Bad Brains Live - CBGB 1982
List Price:
Our Price: $9.88
You Save: $7.03 (41%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.75 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Artist: Bad BrainsBrand: Music Video Dist
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Mvd Visual
Movie Reviews of Bad Brains Live - CBGB 1982
Movie Review: When punk was punk.
Summary: 5 Stars
I still remember the first time I put Rock for Light in my CD player. There are some albums that take a while to grow on you and then there are those that blow your mind seconds after they hit your eardrums. This was one of th latter for me. Bad Brains were quite simply one of the most awesome forces in rock history and this live DVD captures them at their career's very apex at the punk Mecca, CBGB, and puts to rest any doubts about who the greatest live band in hardcore was. If you know the first thing about this scene, you absolutely must own this DVD, which collects songs from two shows at the legendary club. If you don't know hardcore punk, then now's as good a time as any to learn.
During the first set, one can't help but notice the crowd benind the stage. There is an asian girl sharing a seat with a black man next to a leather-clad punk with a blonde woman in a flannel shirt in front of them all. This really illustrates the band's core musical message. The Brains brought people together, unifying them with the universal languages of musical fury, hardcore passion, and mellow reggae grooves. Punk was the epitome of whiteness until these guys came in and turned it up to the nth degree, forever altering the cultural landscape and creating an entire movement in the process. Hardcore began with the Bad Brains and couldn't survive as a cultural force without them. In 1982, the punk philosophy was that there was no line between the band and the fans, the performer's stage was the fan's stage and this concert shows us the upper limits of a truly energized crowd. There are several instances where the stage becomes a massive mosh pit and the band is literally swallowed by waves of fans dancing, stage diving, and even providing impromptu backing vocals to the songs. This is the real deal; the performance is so energetic and the crowd so nuts that I found it hard to even sit down while I was watching it. I wanted to be there. How many times have you heard people brag about a particularly "insane" No Doubt or Good Charlotte concert they attended? "OMG! People were, like jumping around and yelling and stuff and this one guy got on the stage and jumped off. It was CRAZY!!!" Well, pop this DVD in and show those ignorant kids how it was done back in the day. I want that scene back.
This DVD -like all hardcore performances of the day- suffers a bit from the low-budget nature of the scene. The sound and picture aren't bad, but they are basically what you'd get taping a local rock show with a handheld video camera. The angles are set at sometimes annoying places and bassist Darryl Jennifers only appears briefly a few times, usually standing off to the side out of the lights. But his playing is typically powerful and ensures the viewer of his presence, regardless. Dr. Know is one of my favorite guitarists of all time and appears to be having the time of his life, seldom losing his grin as he tears through awe-inspiring riffs and killer solos with no visible effort whatsoever. HR (Human Rights) is captured here at his very best, his voice is manic and powerful as he shakes his dreads and generally thrashes it up, occasionally finding the time to share his microphone with some of the audience members eager to join in. Drummer Earl Hudson shows his stuff as well, and with one of the cameras positioned right behind him we get a few shots of some of his amazing playing. At one point, the lights in the club go out and the screen is pitch black but the music doesn't even miss a beat. These guys were awesome.
The special features here are slim, with about two minutes of pointless fan interviews and an audio track of "I and I Survive" from the CD version of this. Personally, I'd recommend Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam if you're looking for a great live Bad Brains album because the sound is fantastic, but for a performance video from the 80's hardcore scene, you can't do better than this DVD. It's a little less than an hour long and a few songs repeat as this is culled from more than one show, but honestly, if the worst thing about a DVD is having to listen to "Riot Squad" or "The Big Takeover" more than once than you're doing all right. If you haven't discovered the Bad Brains, then go pick up the unofficial debut Bad Brains, the aforememntioned Rock for Light, and the mellower I Against I and prepare to be blown away.
Summary of Bad Brains Live - CBGB 1982
BAD BRAINS:LIVE CBGB 1982 - DVD MovieSimilar DVD Movies
Bad Brains - Banned in Dc: Bad Brains Greatest RiffsRelease date: 2003-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $5.65
Price in other shops:
Black Flag - DamagedBLACK FLAG; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $10.44
Price in other shops:
The Filth and the Fury - A Sex Pistols FilmWarner Brothers; Release date: 2005-10-11; DVD
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
Bad Brains - Bad BrainsBAD BRAINS; Release date: 1996-03-19; Music CD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Bad Brains - QuicknessRelease date: 1989-09-14; Music CD
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops:
Bad Brains - I Against IRelease date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $10.11
Price in other shops:
Dead Kennedys - The Early Years LiveMusic Video Dist; Release date: 2001-07-03; DVD
Best price: $11.43
Price in other shops:
Bad Brains - Rock for LightBAD BRAINS; Release date: 1991-07-01; Music CD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
American Hardcore - The History of Punk Rock 1980 - 1986Sony; Release date: 2007-02-20; DVD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
Dead Kennedys: DMPO's on BroadwayRelease date: 2000-08-15; DVD
Best price: $14.85
Price in other shops: