Bullet in the Head (song)

Infobox Single | Name = Bullet in the Head


Artist = Rage Against the Machine
from Album = Rage Against the Machine
Released = 1994
Format = CD, 7", 12"
Genre = Rapcore
Length = 5 min 9 s
Producer = Garth "GGGarth" Richardson, Rage Against the Machine
Last single = "Bombtrack"
(1994)
This single = "Bullet in the Head"
(1994)
Next single = "Freedom"
(1994) |

"Bullet in the Head" was a single released by political rapcore band Rage Against the Machine from their debut album in 1992. 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. [cite book | last = Robbins | first = Ira | title = The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock | publisher = Fireside | location = New York | year = 1997 | isbn = 0684814374 |pages=591]

Along with one of the band's most well known and embraced breakdown riffs, the song features many innovative guitar techniques executed by Tom Morello which heavily utilise a Digitech Whammy pitch shifter and Wah-wah pedal. During the verses, Morello picks the open D and G strings on his guitar whilst having the Digitech Whammy in the open (furthest) position resulting in the pitch being raised by 2 octaves. This creates the DJ-Sampling type sounds heard in the verse. Not as often heard is an unusual sound being made this is believed to be Morello picking a natural harmonic on his guitar and then raising the pitch of it with a Digitech Whammy pitch shifter.

Music video

This video clip was recorded in a BBC warehouse in New York. While it is not often cited, this isn't a mimed video - it is an actual live performance. 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

#"Bullet In The Head [Album Version] "
#"Bullet In The Head [Remix] "
#"Bullet In The Head [Live-version] "
#"Settle For Nothing [Live-version] "

References

External links

* [http://www.ratm.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.axisofjustice.org/ Axis of Justice] Tom Morello and Serj Tankian's Activist Website "Axis Of Justice"
* [http://www.vietnow.org/ Vietnow.org] Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum
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