Build A Nation : Bad Brains : Review : Rolling Stone

Bad Brains were black D.C.-area punks with Rasta leanings who energized Eighties hardcore kids with a series of beautifully messy albums. This reunion disc, with fan Adam Yauch producing, explodes and skanks like their classic records, setting pulverizing near-metal like the fifty-six-second "Pure Love" alongside thoroughly stoned reggae like "Natty Dreadlocks 'Pon the Mountain Top." It lacks the messiness that made them so beautiful in the first place, but be glad they're still punching.

CHRISTIAN HOARD

(Posted: Jun 11, 2007)

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Review 1 of 4

5of 5 Stars

By any sound necessary! The Brains are innovators in the purest
sense. Very few bands can sound this accletic and this
accomplished all at once. Their heart shakra rock is the
definition of power and the dub styles are simply heavenly. Build
a Nation is therapeutic and life-infusing.

God bless you Bad Brains!!!

Sep 29, 2007 20:35:41

Review 2 of 4

Not Rated

Christian Hoard,the begining of your review sounds like the begining of the Jon Caramanica
review of bbanned in D.C. album by the Bad Brains in july of 2003:

Bad Brains were a beautiful mess of a band, a crew of black D.C.-area hardcore fanatics with Rastafarian leanings....

you wouldn't be copying would you?

Aug 8, 2007 11:23:49

Review 3 of 4

5of 5 Stars

Anyone who believes that a band should pick a genre and stick with it is downright stupid. punk rock and reggae go hand in hand in terms of message and scope. bad brains wasn't the first or last to mix genres in album or song, but they do it so very well. this album is great. the vocals have it a bit too much effects on them at times during this record, but I think they were just going for that psychedelic appeal that's present on all of their records to some degree. anyways, I rate it a 5. they are in their 50s and they still rock harder than most. dr. know's totally original guitar stylings give me a boner!!

Jul 6, 2007 12:00:25

Review 4 of 4

1of 5 Stars

I think it's pretty coincidental that the beastie boys and bad brains release their new albums at the same time. I'm guessing that the beastie boys were working on their instrumental album and had a ton of studio time so they just hooked their old pals "Bad Brains" with some recording time, Instrumentals, and even lyrics,to give back to Bad Brains for helping the beastie boys get into the studio when they were up and coming. Maybe the beastie boys lost a card bet back then and finally decided to pay up....The thing is, Bad Brains don't even know what they want to play, and haven't for 20 years or so...They haven't even perfected one genre, but for some reason they insist on combining two or three...which makes the album contradict itself. Some songs are laid back and chill, and other songs sound like a bunch of pissed of punk singers...and though they were pioneers back in the day, their music still wasn't really that good compared to todays standards. But People hadn't heard that type of music before so they were drawn to it...and so Bad Brains developed a following. Honestly, the two songs that sounded best on this album were both Raggae style. Maybe they should move to Jamaica and share some studio time with Ziggy Marley!

Jun 30, 2007 22:25:21

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