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[AlphaSnake]

We don't have nearly enough Rage Against discussion here, so I thought I'd start one. I've listened to 'Los Angeles' the most of all the albums and would have to say that it's my favorite. But I know many of you here will say Evil Empire is your particular favorite. RATM isn't one of those dismantled bands I miss, since they had a terrific four album run and it wasn't like their span was cut short -- instead I'm thankful that the band brought Tom Morello to us. I'd have to say that his guitar work is what drove the sound of that band.

 

[ForzaItalia]

"What better place than here, what better time than now? All hell can't stop us now...All hell can't stop us now!!!"

 

[Teknopathetic]

"But I know many of you here will say Evil Empire is your particular favorite"

Who the hell would say that?

 

[KingGondo]

Still love the band, although their ideology has soured for me in recent years. After I graduated high school, I realized their message was shallow, reactionary pap, but I still enjoy listening to them.

Their self-titled album is still one of the best to listen to to let off some pent-up anger.

 

[ForzaItalia]

"But I know many of you here will say Evil Empire is your particular favorite"

Who the hell would say that?

Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Motherfucker!
Uggh!

 

[JPRaup]

I love RATM

best song: Bulls on Parade

 

[Mike Works]

"But I know many of you here will say Evil Empire is your particular favorite"

Man, I like Bulls on Parade as much as the next guy, but nothing can beat a single CD with;

Testify
Guerrilla Radio (argument should be over right here but i'll keep going anyway)
Sleep Now in the Fire
Born of a Broken Man (no seriously there's no argument it's over ladies and gentlemen, it's over)
Ashes in the Fall

Not to mention Voice of the Voiceless, Calm Like a Bomb, etc. Easily one of the best CD's of the 90's, if not ever.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"Man, I like Bulls on Parade as much as the next guy, but nothing can beat a single CD with;

Testify
Guerrilla Radio (argument should be over right here but i'll keep going anyway)
Sleep Now in the Fire
Born of a Broken Man (no seriously there's no argument it's over ladies and gentlemen, it's over)
Ashes in the Fall

Not to mention Voice of the Voiceless, Calm Like a Bomb, etc. Easily one of the best CD's of the 90's, if not ever."

Check the quotes, Mike . I couldn't have said it better, though.

 

[ForzaItalia]

I also love "Mic Check" off that album as well.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Hah! I remember seeing a thread ages ago on GAF about how Evil Empire was their favorite CD and that Los Angeles had a "commercial" sound and a horde of people saying it was true. Because seriously, Los Angeles just fucking owns.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

Man, I like Bulls on Parade as much as the next guy, but nothing can beat a single CD with;

Testify
Guerrilla Radio (argument should be over right here but i'll keep going anyway)
Sleep Now in the Fire
Born of a Broken Man (no seriously there's no argument it's over ladies and gentlemen, it's over)
Ashes in the Fall

Not to mention Voice of the Voiceless, Calm Like a Bomb, etc. Easily one of the best CD's of the 90's, if not ever.

I agree total.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Saw them live 3 times.

 

[speedpop]

I recently read a page on Wiki about songs that were banned by commercial radio stations post 9/11 in the US, and all RATM songs had been banned.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

*bows*

 

[Macam]

I was always amused by how well Testify has held up in recent years.

 

[Solo]

Their first album was the best. As for best song, its a toss up between "Killing In The Name Of" and "Bombtrack".

 

[Ryo]

But I know many of you here will say Evil Empire is your particular favorite

I will have to fall into that category. I listened to that album every single day for a year I think when it came out. The song I get most kicks from is "Vietnow".

It's really sad they split the band. I haven't heard any of Zach's work since, and couldn't care less for Audioslave..

Well well, I still have the old records to get me pumpin. It's either RATM or Refused if I need some anger management.

 

[sefskillz]

Self titled for me. It was the album I was introduced to them with, and it's always been my favorite. Los Angeles is next though. Damn, their live cover of Tom Joad is so hot. These guys always put a killer show on too.

 

[Jacobi]

I only have that album

But it rocks. And I have the Godzilla OST too, which is mucho better than the movie BTW.

When I talk of them somehow I always name them "rage at the machine"...hmmm.
I'd like to seem them live someday

I recently read a page on Wiki about songs that were banned by commercial radio stations post 9/11 in the US, and all RATM songs had been banned.

Lawl.

Their first album was the best. As for best song, its a toss up between "Killing In The Name Of" and "Bombtrack".

Well if I want to listen at one track of the album I always end up to listen to the whole album..

 

[Andy787]

Probably the act I'm most dissappointed that I never got to see live (of those that I've lived through, of course).

I'd have to go with Los Angeles, too. Yeah, it probably does have a more "commercial" sound than their prior albums, but what does that mean, really? All it means is the sound was more accessible. "Commercial" is a bad thing when it starts to be about sacrificing the integrity of the music or the message for money, and I don't think either of those have applied to any of RATM's albums.

But regardless, I absolutely love all of their albums though, and even if I've grown out of sharing their aggression, that aggression still stands as some of the most passionate, real, and raw feeling ever put onto plastic. And that's what they'll be remembered for, imo.

 

[Takosuke]

Zach, where are you, and what have you done? :/

 

[Solo]

^
:lol

Whatever happened to that hip hop album he was supposedly putting out post RATM?

 

[KingGondo]

I was a fiend/
Before I became a teen/
I melt the ukelele instead of cones of ice cream

 

[tt_deeb]

^
:lol

Whatever happened to that hip hop album he was supposedly putting out post RATM?

I think he was working with DJ Shadow for a bit. I remember a song or two getting leaked but I'm really not sure if the project fell through.

 

[KingGondo]

I think he was working with DJ Shadow for a bit. I remember a song or two getting leaked but I'm really not sure if the project fell through.

I actually heard that Trent Reznor and Shadow didn't want the stuff released. I remember the war protest song de la Rocha and Shadow put out after we invaded Iraq, and it was wretched.

 

[Kifimbo]

I actually heard that Trent Reznor and Shadow didn't want the stuff released. I remember the war protest song de la Rocha and Shadow put out after we invaded Iraq, and it was wretched.

It was called March Of Death.

 

[White Man]

I like RATM a lot. No shit, folks. Zach may be writer some awfully cheesy lyrics, but the riffs they back the words up with are absolutely titanic.

For the record, I'd rank the albums:

Battle of Los Angeles > RATM > Evil Empire

Renegades is decent ( I love the cover of Renegades of Funk), too, but its ccovers album so zzzzz.

EDIT: Also, I hate Audioslave despite thoroughly enjoying the catalogs of both RATM and Soundgarden.

 

[Dilbert]

RATM has not aged well for me. I don't think I've listened to them in many, many years.

With that being said, if you can ever track down a concert bootleg from their early days, see if you can listen to their version of "Hadda Be Playin' On The Jukebox." It's literally performance poetry -- the text is a poem by Allen Ginsberg from Mind Breaths in 1975. The RATM interpretation is straight out of the Beat handbook -- jazzy improvisation that plays off the emotion of the poet. Good stuff.

(It's also one of the better Ginsberg poems, all things considered.)

 

[AlphaSnake]

RATM has not aged well for me. I don't think I've listened to them in many, many years.

Really? Wow, the only record of theirs that shows signs of age to me is the self-titled. The others sound everybit as good today as they did years ago. In fact, I don't even think Los Angeles aged one bit.

 

[AlphaSnake]

UH!! KILLING IN THE NAME OF!

\m/>_<\m/

 

[golem]

EDIT: Also, I hate Audioslave despite thoroughly enjoying the catalogs of both RATM and Soundgarden.

agreed.

 

[CajoleJuice]

I'm going to have to go with Los Angeles because its the one that introduced me to the band. Although I really can't listen to Testify anymore because of THPS2. Mike Works said it best. And I'd add Calm Like A Bomb and Mic Check to that list of just fucking awesome songs on the album.

One day we were listening to Wake Up and my friend (a little 5 foot nothing Irish kid) fucking belted out the best WAAAAKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEE UPPPPPP!!!!!!!! I've ever heard.

I found out later that his band down in Miami covers that song and he sings it. I was surprised.