Rage Against The Machine-The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)


 

Artist:  Rage Against The Machine

Title: The Battle of Los Angeles

Label:  Epic

Format: CD

Cat: EK-39630

Year of Release: 1999

Country and Year of Edition: US 1999

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+ 

Sell Date: 6/21/22

Sell Price: $2.99

Discogs Last Sold:6/16/22 VG+/VG+ $3.91

Low: $1.00

Median: $3.98

Average: $4.28

High: $11.18

Current low price:$0.99

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 56

Have/Want: 3664/292

Where Sold: Newburgh, NY

Time it took to sell: 11 years

Where and When Bought: used mail order CD Warehouse $8.99 sticker on it, end of '99

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+

Sad To See It Go: No

Although this doesn’t have an completely undeniable track like “Killing In The Name” or “Bulls On Parade,” The Battle of Los Angeles was a clear step forward for this band.

We know now that 2 speaking as one leads not to the “3rd way” of Ralph Nader as the “Testify” video implies.  Politics has become unsafe at any speed in the environment this album foreshadowed.  You may vote Bernie but the ‘Merica fracture splinters rightward also,  so the socialist can jump in the ring with the populists right leaning (Trump style ), left leaning (Fetterman), “RINO” (Liz Cheney), establishment (Biden), religious right  and each sides true believer opportunist whether young buck ( AOC) or old guard (Cruz).  Corporate interests will swing whatever way suits them.  Still, it’s a rich thought that Gore and his court picks would’ve been just as keen on turning the clock back 100 years.  Guess whose gonna still get the knee on the neck when the dust settles and the pendulum swings?  President DeSantis, a Harvard man like Tom Morello, is gonna tell you.

That said, this is corporate backed entertainment.  Sony backed Rage the way Pritzker backed Bailey.  For the big picture, you hope.  The cynic in us looks with a jaundiced eye.  Rage have 2 jaundiced eyes but they’ll tell you of their perfect vision.   

This sold and got great year end citations as 1999 closed out.  Overall the album SOUNDS great. “Whatcha say?” rails “Calm Like A Bomb.”  “Sleep Now In The Fire” has a feel of the Beach Boys “Kokomo.”  A variety of squeeks and squonks besting turntablism over a nu-metal Morello pummel under de la Rocha’s singular mode of expression.  It works and nobody else does THIS. Whether they’d want to or could are other questions.

Militant enthusiasm swings both ways after all.  

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