Formed in 1979, Washington DC's Bad Brains juxtaposed the fury of hardcore punk with the spiritual groove of reggae and although the original lineup of the band is still together today, it is (to me at least) not the same band that existed in the early eighties and is largely credited with establishing hardcore punk.
Their recently released DVD and accompanying CD Live At CBGB 1982 (however) does a great job capturing the band at their best, right in the middle of what most fans consider their most vital period of 1979-1986. The jarring transitions from warp-speed hardcore to their Rastafarian jah anthems are evident here as well. It is a testament to the power of the music Bad Brains created that (despite mediocre sound quality and the notable absence of the song "Pay To Cum") their visceral energy still smarts.
1982 at CBGB, with Bad Brains, what could be better than that? Not much, really. This was recorded before the band became (at least IMHO) a watered-down version of what they began as. Now I fully realize that most bands (Bad Brains included) attempt to "move forward" artistically, but nothing that they have recorded since 1986 packs the same punch that their early material did.
Zach Baron at Pitchfork (of all places) almost perfectly sums it up by saying, "The audience for this kind of creaking document is clear: Those who wish they'd been there, those who were and want to look back, and those who just really, really love the Bad Brains." I am one of those who wishes they were there to see Bad Brains during their glory days. Hell, I was four years old in 1982 and only discovered of the band much much later (via Thrasher magazine I think). Live At CBGB 1982 for me (and many others) is as close as we'll get. The DVD and CD are out now on MVD.
MP3 | Bad Brains - Destroy Babylon Live At CBGB 1982
MP3 | Bad Brains - Jah The Conqueror Live At CBGB 1982
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