[.ca] Live & Rare

great for all rage fans:
i am a big fan of rage against the machine, i own all their cds. i bought this one a few days ago. even though its expensive, its worth the money. this cd has songs from their first self titled cd, and other songs not on any other rage cd. they are really good live and this cd is sweet. i recommend it to all fans of them.

Too bad it isn't better-known:
I can imagine that the import price made a few people in the US think twice about buying this album-I know I thought twice. But Rage is the kind of band that makes you think, "well it's expensive, but from this band it is worth it." Their studio albums are more of an excuse to get their message out and raise money for charity, as well as a way to remember their live shows. Because that's where the group really shines, onstage. Bullet in the Head is a great song live, and the guitar on it is impeccable. Get any album with Tom Morello playing guitar, trust me. Just so you know, the songs on this disc are compiled from various shows which are listed in the liner notes. Other than their usual live songs (all pre-Empire except one) there are other interesting features. Chuck D and the band collaborate on Zapata's Blood and Intro-(just hearing the first part of that sentence should make you want to buy it), and Rage jams to the lyrics of a poem by Allen Ginsberg. But if you still aren't convinced, you can hear the last two tracks, which are not on any of their other releases. They are good, too, not just throwaways.

Feel the Energy!:
At the end of Rage Against the Machine's "Battle of Mexico City" set closer, "Freedom," the audience was brimming with adrenaline, and the band was pouring every ounce of energy they had into the last remaining seconds. The men with Deftones shirts, the women who looked like models, and the coloful teenagers knew however, that Rage was not done. They could see it and they could feel it. After an urgent guitar riff, Rage frontman Zack De La Rocha roared the word "Rock!" at the top of his lungs, proceeding to command "Go!" a number of times, and Rage was back in full effect. At the end of Rage's encore, there was not a single body in the building gasping for air. It was electrifying, it was astonishing, it's what Rage Against the Machine does best. Throughout their career, Rage Against the Machine has displayed an uncanny knack for pulling off stunning live shows. "Live & Rare" does a splendid job of capturing glimpses of Rage's live shows over the course of their early years. 1. Bullet In the Head: Superior to the studio version in every way. Contains one of the best and most eingmatic guitar solos you will ever hear. 2. Settle for Nothing: It was songs like this that set the stage for the angst-driven anthems of domestic discontent that flood the airwaves nowadays. During this performance, no one would have been suprised if Zack had broken down and cried. It's that emotional. 3. Bombtrack: This track opens with a history lesson by Zack about the case of Leonard Peltier. From there, the track explodes and does not let up. 4. Take the Power Back: Killer bass line, scolding of the American school system, enthusiastic crowd. What more could you ask for? 5. Freedom: Not the one from the Battle of Mexico City. That would come much later, however, many Rage fans consider this track to be one of rage's best live releases. 6. Intro (Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos): Chuck D and Zack exchanging verses. 7. Zapatas Blood: Picks up directly after Black Steel. Great interaction between Zack and the crowd. 8. Without a Face: A studio version of this song would later appear on "Evil Empire." It's interesting hearing the crowds reaction to a song they have yet to hear. Starts off with Zack discussing facts about the Berlin Wall. 9. Hadda Be Playing on the Jukebox: Musical interpretation of a poem with the same name. Very, very interesting. 10. F*ck the Police: Excellent NWA cover. 11. Darkness: Excellent studio track. From subdued to angry, angry to subdued. Nice ping-pong structure. 12. Clear the Lane: What Rage is all about. The perfect prototype for Rage's sound. P.S. Studio versions of "Bullet in the Head," "Settle for Nothing," "Bombtrack," "Take the Power Back," and "Freedom" can all be found on Rage's self-titled debut. The studio version of "Without A Face" can be found on "Evil Empire."

Better than Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium:
This "official bootleg" is a telling compilation of various Rage concerts throughout the mid-90s and may represent the final phase of "old school" RATM. What do I mean by old school? From the beginning up until the Evil Empire days, Rage's live concerts emphasized speech and wicked guitar improvisations. Oddly, this sense of adventurism faded out around the time BOLA was released... and it's quite obvious too. The "Bullet in the Head" solo on this disc destroys the one on Grand Olympic Auditorium. "Zapata's Blood" is a recognizable live track to any hardcore Rage fan and this may be the best performance of the song ever. The bonus demo cuts are pretty good, and "F*ck tha Police" is a wild ride. But the real treat is "Hadda be Playing on the Jukebox", an 8 minute poem that tells a story by its guitar work alone. This CD may not be as accessible to Rage newbies as Grand Olympic Auditorium, but will be an instant classic to true fans.

A Great Live Rage Album Not To Be Missed:
A great collection of live and rare songs from Rage Against The Machine, one of the best live acts in modern rock. I still remember Rage's charged performance at Woodstock '99 and how bad they made Metallica, the band going on stage after them, look. The two rare tracks are merely mediocre, although they may be of interest to hardcore fans. One especially noteworthy performance is Rage's cover of NWA's anti-police brutality anthem, F*** The Police. They turned a great old-school gangster rap song into an even better one. Chuck D. of Public Enemy, a large influence on Zack, also makes an appearance on the CD. This album is not to be missed, although it makes you want to kick yourself for not seeing Rage live when you had the chance.

• Bullet in the Head \oLive\c
• Settle for Nothing \oLive\c
• Bombtrack \oLive\c
• Take the Power Back \oLive\c
• Freedom \oLive\c
• Intro (Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos) \oLive\c
• Zapata's Blood \oLive\c
• Without a Face \oLive\c
• Hadda Be Playing on the Jukebox \oLive\c
• Fuck tha Police \oLive\c
• Darkness
• Clear the Lane
• Ghost of Tom Joad