Saturday Spins: Evil Empire

Christopher Bradley

Christopher is a lawyer from NEPA, aka, Pennsultucky, He is an avid baseball fan, audiophile, and dog owner. He spends the majority of his free time with his wife and daughters, reading, listening to music, watching baseball (except the Yankees) and writing.

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12 Responses

  1. Jaybird says:

    Periodically, I like to send Zack de la Rocha a tweet telling him that, in the 90’s, his band was my favorite. Well, I clarify, him and Limp Bizkit.

    It’s absolutely amazing workout music, though. Not only good to drive to, it’s good to jog to.Report

    • DensityDuck in reply to Jaybird says:

      like I said elsewhere, Rage Against The Machine is very good at conveying the message that they are very excited and angry about all the stuff, and they’re good at making you feel equally excited and angry at whoever it is they’re mad at for the five or so minutes the song is on.Report

  2. InMD says:

    I was never the biggest RATM fan but I think a big part of that is their rise to popularity coincided with my turn to the underground. It made no sense to me that people thought so highly of Tom Morello when At the Gates and In Flames were sending these crazy heavy-yet-accessible works out of Sweden. The politics also weren’t nearly as shocking with DC hardcore floating around my eco system. ZDR seemed like the kind of guy HR from Bad Brains would roll his eyes at.

    All that said reading this post made me think about just how soft rock has gone. I’m exposed to enough of what I assume is mainstream at the gym, etc. and none of it is remotely heavy. I miss something with some umph being in the popular lexicon and RATM did at least have that.Report

    • Aaron David in reply to InMD says:

      Yeah, as someone who grew up with 70s and 80s SoCal hardcore, RATM has always been seen as weak tea. Give me Lee Ving of FEAR. Or better yet, some Germs and Gun Club.

      And you are right about the umph missing in rock. We really need another kick in the ass like the original punk explosion or gangster rap to come along.Report

      • I may be covering Kendrick Lamar soon, probably To Pimp a Butterfly. Not gangster rap, but still a resurgence of no frills, honest, and in your face rap.Report

        • Aaron David in reply to Christopher Bradley says:

          Back when my son was music director for a college radio station he tried to get me in to that album. It just struck me as boring. I get what you are saying about it, but that wasn’t what I was alluding to. It is more of a visceral reaction, a “this is dangerous and I want to touch it” feeling that we need musically.Report

        • Aaron David in reply to Christopher Bradley says:

          Actually, thinking a bit more about this, I shouldn’t say the music is boring, but that I would put it in the same catagory as Steely Dan. It is technically quite good, his flows are tight, beats are well placed, etc. It is very well engineered.

          And THAT is boring. I have known a lot of musicians who will say that Steely Dan is great, a real musicians band. Every note is well writen and placed. The timing is impecable. And I think that is why if feels so sterile. I want it fast and loose, to feel like I could pick up a guitar or a mic and give it a go. Not to have to spend every day in a studio arranging bits in an audio file.Report

      • InMD in reply to Aaron David says:

        I’d love it, even though I’m relegated to old guy in the back status at the rare show I’m able to attend.Report

        • Aaron David in reply to InMD says:

          I don’t know. My son went to a Helmet show a few years ago, and apparently it was filled with dudes my age moshing.Report

          • InMD in reply to Aaron David says:

            That’s hilarious. Still not sure I have what it takes for the pit anymore, even if it’s all greybeards. Plus there’s my whole lame corporate day job to think about. Maybe when my son is older he’ll get into some rough underground music and I can re-live it vicariously.Report

            • Aaron David in reply to InMD says:

              I am asuming they are all college adjuncts looking for tenure. Which is no different than a lame corporate day job in a university town.Report