Renegades [EXPLICIT LYRICS] [EXTRA TRACKS]

Rage Against The Machine

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 5, 2000)
• Original Release Date: December 5, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics, Extra tracks
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000053EZW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,741 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Rock > Rap Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
If Renegades proves to be the last Rage Against the Machine album to feature singer Zack de la Rocha, who quit the band after nine years, it's a cool way to go out. Produced by Rick Rubin, Renegades is a salute to the artists who made Rage what they are--or were. While it's easy to hear Rage's rap roots in songs from Afrika Bambaataa, EPMD, and Volume 10, it's more interesting to see their take on rock in its classic and punk forms. Rage capture the raw spirit, if not the quite the intensity, inherent in the MC5 classic "Kick Out the Jams." A superior second live take appears at the CD's end, followed by a concert version of Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill a Man," with help from B-Real and Sen Dog. Devo's "Beautiful World" is rendered quietly unrecognizable, while Minor Threat's "In My Eyes" is given a wonderfully melodic, ultra-aggro treatment. The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" takes on a techno vibe that's unsettling and Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" is also effectively modernized. Ultimately, Renegades is a must-have for its song selection, musical execution, and the unhappy fact that it's likely the ultimate offering from one of rock's most musically and politically relevant lineups. --Katherine Turman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Original Artists, February 3, 2006

By	Michael Schoenborn (London, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

1. Microphone fiend - Eric B and Rakim
2. Pistol grip pump - Volume 10
3. Kick out the jam - MC5
4. Renegades of funk - Afrika Bambattaa
5. Beautiful world - Devo
6. I'm housin' - EPMD
7. In my eyes - Minor Threat
8. How could I just kill a man - Cypress Hill
9. The ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
10. Down on the street - The Stooges
11. Street fighting man - The Rolling Stones
12. Maggies farm - Bob Dylan

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best cds from one of the best bands!!!!!!!!!!!, June 5, 2002

By	jake (utah) - See all my reviews

i've always been a fan of Rage, but this cd just blew me away! it was so sad to see zach leave the band, but what a cool way to go out!

1. Microphone Fiend: 10/10 Awesome way to start an album, this song will be in your head for days.

2. Pistol Grip Pump: 9/10 I'm not normally a huge rap fan, but zach really connects with the band on this one, great rythym!

3. Kick out the Jams: 8/10 Another incredible song, not about politics, but a great one to just bounce to at a party.

4. Renegades of Funk: 10/10 Deserves all the radio play it got, another amazing party beat, but with very meaningful lyrics if you listen to them.

5. Beautiful World: 5/10 Not one of my favorites. It's cool that the band tried to do something different, but this is just a little to different for me.

6. I'm Housin: 9/10 Excellent bass at the beginning, very mellow until the chorus, which makes you wanna yell along. One of my favorites.

7. In My Eyes: 7/10 I don't dislike this song, i just don't like it as much as all the others. But still good, don't get me wrong.

8. How I could just Kill a Man: 9/10 Amazing! They do a better job with this song than i think Cypress Hill did! Awesome beat, great lyrics, another headbanger.

9. The Ghost of Tom Joad: 10/10 A tie with microphone fiend for my favorite song of the album! meaningful lyrics, great beat and rythym, Tom Morello just outdoes himself every time.

10. Down on the street: 8/10 Just plain cool, hear it for yourself!

11. Street Fighting Man: 9/10 Another great one, luv the lyrics, zach puts the beat down like no other!

12. Maggie's Farm: 10/10 I never thought i'd see Rage cover Bob Dylan, but they do it and are great at it! Very deep and meaningful lyrics to go along with great music!

13. Kick out the Jams(live):9/10 better than the studio version, sounds more crazy and fun!

14. HOw i could just kill a man (live): 10/10 what a great way to end this great album, by bringing in cypress hill! i've never been a real cypress hill fan, but they have awesome chemistry with zach and the rest of the band!

BUY THIS CD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5. Odd, but very effective cover album, December 15, 2004

By	General Zombie (the West) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Reviewing RATM pretty pointless, as how many people are there out there who are interested in them but haven't actually heard them, and it seems like most people who have heard them tend to have extremely strong opinions, good or bad, and are very unlikely to be swayed by reviews. But hey, they're one of my favorite bands, it's ridiculous that I haven't gotten around to reviewing more of their work, so I better get at it.

Cover albums tend to be an odd proposition, particularly when done by metal/hard rock bands. Lots of the time, they just replicate the original song, or take it and make it sound like their original material. RATM seem to have found a middle ground here, sometimes replicating the original sound, (In My Eyes) sometimes making it into an RATM song (Maggie's Farm), and sometimes making something new. Still, most of it comes across as alt-metal, but it frequently has a different flavor than most of their previous work. This album marks the only all-out foray into rap-metal that RATM ever underwent. Sure, RATM were rap-metal innovators, to a degree, and they had some funky groove and Morello's squealing resembled scratching, but the fact of the matter is, Zack never really rapped much on the earlier albums. (And that's not all they did, anyway also contrary to popular opinion.) He just sorta barked, for the most part, more reminiscent of a hardcore punk or thrash vocalist. Here, however, the rap covers are true rap-metal songs, with more bass and groove, less emphasis on the riffs, and actual rap vocals. And, wouldn't you know it, they work damn well. Zack always was one of my favorite vocalists, and he's particularly good here, combining his intensity with some more subtlety and smoothness.

This album is not 100% consistent, and has a few throwaway tracks, but it's interesting enough as a whole, and has strong enough standout tracks to earn high marks from me. Microphone Fiend is perhaps the best song here. It all comes together, thunderous bass-lines, great, still innovative guitar work and some great vox. This basic description applies to Pistol Grip Pump, Renegades of Funk and How I Could Just Kill a Man too, though they aren't on quite the same level.(still very good to excellent, though) I'm Housin isn't as strong. It's got nice atmosphere and a good intro, but the core song isn't that exciting. Decent, but not great. Beautiful World is simple, short and atmospheric song, which doesn't necessarily go anywhere, but it works quite well, particularly in the context of the album. In My Eyes is totally great, maintaining all the rage and intensity of the original. The Ghost of Tom Joad is a real epic, as far as RATM is concerned, with a nice slow build to the enormous, crushing chorus riff. Maggie's Farm is a nice closer, a bit more of a classic Rage track. The main riff rules, as usual, and Zack gives some particularly fierce vocals, particularly when the song really picks up. As for all the tracks I didn't even mention, well they're decent, but not that memorable. Not bad, really, but not very interesting.

Buy it.