@BeachComberRadio lol! I was actually playing Tony Hawk a few nights ago. Good times.
Lots of turmoil in the world right now. It got me thinking about the role of music in social/societal upheaval. The first name that came to mind was Rage Against the Machine -- before Dylan, before Guthrie, before We Are the World... It's not just the words. It's the aggression in the music. It's the rawness of a three piece. It's Tom Morello saying f' it and playing with an allen wrench. They would make my grandmother want to flip a table. While their self-titled and Evil Empire are both classics in their own right, The Battle of Los Angeles hit me at an age when my world view started to open up and I could better see a place and purpose for the words. I also thought it had a more mature sound that made it a bit more accessible as a front-to-back listen. (At least that's what my ears recall from 26 years ago.) Pressing play!
@Jangles yeah, those other artists had plenty of commentary in their music, but even Dylan and Guthrie's "fuck you" songs came from a moral superiority, witty angle. No one made the fed up, angry type of "fuck you" track quite like RATM, which is the poignant vibe right now
Just put the disc in, yes, a CD. Sounds great in my Kenwood stereo 3 disc changer that I’ve been rocking for over 25 years! “Whatever you do, take care of your shoes!” Or in this instance, take care of your music, whether it’s CDs, albums, stereo, record player or your favorite playlists ! That quote was for you Jangles. Looking forward to listening to the full disc, haven’t in years!
@HelpFrankSlip Yeah buddy! Welcome to the club. Feel free to drop some of your album ideas into that thread at the top of the club page. Excited to talk music man!
A product of the 90s I am. Here’s some of the albums that were in my 6 disc changer in the trunk of my car, or the portable disc changer that you plugged into the lighter and cassette player! Soundgarden “Superunkown” Metallica “Black Album “ Beck “Odelay” …..Game changer Cake “Fashion Nugget “ Blues Traveler “Four” Green Day “Dookie”
@HelpFrankSlip Got Soundgarden lined up in a few weeks! Might add Green Day, too.
I remember watching Rage play ‘testify’ on Conan O’Brien! I’ll never forget it cuz Jennifer Love Hewitt was the guest!
It's hard to separate the music from the message in this one. I think that's the intent. As a whole the feels as relevant now as it did when it was released, if not more-so. I'm blown away by the message of the songs and the stories that are shared. The intent couldn't be more clear. The messages are meaningful. As an album, I found the front half (through Born of a Broken Man) much better than the back half. I honestly can't tell if that's because of the music or if I started to feel beaten down as a listener. Some of the content is heavy and it really doesn't stop until the end of the album. Again, I think that's the intent. Musically I found the sounds way more interesting than prior Rage albums. It sounded like the choices Tim made as the bassist were intended to better compliment the insanity of Tom's guitar. Prior albums showcased a more traditional approach to the bass - cleaner sounds, fewer effects, more digestible rhythms and progressions. This album was littered with moments where I wasn't sure if it was Tim or Tom playing. It led to a much more atmospheric album than previous ones. Ultimately I've found an even greater appreciation for this one. I played the hell out of it in my car when it came out, but I think I took the lyrics for granted as a kid. This one lives up now just as a piece of music, but also as a series of statements about the wrongs of the world that still hit home today.