Rage Against The Machine
Renegades

THE REVIEW

Swan song for the Rage Against The Machine. The release of this album (December 2000) indeed coincided with the break-up of the band... “Renegades” is a whole album of covers previously recorded by De La Rocha and company, and, as with many albums of this genre, you encounter episodes that are more or less pleasing. The sound remains as strong and decisive as it once was, although, in certain cases, the RATM style makes the original charm of the song fade away (see the version of “Beautiful World” by Devo).

Nonetheless, only the live cover of “How I Could Just Kill A Man” by Cypress Hill (played together with Cypress Hill) is worth the purchase of the album, because it truly rocks, and I recommend listening to it over and over again. Another excellent track is “Renegades Of Funk,” also transformed from the Afrika Bambaataa version into a “Rage Against The Machinata” which in this case turns out to be truly original. Other artists honored by the 4 from Los Angeles include Bob Dylan, The Stooges, MC5, and especially Bruce Springsteen, with a great tribute to the immense “The Ghost Of Tom Joad.”

Overall, the album is adequate, and many people, myself included, were engulfed in anguish knowing that it would be the last act from a fantastic band that more than any other influenced the alternative music of the '90s. Don’t you miss Rage Against The Machine? I do, especially seeing what Audioslave is, a lot...