Bad Brains

Bad Brains

1982

Punk, hardcore, metal, emo, jazz, reggae. What are all these… Bad Brains

Bad Brains

1982

Punk, hardcore, metal, emo, jazz, reggae. What are all these genres nowadays?

Bad Brains embodied all of these genres before they even became mainstream.

The band’s members include bassist Daryl Jennifer, Dr. Know (Gary Miller) on guitar, Earl Hudson on the drums and HR (Ras Hailu Gabriel Joseph I, or Paul Hudson) on vocals.

On first listen to this masterpiece of a record, one would assume that the questionable sound quality might reveal that this band was not as amazing as some critics would say.

The surprising fact was that this band was comprised of four black men that most members of the punk scene would simply write off. But these four black dots in a predominantly white Washington, D.C., underground music scene made a tidal wave for black musicians everywhere. Not only did they create a whole new perspective on image and music throughout the 1980s, they also broke any barriers that said that white people controlled the punk and hardcore scenes during their time.

Even today’s bands owe credit to Bad Brains, ranging from the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch, to space-rock artists Cave-In, to hardcore powerhouse Vision of Disorder. Even Moby has credited Bad Brains for their amazing influence on his life. Old-school fanatics as well as newbies definitely should have Bad Brains in their collections.

If after reading this, you’re still not convinced that Bad Brains would be an essential listen, you may want to ask some of your older friends who supported the independent scene when heavy metal ballads reigned supreme. Chances are, Bad Brains will be one of the more prevalent underdogs they would speak about.

While they still continue to make music now with their new moniker, Soul Brains, their energy remains the same. Let’s not forget how many artists share their belief in Positive Mental Attitude, or PMA, coined by the band.