A band with more break-ups to its name than harmonious years in business, Bad Brains remains a pioneering punk institution that refuses to die. The built-in fractiousness of the foursome has also manifested in fluctuating musical quality, mainly due to the repeated retreats of frontman H.R. and drummer Earl Hudson. Guitarist Dr. Know and bassist Darryl Jenifer have long served as anchors as well as the principal architects of the group’s incongruous speed punk bridging to reggae dub sound. The Brains have always been best experienced in person and this ear-imploding set, taped in the spring of ’87 at an Amsterdam club, is arguably their finest commercially-available live document. It’s also the album I come back to most amongst their all too finite discography. Running to a tight 47-minutes, it packs in seventeen songs with only a handful of stretched out dub-inflected tracks lending respite from the pummeling onslaught of P.M.A. anthems like “Rock for Light” and “Let Me Help.” Everyone is beautifully miked, particularly the core team of Know and Jenifer whose lightspeed riffing and knee-buckling basslines propel songs like “House of Suffering” to new heights. The significance of the locale isn’t lost either as a cover of “Day Tripper” rolls out on a chest-reverberating bass vamp through what must have been a fog of ganja smoke. Other bright moments: a ferocious “Sacred Love” punctuated by Jenifer’s amp-toppling bass slaps and a version of “At the Movies” that features a some of Know’s most majestic supersonic fretplay ever. The Brains are touring once again at halfmast, H.R. and Earl predictably absent and replaced by members of the Cro-Mags. Their glory days are well behind them, but this disc is a handy reminder of the magnitude of once was.
Posted by derek on March 18, 2007 3:11 PM"Don't need no Ivory liquid, Don't want no Afro-Sheen"
May Jah bless the Bad Brains forever and ever.
From most reports, H.R. is and has long been an egomaniacal homophobe asshole. But I choose to apply the Miles blinders when approaching his work. Besides, who among us can fault those faultless back flips? Dr. Know belongs on a tier w/ Hendrix, Hazel and Sharrock on the Mount Olympus of black rock guitarists.
Posted by: Jared Williams at March 20, 2007 3:53 PMI'm not a apologist for the Brains on-record screeds either, but can't help digging the music & influence indepedent of that unfortunate blight. I've had a chance to witness them twice, both times well after their salad days. Once, in '91 at the Paramount in Seattle opening (!?!!?) for Living Colour and again four years later in Tucson at a youth center w/ the original line-up storming the stage. The latter show was amazing, both musically and for how the band dealt with a tiny crew of Nazi skinheads who crashed the scene. "Riot Squad", indeed!
Posted by: derek at March 20, 2007 4:19 PMThey've just recorded a new album (all original members), produced by Adam Yauch. I forget what label it's coming out on, but it's been promised for sometime later this year, and Yauch has been claiming it's a return to their early 1000mph style. Let's hope it's better than that wretched new Stooges disc.
Posted by: pdf at March 20, 2007 5:00 PMre: "wretched new Stooges disc"
pdf: is this something you got a promo copy of, and how much are you selling it for?
I actually heard a few tracks, and I agree with you about its mediocrity.
Posted by: Sarah Lockhart at March 20, 2007 5:43 PMActually, I was sent a Rapidshare link about three weeks ago. I don't advise anyone wasting their money on a physical copy of the thing, and would post the link hither and yon if I could still find it.
Posted by: pdf at March 20, 2007 6:31 PMStreet date for the Brains disc is supposedly slated for 5/7 with a Darryl Jenifer solo project coming out the same day.
Posted by: derek at March 20, 2007 7:28 PMDerek - thanks for the reminder of this great live album...By now you must've heard seen the "Bad Brains Live at CBGBs 1982" CD/DVD....what are your thoughts? To be fair, I feel the CBGBs gig far outweighs the significance of The Youth Are Getting Restless in terms of sheer intensity alone. One of my all time favourite live acts of all time.
Anyone have any ideas who's putting out the new BB disc?
Posted by: Tom Sekowski at March 21, 2007 5:14 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................