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| REVIEWS |
Bad
Religion
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? [reissue]
(Epitaph)
Bad Religion
Suffer [reissue]
(Epitaph)
Bad Religion
No Control [reissue]
(Epitaph)
Bad Religion
Against the Grain [reissue]
(Epitaph)
Bad Religion
Generator [reissue]
(Epitaph)
“Punk was originally about creating new, important, energetic
music that would hopefully threaten the status quo and the stupidity
of the 1970s,” asserts Jello Biafra, and in a short amount
time it seemed if the stupidity of disco and glam rock were
given a solid boot up the keister by what perhaps is defined
as “punk’s most recognizable period.” Recognizable
because the immediate mention of the word and the majority would
allude to what it embodied in the late 70’s – pins,
Mohawks, leather jackets and a crusty old stick-it-to-the-man
middle finger – and yet many question the validity of
the fashion statements as subversive, but one may forget that
during that time, wearing safety pins was almost on par with
of a nunnery full of whores (or a brothel full of nuns), and
it was what got attention to the music if the music itself did
not do so. In the immediate proceeding years, the very cornerstones
of this counterculture would form; in New York rose The Ramones
while the United Kingdom ignited the fury of The Sex Pistols,
The Clash and The Buzzcocks. It was a short period of immediate
glory, but what 1977 brought to the world would ring invariably
in many shapes and forms – buoyed by what seems to be
an undying cause for personal expression and a very human passion
to question what is put before us.
Through the years that followed, the subculture formed many
offshoots and evolved in countless ways, but the one product
of 1977 that perhaps best represents “punk” in its
most effective form, would be the birth of hardcore in 1980s
- The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, The Minutemen,
Minor Threat and of course Bad Religion. It is from these artists
listeners finally sat up and took notice that punk was more
than just saying “fuck you,” it was as Greg Graffin
summarizes amongst several things, “a movement that serves
to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated through
willful ignorance of human nature.” And the ignorance
of human nature was not limited to the suburbs of Los Angeles.
But as the new decade rolled around, many of what youth began
to see – hostage crises, assassinations, riots, the birth
of MTV, and the full fledged burgeoning of iconic corporations
– pushed them in one direction or the other. And from
these locales, Bad Religion grew into perhaps the most prominent
of these groups, spearheading a revolution from the suburbs
that spanned the globe. Armed with sweltering melodies, a piercing
sense of urgency and a vault of vocabulary, they conquered apathy,
suffering, ignorance, greed, hate, faith and the consumption
of the human spirit.
Through their approach they were effective with their message;
never one to rely on finding singular, common constructs, they
challenged their own sound and resisted the temptation to become
indifferent - even when they had found their scope of influence.
During this period of musical and influential prosperity, one
for all intents and purposes we shall label as 1988-1992, their
work was boundless, and in essence, untouchable amongst those
who shared the same billing. Speaking personally, the albums
released during this period, the bulk of Epitaph’s reissues,
were by far the most appealing – at least for someone
who grew up far from the immediate range of their music (at
least for the majority of their broadcast). In this, I found
a certain likeness to their work; that it was not merely discourse
in the ills of American society, but the ills of the world,
and more importantly, the society in which occurred directly
outside my window. While my interest in American life sparked
very early on, it was during my early teen years that I began
realizing the tribulations of the country I called “home”
– Indonesia was (and still is) rife with poverty, corruption,
ignorance and greed of the highest level that succeeded in creating
a false layer of security, hiding a bubbling self-destruction
that, unfortunately, has since burst into a pseudo-democratic
mess where few take responsibility, and even fewer know how
to. Whether or not they aimed globally, Bad Religion spoke of
these evils and their words quantified and summarized the moral
extinctions to the greatest effect.
1988’s Suffer is widely regarded as one of the
finest albums of its kind, and it first displayed Bad Religion’s
ability to so efficiently, and meaningfully amplify conscious
words. From there, they went on to release No Control,
which still exhibits the single greatest song written in all
mankind (at least in my humble opinion). “I Want to Conquer
the World” will forever be the psalm for a soul desiring
change and world revolution – never has two minutes and
seventeen seconds been so precise in detailing the follies and
hypocrisies of the so-called erudite community and preachers
of good speak; fundamentally disclaiming that no human is infallible
and/or capable of such wondrous feats, no matter how burning
the desire. The follow-up to No Control is perhaps
their greatest collection; although that debate would run eternal,
Against the Grain exhibits songwriting and deliberation
seasoned over two fantastic albums and a wealth of experience
gained. Much of their 1995 All Ages compilation was
built around a great deal of material from Against the Grain
– a sign possibly that the band is best represented by
these outings. [On (another) personal anecdote, I remember vividly
how during junior high, my music class was asked to each bring
in a song that they would like to play for the class –
everyone else strode mightily with their garish collection of
trivial music sterility while I played “Modern Man.”
I received disconcerting looks (a mixture of horror and confusion)
while my teacher questioned my morality and positive responsibility
to the classroom environment. Needless to say, the song speaks
volumes in documenting how population Earth has so erred in
an amazingly brief period of time.] Generator is the
last of this period; released in 1992, some have argued its
less than powerful nature – and yes, in contrast to its
predecessors perhaps that contention holds value. Nonetheless,
while it is one of the weaker releases, just barely better than
both Stranger than Fiction and No Substance,
it still exhibits some fine work - most notably the title track.
It was also their last before their departure for Sony, another
endless and seemingly futile argument that they somehow couldn’t
be as effective surrounded by richer lining.
So now with Epitaph’s decision to reissue five of some
of the most important records ever released, where do they really
stand in regards to value? For one, the five – the retooled
How Could Hell be any Worse? (an amalgam of their early
documentation, 80-85, as well as added EP tracks),
Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain,
and Generator – have all been digitally remastered
and reverberate with greater intensity. Cynics will argue the
difference is minute, but for those who own the original recordings,
the difference is palpable. The guitars discharge even more
so commandingly, while the low-end and percussion work have
been given added boost. The alterations are clear to anyone
who was to play any song of the old recording with the newly
remastered one in sequence; take “Modern Man” as
an example – the chilling prophetic atmosphere of the
1990 edition is infinitesimal compared to its 2004 version;
stunning. (Artwork has been updated as well, but that facet
of these recordings is far less important).
Apparently there is debate on the usefulness of these reissues
– but I for one cannot understand why this has become
an issue. Do we forget at which stage of the evolution we seem
so entrenched in? The filth of merchandising, commercialization,
branding, manufacturing; this is what has become of 1977’s
revolution that grew to immense power in the proceeding decade.
Artists clamoring for music video rotation, clothing sponsorship,
and magazine cover appearances. Even more alarming, those who
are in a position to influence a great number of able bodied
kids who seek direction, purpose and understanding are swayed
to this useless and pointless brokerage of apathy. I recently
came across an article on an influential website that has become
a beacon for this meaningless practice, where the proprietor
affirms that he is “not punk enough” but he definitely
“does not care.” Indeed, discussing what is and
what is not “punk” is just as futile, but this apathetic
approach to what was the very antithesis for apathy is just
plain delusional. And so perhaps these re-releases serves the
purpose to (re)educate those who seemingly have distorted their
view on what is and what is not. That alone justifies any cause
Epitaph may have to re-release these records, and they couldn’t
have picked a better selection.
There is no definitive punk manifesto; and while Graffin himself
may have come closest in defining the relevance and importance
of what it is, there can never be one true understanding. He
does however, point to one important factor – that those
who have never been challenged by life itself have no reason
to doubt. And the existence of these records does endless good
to illustrate situations for those unexposed to the many injustices
that have become the constitutions of daily living. Humanity
is bred imperfect, and we are all of the same mold; but there
is much that can be induced from these albums – three
of which will eternally remain essential – most importantly,
that we should forever seek to find resolution for life’s
answerless question.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana
April 9th, 2004 |
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