Bad Brains Album: “Bad Brains [Picture Disc LP]”

Before I bought this record, I had read about Bad Brains and thought I knew what they were all about. Nothing, however, could prepare me for the brutal reality of this monumental album. Shivers ran up my spine, my gut twisted in knots, and all I could do was sit there until it was over. A stunning lesson on the power of experience.

What makes these four men and their music great? They absolutely defy convention, like the Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin and the Sex Pistols before them. A group of rastafarians from D.C. influenced by white boys from Britain and a little place called Queens? Crazy fast and loud songs interspersed with reggae segues? Their eclectic mix of influences and unconventional messages work because they really believe in what they say and do. Their timing and placement of songs on the record are also flawless, keeping constant tension on the listener and always delivering.

I am a big fan of HR's lyrics, which mix the political fire of the Clash with the spiritual and emancipation facets of the gemstone that is Bob Marley. Occasionally at odds with the words, the music simply did not belong in the pop culture environment of the early 80's. This pleases me, because the less people that like a band, the more personal they seem to their fans. I'm not saying any further expansion of the Brains' fan base is prohibited, but anyone without a real appreciation of music need not apply. No complaining about unpolished prodution, either, because that does not matter one iota if the music has real feeling.

What else can be said of the band that birthed hardcore? They are the most intense musicians you are ever likely to hear in this lifetime, unless there is a revolution in the recording industry. I will not rant about the RIAA or the multitude of poseurs out there today, nor will I praise illegal downloading, which woke up the industry but also scared artists into holes of uninspiring dreck. I will say that it is a sad state of affairs that new artists wander into today, burying creativity under sales charts, and the attitude of the general public sucks as well. Money is not everything!

Regardless, if you buy this record, prepare to have your mind blown and your world shaken. Oh, and don't crank your stereo if you have complaining neighbors, because I can guarantee that this will make their day. Have a blast!

Well, to begin my story, I was a starry-eyed eighth grader who had recently discovered the Ramones. I thought they were so powerful, so fast, so destructive. Now, let's not get this mixed up. The Ramones are an excellent band, no doubt about it. But this...this was something more. I got this CD because I thought it was funny that four Rastas were in a punk band. I put the CD into my walkman, turned it on, and my ears began to bleed. This is the single greatest punk/hardcore album of all time, and I don't care what anyone says. People say "you can't understand what he's saying" and "all the songs sound the same" and "the recording quality's really bad", and I just wanna knock their teeth in. Bad Brains really invented everything that is hardcore and destructive about punk, and this album is the epitomy of hard rock. Give it a chance, and you will come to love this album.

Bad Brains can be credited with inventing hardcore, and along with Minor Threat, they proved that you could play incredibly loud and incredibly fast and still be very musical and intelligent. Not only are Bad Brains a great hardcore punk band, they're also a great reggae dub band as the tracks "Jah Calling" and "I Love I Jah" prove. As for the punk tunes, you can't get any better than "Sailin' On," "Pay To Cum," "Attitude," etc. No other band can really match the intensity of these guys. The sound quality on the self-titled release can be a little poor at times, but the songs themselves make you forget those problems. H.R.'s sometimes high-pitched vocals might take some time to get used to, but in the end, this should become a favorite record of yours. Every fan of hardcore/punk should own this.

Bad Brains is undoubtedly one of the major pioneers of straight-ahead, old-school hardcore as we know it today. Their self-titled debut is a madatory addition to anyone's music collection. It's edgy, diverse, and most of all, perfect. If you haven't already, also grab Minor Threat's "The Complete Discography," Agnostic Front's "Cause For Alarm/Victim In Pain," and The Misfits' "Misfits." You can't go wrong with this or any of the honorable mentions. Peace.

If you like hardcore I don't see how you can not like this one. It's fast, but doesn't sound like a mess. The songs actually sound sort of different from each other (for hardcore at least). The lyrics are not about being an angsty teenager, which means I can listen to it as an adult and not feel like I'm being a total loser. The musicianship is on point. What's not to like?

Don't let the goodness of this record trick you into picking up later brains stuff though. They morphed into a sort of terrible Kings X style crap band.