Bad Brains practically reinvented punk rock for America when they released their eponymous debut LP in 1982. This album and its follow-up, Rock for Light in 1983 became the inspiration for a whole generation of bands including Black Flag, Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Last year, Bad Brains released their seventh studio album, Build a Nation, which was produced by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys (who intentionally named themselves with the same initials as Bad Brains). I was also excited to see that Bad Brains had been featured heavily in Paul Rachman’s recent documentary, American Hardcore, The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986, including some incredible footage of the band as far back as 1979. Bad Brains will be featured on an upcoming episode of the new music documentary show, 52/52 on MTV, starting February 4th.
