Seminal punk group Bad Brains, widely regarded by witnesses of their early performances as one of the finest live acts on the planet, are the subject of renewed attention following the rerelease of their frenetic initial recording sessions.
Comprising frontman HR (Paul D Hudson) alongside his bandmates, the ensemble emerged in the 1970s as distinct outsiders. Blending rapid punk delivery influenced by groups like the Damned and Dead Boys with elements of P-Funk, Stevie Wonder and Chick Corea, they united Napoleon Hill’s 1930s self-help philosophies with Rastafari ideology.
While helping to shape the evolution of American hardcore punk in the early 1980s and inspiring artists ranging from Rage Against the Machine to the Beastie Boys, the group’s acclaimed performances and recorded output were frequently undermined by severe self-sabotage.
Original source: ‘They said we incited riots’: explosive punks Bad Brains on drugs, self-destruction and recording from jail
