BAD RELIGION- s/t 7″EP (Epitaph, USA, 1981)
Somebody asked me to post this, because the official CD-reissues all seem to have a different, less noisy & dynamic sound, probably due to the current trend of pushing all levels to the max in the mastering process. So here we go, although I’m pretty sure, everybody reading this blog has heard these songs.
To me, this is the best of the early BAD RELIGION records. I like the first LP, but the musical formula works best for an EP and the “Back from the Unknown” 12″EP has too weak a sound and is seemingly too much of a “we’re sorry for the hippie-LP, please like us again”-record. To be honest, the following three BR albums always were the shit for me: “Suffer” and the maybe equally godly “No Control”, plus the melancholic “Against the Grain”. Up to this day, I enjoyed almost everything they put out, on major labels or not, with or without Brian Baker. Guess it’s Greg Graffin’s voice that I got hooked on; if you ever heard the accoustic “Suffer” demo tapes, you’ll know what I mean (or you don’t).
All six tracks on this first 7″ blast with anger and passion, just a little bit more sophisticated than your average South-Cali band. The theme song is maybe the one that I like the least and “Drastic Actions” the best.
There are two original pressings of this 7″ (and a bunch of bootlgs), plus the 12″ reissue and a freebie version that came with the first 5000 of “No Control” in Europe. The very first press had a thick cardboard gatefold sleeve and the 2nd press had a heavy stock paper foldout sleeve and a different mastering job (that’s the one I’ve got).
Three of the songs also appeared on the classic “Public Service” comp. LP on Smoke Seven. These version are faster, wilder and sound like a live recording with overdubbed vocals. Anybody knows the story behind the RF7’s “Jesus loves you” (on “The Weight ofthe World” LP) – it seems to be directed against BAD RELIGION and being the nosey character that I am, I’d like to know more about this.
I’ve only had one personal encounter with the band, that was when I helped out a little on their first swiss gig during the phenomenal “Suffer” Tour. They were all nice lads and the concert was simply one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen. Like a well tempered steamroller, BAD RELIGION ripped through a set with not one second to miss. Expect the live tape soon!
Bad Religion.mp3
Politics.mp3
Sensory Overload.mp3
Slaves.mp3
Drastic Actions.mp3
World War.mp3
no man's slave wrote:
hey just compared your rips with the songs on “80-85″: you were right! how do you manage to get sch a killer sound from your vinyl rips?do you equalize the recordings? anyway what I like the best on ths site is the broad varity of music you feature and the PASSION. your style is really infectious
love it. thanks for all the work!
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 6:23 am | Permalink
Justin wrote:
Thanx for this one. A buddy of mine had it in the mid 80s and I put it on a tape but that has long since worn out. One thing that stood out for me back them was that they never tried to come across as tough guys and really put their energy into the music and lyrics. Thanx again for the blast from the past.
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Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 7:29 am | Permalink
jan wrote:
thanks, great great stuff!
what always “freaked” me out that epitaph was loacted in a “suite”? could it be that they meant with “suite” not your usual “rich girls, white wine” expensive appartment for da upper class?
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 8:22 am | Permalink
Peter - KBD Records wrote:
Killer post! I got tired of Bad Religion quiet fast after Suffer which I love. Saw them in Amsterdam in 1989. Must’ve been the Suffer tour I guess? That gig didn’t impressed me much though.
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Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 9:03 am | Permalink
Pär wrote:
Great post as always, was just listening to Against the grain when I popped by here to see if you had put up anything new and voila here´s this great post!
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 12:22 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
@ No man’s slave: Thanks for the nice words. I do not change the sound in any way (no equalizing etc.), it’s a 1:1 recording, using quality hardware (external soundcard, good cabling, pre-amp).
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 1:00 pm | Permalink
Sean Hogan wrote:
“Suite” is either (most likely) a P.O. box, as that’s a common usage for it in the states, or an extremely small office located in a strip mall.
ERICH! NO TAPE YET!!!
Requests: There was a band OTD put out that was I think regular hXc, but you’d mentioned once their previous 12″ was better than the release you ended up doing (can’t remeber the band). Any Long Cold Stare? First Harmony As One 12″ (White Darkness)?
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Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 1:13 pm | Permalink
Admin wrote:
Sean: No worries, I sent it registred mail. Maybe this is why it’s taking it a little longer to get through to you?
Did you mean the band SHUTDOWN? I checked out the demo recently and was disappointed. It wasn’t that good.
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 3:39 pm | Permalink
Sean Hogan wrote:
SHUTDOWN!!! Yes, that was it!
I actually had a dream last night that I had found a dead-mint copy of Mad’s “Eyeball”…then realizing (within the dream) that I was AWARE of dreaming it!
THEN (in the dream) I realized IT WA SA NEW BOOTLEG!!!
D-U-M-B!!!
[Reply]
Posted on 03-Feb-08 at 9:03 pm | Permalink
Donofthedead wrote:
This is the one record I don’t have of the band. I passed on it a few times in the early 80’s because back then I didn’t buy a lot of 7″’s. I would much rather buy an LP. So much stuff I missed out on.
[Reply]
Posted on 04-Feb-08 at 6:37 pm | Permalink
fred wrote:
I remember this came out about a year or so later as a 12 inch. Funny, but the sound was considered crappy at the time, which is why they rerecorded 3 of the tracks for Smoke Seven. Doubt RF7 meant the group “Bad Religion” in their lyrics, they had a few other awkward lyrics like “Long Live Their Queen”. And look, Bad Religion is still wearing their LADS leathers in the pics… it was a big deal when they stopped wearing their gang “colors” a year later.
[Reply]
Posted on 05-Feb-08 at 6:54 am | Permalink
Sean Hogan wrote:
They also used to point out who was “gay” or not back then. L.A. punk was always jockcore, fuck all that shit.
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Posted on 06-Feb-08 at 3:01 pm | Permalink
eddie wrote:
The best Bad Religion gig I saw was at Florentine Gardens in Hollywood in ‘82.
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Posted on 15-Feb-08 at 3:32 pm | Permalink
indierocker wrote:
great song! and great quote of giangiacomo feltrinelli!
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Posted on 21-Feb-08 at 7:07 am | Permalink
indierocker wrote:
ah, by the way… i posted it today on my blog (the song i mean…)
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Posted on 21-Feb-08 at 7:08 am | Permalink
Joe wrote:
If you’re willing to sell – I’m buyin!
……….the only vinyl I’m missing from my BR collection.
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Posted on 12-May-08 at 9:19 pm | Permalink
gg allin wrote:
the thacks on 80-85 are the same. you might be talking about the tracks from pubic servis (i know it’s public but pubic sounds good as well) tracks that sound different but then that doesn’t explain why you didn’t post the song bad religion. i had to get how could hell be any worse to get the full ep. i like all bad religion songs even the back to the known and the fucking amazing album into the unknown. greg=god. and you are amazing erich even though you make me spend my money to get something i could get for free. no but i’m glad i bought how could hell be any worse.
[Reply]
Posted on 06-Apr-09 at 10:48 pm | Permalink