Rage Against The Machine

Rage Against The Machine: Live At The Grand Olympic AuditoriumLive At The Grand Olympic Auditorium (2003)
Sony Music Entertainment

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: maverickScott
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on February 13th 2004This is exactly the way Rage Against The Machine was supposed to have been captured - it's live, it's raw, it's sloppy, and it's one of the most powerful records I've heard in a long time. Live At The Grand Olympic Auditorium catches Rage at the tail end of their career as a band - it draws it's .

This is exactly the way Rage Against The Machine was supposed to have been captured - it's live, it's raw, it's sloppy, and it's one of the most powerful records I've heard in a long time.

Live At The Grand Olympic Auditorium catches Rage at the tail end of their career as a band - it draws it's 16 tracks from the band's last two performances ever. It's strange knowing that shortly after these concerts, the band imploded; you'd never be able to tell that there was internal fighting going on.

Or maybe you can, given the explosive nature of so many of these songs. All 4 of Rage's studio albums are represented, and here's the breakdown album-by album:

S/T - Bullet In The Head, Killing In The Name, Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, Freedom
Evil Empire - Bulls On Parade, People Of The Sun
The Battle Of Los Angeles - Born Of A Broken Man, Calm Like A Bomb, Testify, War Within A Breath, Sleep Now In The Fire, Guerilla Radio
Renegades - I'm Housin', Kick Out The Jams

The band's contribution to the Godzilla soundtrack, "No Shelter," is also present, and is easily one of the most intense tracks on the disc [which is a hard award to distribute, as it could easily go to each of the other fifteen songs on here].

Tom Morello's guitarwork, as amazing as it sounds on studio albums, sounds even more incredible here because not only does he duplicate what he did on the recordings, he adds to it. The guy's a genius. Never in the album's 71 minutes do I ever forget that this is a live album. You get to hear Zach De La Rocha run out of breath in "Calm Like A Bomb." You get to hear the band accidentally speed up and slow down multiple times in "Bulls On Parade." You get to hear bassist Timmy's barking out his backing vocals in "People Of The Sun." You get to hear Zach improvise lyrics in "Killing In The Name" ["Some of those who burn crosses / are the same who hold office"].

But most importantly, you get to hear one of the most politically radical and musically innovative groups of the past decade doing what they do best - kick out the jams.

Zach's hardcore background pops up periodically in his vocals on the disc, reminding the listener that he's more than just an MC. The intensity conveyed in his voice as he screams "Now testify!" cannot be duplicated.

My only complaint about this album is that a few of the tracks have already been released. If you own Renegades, you already posess this album's version of "Kick Out The Jams," as it was one of the bonus tracks on the CD. If you own the original version of Renegades that came with the two-song bonus CD, you already own this album's version of "People Of The Sun" [as well as an awesome version of "I Could Just Kill A Man" from the same series of concerts, unfortunately excluded from this disc]. Outside of this small detail, I can't find much in the way of anything wrong with this release, sans any sort of in-depth liner notes about the performances. Other than that, this is a near-perfect documentation of what Rage Against The Machine was all about, and you'd be a fool not to pick it up, if only to remember when bands sang about something important.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

AnaMorph0sIs (August 25, 2004)

The video-footage of this is absolutely killer. Essential stuff.

Anonymous (February 18, 2004)

how old was zach when he was in rage. i know tom was an old man.. but what about ol zach

soulbleed (February 18, 2004)

scott: i like your reviews normally, but this was pretty off the mark. this is probably the worst of the live rage shows ever laid down on tape -- the recording is nasty, and zack sounds like a fruitcake. the stuff on the dvd is better, like the 'democratic convention' recording (the video is fucked up), and the original 'live and rare' album. this shit is unnecessary.

Anonymous (February 18, 2004)

The only people who have actually done research agree...Mumia is guilty. Court transcripts are your friend.

Anonymous (February 18, 2004)

unless youve done considerable research into the Mumia case, comments like these "Mumia is still guilty" are pretty offensive, especially considering he could be executed.

Anonymous (February 17, 2004)

This is one of the best sounding live album I've heard since Social Distortion Live @ The Roxy. I'm just puzzled by how some of the audio on the CD is different from the DVD. For those of you who dont like RATM why the hell do you bother to look at the review you idiots.

Anonymous (February 17, 2004)

I love the s/t album, everything after that is meh. Oh, & Mumia is still guilty.

Anonymous (February 17, 2004)

evil empire was a good record.

that's all i got.

Anonymous (February 16, 2004)

ive said this before and ill say it again...If BSD stands for bullshit detector, the detect your fucking self.

Yes, witty, i know.

Anonymous (February 16, 2004)

This band and Limp Bizkit have always sucked copious amounts of ass.

-BSD

dignin (February 16, 2004)

"what? how is their delivery laughable?"

I think she is talking about how their socialist, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism and their actions didn't really follow these principles. I mean they made millions of dollars for a huge corporation.

Anonymous (February 15, 2004)

Rage were the shit! The DVD of this is pretty great aswell.

For all you douche's bagging on Limp Bizkit, I bet that at least half of you were all really into Significant Other when it came out. Now that Durst and Limp are uncool, you all pretend you were to0o cool to ever like this band. Well, you aren't fooling anyone.
I liked Sig Other and 3 dollar Bill Y'all, and even some stuff off Chocolate Starfish. That song "Boiler" is awesome

-bemused-

CallingLondon (February 15, 2004)

what? how is their delivery laughable?

Anonymous (February 15, 2004)

I'm not quite sure with this band. It seems like they have good intentions with their politicl belifs, but their delivery is laughable.

Sara(no h)

Anonymous (February 15, 2004)

Audioslave is all Cornell's fault. He said he'd only do it if the rest of them dropped the politics to produce sub-Zeppelin bullshit, so that Morello and Cornell can really tell themselves they ARE Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

It's probably going to be hilarious when Zack's solo LP destroys these fruitcakes.

Anonymous (February 15, 2004)

No-one said they did, moron.

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

I'm sure these guys have a lot more to do with punk than the Subhumans...

-BSD

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

In other news, I plan to see "Lounge Against the Machine" while I am in New Orleans in a week.

-sickboi

hungryjoe (February 14, 2004)

Can we blame Rage for Audioslave? Or should we just TP Chris Cornell's house until he sings "Spoonman"?

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

i dont think Zach's voice could be that annoying. If there ever was an annoying voice id say Billy Corgan, but eh, some 'ate 'em, some love 'em.

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

The only person with talent is tom morello, the other are sub par,doesn't anyone think that Zach has one of the most annoying voices ever?

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

"posers, the whole lot of you."

comments like these are pathetic.

Anonymous (February 14, 2004)

I especially miss RATM during times like these.

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

What would the people of the world need to do to make RATM realize they should still be making music?

If it was still RATM and Sound Garden we would have 2 good bands rather than 1 subpar band.

God i love RATM, although i never really payed attention to their political message. Always kind of just thought they rocked and that was plenty enough for me...

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

By far one of the best political rock bands of all time.

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

Blaming Rage for Limp Biscuit is like blaming The Clash for New Found Glory.....Rage rocks.....their music means something and is brutal.....Limp Triscuit is justt a pop rap band with pro tooled guitars and a midget pop rapper.

Hubitcherkokov (February 13, 2004)

Only two songs off of Evil Empire? S/T and Evil Empire were their best albums. As far as The Battle of LA, well, I'd rather put three cups of soap in my d-hole than listen to it. Still, I'd like to see how all of the songs translate live and "No Shelter" is a really kickass song. Peace.

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

yea green day could be sacrificed

FortyMinutesWest (February 13, 2004)

I like this band, but I prefer Inside Out.

maverick (February 13, 2004)

To lieutenant-

This record is a compilation of the best recordings from the band's last two shows, both at this venue.

-Scott

poopypants (February 13, 2004)

dude you can't blame numetal on these guys, they played a part, but would you sacrifice greenday to have prevented the mall punk revolution?

poopypants (February 13, 2004)

i said 3 studio albums cuz renegades is all covers. sorry i wasnt so specific rage superfan.

superdude (February 13, 2004)

"you get to hear"

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

"damn rage was a good band, but i usually get tired of live albums pretty fast. i have all 3 studio albums, i think i'm set. but yea, anyone who bags on these guys is a fool."

I could have sworn they had four studio albums :
self-titled
Evil Empire
Battle of Los Angeles
Renegades

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

that's not funny.

CallingLondon (February 13, 2004)

funny, i was just listening to the s/t album yesterday with a buddy of mine.

lieutenant (February 13, 2004)

Er, rearrange "This is" to "Is this", please and thank you.

lieutenant (February 13, 2004)

This is an unabridged recording of one performance, or are the songs pieced together from different recordings?

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

posers, the whole lot of you.

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

i know im stating the obvious, but Zack really made this band, i mean comeon one word explains it all now....audioslave...

Zack's solo stuff is gonna be the shit, that song on his website with DJ Shadow kick ass, sounds just like Rage except Shadow in Morello's place

this is also a pretty tight live cd

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

I would gladly sacrifice Rage to prevent the Nu-Metal trend that ruined music for a few years and (an already shaky) Alternative-Rock radio. Fred Durst should have 2 tattos of Zack's head on his chest, instead of Elvis & Kurdt. That would show off his real influences.

poopypants (February 13, 2004)

damn rage was a good band, but i usually get tired of live albums pretty fast. i have all 3 studio albums, i think i'm set. but yea, anyone who bags on these guys is a fool.

Ted_The_Bellhop (February 13, 2004)

Rage was awesome. They put on one of the best live shows ever

Anonymous (February 13, 2004)

I really used to love rage. Their music rocks and will still be credible in the long run.