Track Listing

1. Give Thanks and Praises
2. Jah People
3. Pure Love
4. Natty Dreadlocks 'Pon the Mountain Top
5. Build a Nation
6. Expand Your Soul
7. Jah Love
8. Universal Peace
9. Roll On
10. Until Kingdom Comes
11. In The Beginning
12. Send You No More Flowers
13. Peace Be Unto Thee

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100349 in Music
• Released on: 2007-06-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
These African-American Rastafarians didn't just originate DC hardcore in the late 1970s with their incredibly fast and brilliant "Pay to Cum" single; they set the bar impossibly high. That the group is not hugely millionaires-with-jets popular is one of the music industry's travesties. But they've always had as much a penchant for pissing off the shaven headed moshers at their shows (playing lengthy dub songs) as for giving them what they want (supersonic riffage). Much of the album employs the metal-tinged sound the group's been flirting with since they were on SST in the late '80s. A third of the tracks are reggae numbers, and while you're not going to sell off all your Culture LPs after hearing those, they are definitely serviceable. Build a Nation is not as great as the ROIR cassette, but it's the best album they've made in years, and shows the band in awesome form. This is thanks in no small part to the production efforts of the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch. As this is their second best-sounding proper album--the first being 1983's Ric Ocasek-produced Rock for Light--it's clear that the band should work only with their celebrity musician-fans at the helm from now on. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

I never thought I would say this, but H.R.'s vocals are not up to par.
I am as big of fan of the Bad Brains as you're going to find, going back to the early 80's. In fact, to this day, the best show I have ever seen was the Bad Brains in 1984 in San Francisco. So, when this release came out, I was totally pumped and picked it up the on the release day. Unfortunately, this CD just hasn't clicked for me. As others have said, it's almost as if the band is trying to make one record and HR is trying to do something else. Lyrically, it's what we would expect: Religious undertones and positive messages. On the punk songs, the music is fast, although somewhat sloppy. The production by Adam Yauch is decent, although fairly straightforward and simple. The vocals, however, are 2 or 3 tempos below the music and there are heavy effects on the vocals, including delays up the wazoo, which just get silly. In one way I respect what the band is trying to do, but they just don't seem to mesh with one another.

Bad Brains at their best...
Rastafarians and hardcore punk rock. Crazy combination right? Well, the DC based Bad Brains are probably the only band who could pull it off. "Build A Nation" is an unbelievable album, from an unbelievably talented band. This CD, which features the four original members of the group, features 14 tracks, 9 of which showcase the hardcore punk rock sound that Bad Brains made famous over 25 years ago. The other 5 tracks are classic roots reggae songs, and in my opinion some of the best songs you'll find on this release. All 14 tracks are well produced, and well played. Bad Brains, despite their age, can still play music as hard and fast as they did back in the early 80s, and HR's voice is just as powerful and haunting as ever. Again, production and musicianship is top notch, making this one of the best Bad Brains records to ever be released. My only complaint is that the songs are very short in length (Pure Love lasts only 56 seconds). Other than that, this album is well worth your money, and any fan of Bad Brains or HR's solo stuff must own this. One love...

Not their best.
The music still carries a punch, but the vocals are weak. I can't tell if its poor production or HR isn't pushing his vocals. He could lay-off the effects on the vocals; it detracts more than it adds. I suppose that this is a good effort for a reunion CD. However, they could do better. If you want their best, get "Rock for Light", "I Against I", or "Banned in DC".