Spirit Electricity

VINYL FORMAT. "Seeing the legendary Bad Brains live is an incredible experience, and over four separate live albums, the band has never really been able to capture that experience perfectly on record...but Spirit Electricity comes close. Anchored by the bands best reggae song, "The Youth Are Getting Restless," which clocks in at nearly eight minutes, the disc captures both sides of Bad Brains -- the punk legends and the lifelong reggae fans...with both sides heavily steeped in Rasta philosophy. A combined reggae cover of The Beatles' "Day Tripper" and the Rolling Stones' "She's a Rainbow" is the other gem here. The cover, a live favorite, is yet another example of how distinctive the Bad Brains sound...even if they're playing someone else's music. Guitarist Dr. Know really shines on the reggae songs, using his jazz-fusion background and unique style of rhythm playing to beautify what would otherwise be fairly harsh songs. The punk side of things is pretty righteous as well. The version of their standard "Banned in D.C." found here is arguably the best recording the band has ever made, and the one-two punch of "Return to Heaven" and "Let Me Help" that kicks off the disc is incredible. Next time the band has a reunion tour (seems to happen every few years), check 'em out. If you can't do that, this is the next best thing." –reggae-reviews.com