Do What You Want
The Story of Bad Religion
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4.4 • 32 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
From their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed "The Hell Hole" to headlining major music festivals around the world, discover the whole story of Bad Religion's forty-year career in irreverent style.
Do What You Want's principal storytellers are the four voices that define Bad Religion: Greg Graffin, a Wisconsin kid who sang in the choir and became an L.A. punk rock icon while he was still a teenager; Brett Gurewitz, a high school dropout who founded the independent punk label Epitaph Records and went on to become a record mogul; Jay Bentley, a surfer and skater who gained recognition as much for his bass skills as for his antics on and off the stage; and Brian Baker, a founding member of Minor Threat who joined the band in 1994 and brings a fresh perspective as an intimate outsider.
With a unique blend of melodic hardcore and thought-provoking lyrics, Bad Religion paved the way for the punk rock explosion of the 1990s, opening the door for bands like NOFX, The Offspring, Rancid, Green Day, and Blink-182 to reach wider audiences. They showed the world what punk could be, and they continue to spread their message one song, one show, one tour at a time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ruland (My Damage) serves up a heady, revelatory collaboration with the enduring punk band Bad Religion, set to be published on the 40th anniversary of the group's formation. Ruland begins with the band's humble origins as a group of teens in the uncool San Fernando Valley and captures how their intelligent lyrics meant to "encourage the audience to not just think, but think critically" helped them stand out in the punk scene. Ruland anchors the group portrait with interviews with three of the founding members: Greg Graffin, vocalist, known as the "punk professor" for his parallel career as an evolutionary biologist; Brett Gurewitz, guitarist and founder of Epitaph Records, which released the band's records; and Jay Bentley, bassist, responsible for writing each show's set list. (Unlike most successful touring bands, Ruland explains, Bad Religion would rather challenge themselves and surprise their fans by playing a different set every night.) Readers will appreciate Ruland's thorough reporting and insight on the various lineup changes over the years, along with his convincing analysis of punk history in which, counter to the consensus of popular rock critics, Ruland argues that bands such as Green Day and Rancid were influenced by the Southern California punk scene, not by Nirvana or Seattle's grunge music. This testament to the value of hard work and independent thinking offers a thrilling alternative to the conventional rise-and-fall rock narrative.
