Bad Brains or Black Dots?

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I don't see any need to pick both of these up -- I don't own anything by Bad Brains (Bad Brains and Black Flag are really the only "classic" punk bands that I never got into), so which one is more essential?

― Christian, Monday, 4 July 2005 03:30 (twenty years ago)

Black Dots.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Monday, 4 July 2005 03:41 (twenty years ago)

no they're seriously both essential, diff versions and everything is fuckin great. if i had to choose though the self titled one.

and while your at it buy The First Four Years. Its the only thing you really need by black flag and its fuckin awesome.

― tonyD (noiseyrock), Monday, 4 July 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

Bad Brains, fer shure.

Black Dots is awesome but it's really for the fans seeing that it was an early demo. First Four Years was my first Black Flag, and it's still the one I like the most.

― Carlos C., Monday, 4 July 2005 05:51 (twenty years ago)

BLACK DOTS

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Monday, 4 July 2005 06:51 (twenty years ago)

Definately get the self titled. Those two are the only Bad Brains albums you need to own, though, as they started getting too muso after that.

With regards to Black Flag, Damaged > Slip it in > First four years > My war >>>>>>> everything else.

― Ellis From Die Hard, Monday, 4 July 2005 08:30 (twenty years ago)

I have both, but if you are going to pick one, I would go for the s/t.

Do you want slower or faster versions of the same songs? If you want slower versions, get Black Dots. I prefer the slower version of some songs, and the faster version of others, but the faster wins overall for me.

It's also worth considering that the version of Pay To Cum on Black Dots is way better than on the s/t. It's closer to the 7" version, slower but much more powerful, the sound is very thin on the s/t version.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Monday, 4 July 2005 08:47 (twenty years ago)

Is "Bad Brains" the ROIR cassette? Surely the correct answer is Rock for Light...

― todd (todd), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:43 (twenty years ago)

which is the album that was recently reissued and remastered at the wrong speed? avoid that.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

"which is the album that was recently reissued and remastered at the wrong speed? avoid that."

That would be the Caroline reissue of Rock For Light. Sped up approximately 10%.

― sleeve (sleeve), Monday, 4 July 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

And I love them both but Black Dots has "Send Me No Flowers" and therefore wins.

― sleeve (sleeve), Monday, 4 July 2005 14:53 (twenty years ago)

(The self-titled one is the ROIR cassette)

I always thought Rock For Light was nowhere near as good as the s/t, but then I have the Caroline issue. I don't like the production on that album at all.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Monday, 4 July 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Black Dots is a great document of a great band, but the ROIR tape still sounds like the end of the world, and I've had it for more than twenty years(!)

― Soukesian, Monday, 4 July 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

ocasek's production on rock for light sucks

― Ô¿Ô (eman), Monday, 4 July 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

I like Black Dots because of the (non)production. I love the DI guitars and the tubby sounding drums. And the performances are ferocious. It's somehow more listenable a document than the ROIR tape, for me.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Monday, 4 July 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

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