This is SUPERB. (Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine)

Member Name: doobster

Product:	Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
Date:	03/10/01 (581 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bass, Killer Guitar and Bass Hooks, Lyrics, Style

Disadvantages: Too Good!

It's time to review my favorite album of the moment. And there's no better time to review it that when your playing it constantly in your car, bopping about down every road and lane!!

Rage Against The Machine (Rage) are not often labelled as 'the best band in the world', and in my opinion this is a huge mis-carrige of justice. They give me everything i could want from a band. The fact that their influencial singer Zak De La Rocha has just decided to leave due to not 'fulfilling has musical and political goals' doesn't help rage, nevertheless there are millions of partizan Rage fanatics around the world who cannot speak more highly of them.

I'd say this is their best album by quite a distance, which is amazing considering albums like 'The Battle of Los Angeles' is a stunning album as well. What's even more amazing is that it was their debut album, and it was recorded in 1991-1992. Remeber them days? Brian Adams was gracing the British charts and the most radical thing going on was the 'Shamen'. That's what you thought.

This album is like nothing that ever came before. It's just a primeval mix of styles and techniques played by stunning musicians. Who ever thought of rapping, in the style of say Run DMC or the Beastie Boys, over the top of electrifying, scorching rounded bass-lines and guitar riffs that go through your head like a drill?? Zak's voice is my favorite rap style voice of all time. It cuts into the song perfectly, shrill at times, but also mellow, and oh so full of emotion and anger.

The guitarist Tom Morello, a Harvard graduate (these aren't just normal guys) is such a competent and intelligent guitarist, he should be up there when you mention the worlds current great guitar men. He takes advantage of guitar technology so well with all his effects, in what seems like an effortless arrogance. I wouldn't even know how to switch on some of the effec
ts machines he uses, but he's a master, getting the most amazing sounds. There's a couple of superb guitar solos in there too, a touch of even some Spanish classical in there, just widening the horizons that Rage cover (listen to 'Settle for Nothing'). Truly a stunning guitarist. I don't know who comes up with the riffs in some of the songs, but they deserve to be put in musical history. There's nothing in music which makes me want to nod my head in an aggressive manner more. I'll cover them riffs more when i go through the tracks.

The bass player, known as Timmy C, has taken a lesson from the George Clinton book, classic funk, an amazing sound, giving all those stunning riffs some real dynamics. To complete the band we have Brad Wilk on the drums, who is not just a run-of-the-mill musician either. Perfect timing, great use of non-conventional percussion (i.e. Cowbells), and generally a really thumping drummer giving the songs the finishing touch.

Then there's the lyrics. Unless your a fan of Rage you probably won't know the orientation of their lyrics. They really have strong views on the world today, or in 1992 as it were when they released this. There's a lot of politics in there, a bit of religion, corruption of society, and because they are so intelligent they really know what they are talking about. You may have seen some of their merchandise, the most popular probably being adorned with the image of Che Ernesto Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary. Rage sing about not being afraid to be different, how people deserve rights and all sorts of stuff. To be honest i don't know exactly what every lyric is about, but what I do understand is pretty spot-on. They really know what they are talking about and they say it in a poetic way, which may sound strange with it being aggressive rap on the top of thundering guitars, but it really is poetic. Let me just recall some lyrics to you. There are so many i could
choose, but i'd be in danger of flooding my Opinion, so i'll try to find a few of the best, and my favorites-

"Born with insight and a raised fist, a witness to the slit wrist, as we move into '92, still in a room without a view"

"Something must be done, About vengance, a badge and a gun, 'coz i'll rip the mike, rip the stage, and rip the system. I was born to rage against 'em"

"Just victims of the in-house drive-by, they say jump, you say how high."

There's loads of lyrics i could put in there, but on their own they probably wouldn't mean anything, without being in context. The metaphors they use are amazing and vivid, for example 'Bullet in The Head', a stunning account of corporate propaganda. The way the lyrics fit together is stunning as well, so much rhythm and dynamics.

Lets look at the tracks individually-

1. BOMBTRACK

This song starts with a superb intricate little guitar lick, bursting into a big electric riff. Full of dynamics this song, full of 'Dope Hooks', as they would say. The main verse riff is simple but just amazingly magnetic. The way the song is held together is wonderful and it's capped off with a stylish guitar solo. It's all about corrupt corperate types and how they are going to get whats coming to them, obviously tremendously aggressive.

2. KILLING IN THE NAME

Ohhh the riff. If the verse riff of this song was some sort of construction material, i would build a house from it and live in there. Its agressive but devilish and i could listen to it all day. The lyrics in this song aren't as good as some of the others- there's loads of repetition but the song as a whole- the timing, structure, aggression and dynamics rightly make it one of rage against the machine's most popular and well-loved songs.

3. TAKE THE POWER BACK

This song is obviou
sly about wrongfully distributed power in society, as well as ignorance. It carries the most funky bass-line on the album. Metallic and rounded, this bass-lick is a fine foundation for the song. The vocals on this track are wonderfully manicured. There's an amazing part of this song where the music stops and Zak does his monologue-

"The teacher stands in front of the class... The lesson plan he can't recall. The Student's eyes don't percieve the lies... Bouncing off every f---ing wall"

Wonderfully delivered, as well as all the little ad-libs that he is a natural at delivering with swagger and style. This song features a kick-ass guitar solo, and a very mellow segment which is unusual among all the thumping riffs.

4. SETTLE FOR NOTHING

Not my favorite song on the album. It starts very mellow, with a soft guitar riff, building up to a hammering song, extremely aggressive, very dynamic with good lyrics yet again, though the song doesn't have the catchy-ness of most of the others, and Zak is really shouting in the chorus which doesn't do him much justice apart from displaying the aggression. There's an amazing guitar solo though, that Spanish style one that i mentioned earlier.

5. BULLET IN THE HEAD

I've already mentioned the lyrical content of this song- very intelligent metaphors wonderfully rapped. A huge funk riff signals the chorus, before Morello gets his guitar effects kit out and gives us a shot of real electric guitar. A really funky song, especially in the main verse where the song is quite bare, with percussion and bass, really bringing attention to the superb vocal performance.

6. KNOW YOUR ENEMY

This is one of my favorites. Starts quite slow but then kicks off into one of the fastest tempo songs, with a great bouncing guitar riff. The words flow so effortlessly over the top of the umpteenth superb riff. One of the best lyrical songs in m
y opinion with really phrophetic lyrics. The song ends with a crazed Zak repeating "All of which are American Dreams!" over and over in a brainwashed state. Wonderful.

7. WAKE UP

If you're familiar with 'The Matrix' then you'll probably recognise this song which appears right near the end, and guess what? it's got a thumping thrilling guitar riff in it. You just cannot get enough of these riffs. The lyrics are quality again- Zak really gets through some issues. Guess what he's on about here- "Ya know they murdered X, and tried to blame it on Islam".

8. FISTFUL OF STEEL

Rocky start, yet another aggressive song, very bouncy. Another song where Morello gets his guitar toys out. One of the most simple songs but for sheer aggression and style, it works a treat.

9. TOWNSHIP REBELLION

Not one of the stand out songs on the album in my opinion. I reckon it sounds a bit like KoRn in the verse, at a high pace, and then it's definetley RAGE in the chorus, with another bouncing riff. Excuse the language but the most prophetic and simplistic lyric in the song is - "Why stand on a silent platform... Fight The War, F--- the Norm". Oh yeah and theres another killer of a guitar solo.

10. FREEDOM

Yet another buzzing Rage Riff starts this song. To be honest it's pretty uneventful apart from that riff which keeps popping up. The lyrics are good but the song is overall not one of the strongest. Still this would relatively be a superb song if it was by any other band. It does kick off a bit, and then theres a gitar solo, so thats ok. If you listen to this song, you'll realise where Jon Davis of Korn got that wierd screaming angst-ridden noise that he makes.

There you go then. My opinion on Rage Against The Machine's eponomous debut album. From the descriptions of songs i've given, you may be inclined to think that there's n
ot a lot of variation. Believe me there is. Perhaps it's not as varied as 'Abbey Road' by the Beatles, but every song is certainly different and special in its own way.

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