Product Description

Selected by the bands manager Anthony Countey, 'Banned In DC' brings together the career highlights of the Washington, DC hardcore outfit, Bad Brains. Fusing the elements of punk rock and reggae, the Bad Brains sound is chronicled here from their first release 'Pay To Cum' through to tracks from 1989's 'Quickness'.

Track Listing

1. Pay To Cum
2. I Against I
3. Don't Bother Me
4. I
5. Regulator
6. No Conditions
7. Reignition
8. Sailin' On
9. How Low Can A Punk Get
10. At The Movies
11. With The Quickness
12. Sacred Love
13. Soul Craft
14. Voyage To Infinity
15. Banned In DC
16. Big Takeover
17. Joshua's Song
18. I And I Survive
19. Meek Shall Inherit
20. I Luv I Jah
21. Prophet's Eye
22. Riot Squad
23. I Against I

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41752 in Music
• Released on: 2003-08-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced

Customer Reviews

22-track primer of U.S. punk legends...
Bad Brains were to punk what Public Enemy were to rap - though unlike the latter, they aren't frequently cited in Top 100 style lists as 'It Takes a Nation of Millions...' is. The U.S. punk-movement, which came after the pre-punk scenes that featured New York Dolls, The MC5 & The Stooges, and after the more well known British version which featured The Clash & The Sex Pistols (which drifted alongside that movement with The Ramones & lead towards later U.S. acts), was the most interesting of the lot. Bad Brains are up there with Black Flag, Mission of Burma, Dead Kennedys, The Replacements, Husker Du, Minor Threat, X, The Germs et al. Bad Brains being black, and having influences including Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Trouble Funk, Ohio Players, Front Line, Earth Wind & Fire, The Beatles, Teddy Pendergrass, Stevie Wonder, the Mahavishu Orchestra as well as the more obvious Ramones, The Clash, The Dead Boys, The Dickies, Eater etc(all listed on the sleeve) shows they weren't as cyclopic as a lot of punk-acts were. By the end of this compilation, Bad Brains are playing dub-reggae (the 12" version of 'I and I Survive')- as unpunk as Black Flag playing jazz-inflected instrumentals with long-hair, or Husker Du covering The Beatles, The Byrds, or Donovan...

The 22 tracks here are great, and as material by Minor Threat, Black Flag, Embrace, Rites of Spring, Husker Du, Minutemen et al, wipe the floor with the corporate version of punk practiced by the likes of Green Day, Sum 141, Blink 182, The offspring et al these days. Bad Brains would influence many and were namechecked by dead icons such as Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley. There are loads of great tracks - the Iggy-esque 'Re-Ignition', 'Pay to Cum', 'I Against I', 'At the Movies', 'Big Takeover', 'Sailin' On' etc. There's even a bonus video of 'I Against I' on the disc - though this made it not possible to put the album on my computer- as well as great sleevenotes.

'Banned in DC: Bad Brains Greatest Riffs' does what it says on the cover and is a great primer and reminder of a great cult band who people should most definitely listen to. It shows exactly how great punk can be, and how punk-rock is more of an attitude than a genre...

Best hardcore band ever?
Quite simply one of the best hardcore bands ever. This album is their 'best of' and well worth the small price. They started hardcore in America, and bands such as Minor Threat or Black Flag owe so much to these guys. They gave the commerical punk of the 80s a well-needed kick and shake up.
Another factor that shows the talent and determination of these guys is the fact they were African-Americans, doing music that was normally only attempted by white men (and sometimes women). Not only did they come through discrimination and the likes, but they played music that damn well rocks, and has shaped music history. Great, great CD by great, great guys.

Unsung Punk legends
This is a top punk album from one of punks best
This lot are the orginal hardcore punk rockers, they influenced
the like's of BLACK FLAG and MINOR THREAT.
So if you like your rock hard and fast............try this