Attitude Selecter

This is the one that got me into the Bad Brains.

When this came out their contemporary records were veering off into some strange metal core, which was to clean and produced for me or extended dubs which were two mellow and laid back for me.

Originally recorded in NYC in 82 by R.O.I.R. and released as a cassette. This came before Rock for Light. That was produced by Ric Ocasek from the Cars. I’m a pretty big Cars fan but I think the ROIR cassette is perfection for the Bad Brains. The urgency, the rawness, the positive expression of rage. All of it. I remember being a lovesick teen listening to Sailin On over and over and over again bummed about whatever punk girl.

In-Effect re-released this in 89, the right time to pull the youth back in.

82-89 is a difference of 7 years, but in hardcore time that was an eternity. Like the difference between B.C. and A.D.

(Could you even make a record cover like that now?)