Bad Brains “Black Dots” 1979/1996/2019. Limited edition (1500) on white vinyl. A collection of Bad Brains’ first studio recordings (at Inner Ear Studios which at the time was in Don Zientara’s basement) from ‘79, first released in ‘96 on Caroline Records. Crazy-fast punk from one of the original – and best – hardcore bands. The session at Zientara’s house (where, according to the liner notes, Dr. Know on guitar and Darryl Jenifer on bass got the main basement space, Earl Hudson wedged himself into the basement closet with his drum kit and H.R. was in the backyard doing vocals, along with some crickets and a little kid) includes infamous tracks that would appear, re-recorded, Bad Brains (1982) like “Don’t Need It,” “Attitude,” “Supertouch/Shitfit,” “Regulator,” “Pay to Cum” and “Banned in D.C.;” “Attitude” and “Banned in D.C.” also are on Rock for Light (1983). Other songs on Black Dots include “How Low Can a Punk Get?,” “Just Another Damn Song” and “Send You No Flowers.” While their later albums often contained a relatively balanced mix of lightning-speed hardcore and mellow reggae songs, Black Dots is pretty much all fast with a couple of exceptions: “Why’d You Have to Go?” is a sparse, practically acoustic bluesy number, same with “The Man Won’t Annoy Ya” which adds in a nice lilting reggae beat.