#97 – Rage Against the Machine

Apple Music Rank: 97

Album: Rage Against the Machine

Artist: Rage Against the Machine

Year: 1992

Genre: Hard Rock

Was I familiar with Rage Against the Machine?  I’m Gen X. I went to high school and college in the 90s. Hell yes.

Had I heard Rage Against the Machine before?  Many times, but I haven’t listened to this entire album in decades.

Thoughts on Rage Against the Machine: I’m not a hard rock historian, but here’s my take: The first time real hip hop and real hard rock got together was the Public Enemy/Anthrax version of PE’s classic “Bring the Noise” back in 1991. Run DMC had rapped over a lot of rock samples, including their legendary version of “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith, but that was easy listening compared to Anthrax. I see a lot of bloggers crediting Beastie Boys or Red Hot Chili Peppers with being the fathers of rap/rock, and I’ll accept those answers. However, to me, Beastie Boys were rappers first. Anthony Kiedis never came off as a rapper to me as much as he did a singer who occasionally kind of rapped. I’m probably splitting hairs. The PE/Anthrax collab hit different. Then Rage Against the Machine showed up and pretty much perfected the genre, building on what PE and Anthrax did. Quality hard rock music with someone rapping over it. I know it’s been done to death now, but when RATM first hit the scene three decades ago they were trailblazers. They also (unintentionally) opened the door a slew of terrible imitators, but I don’t hold it against them. For every Michael Jordan there are countless Harold Miners. Rage was the Michael Jordan of this rock/rap genre.

As for this album, I watched a Questlove Masterclass on DJing a while back. In it he described how every song can’t be a 10 out of 10. The crowd can’t maintain that kind of energy for an entire set. That’s how I felt listening to Rage Against the Machine from start to finish for the first time in 20 years. I enjoy every single track on this album by itself, but when I played them in order it got exhausting. Stop yelling at me! I admire the righteous rage, but I’m a 48-year-old trying to work at my desk now. I can’t go this hard all the time.

That might explain why my favorite songs on the album are the first few. Somewhere around “Know Your Enemy” I usually check out. If the album led off with “Bullet in the Head” and “Fistful of Steel” those would probably be my favorite. Since they’re on the back half of the album I just don’t hear them as much because I can’t maintain that energy for 53 minutes. There’s a reason they’re called Rage Against the Machine, and I admire and respect them for it. If they pulled back it wouldn’t really be Rage anymore. They aren’t Occasionally Resting Against the Machine.

Lastly, this is completely random, but my kids’ high school marching band plays “Killing in the Name” at every football game. Fortunately – or unfortunately depending on your point of view – they don’t get to the “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” part of the song. The first time I heard it I was bewildered. “Wait…is Phoebe playing Rage Against the Machine right now???” A proud father moment. Seriously. I smile every time they play it.

Favorite track: There are several tracks that could take this crown, but I’m going with “Take the Power Back“. When in doubt, always go with the funkiest.

Will I listen to Rage Against the Machine again?  Absolutely, but I’ll probably only make it through half of it.

Would I buy it on vinyl? Yes. I’m struggling to think of an occasion when I’d find that to be the appropriate record to lay on the turntable, but I’ll buy it nonetheless just out of respect. Amazing band. Quintessential 90s music.

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