Exellent hard punk rock, by far alot better than todays punk,
very original, very good hard sound and good songwriting.

Bad Brains *****


For fans of hardcore punk it doesn't get much better then Bad Brains self-titled debut album. It's loud, fast, in your face, unapologetic, angry and yet positive all at the same time. Bad Brains was really THE hardcore band, they were the ones that all other punk bands were looking up to at the time, the ones that classic bands like Minor Threat, Black Flag, TSOL, and Agnostic Front admired and aimed to achieve. The band was so revolutionary that the Beastie Boys even got their name from Bad Brains (BB), and started out as a hardcore band before they began to rap.

Featuring such hardcore classics as furious opener `Sailin' On' `Attitude' the phenomenal `Banned In D.C.' Leaving Babylon' my personal favorite `Big Take Over' and `Pay To Cum.' Those songs really set the standard for all hardcore to come. But Bad Brains also had their roots, and their roots were firmly planted in Ska and Reggae. `Jah Calling' `I' and `I Luv I Jah' are all praise to Jah because front man H.R. is a Rastafarian and was in the process of trying to convert the rest of the band to his beliefs, which with in a few short years they would. This is also the path the band would take in the 1990's leaving their hardcore past behind them for a while and only playing reggae.

I also feel it is important to mention the musicianship. Bad Brains is a punk band unlike any other punk band. They can play their instruments better then any other punk band in history or after for that matter. H.R. is not only an amazing lyricist but also a great front man. Dr. Know is the greatest guitarist in the history of punk, and really one of the greatest in all of rock n' roll for that matter.

For those who are interested in hardcore this is the way to be introduced. It is a fantastic album, one of the greatest punk albums of all time, and in my opinion one of the 150 greatest albums of all time.

They say punk has no memory. That styles and influences are forgotten only to be brought back by the next generation as something brand new. The Bad Brains break that trend with the immortal "Bad Brains" album. Every track is a blueprint for the hardcore sound. Sure there will always be arguments about other bands that came before or since but the Bad Brains not only laid it down in the studio but continue to tour today. Definitely a must buy for both musicians interested in the sound and fans interested in the music.

I'm gonna keep this short because there really is no need to get in depth. If you like hardcore(and I'm not talking about all that crap most of todays youth is calling "hardcore"), you need this album. No one else sounds like the Bad Brains and they were pioneers in the hardcore movement.

Angry, fast, aggressive, slow, mellow, hardcore punk, reggae, political. All these adjectives can be used to describe this album. This is one of the most varied and best albums I've ever heard. From "Sailin' On" to the hidden track at the end, there is never a dull moment. I love reggae and punk and this album has the perfect doses of both.