Rage against the machine (first album)

I never paid attention to this band and I never heard anything beyond their hit "Killing in the name". Also, I avoided them because the guys who were fans in high school were jerks (pot-smoking, Adidas-wearing, bullying types) .

Yesterday I found a 1992 LP for little money and I thought well let's give it a try. It sounds powerful. Too hip-hop-ish maybe. My 10 year old kid likes it (more than me) .
Opinions about it?
Does the CD sound as good?

 

I’ll buy that pressing off you if you don’t like it.

 

One of my favorite bands, but I love groove metal / funk metal / nu metal / rap rock / rap metal in general.

 

How old are you? If it's no indiscretion

 

Great production job, that's for sure

 

I like their sound. I really liked Audioslave, too. Audioslave’s albums suffer from loudness, though.

The vocals are probably too angsty now for me but for a young person growing up they make you think and a lot probably agree with it.

 

Thirteen when this came out and I wasn't as picky about what I would listen to back then. I would listen to a fair amount of hip-hop and did. Rage was something altogether different; otherworldly. NO ONE sounded like Rage. I still listen to Evil Empire when I want to put them on as I think by and large that is their best album. The first album is very important to their evolution and a very palpable work. Zach is an impressive poet and when you delve in and find out what his more cryptic lyrics are referencing it can be eye-opening. Very informed and well educated.

I think also if you are intrigued by RATM but find you can't wholeheartedly dig their sound because of the hip hop aspect try Audioslave as it's the same band with a different (one hell of a) singer. My favorite of theirs is Revelations.

 

When I first heard Killing In the Name, I really didn't like it. It took me a while to attune to Zach's voice ....
When I finally accepted Zach's voice (and it wasn't the rapping that bugged me, it was a tonal, pronunciation thing) I actually really enjoyed the band.
I still think the debut and especially the Battle of Los Angeles are great albums.

 

I like Revelations, too. Lots of funk on that one.

 

This is a game-changing record and a true classic. Maybe it's a generational thing. FBOW Rage inspired just as many artists as anyone in the 90s (even Nirvana or Pearl Jam)..... Most of them sucked, unfortunately, but that's not a slight on Rage.

The vocals tend to only be a problem for those who didn't grow up with hip-hop.

I'll gladly pay you for the 1992 vinyl if you want. I have the MOV reissue which supposedly uses the same plates, and it sounds amazing.

 

The original CD and the 20th anniversary remaster CD both sound awful. The audio fidelity remaster is good

 

I was born in 1962.

 

No, I won't sell it, I'll keep it.
It's enjoyable, it has a great groove and energy.
And I like their political stance

 

Well it's my 3rd favorite band (and Tom Morello was my first main influence on playing guitar), so I'm a big fan of RATM.
If you didn't check other threads on the forums about their s/t, then here's some brief info...

• S/t was recorded live. Band invited their friends and the studio was setup with PA to resemble a true live performance - that's how Michael Goldstone (Epic/Sony A&R and "fifth member" of the band as they called him) and Garth Richardson (sound producer and engineer) kept the chemistry and energy of the band that was evident during their intensive live gigs. Some stuff was recorded at Sound City on which there's a nice documentary and there is some footage of the band in there;
• Original US LP release was mastered by Robert Ludwig and he lists this album as one of his favorite mastered recordings (it is believed that MOV reissue was based on original EU metal parts though);
• Our host was responsible for 2016 SACD reissue of this album from original master tape;
• Close to how the band puts it - all sounds on their records (including the later work in Audioslave) made by vocals, guitar, bass and drums. Though at least Be Yourself by Audioslave has some piano notes in the background;
• It was rumored on the net that this album was used as a test record by sound techs during shows and testing out PA system, especially using the track Take the Power Back;
• Bullet in the Head was left very close to the demo tape version (which the band recorded in 1991) because they couldn't recreate the vibe from the demo take when recording the album;
• During 20th anniversary reissue, the album was remastered by Vlado Meller at 24/96 (from original master tape) but was heavily compressed so it's not that praised between fans and SHF members. I can only say that while it is loud it doesn't suffer from distortion or clipping. Another reissue was made available on HDtracks in 24-44 format but again while it was not loud as 2012 XX reissue, it's still better to get original CD/LP, pre-2012 LP or SACD reissues.

All in all to me their debut sounds awesome and truly rocks. I have original EU CD repress, Simply Vinyl UK 2001 LP reissue and Audio Fidelity SACD.
Original CD sounds good, but if you got the LP with "Masterdisk" in the deadwax - you have the most praised and definitive version of the album.

P.S. I have to disagree with acdc7369 - original CD mastering sounds great. The SACD is a bit softer and more "bassy" if you don't like some minor accent on cymbals and vocals of the original CD.

 

There is no LP with RL in deadwax, just MASTERDISK. And the promo US pressing has a different cut than the "normal" US pressing.

 

I think it’s an awesome album. I normally don’t like such heavy music, but it’s so funky and full of real energy that I just had to love it. Maybe it helped that I played two tracks from this album with my band.

I have the Audio Fidelity SACD and it sounds great, also on the Redbook layer.

 

If I catch a whiff of rap/hip hop I cannot get away fast enough. I love this album though. That's how good it is. I actually really like the vocal delivery on this album, it's about perfect. Some metal heads would turn their noses up at it. I found it every bit as intense- vocally and otherwise- as thrash/death/speed etc metal. It was far more politically astute than much metal-adding to its intensity- and Zac delivers every lyric like he totally feels and means it. It totally spoke to me then and it still does now.

 

The MOV reissue uses the same plates as the orginal european pressing not the US pressing.

 

If only I could find my copy right now.

Another great thread you started, Sear.

 

Oh, ok. I assumed that Bob left his credentials in deadwax cause it's pretty common for his masters, thanks for clarifying, updated my message.

 

Great post there!
I used to own the MOV lp. I once emailed MOV asking for the source of their pressing. They confirmed that they used metal parts of the OG pressing. But there was no masterdisk and/or RL in the deadwax of my copy, so I think they used the metal parts of the OG European pressing. But whether those were actually cut by RL himself? I don’t know.
The MOV does sound very good, but the SACD mastered by our host sounds better in IMHO. So I sold off my copy. YMMV of course.

 

Thanks! I've updated my post after simonux cleared out some details. I don't know if Ludwig was involved in creating plates for EU issues and that's I guess why there was no "Masterdisk" on them.

 

Great album and band, Tom Morello's guitar playing was and is one of a kind. Wish the band would get back together!

 

My copy is European, Made in Holland.

 

This album is in my Top 10 ever. Township Rebellion !
SACD for me, but the original CD sounds great too.