Looking back in time… memorable moments in sonic history!

Thirty years ago – 10 February 1987 – political rap activists PUBLIC ENEMY released
their much praised and controversial debut album YO! BUM RUSH THE SHOW. A highly electrifying and explosive record dealing mostly with black anger and the frustrations of the oppressed African American community. It’s almost incredible that thirty years on, racism is still/again an alarmingly major issue. The Rick Rubin produced LP is regarded
as one of most influential albums in hip hop history. For British weekly NME it was their 1987 album of the year and Rolling Stone Magazine listed it in his 500 greatest albums
of all timeand, yes, Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers were huge fans…

Here’s a review by AllMusic:

“Sometimes, debut albums present an artist in full bloom, with an assured grasp on their sound
and message. Sometimes, debut albums are nothing but promise, pointing toward what the artist could do. Public Enemy’s gripping first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, manages to fill both categories: it’s an expert, fully realized record of extraordinary power, but it pales in comparison with what came merely a year later. This is very much a Rick Rubin-directed production, kicking heavy guitars toward the front, honing the loops, rhythms, and samples
into a roar with as much in common with rock as rap. The Bomb Squad are apparent, but they’re in nascent stage — certain sounds and ideas that would later become trademarks bubble underneath the surface. And the same thing could be said for Chuck D, whose searing, structured rhymes and revolutionary ideas are still being formed. This is still the sound of a group comfortable rocking the neighborhood, but not yet ready to enter the larger national stage. But, damn if they don’t sound like they’ve already conquered the world! Already, there is a tangible, physical excitement to the music, something that hits the gut with relentless force, as the mind races to keep up with Chuck’s relentless rhymes or Flavor Flav’s spastic outbursts. And if there doesn’t seem to be as many classics here — “You’re Gonna Get Yours,” “Miuzi Weighs a Ton,” “Public Enemy No. 1″ — that’s only in comparison to what came later, since by any other artist an album this furious, visceral, and exciting would unquestionably be heralded as a classic. From Public Enemy, this is simply a shade under classic status.”

The hip hop fury in full…

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PUBLIC ENEMY: Website – Facebook