Bad Brains’ vocalist shares spiritual beliefs
;,JSy Bryan Peterson
M>taff Reporter
[ In the early 1980s, Bad Brains
Rad a track called “Pay to Cum” on
T$he “Let Them Eat Jellybeans” com
pilation LP. That song introduced
| Bad Brains to a national audience
Rs the seminal punk-funk-reggae
liusion band.
i BadBrainshadallthespeedand
fury of a punk band but had far
Riore diversity than most. Vocalist
HR continues to lead the band
Rrhich defined this style of music.
f Though synonymous with Bad
Rrains, HR also has had a signifi
cant solo career which has typically
been oriented more toward reggae
Rian punk. Through it all, HR has
ppeen one of the most-celebrated
figures of the underground music
Rrena.
HR has chosen to remain on SST
Records for the release of his most
Recent solo album. It is an eight
•ISong effort, although two of those
are dub versions of other songs on
the album. This makes for a sparse
- release, but there is plenty of
moving material to please listeners.
Most of these songs are firmly
rooted in Rastafarian sentiments
and reflect HR’s spiritual beliefs.
He uses his music to declare and
explore these beliefs, but stops
'1 short of proselytizing.
(That is one of HR’s strengths: an
ability to share his beliefs without
becoming overbearing, thus letting
j the listener enjoy the music to its
I fullest extent.
This strengthens many of the al
bum’s songs, particularly “Fools’
Gold,” in which HR sings, “It’s not
everything that glitters is gold/ You
i ———■—.
can buy your wings/ But can the
truth be sold?/ Don’t you sell your
soul for no fools’ gold.”
In the dub version, he says “Just
take another look inside.”
This is dedication without doc
trine. Throughout the album, HR
explores his beliefs without over
whelming the listener.
Things get more concrete dur
ing “Youthman Sufferer,” a story of
deliverance from the ghetto, but
even this serves as an opportunity
to praise Jah.
In his solo efforts, HR focuses
most upon his reggae influences
while avoiding the genre’s cliches.
These songs are more lively and
inventive than much current reg
gae material because they reveal
just enough of HR’s other influ
ences.
HR says in “Singin’ in the Heart”:
“One aim, one goal, one destiny/
To set I people free/ In true love
and unity.” One can only wonder
whether HR sees himself as a
prophet as well as a musician.
Whatever the case, these songs
form a strong collection of songs
about HR’s spiritual beliefs. The
collection is marred only by “Don’t
Trust No (Shadows After Dark),” a
song which abandons the trust and
love which fill the rest of his songs.
The song is among the best on
the album musically but it is ham
pered by an almost hostile mes
sage.
The two dub versions (“Fools’
Gold” and “Youthman Sufferer”)
do not hinder the album but they
do not add much either. A few
more original songs full of intro
spection and dedication would
round out this collection quite
well.
*****
Another musical side of HR is
seen and heard on the new Bad
Brains album, “Quickness” on
Caroline Records.
The members of Bad Brains
have slowed the pace a bit over the
years while keeping their charac
teristic power and frenzy.
The influence these days is
more from metal than punk, but it
is an upbeat sort of metal influence
which only adds to the music.
A grindy, growly guitar is found
in most of the 12 songs on “Quick
ness.” Also constant is the crisp
drumming which both fuels and
punctuates the lyrics.
A quick, steady pace is held
until the end of the album, when
things slow down for “The
Prophet’s Eye.” Even there, Bad
Brains maintains clarity and cohe
sion.
As with HR’s solo album,
“Quickness” places much empha
sis on Rasta messages. At the same
time, several of the songs are unre
lated and almost distracting in their
subjects, as in “Gene Machine" and
“Don’t Blow Bubbles.”
The result is a less-unified re
lease. Rasta themes are numerous
but not central, and focus is lost.
Even so, the music does not
suffer. Things move along at a
good pace and then pent-up fury is
released, propelling the songs
even more strongly.
Songs like “No Conditions”
capture the best ideas of f IR’s solo
work and add the best music of
Bad Brains.
•
Biblical themes are common
(“Voyage Into Infinity,” “The Mes
sengers,” “The Prophet’s Eye”) in
song titles, bui the content of the
songs on this album is less per
sonal and spiritual than in HR’s
spiritual work.
After a couple slower songs,
“The Messengers” picks up the
pace and prevents things from
getting bogged down. This song
shows a heavier punk than metal
influence. Such an arrangement
clearly would benefit other songs
on “Quickness.”
What is not clear is the reason
songs like “Gene Machine” were
included on this album. It just does
not “fit” with the rest of the songs.
This is not a fault. It merely
makes this a collection of songs by
Bad Brains rather than a collection
of thematically related songs.
If not by ideas, these songs are
related by their sound, a potent
mix of several styles full of energy
and drive.
There is no “typical” Bad Brains
song, but all of them have an un
canny ability to remain with the
listener after the album leaves the
turntable.
The heartfelt messages in these
songs are presented well and show
that Bad Brains remains one of the
foremost American bands emerg
ing from the underground to a
growing audience.
The “Quickness” LP is a solid
release. It could be made into an
excellent album by trimming a few
songs and replacing them with
more connected, focused offer
ings.
HR’s solo album and Bad Brains’ "Quick
ness” album both provided by Project
Import.
column
_album review
PET SANTA from Page 8
want to get up on my lap, or
might snap, just climbed rigntup
there like they knew me for
ever,” Jack said.
Jack said he has had two acci
dents, one when a dog wet on
his lap and the other when a dog
wet in his boot.
‘The ones that wet on me,
one was young puppy who got
excited and the other one was an
old female and she was just a
nervous wreck,” Jack said.
Wally said some animals do
get excited but after the owner
gets back with the camera, the
pets are calmer.
“If you get too close then they
get hyper, but if they (the own
ers) back up with me by the
camera and sit there and talk to
them, it’s okay,” Wally said.
Jack said cats are harder be
cause they’re too fidgety and
they don’t want to pay attention.
One cat is easy but when owners
want two cats’ photos taken
together, it gets difficult.
Jack said he has played Santa
for hamsters and birds too, but
the children usually hold the
hamsters and then sit on his lap.
Wally said the shop has re
ceived visits to Santa from all
types of strange animals, includ
ing a three-foot boa constrictor.
“Everything was all right last
year until that woman handed
him the snake,” Wally said, and
Jack shivered in agreement.
“She works at Bronco’s Ham
burgers and I haven’t eaten at
Bronco’s since,” Jack said.
Jack said all types of dogs visit
Santa, including St. Bernards, a
Rottweiler and two Newfound
lands that ended up sitting by his
side instead of on his lap.
Wally said some owners
bring one or two but one
woman brought in six dogs.
“We didn’t think she was ever
going to quit bringing in dogs,”
he said.
The dogs often are dressed
for the season, too, Wally said.
“Some bring them with
sweaters, some bring their hats,
and some have their boots on,”
Wally said, speaking of the pets
and not the owners.
And when Santa has finished
his visit with the pet, “some
jump off, head for the door and
get the hell out of there,” Wally
said.
Wally and Jack agreed that all
types of people bring their pets
to see Santa.
They attribute it to the fact
that people care so much for
their pets.
“I would hate to go out on a
desert island with you and your
animals. If there wasonedropof
water, now who would get the
water? Your dogs, wouldn’t
they?” Wally asked.
Wally turned around and
asked his mother, Regina, ‘Who
would get the water mom?”
“Fritz would,” she answered,
smirking.
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