Bad Brains releases. Fact is, this is a great little record that never got its due. I don't care if it's HR or Israel I or Chuck Moseley or whoever. I don't care if Earl or Mackie is playing drums. The point is that the album was well-written, well-performed, and well-produced. "Rise" is a modern-hardcore anthem not atypical from something that would have been on their previous album "Quickness". "Hair" is a funny cover from the play/movie of the same name. "Love is the Answer" is one of their best reggae jams and utilizes quirky little noises under Israel's smooth flow. "Take Your Time" alternates between upbeat jazz-funk and sprawling power chords. "Unidentified" and "Peace of Mind" have some of the mathier passages found on any Bad Brains album. All in all, a good album that more people would like if they heard it.

As I have been reading these reviews I keep asking the same question, "Are they talking about the right album?" I don't get it. I love the Bad Brains, they easily make my top 3 of all time favorites, but I can't find anything good about this album. And trust me when I say this, I tried SO hard to find anything remotely good about this album. It just isn't there. I would highly recomment to anyone who is considering this album to stay far away from it.

"Rise" is a textbook case of former members of a group using the name of their now-defunct band to cash in on that name. If some members of Bad Brains wanted to record an album without founding members ( of course most notably HR ) they have every right to. It's when they use that beloved band's NAME to promote the product that fraud has been perpetrated on their fans. After Ian Curtis' suicide the surviving band members continued to record with the NEW name New Order. That is simple ethics. If they recorded under the name Joy Division without Ian Curtis that would have been less than righteous.

Besides the questionable morality here, the music on this album just is not very good. At all. Stay away. There are many great "real" Bad Brains albums out there to enjoy. To name a few, try "Bad Brains", "Banned In D.C.", "I Against I" or "Black Dot".