Bad Brains- Bad Brains

Regarded by some as the definitive hardcore punk album, Bad Brains self-titled album does live up to its reputation. If a person is a fan of punk music, look in their collection. If this album isn’t there, do them a favor and buy it for them. It makes a great gift, as the tunes are timeless for fans of the genre. Released in 1982 on Reach Out International Records (ROIR), it quickly made waves in the hardcore punk world. Four black men playing a style of music that was heavily dominated by white bands was revolutionary. Also, the band was part of the Rastafarian movement which made their music even deeper. Not only a hardcore band, Bad Brains also played some adept reggae tunes on the album as well to show their mellow side. It was a bit of a shocking tempo change on the album, and it shows the band’s musical talent.

The main catalyst to the band’s overall sound and stage presence is lead singer H.R. Looking at tapes of the band live during the early 1980s, he was a wild mustang of enthusiasm on stage. His dancing and delivery of the lyrics are legendary. His rapid-fire delivery of lyrics is probably most evident on the song “Pay to Cum”. Even for a fan of early 80s punk rock music, I still have no idea what some of the words are, and I have heard this song probably 200 times (no joke). His scream heading into the song “Banned in D.C.” really gets you amped up for the lightening fast song that is probably my favorite track on the album. The speed of the music is still faster than most songs present in punk today, almost 30 years later.

As much as H.R. is important in the band’s style, it wouldn’t mean much if the band behind him was sub-par. The good news is that the actual musicianship outweighs the contributions from the singer. Dr. Know is probably one of the best guitar players to come out of the punk scene of the 1980s. He, along with Greg Ginn of Black Flag took the concept of punk rock guitarist and turned it into an art form. He is probably at his best during the reggae tunes however. He could play fast punk songs, but the ability to play slower songs is almost more impressive.

The rhythm section of Earl Hudson on drums and Darryl Jennifer on bass also ranks among the top in the punk genre. Like I said, the mixture of hardcore punk and mellow reggae shows that this band was about more than just playing as fast as possible. This album was among the first hardcore punk records to really define the genre. From the first cut to the last, Bad Brains self-titled album ranks as probably the best example of early 1980s hardcore punk/reggae music.

Grade---A+