Friday Night Record Party : Bad Brains: Build a Nation

Bad Brains: Build a Nation

2007

Oscilloscope Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Give Thanks and Praises 2. Jah People Make the World Go Round 3. Pure Love 4. Natty Dreadlocks 'pon the Mountain Top 5. Build a Nation 6. Expand Your Soul 7. Jah Love 8. Let There Be Angels (Just Like You) 9. Universal Peace 10. Roll On 11. Until Kingdom Comes 12. In the Beginning 13. Send You No Flowers 14. Peace Be Unto Thee

The Bad Brains' first album of new material since 1995's God of Love (which I've never heard). and was produced by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys.

Witht he help of Producer Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, the band attempts to get back to their Hardcore roots, and indeed, there are a number of reckless Hardcore numbers here ("Let There Be Angels (Just Like You), " "Universal Peace," "In the Beginning" and "Send You No Flowers"), but I can't quite call this a full return to form.

Let me say this, the production is great, musically it sounds just like the Bad Brains of old, still some of the fastest punk out there, but H.R. kind of throws this off, since he sounds like he's on a totally different planet at this point. The drums are banging away like crazy, the Dr and Darrell are playing fast as ever and generating all the electricity they can, but floating lazily above it all in a cloud of echo is H.R. just kind of mumbling away...bizarre. But I guess he wouldn't be H.R. if he wasn't bizarre...

I have to admit that H.R.'s technique works beautifully on the reggae songs this time around. "Jah Love" and "Roll On" are their most convincing dub reggae tracks yet. And because of their relative length compared to the brevity of the punk songs, they take up a huuuge share of the album's running time...Which I'm okay with...I like the band's reggae style, but I know a lot of people aren't as enthusiastic about that aspect of their sound.

The rest of the material is built around what I can only describe as "Quickness" miniatures...They sound like Thrash-funk hybrids but they don't quite develop into full songs.. Imagine if just the verse from "Soul Craft" was the entire song...

So, I think what we have here is the Bad Brains trying to find themselves with the help of a High-Profile fan. It's not totally successful, and I definitely wouldn't start here if you're new to their catalog, but for the initiated (and those with adventurous tastes) I'd say give it a listen...There's some fun stuff here, the playing is spirited, and I think if H.R. would have been a bit more on his game, I think we would have really had something special...but as it stands...more Bad Brains...Always a welcome sight...Especially with that cool ass cover... I like the cover!