Rage Against the Machine

小簡(jiǎn)介
人們總是認(rèn)為一支受大眾歡迎的，主流的樂(lè)隊(duì)是不可能持有極為左派的政治觀點(diǎn)的。然而來(lái)自洛杉磯的說(shuō)唱/鞭擊重金屬樂(lè)隊(duì)Rage Against The Machine（“暴力反抗體制”）樂(lè)隊(duì)卻同時(shí)做到了這兩點(diǎn)，在他們的世界里金錢(qián)和激進(jìn)的政治觀點(diǎn)根本就沒(méi)有關(guān)系。
????Rage Against The Machine（以下簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)RATM）樂(lè)隊(duì)于1991年成立于洛杉磯，成員來(lái)自于美國(guó)各地：主唱是加州本地的一個(gè)名叫扎克·德·拉·羅查（Zack de la Rocha）的警察，之前他就發(fā)起成立過(guò)一支名為Inside Out的朋克樂(lè)隊(duì)；留著長(zhǎng)發(fā)的吉他手湯姆·莫雷羅（Tom Morello）來(lái)自著名的哈福大學(xué)，他來(lái)自一個(gè)偏僻的鄉(xiāng)下；貝斯手蒂姆·科姆佛德（Tim Commerford）和莫雷羅來(lái)自同一個(gè)鄉(xiāng)下；鼓手布萊德·維爾克（Brad Wilk）這來(lái)自俄勒岡州的波特蘭。
????RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)一開(kāi)始就將說(shuō)唱、重金屬、朋克、以及舞曲巧妙的組合在一起，又將極端的舞臺(tái)力量與那些現(xiàn)代音樂(lè)禁忌的政治觀點(diǎn)用坦率的歌詞表達(dá)，RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)的影響力也遍布整個(gè)南加利福尼亞，共售出了超過(guò)五千份的卡式磁帶。 在與Epic唱片簽約之后，RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)于1992發(fā)行了他們的首張同名專(zhuān)輯《Rage Against The Machine》。初期他們被視為一支說(shuō)唱樂(lè)隊(duì)，RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)與House Of Pain以及Cypress Hill樂(lè)隊(duì)一起進(jìn)行了大規(guī)模的巡回演出，這次活動(dòng)一舉將Rage Against The Machine的歌曲推入了BillBoard排行的前五十位。1994年初歌曲“Freedom”的MTV在電視上頻繁播放，這一切使得這張專(zhuān)輯的獲得了白金的銷(xiāo)量，這也確立了RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)九十年代中期著名另類(lèi)搖滾樂(lè)隊(duì)的地位，也確定了樂(lè)隊(duì)以說(shuō)唱為核心的風(fēng)格。
????在經(jīng)過(guò)了精心的準(zhǔn)備和漫長(zhǎng)的等待之后，他們的第二張專(zhuān)輯《Evil Empire》面世了，在一場(chǎng)名為“Saturday Night Live”的演唱會(huì)中，他們將美國(guó)國(guó)旗倒插在擴(kuò)音器頂上?！禘vil Empire》很快就成為專(zhuān)輯榜的首位并完成了白金級(jí)的銷(xiāo)量并產(chǎn)生了榜首歌曲“Bulls on Parade”。盡管RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)的這張專(zhuān)輯最終賣(mài)出了數(shù)百萬(wàn)的銷(xiāo)量，可是RATM始終堅(jiān)持自己的社會(huì)主義政治立場(chǎng)，他們用自己的歌聲支持墨西哥的反政府武裝恰帕斯國(guó)民解放軍，并且反對(duì)美國(guó)政府關(guān)押左派的非洲籍的新聞工作者M(jìn)umia Abu-Jamal以及美國(guó)白人左派領(lǐng)袖Leonard Peltier。在1996年他們和信仰天主教的U2樂(lè)隊(duì)在俄勒岡州舉行演唱會(huì)，籍以反對(duì)一些制服生產(chǎn)商利用工人們的制服進(jìn)行廣告宣傳。RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)用自己的行動(dòng)證明了可以利用財(cái)富和合理的公民基本權(quán)利來(lái)部分的改善社會(huì)而不一定要進(jìn)行一次大規(guī)模的政治運(yùn)動(dòng)。
????在1999年11月，RATM樂(lè)隊(duì)發(fā)行了自己的第三張專(zhuān)輯《The Battle Of Los Angeles》。之后羅查突然宣布離去使得樂(lè)隊(duì)的前景顯出幾分黯淡。盡管有這樣的不確定因素，他們的又一張專(zhuān)輯《Renegades》還是于2000年秋季發(fā)行了。
Rage Against the Machine earned acclaim from disenfranchised fans (and not insignificant derision from critics) for their bombastic, fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop, and thrash. Rage formed in Los Angeles in the early '90s out of the wreckage of a number of local groups: vocalist Zack de la Rocha (the son of Chicano political artist Beto) emerged from the bands Headstance, Farside, and Inside Out; guitarist Tom Morello (the nephew of Jomo Kenyatta, the first Kenyan president) originated in Lock Up; and drummer Brad Wilk played with future Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Rounded out by bassist Tim Bob (aka Tim C., born Tim Commerford), a childhood friend of de la Rocha's, Rage debuted in 1992 with a self-released, self-titled 12-song cassette featuring the song "Bullet in the Head," which became a hit when reissued as a single later in the year.
The tape won the band a deal with Epic, and their leap to the majors did not go unnoticed by detractors, who questioned the revolutionary integrity of Rage Against the Machine's decision to align itself with the label's parent company, media behemoth Sony. Undeterred, the quartet emerged in late 1992 with their eponymous official debut, which scored the hits "Killing in the Name" and "Bombtrack." After touring with Lollapalooza and declaring their support of groups like FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), Rock for Choice, and Refuse & Resist, Rage spent a reportedly tumultuous four years working on their follow-up; despite rumors of a breakup, they returned in 1996 with Evil Empire, which entered the U.S. album charts at number one and scored a hit single with "Bulls on Parade." During 1997, the group joined forces with hip-hop supergroup the Wu-Tang Clan for a summer tour and remained active in support of various leftist political causes, including a controversial 1999 benefit concert for death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Battle of Los Angeles followed later in 1999, also debuting at number one and going double platinum by the following summer. In early 2000, de la Rocha announced plans for a solo project, and the band performed an incendiary show outside the Democratic National Convention in August. The following month, bassist Commerford was arrested for disorderly conduct at MTV's Video Music Awards following his bizarre disruption of a Limp Bizkit acceptance speech, in which he climbed to the top of a 15-foot set piece and rocked back and forth.
Plans for a live album were announced shortly thereafter, but in October, de la Rocha abruptly announced his departure from the band, citing breakdowns in communication and group decision-making. Surprised but not angry, the remainder of Rage announced plans to continue with a new vocalist, while de la Rocha re-focused on his solo album, which was slated to include collaborations with acclaimed hip-hop artists including DJ Shadow and El-P of Company Flow. December 2000 saw the release of de la Rocha's final studio effort with the band, the Rick Rubin-produced Renegades; it featured nearly a dozen covers of hip-hop, rock, and punk artists like EPMD, Bruce Springsteen, Devo, the Rolling Stones, the MC5, and more. By 2001, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford had formed Audioslave with former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, and the group released an eponymous album by the end of 2002. With a de la Rocha solo album still not announced, Epic finally released the long-promised concert album Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium on CD and DVD in time for Christmas 2003.