Vans x Bad Brains
By Erick • Feb 23rd, 2009 • Category: Artists
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The band was first founded as a jazz-fusion ensemble called Mind Power (1975), with singer Sid McCray, in the mold of bands such as Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. In 1977, McCray introduced the rest of the band, who were already interested in bands such as Black Sabbath, to punk rock, including the Dickies, the Dead Boys, and the Sex Pistols. Mind Power became obsessed with punk rock and changed their name to “Bad Brains”, after the Ramones song “Bad Brain” but with the word “bad” in the sense of “powerful”. Despite their burgeoning punk sound, the early Bad Brains also delved deep into reggae music. McCray left in the early days of the group’s hardcore-punk era, and guitarist H.R. became the band’s singer. The band developed an early reputation in Washington D.C., due in part to the relative novelty of an entirely African-American band playing punk rock, but also due to their high-energy performances and undeniable talent.
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Their music still contained hints of their progressive rock past, with quick time changes and H.R.’s fluctuating vocal dynamics. H.R. was a muscular and unpredictable stage performer with a very wide vocal range, who often leapt into the audience or onto amplifiers. In 1979, Bad Brains found themselves the subject of an unofficial ban among many Washington D.C. area clubs and performance venues (later addressed in their song, “Banned in D.C.”). The band subsequently relocated to New York City. The band’s considerable musical technique, due in part to their jazz and progressive rock roots, set them apart from other Washington punk groups, who were typically earnest but often amateurish performers. Bad Brains’ emphasis on extreme speed, especially in their early records and performances, are often regarded as establishing hardcore punk. Their self-titled debut album was released on New York’s ROIR Records on “cassette only” in January 1982, followed in 1983 by Rock for Light,
SOURCE:BAD BRAINS.COM |
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