Fireside Chat

Bad Brains

Megaforce, New York City

The members of Bad Brains started out playing '70s jazz-rock fusion, but took a sharp turn when they began breaking up their live sets into reggae and punk. Alongside Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys they became pioneers of punk's hardcore fringe, influencing nearly every subsequent hardcore or quasi-hardcore outfit, including the earliest incarnation of the Beastie Boys. Their live performances were legendary, but their recordings (as the best often are) were difficult to find. Their debut single, "Pay to Cum," was pressed in limited numbers, and their 1982 debut album was only issued in cassette form by ROIR. In addition to the 'Bad Brains' tape, the group released a handful of other EPs in 1982, finally moving to PVC for 1983's full-length debut, 'Rock for Light', which was produced by Ric Ocasek. After various line-up disruptions, a brief stint with major label Epic and a number of albums later Bad Brains disbanded and spent some time on solo endeavors, before reforming, playing a couple of successful and infamous CBGB's gigs and releasing the inspired 'Build a Nation' in the Summer of 2007.