Customer Reviews

Rage Against the Machine

5 star:		(479)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Someone once confessed their envy of Jimmy Page because he'd written *all* the good guitar riffs, leaving nothing for the rest of us. Well, Rage Against The Machine appears to have stumbled on Jimmy's secret stash of leftovers. But calling these riffs leftovers is doing them an injustice. Each is a behemoth of intensity and groove, while being surprisingly simple and eminently catchy. They form a solid foundation for each song, easily allowing the rest of the band to fall into lock-step formation when needed, but also allowing ample room for variation. And each song is made up of at least four or five of them, all as strong as the first, to create epic five-minute-plus "agit-pop" tunes.

When he's not anchoring the band with those regal riffs, Tom Morello is coaxing previously unheard of sounds from his Frankenstein guitar. "No samples, keyboards or synthesizers used in the making of this recording," claims the liner notes, and it's for Morello's offbeat work that this claim becomes necessary. Every fill and solo is unique, almost anti-guitar, in their sound. 'Bullet in the Head's solo begins with some echo-filled, mechanical sounding distortion. The solo on 'Know Your Enemy' could have been produced by a malfunctioning tape machine. 'Wake-Up' features a solo bathed in extreme echo and Frampton-style talk-boxing. Even his more conventional solos are enormous. 'Settle for Nothing' offers up some some languid jazz lines. 'Freedom' is a fine example of how tasty his playing can be when it's not trying to overwhelm you. And if you love Public Enemy-style sirens with your hip-hop, check out the variations Morello puts on that convention scattered throughout the album (most notably in his rhythm work on 'Fistful of Steel').

Bassist Timmy C gets several moments to shine as well. He slaps and pops the addictive intro to "Take the Power Back". Then, a lazy, loping 4-note theme serves as the delicate opening to "Settle for Nothing", before the heavens cave in ("Death is on my side... Suicide!"). On "Bullet in the Head", he provides a 7-note riff that's funky and confrontational (4-notes... 7-notes... See what I mean about simple and intense?).

Drummer Brad Wilk combines the skin-pounding intensity of a Dave Grohl, with the Caucasian funkiness of the Chili Peppers Chad Smith, and the hardcore speed of Faith No More's Mike Bordin. He is much more versatile than you'd think, sprightly riding the high-hat in one verse, crashing the cymbals in the next, and then shimmering through with a snare roll. Wilk's work on this album, to this day, is my favourite to air-drum to.

Frontman Zack de la Rocha may be focused (obsessed?) with social and racial injustice, so much so that those without his same political bent may feel excluded. But he's also aware enough of the power of a catchy rhyme to draw in those not in the choir, that he lays them out end to end through out the album ("Another funky radical bombtrack started as a sketch in my notebook / But now dope hooks make punks take another look" he raps on 'Bombtrack', essentially making this point for me). Zack raps with such passion and verve, and he has such a talent for succinct sloganeering, that he becomes the perfect frontman for this band of agitproppers. Witness his lyrics to 'Killing in the Name' (still my favourite track). The song starts with a distorted, almost Wagnerian, guitar overture. It settles into a quiet bass-guitar and cowbell section duet. And then the riff comes in. Finally, Zack begins to chant. And chant. And chant. He doesn't attempt to tell a story here, but instead just spouts slogan after slogan ("Now you do what they told ya", "F--- you I won't do what you tell me", etc.), repeating each over and over. It's the perfect song for a rowdy group of teenage boys to scream to. Which I suppose explains its enduring popularity.

I've owned this album since 1992, when I was 17 years old. That year, I saw the Rage boys live in concert twice, and could have gone back for more. If a CD could show wear, like an old LP could, then I would have worn this one out by 1993. It rarely left my stereo that first year. Now, usually when one's love affair with an album burns so brightly at the outset, it's liable to fade quickly. That's hasn't happened yet here. I can still play this one all the way through, two or three times a day, for a solid week. And it still makes me want to move, and yell, and scream, and think. Now *that* is staying power.

Rage Against the Machine were definitely one of the best bands from the 1990s, and their debut remains their strongest effort. When RATM made it big in the early 90s, they were a breath of fresh air. They borrowed sounds and styles from other bands, like the MC5 and Led Zeppelin, but were also distinctly groundbreaking and original.

First and foremost, they were just such a killer band. Drummer Brad Wilk and bass player Timmy G were an exciting and dynamic rhythm section. Guitarist Tom Morello came up with some of rock's best riffs and solos in years. Singer Zack De La Rocha singing/rapping was intense and urgent, and his lyrics were intelligent and insightful, yet never simplistic or pretentious. The lyrics will make you think, will make you question your life and your values, and societal values and norms. The band sounds raw and intense, yet the production is clean and crisp, so it's easily assessable.

Rage Against the Machine is band that should appeal to all different types of people. There's definitely an element of rap/hip-hop, punk, as well as classic rock. This album never lets up. From the opening "Bombtrack" to the closing "Freedom," every song is intense, and has an infectious groove and catchy riff. It's really impossible to choose any standout, because really the entire CD is quite excellent.

Rage Against the Machine's other two albums "Evil Empire," "The Battle For Los Angeles," and the cover album "Renagades" are also quite good, but I'd start off with the classic debut. Easily their best album and one of the decade's best CDs.

This is, and always will be, considered Rage Against the Machine's most important work. Rage's signature sound, featuring Tom Morello's belligerent, aggressive guitar riffs and turntable-esque noise, Tim Bob's funky bass, and Zack de la Rocha's vitriolic raps, is fully defined on this album. Their two subsequent albums, although excellent in their own right, do little to improve upon their debut's formula. Unlike most great bands, Rage was fully grown even in its infancy, and was signed after doing only 10 power-packed shows in Los Angeles. Although they presented fresh, worthy material, there was little room for improvement to the band's style, and very little experimentation would have been possible without fundamentally altering the band's sound. This album, therefore, not only has the advantage of being their first album, but it also has the most start to finish quality. Every tune is a highly explosive ball of energy, none of which is clearly superior to any of the others.

Rage Against the Machine also plays the most successful rock-rap fusion ever put on tape. In the current rap-metal feeding frenzy, most bands have opted to mimic Korn (the other band whose work is often referred to as the most representative rap-rock fusion), who rarely sounds anything like rap, although their massive beats are infused with a rap-inspired appreciation for the visceral primacy of rhythm and sound. Also, unlike bands like Limp Bizkit and Incubus, Rage Against the Machine do not cop-out by including a DJ. You may not believe it when you listen to it, but all of the turntable-esque noises that accompany Zack's raps are created by Tom Morello's deft manipulation of his instrument (this information is prominently displayed in all of their albums). Also, Zack almost always raps and very rarely sings, and his street-smart and politically aware lyrics come closer to convincing hip-hop subject matter than anything other bands have written. Other bands have missed the fact that rhymes, lyrics, and credibility are more fundamental to rap than its sonics (although rap's "beat" is arguably more important to its white audience - the primary demographic for rap-rock). Limp Bizkit have incorporated mainstream rap's overconfident swagger, and this may sell albums, but its flaky, commerical character makes its impact on rap-rock's legitimacy as a subgenre marginal compared to Rage's. Therefore, Rage have successfully fused what is essential about both rock and rap into a unique form that is worthy of the title "fusion," and their work is probably respected by musicians of both genres more equally than any other band who has attempted this risky enterprise. That Rage organized a tour with Wu-Tang for a brief period is suggestive of this (note: Durst's guest appearances on his albums were probably more indicative of the size of his band's pocket book than genuine artistic respect. And Korn's alliance with Ice Cube. . . let's not even go there).
Unfortunately, this incarnation of Rage only made 3 albums, due to Zack's departure from the band. Whether this was motivated by egoistic hubris, a desire to leave no trace of "sell-out" on his band's legacy (a label that was becoming more and more appropriate by the juxtaposition of the band's huge commercial success with its anti-capitalist and anti-establishment lyrics), or something quite else, we probably won't ever know. What we do know is that Mr. de la Rocha was upset about the fact that his lyrics (the band's most important element to him) will never have as much impact as the stylistic and formal achievements this band makes on this album. Unquestionably a classic album - 5 stars, and one of the finer albums of the 90's. Future bands who successfully fuse rap and rock elements will cite this band, and this album particularly, as a primary influence.

Wow. I bought this album having only heard the song 'Wake Up' from the Matrix soundtrack. However, I have read fantastic reviews about it and I liked some of Rage's recent work so i decided to give this one a try. As soon as the main guitar solo started on "bombtrack" I knew this was one of the best albums ever. The distinguishing feature of this band is there fiercely political diatribes that they direct toward basically every governmental establishment and/or descision. Admittantly, they often get carried away and Zack de la Rocha's anger and poignant lyrics can shadow his message, but rage has created an excellent way in delivering a political message to the uncorrupted, innocent mind of teenagers. Zack de la Rocha's lyrics are sometimes exaggerated, his ideas can often be ridiculous, but his lyrics are far, far more provocative than any other band out there. Enough about the lyrics, the musical quality of rage against the machine is far superior to any other band ever. Rage has a loud, slow style that envelops the listener, and even the most conservative right-winger can still find themselves bobbing their heads to rage's amazing instrumentals. Even if you hate Rage against the machine, there is absolutely no discrepency that rage's guitarist, Tom Morello (a harvard graduate) is the most innovative, creative, and original guitarist ever. As a child, instead of being inspired by hendrix or van halen, he used such influences as fax machines and electronic devices to create the widest array of guitar sounds imagineable. Here is a description of each track:

Track 1 Bombtrack, Rating: 10/10
What an excellent way to start this album. This is also the shortest song on the cd at 4:01. The intro guitar is awesome and the chorus of "Burn, burn yes your gonna burn!" is stellar as well. This song checks in as the third best song on the album.

Track 2 Killing in the Name, Rating: 10/10
Even better than track 1, Killing... starts out kinda slow but gets good real fast once it hits the main theme. It remains a good song until the last minute or so when it blasts through the roof with rage's most rousing chorus to date "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" This is the second best track on the album.

Track 3 Take the Power Back, Rating: 8/10
Starts out pretty good and stays good throughout the first few minutes. This track earns a 8 because of de la rocha's message about education towards the end. Also, a good guitar solo and the final chant of "No more lies!" turn this from a good song to a great song.

Track 4 Settle for Nothing, Rating: 5/10
This song is very heavy, emotionally sappy, and hard to listen to throughout its entirety. However, this song has two bright spots. An excellent guitar solo and a great crescendo with the title chorus.

Track 5 Bullet in the Head, Rating: 9/10
Fast-paced, action filled song with by far the most catchy first verse you'll ever here. This song is basically a thrill ride from start to finish. It gradually gets faster and faster until the very final chord.

Track 6 Know Your Enemy, Rating: 7/10
A great intro but a sub-par chorus fits the description of track 6. By far the most interesting part is when rage has a guest singer sing a verse towards the middle of the piece. A great fininsh with the whispering chant of "All of which are american dreams."

Track 7 Wake Up, Rating: 10/10
The intro part of this piece (sounding like led zepplin's kashmir) far exceeds phenomenal. And even after that it never stops impressing to easily become the best track on the album. This is the second best rage song ever(although it is nowhere nere as good as bulls on parade). You can hear this song on the matrix soundtrack.

Track 8 Fistfull of Steel, Rating: 9/10
A great chorus is the high point of track 8. The verses are great too. Theres really no bad aspect of this song.

Track 9 Township Rebellion, Rating: 8/10
Track 9 actually has bad verses. However, the chorus of "Why stand on a silent platform, fight the war, fuck the norm" easily gives song the extra 3 or 4 points it needs to earn an 8 on my rating scale.

Track 10 Freedom, Rating 9/10
Outstanding intro, okay verses, okay chorus, and outstanding finsih. The real high point in this song is in the last two minutes where track 10 assumes an eerie-sounding chorus of "freedom, yeah right". For the last word, Zack de la Rocha holds 'right' forever while the ending chord is repeated over and over again dramatically until the song spins off into a final sound that sounds as if a phone had been broken.

Average rating: 8.5/10
This is easily 5 stars even tho its the equivalent of 4.25 out of 5. Hey, not every song is gonna be perfect.

Rage against the machine is not a band that you will hear at high-school dances. It is very commanding, heavy, and sharp. It does not make good background music considering its pointed music and lyrics. Rage should be listened to, thought about, and respected for the outstanding music they produce.

I've always been confused by the statement "anger is a gift" (a statement that Zach mutters in the album ender, "Freedom"). And even though I still don't fully understand it, I do know that without anger, there would be now Rage Against the Machine. So, anger is most definitely a gift.

In many songs, RATM frontman Zach de la Rocha goes from mad to livid, and, over the course of this whole album, he goes from livid to insane. Zach rages throughout every minute of every one of these songs. He can't sing very well, but no rock-rapper can rap or yell as well as he. As Spin magazine says: "He (could) rap like Bob Dylan (could) sing: in a way that makes you hang onto every word." Some wonder why Audioslave is almost alternative, since Zach and Co. were so heavy. I think I know the answer: because, with a singer like Zach de la Rocha, Rage Against the Machine could afford to be heavy.

Guitarist Tom Morello, a true virtuoso, sounds equally as pissed. This album captures Tom in his prime; he shreds his fret board with preciseness, intensity, and (what sounds like) much ease. His chunky riffs, tasty solos, and all around crazy sounds show that there's almost nothing he can't do with his instrument.

But sounding mad is pointless, unless you have something to be peeved about. The lyrics are very inspired, yet thought provoking and uplifting-encouraging the listener to take political action. Zach makes Rage Against the Machine much more than just a loud rock band. Also thanks to Zach's words, 13 years after this album's release, it's still as powerful and relevant as it ever was. Make no mistake, Rage are activists; their words are often blatantly anti-American. But they mean well: they aren't against everything having to do with America. The songs are mainly about war, corruption in America, capitalism/poverty, racism, and censorship.

This group was one of the first--if not THE first--bands of the 1990's with the guts to take on the government. But Rage's self-titled debut is both lyrically and musically revolutionary. Run-DMC and Aerosmith may have been the group that gave birth to rap-rock, but Rage (and Biohazard) are equally as responsible for creating rap-metal/rapcore. But this group, unlike most nu-metal, also combines funk into their intense rap-rock mesh.

Highlights include:

"Bombtrack" opens with Tom lightly picking at his fret board, then a smattering of drums kicks in, and the song jumps in volume. Tom changes his playing to stop-start riffs, Zach lets out a grunt ("Uh!"), then his patented (now famous) rapping begins (and runs throughout the whole song, except for the end when he lets out a yell.)
-Best lyric: "See through the news and views that twist reality."
"Killing in the Name" is incredible. It features a galloping beat and the thumping choruses are super catchy. If you've only heard this song on the radio, you're missing out on the best part, because this song is most well known for the end: after a careening guitar solo, Zach lets out an repeating/ascending, spittle-flecked exclamation of "F--- you, I won't do what you tell me!" This one must be a concert favorite (with Zach getting noticeably more upset before becoming almost uncontrolled); I know it's a personal favorite.
-Best lyric: "Some of those that wear forces...are the same that burn crosses."
Tracks three and four feature something that's very rarely found on an RATM record: melody. The former, "Take the Power Back," has a slow, drawn out beginning, until Zach yells "Bring that s--- in!" This song has beeping guitars, more rapping, and another good guitar solo. So where does the melody come in? Well, it comes down around the 4:25 mark, with light drum tapping and distant guitar strumming. The song ends, however, with another grunt, and a shout-chant of "Take it back, ya'll!"
-Best lyric: "Motha f--- Uncle Sam!"
"Know Your Enemy" features a cameo by Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan. The beeping, occasionally twangy sounding guitars kick into high gear with fast, propulsive riffing. Maynard lets out a Tool-esque yell of: "The time...has...come...to pay!" Following one of the choruses, there's another genius guitar solo. This one, which was completely unexpected, has several parts to it and lasts over 25 seconds. Another famous ending is included, part of which is a capella (Zach yelling: "All of which are American dreams!")
-Best lyric: "Word is born. Fight the war, f--- the norm!"
"Wake Up" is another personal favorite. Its rapping is so swift and catchy, it's probably the best song on here that showcases Zach's ability. This isn't a song you're going to see on an Eminem record, however. Even though, throughout most of the rap, Tom's making hip-hop sound effects, this song does have some instrument feedback and the choruses are instrumental. Plus, it ends with eight long, visceral yells of "Wake up!," and another short but sweet solo.
-Best lyric: "You know they murdered X, and tried to blame it on Islam."
"Freedom" is dedicated to Mumia Abu Jamal. The beginning has another grunt, making it sound like a punch in the gut. Even though Tom, Tim, and Brad make the instruments "swing like a wrecking ball," this song was clearly written for Zach's vocals and lyrics to run wild. I enjoy how this song's choruses build, then pause, Zach has a spoken word part, then the song explodes again.
-Best lyric: "Anger is a gift."

Rage Against the Machine were the first group to introduce me to heavy rock. Thus, even though I have branched out to many different (and usually much heavier) metal bands, this band will always have a place in my heart. It brings back a lot of nostalgia when I listen to this album, and I think most other people will have similar results.

To conclude, this is still a wonderful and powerful album, even after all this time. You'd be hard pressed to find an album that is more revolutionary, influential, original, genuinely intense, inspired, and inspirational. Remember, it's fine to enjoy this just for its music, since the musicianship is superb; but keep in mind there's more to this disc than what initially meets the ear. I'm not saying there's truth to all of Zach's lyrics, but I encourage you to read and think about them; then you can decide if they're true or not.

Rage's self-titled debut is one of the most signifigant metal albums at the 90's beacause of it's crossover potential. Metal bands like Faith No More had rap elements in their music but this album is the final mixture of rap and heavy metal. But that is not the only reason why this album is bloody great. Tom Morellos unique guitar-playing and Zack De La Rochas angry punk-influenced rapping is the thing that makes Rage sound so fantastic. Band's sense of dynamics is also amazing, thanks to Brad Wilk and Timmy C. This record swings and rocks and sometimes blows up to my face letting me wanting to hear and see this band live.

The flawless combination of Zack de la Rocha's raging, politically-charged hip hop lyrics, Tom Morello's ingenious guitar techniques and riffs, and the backup of Timmy C. on bass and Brad Wilks on drums, is one that should never be underestimated. Each and every track on this album is a perfect combination of these elements, there are no fillers whatsoever. It seems nearly impossible to describe a similar band, although I like to think of Rage as an angry Chuck D. meets a modern Led Zeplin. Zack's amazing rhymes will incourage every listener to educate themselves about political issues and social injustices in the world. This is a rare trait in rock music today; the majority of lyrics consisting of the rantings and ravings of
high, high school drop-outs, of course well thought out lyrics are to be expected from a band whose guitarist is a Harvard grad and the son of a United Nations delegate. I strongly recommend this album to fans of rap and rock alike, everyone can get something out of Rage's music. I also recommend picking up a copy of Rage's other albums including 'Evil Empire', 'Live & Rare', and some of their newer albums.

This is probably the best cd I own (and I own many cd's) It just doesn't get old. I have listened to it a million times and each time I notice something I didn't before. It's better than Evil Empire and Battle Of L.A put together.( Then again I hated Battle) Tom Morello(Rage's guitarist) is without a doubt the best guitarist of the 90's and he's the main reason I picked up guitar. People compare them to bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit and that's embarrassing so if you read something somewhere that puts RATM and Korn, LB, etc.. in the same category and you think "well I hate Korn" so you think they must sound similiar since they're grouped together ,it doesn't matter, get this cd anyway. Rage sounds nothing like the bands mentioned. Rage started "rap-core", these other bands just brought a bad name to it. Rock on

Whoever it was in the review that said that rage sounds like everything else is clearly retarded. These guys defied almost every musical convention that was set when this album was released. They created a genre of music. This album is on par or better than Led Zepplin IV, The Wall, or Back in Black, etc. Rage is one of the best acts in rock history. This is the CD that made me love rock music again. If you dont like the rap at first just listen to it.It grows on you and you realize that it makes absolute musical sense. This album is truely perfect. I have been listening to it for the past year almost every day and it still amazes me. If you consider yourself a fan of rock or a fan of music. Buy this album.

Rage Against The Machine came upon the scene in 1992 with this loud, brash, melodic self-titled classic. Suggesting the funky apathetic punk sensitibilities of The Clash or MC5 along with the swinging, anti-establishment attitude of Public Enemy, Rage set out and innovated while spewing out a message.

In a time filled with record company attempts to find another Nirvana, Rage ripped through with a sound that blended many influences: punk, hardcore, heavy metal, funk, hip hop, protest.
This album never goes limp. All fifty-two minutes of "Rage" pack so much wallop without sounding all alike.

The key moments on "Rage" occur on the opening bombast of "Bombtrack", opening with Zac Del Rocha's trademark "bratty" voice rapping and Tom Morello's masterful guitar playing ( his playing on 1999's "The Battle of Los Angeles" was damn near jaw-dropping!) with it's drudging drums. All this aderline is anchored by a political furor. No mindless screeching over redundant drum patterns (as with latterday "metal" acts such as Slipknot and the like). "Settle For Something" opens with a hushed interlude until landing into a guitar-based groove armed with Del Rocha's rants. "Know Your Energy", "Killing In The Name", "Bullet In The Head", and "Fistful of Fire" all keep the momentum going. All heavy tracks that are head-nodding, fist-pumping, yet still has an insistent groove laid underneath.

Rage leaves us with a classic that along with the late, lamented (and underrated!) Faith No More predated the entire rap/rock genre that so many record companies have spun lesser(WAAYYY lesser) talented brand names brands of. Even if you're not a rock person, "Rage Against The Machine" will surely blow your mind. And it hasn't aged a day!

P.S.: Tom Morello is one of the greatest guitarists of today and he deserves more credit!