Bad Religion is a a band I have liked for many years, and while I tend to go through phases of listening to a certain band, or style of music, I tend to come back to bands I haven't listened to in a while with new ears.
I think of my music taste like a big merry-go-round, that gets larger with each passing year. It goes around and around, and I listen to some stuff, and then that continues as I stop at a different section for a while.
Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell - Bad Religion
Here is one of the songs from their first album, and it still amazes me to hear the evolution in their band, and how they went from this to what they started doing.
There's nothing better than hearing that evolution in a band, and I often go back to the earliest recordings I can find when I come across a band that I like.
"How Could Hell Be Any Worse!? Fuck Armageddon, This Is Hell!" I love that line, and the entire album is chalked full of great songs just as good as this one.
They released this album in 1982, but in 1981 they released a self-titled EP.
Talk about evolution. In the space of one year, they went from this - finding their voice - to How Could Hell Be Any Worse? Which is a little bit more together than this one, and shows that they were well on their way to finding their sound.
After How Could Hell Be Any Worse? They released an album called Into The Unknown, then released another EP called Back To The Known. I thought I'd add that because I find it funny.
Incomplete - Bad Religion
"Doctor! Cure me, what is the cause of my condition?"
I've had many moments of feeling incomplete throughout my life, and I think this song captures many of those feelings with the lyrics used throughout.
The music itself has the fast-paced tempo synonymous with punk rock songs in general, but it also has a lot of great use of harmonies, which aren't as typical in your average punk song.
Good song, and covers the topic of feeling a bit lost, unsure, and screaming for help.
The first people called are the singer's mother and father, and after receiving no help he then calls the doctor to then start explaining a bit of how he's feeling. To again, get no help. Sometimes in life, it's not so much about getting help, but more so about ranting to someone who'll listen.
No Control - Bad Religion
This is a song from my favourite album of theirs, No Control.
Going from where they were in their first album, and EPs to this, is night and day. Their lyrics have always been amazing, but as it gets to around this time, they start actually singing and harmonizing their voices, to the backbeat of balls-to-the-wall speed and great music.
I was talking with my dad about music in general the other day before heading out to a gig, and while listening to some stuff before leaving the house we got talking about whether lyrics or music is more important.
To me, I focus more on the lyrics when listening to songs, and if I can't make out certain parts, I find the lyrics online to read... (I also have a bunch of songs I've listened to for years and have my own head-canon of what the lyrics are.) There are a few songs that I have where even reading and knowing the lyrics doesn't help because in my mind the lyric is something I made up to fill in the gap of not knowing before finding out what was actually being sung.
He, on the other hand, doesn't really focus on the lyrics and is more into the music in general. Two different sides of the same coin, really.
I just thought I'd add that in at the end, as it came to mind while writing. What do you focus on, music, or lyrics? Or, do you pick out a particular instrument while listening to songs?
Anyway, that's Bad Religion, and a few songs of theirs I really like. I hope you enjoyed this post and entry into TTT.