Live in San Francisco

AMG Review of Live in San Francisco

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

There's no secret that Bad Brains/Soul Brains vocalist H.R. is one of the more unpredictable chaps to ever front a group, as he's left and rejoined the group numerous times over the years. But his unpredictability has never been more evident than in his performance on stage -- one night he'll sit on a chair throughout the set, looking and sounding as if he's disinterested, the next night, he's performing like a man possessed. By the late '90s, Bad Brains had changed their name to Soul Brains, and began touring once more. But instead of working on a new studio album, the first release by the reunited outfit was a live set, 2002's Live in San Francisco. Just about every phase of the Bad Brains' career is touched upon, including their original hardcore ("Attitude," "Right Brigade," "Pay to Cum") and eggae ("Day Tripper/She's A Rainbow," "The Youth are Getting Restless") direction, as well as their latter day, more metallic-based approach ("Soulcraft," "Sacred Love," "Re-Ignition"). But as mentioned earlier, any time H.R. gets behind the mic, it's anyone's guess as to which performer persona will show up, and when compared to such earlier inspired live recordings as 1988's Live, and 1990s Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam, Live in San Francisco comes off more times than not as a band simply going through the motions.