Rage Against The Machine CD

Rage Against The Machine: Zack De La Rocha (vocals); Tom Morello (guitar); Timmy C. (bass); Brad Wilk (drums).
Additional personnel: Maynard James Keenan (background vocals).
Engineers: Stan Katayama, GGGarth, Auburn Burell.
Recorded at Sound City, Van Nuys, California; Scream Studios, Studio City, California; Industrial Recording, North Hollywood, California.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is a collection of live concert videos and uncensored versions of 5 original videos.
Personnel: Maynard James Keenan, Zack de la Rocha (vocals); Tom Morello (guitar); Brad Wilk (drums); Stephen Perkins (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Andy Wallace.
Recording information: Industrial Recording, North Hollywood, CA; Scream Studios, Studio City, CA; Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA.
Arranger: Rage Against the Machine.
Probably the first album to successfully merge the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal, Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut was groundbreaking enough when released in 1992, but many would argue that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of influence and sheer brilliance -- though countless bands have certainly tried. This is probably because the uniquely combustible creative relationship between guitar wizard Tom Morello and literate rebel vocalist Zack de la Rocha could only burn this bright, this once. While the former's roots in '80s heavy metal shredding gave rise to an inimitable array of six-string acrobatics and rhythmic special effects (few of which anyone else has managed to replicate), the latter delivered meaningful rhymes with an emotionally charged conviction that suburban white boys of the ensuing nu-metal generation could never hope to touch. As a result, syncopated slabs of hard rock insurrection like "Bombtrack," "Take the Power Back," and "Know Your Enemy" were as instantly unforgettable as they were astonishing. Yet even they paled in comparison to veritable clinics in the art of slowly mounting tension such as "Settle for Nothing," "Bullet in the Head," and the particularly venomous "Wake Up" (where Morello revises Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" riff for his own needs) -- all of which finally exploded with awesome power and fury. And even listeners who were unable (or unwilling) to fully process the band's unique clash of muscle and intellect were catered to, as RATM were able to convey their messages through stubborn repetition via the fundamental challenge of "Freedom" and their signature track, "Killing in the Name," which would become a rallying cry of disenfranchisement, thanks to its relentlessly rebellious mantra of "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Ultimately, if there's any disappointment to be had with this near-perfect album, it's that it still towers above subsequent efforts as the unequivocal climax of Rage Against the Machine's vision. As such, it remains absolutely essential. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
Rage Against the Machine released this self-titled DVD in 1997. The disc collects live concert footage and music videos of some of their best material. Rage Against the Machine starts with a passionate rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Ghost of Tom Joad" live from the Irvine Meadows in Irvine, CA. The well-filmed performance captures Rage near the top of their game. (Will listeners ever see a collection that includes the concert from the Democratic Convention?) Seeing Zack de la Rocha interact with a large crowd and the band work a tight, incendiary groove is required to understand the appeal of the now-defunct political rock band. This is underscored by "People of the Sun" and four other songs live from the Rock Am Ring Festival in Germany, where Rage plays before what must be 100,000 people. Rage Against the Machine also includes three songs from the 1996 Redding Festival and a blistering "Killing in the Name Of" from the 1994 Pink Pop Festival. The second half of the DVD is filled with six music videos, including "Freedom" and "Memory of the Dead (Land and LibertRolling Stone (5/13/99, p.52) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Spin (9/99, p.132) - Ranked #26 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."
Spin (5/93, insert, p.8) - "...some of the fiercest, most impassioned musical polemics ever....fuses metal-tinged punk rock with hardcore rap....relentlessly inventive..."
Q (7/01, p.91) - Included in Q's "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".
Q (3/93, p.90) - 3 Stars - Good - "...they're every bit as angry as their name implies....this is a record of real attitude and energy..."
Alternative Press (11/00, p.144) - Included in AP's "10 Essential Political-Revolution Albums" - "...A debut that channels the aggression of the streets into a guitar-driven polemic. The targets are typical...but [their] integration of hip hop and heavy metal isn't."
Melody Maker (1/1/94, p.77) - Ranked #39 in Melody Maker's list of the `Albums Of The Year' for 1993 - "...white hot metal and molten funk with industrial sonic disruptions...formidable..."
Musician (1/93, p.90) - "...Rage Against The Machine offers pointed politics and articulate anger....doesn't just draw from hip-hop and heavy metal, but integrates the two so completely that crossover is no longer an issue..."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.52) - "[The album] spectacularly fused disparate genres..."
NME (Magazine) (2/6/93, p.29) - 7 - Very Good - "...What makes RATM more than just another bunch of prodigiously capable genre-benders is their total lack of pretension or contrivance....the results burn with an undeniable conviction..."
NME (Magazine) (12/25/93, p.67) - Ranked #31 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE put screaming funk-bone hardcore and agit-rock sensibilities on top of the pops...."