The Untouchables 01.05.06: Rage Against The Machine
Posted by Stephen Mogan on 01.05.2006
Political and musical revolutionaries, or simply misguided and angry?
There are many bands that are universally recognised as being great, some achieve superstar status, but very few reach the point where the acclaim for them is so intense, that it becomes inconceivable to question their genius. They are The Untouchables….
Hello there, and welcome to this week's Untouchables column on the NEW LOOK 411mania (isn't it pretty?). I hope everybody had a "rockin" New Year's! I'm Steve Mogan and I'm your host again as we take a look at another band that has achieved Untouchable status. Last week we looked at The Stone Roses and decided that one exceptional album does not an Untouchable make. This week we examine another band from the early 90's who probably made more of a lasting impact on music than any other band of the decade…
Rage Against The Machine Political and musical revolutionaries, or simply misguided and angry?
The Band:
Rage formed in 1991, consisting of dreadlocked Zack De La Rocha on vocals, bald-headed, overall-wearing, mechanic-resembling Tom Morello on guitar, silly-nickname-sporting Tim Commerford (aka Tim Bob, YTimK and Tim.COM amongst other ridiculous monikers) and stocky-yet-feminine-looking Brad Wilk on drums (it's true, look at him). They famously produced their own cassette demo, consisting of 12 songs that would mostyle go on to feature on their debut proper. The group managed to sell an impressive 5,000 copies of the tapes at their shows, which led to them inking a deal with Epic. Their self-titled debut was released in late 1992, to very positive reviews, with many critics claiming their rebellious stance was just what music needed. The band then cemented their reputation at Lollapalooza in 1993, by standing naked on stage in complete silence for 15 minutes, in protest at the Parents Music Resource Centre and musical censorship in general. The incident gave the band a lot of mainstream press attention, and marked them out as ones who were interested in making their own statements, rather than concerning themselves with such superficialities as image, toeing the company line or being clothed in public. The band spent the next few years organising and performing in benefits for causes too numerous to name here. They were so busy fighting injustice that it took 4 years for them to follow-up their first album. When that record, "Evil Empire", finally appeared it shot straight to the top of the charts on the strength of lead single "Bulls On Parade". Though not as ground-breaking as its predecessor, Rage received Grammy nominations two years in a row with songs from it (winning one in 1997 for "Tire Me").
Following this, the band allowed a new song, "No Shelter", to be used for the soundtrack to the new Godzilla movie. Featuring the line "Godzilla/Pure motherfucking filler", it's still a mystery why either party wanted or allowed the song to be on the soundtrack, considering Rage's anti-capitalist stance and track's not-particularly-glowing review of the movie it featured in (or maybe it was some kind of statement, I've never been good with subversion). Still, the song got them another Grammy nomination in 1999 and went on to become one of their more popular tracks. Later in the same year, Rage released their third album, "The Battle Of Los Angeles", on election day. The band celebrates by playing on Letterman, for some reason. More "subversion" followed, with the video for the single "Sleep Now In A Fire", released in January 2000. A pre-fame (or at least pre-Oscars) Michael Moore helped the band organise and film a performance of the song outside the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, NY. The Exchange had to close early due to the disruption caused (though as Rage themselves put it: "No money was harmed during the making of this video"). Later that year, the group released what was to be their final album. "Renegades" was a covers set featuring songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, Minor Threat, MC5 and The Stooges. The bombastic (I've always wanted to use that word) single "Renegades Of Funk" received major airplay, but the band split soon afterwards due to "musical differences" (it was assumed that De La Rocha wanted to move further into hip-hop territory, which the rest of the band was against). Apart from a live CD and DVD set, that's all she wrote.
The Albums: Rage Against The Machine (1992)
Opener "Bombtrack" pretty much sets the tone perfectly for what's to come. It begins quietly but soon explodes into life, with furious lyrics and delivery from De La Rocha ("Burn burn/Yes you're gonna burn" is a blunt example). The first thing that strikes you when listening to this album is how well the rock and rap elements work together. Although this had been done before, primarily by Run DMC, the music had never been this heavy. It really shouldn't work, but there's a strange balance between De La Rocha's half-rapped delivery, Commerford's funky bass and Morello's squealing, alien guitar riffs that has never been matched by subsequent rap-metal bands. The fact that Rage was the first to do this kind of music makes their achievements even more impressive. Next up is "Killing In The Name", a track that I'm assuming most of the Western world will be familiar with. The opening notes are almost like a call to arms, or at least a call for a mosh pit in every rock club I've ever visited. The "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" line has lost none of its impact in the 13 years (13! Man I feel old!) since the album's release, and the fact that the song can be so heavy and tuneful at the same time speaks volumes about the band's abilities. So far, so good. Something a bit different follows; "Take The Power Back" begins gently, before kicking in with the funkiest riff on the entire album. The song breaks down again about ¾ of the way in with a spoken word bit from De La Rocha, which is followed by a guitar section that can almost be described as beautiful. Naturally, the band doesn't stay quiet for long and finish the song with another heavy guitar assault. Simply exhilarating; it's amazing that they could craft a song with so many distinct passages and hooks yet still make it sound coherent. Basically, there are more ideas packed into "Take The Power Back" than Limp Bizkit's entire recorded output.
"Settle for Nothing" is a slower track with some inventive guitar work from Morello, but the quiet/loud dynamic the band strive for doesn't quite come off here. It's too slow in parts, too heavy in others, and overall is very skippable. Good lyrics from Zack, however. Luckily, the lull doesn't last long. "Bullet In The Head" is another of the album's more well-known tracks, which combines a maddeningly simple bassline and Zack's forceful delivery, to great effect. "Know Your Enemy" follows, and is another track that combines 3 or 4 different riffs and hooks that lesser bands would have made entire songs out of. This is an album stand-out for me. The powerful, direct riff is one of the best Morello ever produced and his solo is simply awesome. It's bafflingly that he can make a guitar create some of those sounds. The bass is on point, and De La Rocha puts just enough angst into his delivery. Wilk's drumming is showcased with a tribal-style breakdown in the middle, and the payoff at the end (De la Rocha repeating the line "All of which are American dreams" as the music falls away) is sublime. Whereas today's bands would have trouble convincing you that they can dress themselves, De La Rocha had a habit of making everything he said sound so revelatory. "Wake Up" completes a trio of excellent tracks. The intro does a great job of informing the listener that something special is about to happen, and Morello's guitar again sounds wonderfully unique (how many freakin' effects pedals did this guy own?). Another great solo, the bit in the middle where everything speeds up (the closest the band ever got to punk) and an apocalyptic ending all contribute to making this song great. "Fistful of Steel" is fairly unexciting, however, and is another one to skip (Morello's guitar is also very, very annoying here – it sounds like he's doing unacceptable things to a cat). "Township Rebellion" is the penultimate track, and is basically a 5 minute showcase for Tom's guitar skills; from the oddball effects on the verses to a short-but-sweet solo, the guy owns this one. "Freedom" closes the album in the best way imaginable; with the angriest, heaviest song of the whole record. There's too much going on in this track to fully cover (it must contain at least 7 different riffs) but it does contain the defining moment of the whole album; De La Rocha's rallying whisper (!) of "Your Anger Is A Gift". Cue absolute mayhem. Beautiful.
Evil Empire (1996)
This album is generally considered to be the weakest of Rage's efforts, and it's easy to see why. Opener "People Of The Sun" is the shortest song the band had recorded up to this point, at only 2:30. Unfortunately, there's nothing particularly exciting about those two and a half minutes. A decent riff and reasonable lyrics, but nothing to really get the blood pumping in the same way that "Bombtrack" did on the first album. "Bulls On Parade" is next, and is a step in the right direction. Much heavier than the opener, it also boasts an excellent bassline reminiscent of "Know Your Enemy". "Vietnow" continues this heaviness, but the song is disappointing. De La Rocha's vocals are annoying and the song sounds very derivative. The best thing about their debut was its inventiveness, unfortunately that has been ditched a lot of the time on this record in favour of making a straight-ahead skull-crushing rock album. When it works, like on following tracks "Revolver" and "Snakecharmer", the results are pretty good. Although not up to par with the first album and both featuring non-descript riffs, the songs are propelled forward by De La Rocha's anger and have a variety that's missing from most of the rest of the album. Unfortunately, when this new approach doesn't work, the songs are often lost under a mess of sludgy riffs
"Down Rodeo" is more like it. The track immediately sounds head and shoulders above the rest and Morello's guitar work is excellent. De La Rocha's lyrics are also up to par here ("So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo with a shotgun/These people ain't seen a brown-skinned man since their grandparents bought one"). Definitely the high point of the album. "Without A Face" is next and is another good track with nice guitar work. "Wind Below" sounds like a horror movie distilled into 5 and a half minutes and is a welcome departure for the band. The track shows that they can still create something unique when they set their minds to it. "Roll Right" is filler; not particularly good, but not particularly bad either. "Year Of Tha Boomerang" finishes the album and shows that the band has mastered the quiet/loud dynamic they couldn't quite capture on their debut. It's a schizophrenic mix of squealing guitars, eerie quiet parts and straight-up rocking out. The track is very good and has a certain swagger about it, but is still eclipsed by most of their debut. And therein lies the main problem with the album. Kudos to the band for trying to make a heavier, less rap-orientated record, but you can't help but compare it to their debut. And the truth is, there's not much here that is worthy of that album. It's clear that the magic is still there, but perhaps the band were trying so hard to distance "Evil Empire" from their debut, that they lost sight of what it is that they were really good at. A disappointing mis-step.
The Battle Of Los Angeles (1999)
From the opening moments of this album, it's clear that the band is back in a big way. "Testify" is old-school Rage at its best, with De La Rocha barking the lyrics over Morello's weird soundscapes. With a killer chorus to match, this song is an immediate winner. "Guerrilla Radio" follows, and I have to admit I'm not a great fan of this song, as big a hit as it was at the time. It's nice to hear Zack back to his rapped vocal style after "Evil Empire", but overall the song is pretty average. Luckily, "Calm Like A Bomb" is next. This is another classic track; confident, cocky delivery from Zack and an amazing riff on the chorus. Morello's use of pedals is exemplary on this track, creating some of their weirdest sounds the band has ever committed to record. It's impossible to listen to without want to jump out of your seat; a fierce battle cry that's tuneful as well as furious. "Mic Check" follows, and is an extremely hip-hop orientated track. It's another departure for the band; the guitars and bass are almost unrecognisable, they sound just like samples for the most part. The song isn't great, but credit to the guys for attempting it; technically it's a feat. Unfortunately, it seems to have been used as a template for many a bad nu-metal band's "token hip-hop track" since. "Sleep Now In A Fire" is the band at their most urgent; the hatred in Zack's voice is palpable. The song was a big hit, and for good reason. It's a sublime blend of traditional alternative rock and Rage's sonic experimentation. Speaking of sonic experimentation, "Born Of A Broken Man" follows. Morello's guitar sounds more like a piano on the quieter parts, as the song goes back and forth between spooky and explosive. Not a personal favourite of mine, but it's a very atmospheric track which sounds like it would be amazing live.
"Born As Ghosts" is pretty average, nothing particularly special here. "Maria" is next and is more sonic weirdness at its finest. The verses consist mainly of strange feedback-like noises and a clipped bassline before this lifts and the roaring chorus is revealed. I know that sounds crap on paper, but it really works. Honest. Unfortunately, the following track "Voice Of The Voiceless" takes the "guitars that don't sound like guitars" ethic one step too far, with an incredibly annoying glitch-riff that sounds both out of tune and out of time. It's ill-advised, to say the least. "New Millennium Homes" is a funky protest song (well, they're all sort of protest songs) that's real back-to-basics stuff (it's reminiscent of "Bullet In The Head"). "Ashes In The Fall" is another attempt at horror rock, with the imposing guitar riff and quietly-drummed intro creating a feeling of dread before the song even kicks in. The guitars on the verses seem to be mirroring the sound of dropping bombs and sirens, whilst Zack dictates a political manifesto over the top. A really powerful song, the kind of thing that makes you feel overawed by the vision of these guys. It sounds like nothing that's ever been done before (or since, for that matter). Finally, we finish with "War Within A Breath", a good old-fashioned bile-spewer from Zack that falls a little flat due to the brilliance of the track it follows. It's still pretty good, it's just nowhere near as effective an album closer as "Ashes In The Fall" would have been, despite the melodic eeriness of Morello's guitar work. Overall, this is a welcome return to the band's more traditional sound.
Renegades (2000)
Ah, there's nothing like a covers album to divide opinion amongst fans. Looking at it objectively, the album is pretty hit-and-miss. The band seems to be at its best when covering hip-hop songs, but opener "Microphone Fiend" is poor. It lacks the spirit and urgency of Rage's own work and really doesn't do anything the original didn't do. Unlike second track "Pistol Grip Pump". This is just an awesome song; De La Rocha is at his self-assured best and the rest of the band keeps up admirably, with the sonic boom of the bass and guitars almost impossible not to dance to. Having heard what they can do with hip-hop tracks, it's big a disappointment to hear what they do with the rock tracks. "Kick Out The Jams" for example, is much slower than the original and loses a lot of the ragged, out-of-control feeling that song possessed as a result. It's basically exactly the same as the original except slowed down and polished up a little; not exactly a stunning feat there, guys. "Renegades Of Funk" is another hip-hop track and the band do a fantastic job with it. Tribal drumming from Wilk is backed up by gigantic grooves from Morello and Cummerford and skilled vocals from De La Rocha. It's no surprise that his was chosen as the lead (and, as it turns out, only) single from the album; it's guaranteed to make you move (sucka). "Beautiful World" is next, and for the first time we hear Zack singing softly. His voice is wracked with emotion here and the song is a triumph as a result. The rest of the band is pretty redundant here; this one is Zack's show and he handles it admirably. It's nice to hear them do a track like this, since it's pretty unlikely that they'd opt to write something this gentle themselves.
"I'm Housin'" is another hip-hop track that's pretty average and a bit too similar to the others we've already heard on the album. Skip. "In My Eyes" is a Minor Threat cover that's pretty similar to the hardcore punk original. Apart from Wilk's funky drumming, the band sticks pretty rigidly to the classic punk formula (though Morello naturally adds his own little twist here and there). Again, it's pretty bizarre to hear them do a track like this, but they do an excellent job. De La Rocha sounds even angrier than usual at the rest of the guys seem right at home with the faster tempo. "How I Could Just Kill A Man" is a Cypress Hill cover that's simply excellent. This was to be the second single from the album before Rage split up and again, it's no surprise. Tim's bassline is awesome, whilst Zack does a great job with the lyrics. Best song on the album. The record sort of fades slightly from there on, however. "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" had been around for years at the time of release and is pretty dull anyway. "Down On The Street" is the definition of filler; music sounds pretty good but Zack really can't pull off the different vocal style that he attemps. "Street Fighting Man" takes the Stones' original and fills it with sirens. I can't decide if this is a good thing or not. I also can't decide if De La Rocha's sneering vocals are an attempt at a tribute to Jagger or not. Still, I certainly can't criticise it for sounding too much like the original. As for the song, the jury's still out; it just sounds a bit, well, weird. We finish off with "Maggie's Farm" a grinding epic that lasts almost 7 minutes. Though at times repetitive, the song is ultimately a fitting end to the album. Tim's powerful bass adds a new dimension to Dylan's original and the disgust in vocals is perfect considering the subject matter of the track. In all, it's a decent album. The concept is a little strange, especially so on tracks where they appear to simply re-do the original without adding much. Other songs though (specifically the rap ones), have new life breathed into them. Credit to them for choosing artists as diverse as Dylan, EPMD, Afrika Bambaataa and Devo to cover, but the results aren't always great. Any album that can produce the sublime "Renegades Of Funk" and "How I Could Just Kill A Man" can't be all bad, however. Thumbs in the middle, I guess (leaning upwards if you want to be pedantic).
Their Influence:
Like Nirvana (who we looked at a couple of weeks ago), Rage can be credited with pioneering a whole new genre of music, in this case rap-metal. Also like Nirvana, Rage hasa less than stellar string of artists indebted to them. Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park et al. all looked to mix rock with hip-hop and did it about 50 times worse than Rage did (about 500 time worse in Bizkit's case). It's pretty sad when a band employs a full-time DJ (effectively allowing them to use ANY NOISE IN THE WORLD in their music), yet they can't match songs that were created 10 years earlier (by a band with no DJ, just guitars) for either originality or skill. There's only ever been one band to do rap-metal well, and that was the band that started the whole genre. Rage Against The Machine; they may have inspired a lot of shit, but at least their own albums were pretty good.
The Verdict:
What else could it be? With two fantastic albums and two decent to pretty good albums, I think it's fair to say that Rage Against The Machine is entirely worthy of untouchable status. The thing that really drove the point home was the fact that, even though I now consider myself to be a more mature, mellow individual, listening to the band today still made me want to run around and smash stuff like I was 16 again (which is quite an achievement). Wait, I just read that back to myself and it makes me sound like some kind of crazy criminal who used to go around smashing everything up all the time. Which I'm not. There's no evidence of this or anything. Get a warrant. What was my point again?
What Now?
Brad, Tim and Tom went on to form the critically acclaimed (yet rather dull) Audioslave with ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. They now make a more traditional brand of rock ‘n' roll that doesn't involve as many odd noises, which is a huge shame. Zack De La Rocha is missing in action, save for an anti-war song he did with DJ Shadow a couple of years back. He apparently has an album in pipeline but I wouldn't hold your breath (although, thinking about it, if you were gonna hold your breath you probably would have started when the band split 5 years ago. So, y'know, don't stop now; that's a pretty impressive record you got goin' there).
Well, that's all for this week, hope you guys enjoyed it. Don't forget to check out my new profile page (I think the link is at the bottom there) to see my other columns and maybe even a blog or two (yeah that's gonna convince people to flock to my page – don't all rush in at once now!). Also, apologies for the lack of pictures, I'm still figuring this posting thing out (In truth I'd only just figured out the format I was supposed to send my columns in to the assorted editors, now that the system has changed and we're in charge of posting our own stuff...well, I wouldn't hold your breath for pictures. Unless you've been holding your breath since...wait, did I already do this one? I'm really running out of material). Until next time, take it easy,
