Bullet in the Head (song)

"Bullet in the Head"
Single by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
Released 1992
Format CD, 7", 12"
Genre Rap metal
Length 5:09
Producer Garth "GGGarth" Richardson, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine singles chronology
"Killing in the Name"
(1992)		 "Bullet in the Head"
(1992)		 "Bombtrack"
(1993)

Bullet in the Head is a song released by political rap metal band Rage Against the Machine on their 1992 debut album. A fan favourite and one of the album's heaviest tracks, Bullet in the Head refers to the band's belief that the government uses media to control the population, drawing comparisons between typical residences and Alcatraz. The track was transferred intact from the band's demo, also titled Rage Against the Machine.[1]

As well as one of the band's most well known riffs, the song features many innovative guitar techniques by Tom Morello. These heavily use a DigiTech Whammy pitch shifter and wah-wah pedal. In the verses, Morello picks the open D and G strings on his guitar with the DigiTech Whammy in the open (farthest) position to raise the pitch by two octaves. This creates a 'sampling' sound. Not as often heard is an unusual sound believed to be Morello picking a natural harmonic on his guitar and then raising the pitch with the Whammy pitch shifter. The band debuted Bullet in the Head at their first public performance at Cal State in the Quad, on October 23, 1991.

Both front and back images for the single's artwork were by the French photographer Marc Riboud.[2]

Contents

In popular culture

Bullet in the Head is mentioned in the lyric to Pennywise's I Won't Have It, from their 1995 album About Time. In the booklet of the album, Zack de la Rocha's name is also mentioned next to the Bullet in the Head part.

Music video

A video clip was recorded in a BBC warehouse in New York. While not often cited, this isn't a mimed video, but a live performance recorded for the BBC's arts programme The Late Show. In the words of Tom Morello, "The tour bus pulled up in front of the BBC studio, we ran through the song once in front of the cameras, then left to play a club that night."

Tracklist

  1. "Bullet In The Head [Album version]"
  2. "Bullet In The Head [Remix]"
  3. "Bullet In The Head [Live-version]"
  4. "Settle For Nothing [Live-version]"

Chart positions

Chart Position
UK Rock Chart 17

References

  1. ^ Robbins, Ira (1997). The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock. New York: Fireside. p. 591. ISBN 0684814374. 
  2. ^ http://www.discogs.com/release/1643053 "Bullet In The Head" at discogs.com

External links


Rage Against the Machine
Studio albums
Live albums
Demo albums
Video
Singles
Other songs
Tours
Related acts
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