Bad Brains Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
It probably won't come as a huge surprise to fans of this hardcore band that they've released their first full-length dub recording. After all, Bad Brains have proven in the past to be adept at reggae as well as punk. Their relatively straightforward approach to dub isn't particularly otherworldly or eccentric, but this album is a solid effort even if it doesn't break a lot of new ground. The band sounds quite comfortable with this format (including Darryl Jenifer's melodica playing). Altoist Peter Pittner, tenor saxophonist David CasT, and trumpeter Greg Glassman effectively enhance the sound on tracks such as "Jah Love" and "Ghetto"; Ray Chinna lends some flavor to the mix with his vox guitar on "Ghetto" and "September"; and the other guest musicians are also in good form. You can entertain yourself by picking out traces of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" in "Cowboys," the Indian influences on "Ragga Dub," the traces of hard guitar rock on the group's dub version of their punk classic "How Low Can a Punk Get," and the vocal samples on various tracks. Or you can just mellow out and enjoy the mostly relaxing groove. The enhanced CD includes a small amount of footage of the band and some brief comments of praise from musicians such as Perry Farrell (who describes his music as a cross between Duke Ellington and Bad Brains), Billy Corgan, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Flea. ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There's no secret that Bad Brains/Soul Brains vocalist H.R. is one of the more unpredictable chaps to ever front a group, as he's left and rejoined the group numerous times over the years. But his unpredictability has never been more evident than in his performance on stage -- one night he'll sit on a chair throughout the set, looking and sounding as if he's disinterested, the next night, he's performing like a man possessed. By the late '90s, Bad Brains had changed their name to Soul Brains, and began touring once more. But instead of working on a new studio album, the first release by the reunited outfit was a live set, 2002's Live in San Francisco. Just about every phase of the Bad Brains' career is touched upon, including their original hardcore ("Attitude," "Right Brigade," "Pay to Cum") and reggae ("Day Tripper/She's A Rainbow," "The Youth are Getting Restless") direction, as well as their latter day, more metallic-based approach ("Soulcraft," "Sacred Love," "Re-Ignition"). But as mentioned earlier, any time H.R. gets behind the mic, it's anyone's guess as to which performer persona will show up, and when compared to such earlier inspired live recordings as 1988's Live, and 1990s Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam, Live in San Francisco comes off more times than not as a band simply going through the motions. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Compiled from a series of 1987 concerts, Live captures Bad Brains at the height of their onstage prowess. It is necessary listening for hardcore fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is an interesting, if not entirely successful detour into funk-metal for the band that pioneered Rastafarian hard-core punk. Everything is slowed down here, and the sonic textures have thickened considerably. Drummer Earl Hudson delivers both ponderous, stomping metal rhythms and funked-up grooves, while Dr. Know gets to show off his chops a bit more than he has in the past. The religious messages have, if anything, gotten more mystical and less coherent -- song titles like "Soul Craft," "Voyage into Infinity," and "Messengers" give you an idea of what to expect. "Don't Blow Bubbles" may or may not be a slightly homophobic cautionary tale for the age of AIDS, and "Sheba" appears to be a paean to King Solomon's wife (a perennial favorite subject for reggae musicians). As on I Against I, reggae is given short shrift on this album. In fact, the only reggae rhythm to be found at all is on "The Prophet's Eye," an awkward tune that feels tacked onto the album's end. Fans will defend it, and Quickness is by no means a failure, but it's also far from being Bad Brains' best work. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam'
Release Date 1/1/1987
Tracks 17
Label Caroline
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Youth Are Getting Restless repeats some of the same material from Live, albeit in different versions. The album was culled from the same tour as Live, but it captures a blistering concert from Amsterdam instead of compiling various performances. Consequently, it's a tighter and more exciting album, their best live record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
I Against I was for Bad Brains what London Calling was for the Clash -- the band's first fully mature work, one which successfully brought together all of its diverse influences while at the same time showcasing a singular vision. Also like London Calling, it was to be the band's masterpiece, in the original sense of that term -- a creative pinnacle which they would not reach again. The album opens with the title track, a blistering and musically exhilarating deploration of violence, and then moves directly into "House of Suffering," easily the most complex and yet viscerally compelling song the band ever produced. Singer H.R. digs deep into his bag of voices and pulls them all out, one by one: the frightening nasal falsetto that was his signature in the band's hardcore days, an almost bel canto baritone, and a declamatory speed-rap chatter that spews lyrics with the mechanical precision of a machine gun. He positively croons on the surprisingly melodic "Secret 77" and "Let Me Help." But his voice isn't even the best thing happening here. It's the incredibly tight, funky, and tonally rich interplay between guitarist Dr. Know, bassist Darryl Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson that gives this album its deeply satisfying texture. The stop/start rhythms of "Secret 77" and "Sacred Love," the gorgeous guitar hook on "She's Calling You," Dr. Know's completely counterintuitive ability to meld the raw directness of hardcore punk with an almost supernatural virtuosity without sacrificing the power of either approach -- this is music-making of an order not usually seen in rock & roll. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For fans of hardcore, many would agree that the holy grail of the genre is Bad Brains' self-titled album, originally released back in 1982 as a cassette-only release on ROIR. The ensuing years after its initial release haven't dulled the album's fury and rage in the least, and it's still impressive how the band can switch gears from red-hot hardcore to cool reggae dubs in the blink of an eye. All the classics are here: "Sailin' On," "Banned in D.C.," "Pay to Cum," "Right Brigade," as well as one of their strongest reggae tunes, "I Luv I Jah." The back of the album boasts a quote from the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, which sums up the proceedings simply, "the best punk/hardcore album of all time." [Although Bad Brains was available on CD on the now-defunct In Effect label in the late '80s (then titled Attitude: The ROIR Sessions with a different album cover), it's since been remastered and re-released with its original cover, as well as an untitled bonus track added at the end.] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
