Anti-Flag - 1998 - Their System Doesn't Work For You

2000's Their System Doesn't Work for You resurrects the nine tracks from 1998's limited-edition EP, North America Sucks, and adds ten previously-unreleased, later-vintage tracks for good measure. The songs from the EP are prime Anti-Flag, political punk that never loses its sense of humor even when making its most important points. "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!" decries the Balkanization of the D.I.Y. scene in the '90s to the album's catchiest chorus, while the title track and "Anti-Violent" take aim at the usual suspects. Unfortunately, with only a couple of exceptions, the later tracks sound like half-baked filler; indeed, the beyond-lo-fi sound suggests that they might be rough demos not originally intended to be heard outside the band, a supposition backed up by the lazy, sluggish performances, and meandering song structures. There are a few promising tracks among the dross, particularly "Betty Sue Is Dead," which makes incredibly effective use of an old-school punk-reggae middle section in the style of the Ruts, but overall, the second half of Their System Doesn't Work for You doesn't work for anybody.

1 I Can't Stand Being With You 2:05
2 Their System Doesn't Work for You 2:31
3 We've Got His Gun 2:25
4 Born to Die 2:05
5 The Truth 2:40
6 You'll Scream Tonight 5:15
7 Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, EmoSux, You Suck! 2:05
8 Anti-Violent 3:05
9 20 Years of Hell 2:32
10 I'm Having a Good Day 2:41
11 I Don't Want to Be Like You 3:30
12 Too Late 2:50
13 I Don't Need Anybody 3:49
14 Betty Sue Is Dead 3:14
15 If Not for You 3:16
16 Meet Your Master 3:57
17 We Won't Take No 2:34
18 Save Me 3:00
19 I'm Feeling Slightly Violent 3:29

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Dead Kennedys - 1982 - Demo Tape

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Jellyroll Rockheads - 2006 - Wake Up, Music

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Bad Brains

By melding punk with reggae, Bad Brains became one of the definitive American hardcore punk groups of the early '80s. Although the group released only a handful of records during its peak, including the legendary cassette-only debut, Bad Brains, they developed a dedicated following, many of whom would later form their own hardcore and alternative bands. As for Bad Brains themselves, they continued to record and tour in varying lineups led by guitarist Dr. Know into the late '90s yet never managed to break out of their cult status. Dr. Know (born Gary Miller), a former jazz fusion guitarist, formed Bad Brains in 1979, inspired by both the amateurish rage of the Sex Pistols and the political reggae of Bob Marley. Realizing that the lines between punk and reggae were already blurred in the U.K., he set out to replicate that situation in the U.S., and he recruited several similarly minded musicians — vocalist H.R. (born Paul D. Hudson), bassist Darryl Aaron Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson — to prove his point. Bad Brains quickly became one of the most popular punk bands on the East Coast, particularly in their hometown of Washington, D.C. Their live performances were legendary, but their recordings were difficult to find. Their debut single, "Pay to Cum," was pressed in limited numbers, and their 1982 debut album was only issued in cassette form by ROIR. In addition to the Bad Brains tape, the group released a handful of other EPs in 1982, finally moving to PVC for 1983's full-length debut, Rock for Light, which was produced by Ric Ocasek. The handful of indie recordings Bad Brains left behind, as well as their live shows, made the band legendary in American hardcore, yet few potential fans could actually hear the band due to poor distribution and erratic touring. The band took three years to deliver the follow-up to Rock for Light, finally releasing I Against I on SST in 1986. In those three years, the group developed more heavy metal leanings, and the resulting record received mixed reviews. More importantly, it divided the band, with Dr. Know and Jenifer wishing to continue to pursue heavy rock, and H.R. and Hudson wanting to devote themselves to reggae. Over the next three years, the latter pair frequently left the band to make reggae albums before finally departing in 1989. They were replaced by Israel Joseph-I (born Dexter Pinto) and Mackie Jayson, respectively. In the wake of the alternative rock boom of the early '90s, Bad Brains were finally offered a major-label contract in 1993, releasing Rise on Epic later that year. The album bombed and the group was dropped. Maverick Records offered the group a contract in 1995, provided that the original lineup reunited. They did so and released God of Love that summer, to mixed reviews and poor sales. H.R. and Hudson left the band shortly after the album's release, and the band was dropped by Maverick. In 1998 the band again reunited and began touring under the name Soul Brains. In 2002, Reggae Lounge compiled remixes of Bad Brains' '80s hits and released a full-length dub album titled & I Survived. The following year Caroline released Banned in DC: Bad Brains' Greatest Riffs, a solid anthology compiling songs from their first album up to Quickness. For the next few years, the group members concentrated on solo endeavors, with a few scattered guest appearances on other bands' albums or live shows. In 2006, Bad Brains reunited for a few shows at CBGB's, which quickly sold out. With a resurging interest in the band, in early 2007, Megaforce announced that they had signed them to their roster. Under Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's studio supervision, the original band went back to the studio for the first time in over a decade and recorded Build a Nation, an inspired attempt at returning to the band's hardcore roots.

1980 - Pay To Cum

1986 - I Against I

Bad Brains - 1986 - I Against I

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.

		1		Intro	Doctor Know, Jenifer	1:02
		2		I Against I	Bad Brains, Doctor Know ...	2:50
Composed by: Bad Brains, Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer
		3		House of Suffering	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	2:28
		4		Re-Ignition	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	4:18
		5		Secret 77	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	4:03
		6		Let Me Help	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	2:15
		7		She's Calling You	Hudson, Jenifer	3:40
		8		Sacred Love	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	3:40
		9		Hired Gun	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	3:43
		10		Return to Heaven	Doctor Know, Hudson, Jenifer	3:54

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Bad Brains - 1980 - Pay To Cum

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