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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine is one of the most prominant and politically active bands on the music scene today. Music Journalist and Biographer Colin Devenish delves into the interworkings of the band to discover what makes them so successful with their diverse fan base. They sell millions of copies of their CD's and have had #1 hits. They are also very politically and enviornmentally concious, with an educated fan base. They really are a band of substance, but the most important thing about Rage Against The Machine is that they rock!
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2017
“Rage Against The Machine” by Colin Devenish
Good to read some of the background and foundations of this epic band.
“I told myself that I would never allow myself to not respond to that type of situation – in any form, anywhere.” - Zack (p5)
“I think my high-school experience pushed me through a crisis of identity, it enabled me to be more of a critical individual. It made me question the institution I was forced to adjust to and my relationship with society. Those four years or so during high school were what eventually politicized me, 'cause the experience made me step {error by including 'and'} back and take a look at how I was being indoctrinated. Once I'd left, I became engaged in reading and since then, I've gone through my own self-identification.
… My political awakening came in high school when I realized you're really only successful in this country when you've been completely assimilated and you've achieved a lot materially. So the oppression that ordinary people are constantly subjected to is as much spiritual as political. If our music sounds angry, it's because we're fighting for empowerment on a spiritual level as well as a material one. When I sing a song it's a refection of my inner self as well as my social philosophy.” - Zack (p10-11) {completely repeated on page 35}
“By the time I got to high school, I knew enough to be completely disgusted with what was being taught in history class. I was not exactly in sync with the thinking that Columbus was this benign explorer, because I had come to view him as this genocidal conqueror.” - Tom (p15)
Tom was in punk band Electric Sheep which took it's name from Philip K. Dick's sci-fi book. (p16)
Brad (drummer), “I think I have too much empathy. .. I find myself stuck between situations, and instead of coming to a decision based on what I feel, I'm always looking at everyone else's feelings, and how it's going to affect every person. It just makes things really difficult. I really wish I could just be a fucking asshole sometimes.” (p26-27)
The band name 'Rage Against The Machine', “I wanted to think of something metaphorical that described my frustrations living in a political and economic system which fuels itself off the blood of oppressed people allover the world for the last five centuries. A machine doesn't have any humane understanding. To me, it was the perfect metaphor to describe the structure of the establishment.” - Zack (p30)
Thought provoking fiction by writers such as James Joyce and John Steinbeck (p80)
“.. getting-your-hands-dirty activism.” (p141)
- - -
Good to read some of the background and foundations of this epic band.
“I told myself that I would never allow myself to not respond to that type of situation – in any form, anywhere.” - Zack (p5)
“I think my high-school experience pushed me through a crisis of identity, it enabled me to be more of a critical individual. It made me question the institution I was forced to adjust to and my relationship with society. Those four years or so during high school were what eventually politicized me, 'cause the experience made me step {error by including 'and'} back and take a look at how I was being indoctrinated. Once I'd left, I became engaged in reading and since then, I've gone through my own self-identification.
… My political awakening came in high school when I realized you're really only successful in this country when you've been completely assimilated and you've achieved a lot materially. So the oppression that ordinary people are constantly subjected to is as much spiritual as political. If our music sounds angry, it's because we're fighting for empowerment on a spiritual level as well as a material one. When I sing a song it's a refection of my inner self as well as my social philosophy.” - Zack (p10-11) {completely repeated on page 35}
“By the time I got to high school, I knew enough to be completely disgusted with what was being taught in history class. I was not exactly in sync with the thinking that Columbus was this benign explorer, because I had come to view him as this genocidal conqueror.” - Tom (p15)
Tom was in punk band Electric Sheep which took it's name from Philip K. Dick's sci-fi book. (p16)
Brad (drummer), “I think I have too much empathy. .. I find myself stuck between situations, and instead of coming to a decision based on what I feel, I'm always looking at everyone else's feelings, and how it's going to affect every person. It just makes things really difficult. I really wish I could just be a fucking asshole sometimes.” (p26-27)
The band name 'Rage Against The Machine', “I wanted to think of something metaphorical that described my frustrations living in a political and economic system which fuels itself off the blood of oppressed people allover the world for the last five centuries. A machine doesn't have any humane understanding. To me, it was the perfect metaphor to describe the structure of the establishment.” - Zack (p30)
Thought provoking fiction by writers such as James Joyce and John Steinbeck (p80)
“.. getting-your-hands-dirty activism.” (p141)
- - -
July 7, 2009
Only for diehards. As far as I know it's the only book around about the band but it's beyond awful. It's so silly as to repeat paragraph long quotes at different points in the narrative and, at one point, the author even misspells Zack de la Rocha's name ("Zach"). The epilogue reveals some very bad blood between the author and the publisher. I think he calls one of their representatives a "thug". It made me think about writing my own book on the band but don't think there's a big enough audience to ever sell it.
June 13, 2016
a easy read. the strength of the book is the band is/was interesting.... however the book plays like a best of interview clips, none of the members were interviewed for this book and there's nothing new as far as information; in fact, Audioslave* isn't even named at the point of release
*mentioned but the name wasn't known at the time.
*mentioned but the name wasn't known at the time.
February 14, 2007
interesting commentary on one of the greatest bands of the last century.
August 3, 2011
easy read, about the story of a great band
August 10, 2017
This is a very poorly written book. That said, I don't regret reading it. Most of the content is stuff you probably already know, but there are occasional little gems of information.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews