Following up on yesterday’s two-parter is the flip side to Rage’s Renegades insert, and the conclusion to the defacement cliffhanger. Don’t try this at home kids, or, if you do, come up with something worthy of withstanding the test of time. Fin.
Tag Archives: Rage Against the Machine
Raging Insert (Part 1)
Also eligible for induction into the R&R HOF is Los Angeles’ own Rage Against the Machine (seems like I’ve been touching base with them quite a bit lately). Again, voting ends 12/9, so don’t delay! As an aside, or really, the point of this post, this two-parter, is a politically-charged suggestion by the band, from their Renegades release, about the pros of defacing domestic currency. Presented here is the first side of the Renegades insert. For a brief definition of defacement by means of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, continue reading.Defacement of Currency
Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
Stick it to Rage
Get hyped for this circa: 2000 collection of Rage-infused covers of Cypress Hill, Devo, Bob Dylan and Minor Threat songs (among others, included Renegades of Funk by Afrika Bambaataa). The album for which this sticker does its dance was the last by this prolific band, and was released a full two months after their breakup. Hyped yet? Renegades… an almost two decades-old conclusion to a short-lived and necessary implement of 1990’s subculture. Keep your stickers, kids!
Evil Red
Rage’s second album, 1996’s Evil Empire was a (bit) more refined outing when compared to their debut album (that which was released four years earlier), 1992’s Rage Against the Machine. A classic, though not as highly regarded as their debut, Evil Empire recently received the Newbury Comics treatment, with this red colored vinyl pressing of 1200 copies. In any color or limited run, this album is a no-brainer.
Rage Against the Clock
I’ve all but forgotten about Rage Against the Machine these days, but that certainly wasn’t always the case. Their first two studio albums, 1992’s Rage Against the Machine (this) and 1996’s Evil Empire were on constant (near non-stop) rotation during my searching (high school) years. It’s rather difficult to listen to either album and not think of my 13-year-old self riding bikes and shooting hoops… to a steady stream of damn good music (311, NOFX, Ministry, Operation Ivy, and Faith No More come to mind). I broke out Rage the other day after a decades-long hiatus, and it still sounds just as bit as perfect as it did to my adolescent and foolish ears some 26 years ago. Carry that torch, kids.
(Less Than) Mystery Sticker
Not much of a mystery after all, especially considering the last track, but the lack of band reference on this promotional sticker is slightly interesting, if at the very least moderately comical. Although this sticker has (clearly) seen better days, the music within this (not-so) cryptic album remains as timeless as hypocrisy itself. Stay angry, my friends.
‘mentals
Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is perfect in every way humanly, or robotically imaginable. Obvious statement. With perfect albums comes countless repeated listens… then a lull, then another listen, then an even bigger lull, then another nostalgic listen, then a lull lasting close to five years. What’s great about this 2004 Instrumentals version, apart from its radiant highlight of J-Swift’s well, swift production is the resounded (uh) freshness it gives to a well-worn (and thoroughly played) album.
I’m becoming an avid fan of instrumentals or show vinyl versions of classic albums (Paul’s Boutique, Abbey Road, Renegades, Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, Deltron 3030, Check Your Head, Dr. Octagon, and so on). Strip that shit down to its core, and enjoy the purest of prudent beats.
Demonstration – Not For Sale
Remember when Best Buy (the slowly dying, North American electronics conglomerate) gave away 7” records? I have more than a few “promotional giveaways” from my short-lived DVD and CD collecting days of the late 90s and early 2000s, a few of them acquired by the big, yellow and blue super-store (an Intergalactic “jukebox only” 45 by the Beastie Boys, and a white vinyl copy of Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) Live by Pink Floyd).
Now, my memory could very well be rewriting history here, but I distinctly remember buying RATM’s The Battle of Los Angeles (on CD), and getting with it this transparent red No Shelter 7”. I remember thinking how odd and out of place it was for Best Buy to even have records, let alone be giving them away, a sensation all but lost just recently upon the realization that certain Best Buys now carry severely overpriced vinyl reissues. I should be happy that the vinyl-collecting community is large enough for Best Buy to take notice, I suppose, and even though my Best Buy shopping days are almost completely exclusive to gifted gift cards, it’s comforting to remember a distinctive era in music collecting history (regardless of how individual and / or particular to me).
This is for the People of the Sun
Jamie Fisk looking album covers aside (and yes, that’s a deceased spider preserved on the “R” in EMPIRE), RATM’s Evil Empire was 1) released, on vinyl, but more importantly, and without my knowledge (imagine that) 2) with a badass slipmat…
Upon the looking’s up of my vinyl copy of 1999’s The Battle of Los Angeles (complete with fist-raising slipmat), I was reluctant to discover that 1996’s Evil Empire also featured a limited edition slipmat… message to self: gas up the DeLorean and get your ass to 1996’s Madison, WI State St. Exclusive Co. and obtain this Evil Empire slipmat by any, preferably violent, means necessary!
Still a worthy listen, Rage documents a very dark and exciting era of my adolescent life. Hey Lancer & the Mij, remember seeing Rage w/ the Beasties at Alpine Valley performing at the Tibetan Freedom Concert back in ’98?! Yeah… we’re old.
The Prudent Groove 