THE MENTORS
El Duce Vita
(MVD)

WAKING UP DEAD
The Pitfalls of Drumming for
Scumbags.
(MVD)

KREATOR
Enemy of God Revisited
(SPV)

EINSTURZENDE
NEUBATEN
Palast Der Republik
(MVD)

THE QUEERS
The Queers Are Here
(MVD)

DWARVES
Fefu 

(MVD)

BAD BRAINS
Live at CBGB 1982

(MVD)

MORE REVIEWS

Arms flying and twisting. Kicks shooting in all directions. Punches, tackles and dances that seemed to imitate irate monkeys. Really, hundreds of limbs, extremities and appendages taking action in what could only be described as the most visceral display of energy since the heyday of punk. Getting close to other people was inevitable and the idea of punching or tackling the fuck everyone around seemed so inviting. Sweat sprinkling, saliva flying and very often lots of blood intermingled every Sunday afternoon at the CBGB’s, only to create some nasty blend of undrinkable elixir. The whole thing was like a tribal ritual and this new movement that was then forming was the right fit, the next step beyond aggressive punk and the timely kick in the nuts answer to corporate new wave. Hardcore was indeed the right escape for people who wanted to vent out all their frustrations.  The CBGB’s tiny stage at times seemed so insignificant; the line between the artists and the audience was often blurred, and more often non-existent. More importantly, the audience itself seemed so eager to take an active role in the festivities, so active indeed that several members of it didn’t hesitate to steal the mike or strike a chord from the guitarists. It happened to the Bad Brains and it happened to Black Flag. If you were someone in the hardcore scene during the early 80’s then it happened to you.

Surprisingly enough, the response of the Bad Brains wasn’t pushing back or fighting the audience. Well, not all the time anyway.  For the most part none of them seemed to mind the invasion of their personal space. The fact that they were Rastafarians probably helped. They mostly displayed indifference and played to perfection. Singer H.R. shaking his body like a possessed Elvis while guitarist Dr. Know somehow managed to extricate perfectly every lick from his guitar.  For the time it was mind-blowing how these four guys could play so fast such complex material. Now, look at this show and wonder, how could they pull it off with so much mayhem around them?

With a stance that was far less preoccupied with the meathead aspects of the scene, DC’s Bad Brains simply stood out because they could outplay every other band in the scene with their eyes closed. But it wasn’t all dexterity, they simply had the songs. Well, that, and they were black in a scene that was very much Caucasian, which did not make them better musicians but made them seem like the odd men out.

Formed in 1975 under the moniker Mind Power with the intention to make jazz-fusion, the band’s sound quickly evolved when first singer Sid McCray introduced the rest of the band to Black Sabbath and punk rock.  The rest is pretty much history; Bad Brains broke ground and innovation to a nascent scene. Live at CBGB 1982 perfectly reflects that moment. Featuring several tracks from their first three releases (Black Dots, Bad Brains, and Rock for Light) and including a live album that contains two unreleased reggae tunes (“King of Glory” and “I and I Rasta”), Live at CBGB 1982 is an absolute must for hardcore and rock and roll fans alike as it perfectly documents two things: what a hardcore Sunday afternoon at the most infamous club on the planet was like and a very talented band at the most ebullient point of their career. Highly recommended.

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