Pioneering hardcore punk outfit Bad Brains are set to give their first studio recordings a new official pressing. As part of the band having partnered with Trust Records last year in a deal that finds the latter serving as the stewards of the Bad Brains catalog, intellectual rights and more, the group’s “Are You Ready: The First Studio Recording” is set for a November 06th release.
The sessions for that took place back in March of 1979 at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA. This new pressing has found these songs newly revisited in the studio by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat/Fugazi fame, who gave them an updated mix.
You can hear the included sonically updated version of “Pay To Cum” from it below, alongside a newly issued video. The featured footage in that clip was filmed by Barry Masterson during the band’s October 24th, 1979 set at the legendary CBGB club.
Reflecting on the track now, bassist Darryl Jenifer commented:
“The riff for ‘Pay To Cum’ started as a stream of punk rock vibes fueled by the Ramones, the Damned, and Return to Forever. It was a gift that served as a springboard into our sound — sheer, straight-ahead three-chord mayhem with a few breaks and a stop. The title actually meant nothing to us; it was just a fun-loving play on words.”
“Are You Ready: The First Studio Recording” track listing:
01 – “Pay To Cum“
02 – “Don’t Bother Me“
03 – “Black Dots“
04 – “Migraine“
05 – “Send No Flowers“
06 – “Jamming At The Atlantis“
Various colored pressings are available now, with pre-order options available through https://links.trustrecords.com/bb-ayr.
