Programming note: It’s 80s week! I'm spotlighting some of my favorite records released between 1980 and 1989. Like previous decade-themed newsletter posts, I've selected albums that cover multiple genres and deliberately avoided the well-worn titles that top all "best of" lists for this decade. In other words, no Thriller, Purple Rain, and so on.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s 80s music pick is a revolutionary hardcore punk record, careening between rabid intensity and effortless chill.
Genre: Punk, Hardcore, Reggae
Label: ROIR
Release Date: February 5, 1982
Vibe: 🧨
To say that Bad Brains, the eponymous debut from the legendary D.C. group, is one of the most influential records of all time isn’t a novel statement. It’s widely accepted as the gold standard for hardcore punk, wrapping socially conscious lyrics in a maelstrom of blistering instrumentation. Despite its comparatively lo-fi aesthetic, this is one of those ultra-rare documents that influenced the influencers, the embryo that gave birth to subgenres such as emo, thrash metal, funk metal, and nu metal. Say what you want about trailblazers like Metallica’s Kill' Em All, Green Day’s Dookie, or anything Rage Against the Machine or the Offspring ever released: their lineage can easily be traced back to this sweaty, exhilarating blur.
What separates Bad Brains from their contemporaries of the early hardcore and punk scene is how much control and precision they exerted as musicians. Lesser imitators focus on playing as fast and loud as possible rather than ratcheting tightly coiled rhythms into fifth or sixth gear. Bad Brains accomplishes the latter by leaning on their easy chemistry (they’d been playing live shows together since 1976) and diverse musical influences that included Bob Marley and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. And, for as much fun as sound barrier-breakers “Banned in D.C.” and “Pay to C*m” are, the reggae comedowns, mainly “Leaving Babylon,” are the highlights for me, rounding out the hard-edged moments with soulful missives against corporate greed and political inertia.
"They were without a doubt the best hardcore/speed metal band in the world," said producer Ron St. Germain of Bad Brains, who’d go on to work with giants like Soundgarden and Sonic Youth. If he were asked to justify his reasoning in a court of law, this album would be Exhibit A.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈