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Editorial Reviews

This 2004 edition of Generator is part of a bulk of remastered and/or expanded Bad Religion material from Epitaph. Like its tweaked brethren, the digitally revitalized Generator is louder overall, and more crisp. The newfound clarity gives the whip crack of anthems like "Too Much to Ask," "Tomorrow," and "Chimaera" even more bite, accentuates the grit in Greg Graffin's famously vitriolic vocals, and even makes his self-made harmonies clearer. Musically, Generator is a perfect successor to Against the Grain. Its melodies and arrangements expand on the Bad Religion template, but never forsake the muscular economy of its hardcore root system. The title track, for example, darts repeatedly into a jazz-ish interlude, but returns to its martial stomp with the aid of air-raid guitar and anguished screams. "No Direction" warns against false media idols in Graffin's typical mix of righteousness and self-awareness -- he lambasts those who would follow Madonna's fashion tips, but also swears that "no Bad Religion song can make your life complete." Graffin isn't immune to overstating his points, which he does with "The Answer," and the album's high-concept artwork and attachment of relevant quotes to each song can be a bit much, too. But even at their most dramatic, Bad Religion remain furiously populist, dedicated in both ideology and musical direction to the hardcore tradition. Bonus tracks "Heaven Is Falling" and "Fertile Crescent" date from the 1991 sessions for Generator. In a statement of what was driving Generator lyrically, they were originally part of a split 7" with Noam Chomsky (!) issued by Maximum RockNRoll as part of an anti-Gulf War benefit. Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

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