may have appeared revolutionary, but 's eponymous debut album was pure, unadulterated rage and fury, fueled by passion for both and revolution. Though the cliche about was that the bands couldn't play, the key to is that although they gave that illusion, they really could play -- hard. The charging, relentless rhythms, primitive three-chord rockers, and the poor sound quality give the album a nervy, vital energy. 's slurred wails perfectly compliment the edgy , while ' clearer singing and charged guitar breaks make his numbers righteously anthemic. Even at this early stage, were experimenting with , most notably on the cover and the extraordinary which was one of five tracks added to the American edition of . and were removed from the British edition and replaced for the U.S. release with the British-only singles all of which were stronger than the items they replaced. Though the sequencing and selection were slightly different, the core of the album remained the same, and each song retained its power individually. Few songs expressed anger quite as bracingly as and their power is all the more incredible today. is rarely as edgy, invigorating, and sonically revolutionary as . [In 2000, Columbia/Legacy reissued and remastered the album to include the U.K. songs.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine