Process of Belief is my favorite Bad Religion album! Brett Gurewitz comes back after an extended hiatus and you can tell there is just this reinvigorated creative energy in the band. ~Liam
As of this moment, Process is my third favorite album of theirs (#1 The Gray Race, #2 Against the Grain) and I think "Sorrow," and "Broken," are tied for my second least favorite with, "The Lie," which is the only skippable one, for me, being my least favorite. I absolutely love every song on the rest of the album. My two favorite albums don't have any songs that I'd skip.
@misterderp4566 its a good song but it's a radio song and honestly played at every Show. It is painful Working with them you get to here at least 6 songs per set that never change
new to your channel... i am super impressed with Mika"s way of interpreting song lyrics and all in all really like the aproach you are taking with song reactions
did you noticed that in the chorus the phrases begins with the back vocals articulating in the first half with the lead voice is answering them but in the second half they change their roles and is the lead voice who start talking and then the back vocals answering. it's so good
I'm very impressed by Mika's ability to quickly interpret lyrics and explain her interpretation so succinctly. I don't know what your profession is (new to the channel in case that was stated at some point) but you would be a great educator!
One of my favorite BR albums! I have insider knowledge, since I work for the person who wrote this song, Brett Gurewitz. You guys did a great job picking the lyrics, and yes, the outro is a chess allegory! Traps and blunders are common chess lingo, in addition to the black & white aspect. (No shade) Too much to sacrifice (And no light) It's hard to recognize (Just black) Traps to compromise (And white) Obscuring deadly alibis (My plans) It's combinational (Designs) The pressure so intense So I'll construct this sound defense (No way) Nothing's plainer than the madness in the world today (No sign) I must conceal myself and steal myself and break away (No grace) I seek initiatives in matters that are black and white (No sense) So I'll construct this sound defense
Wow, we just had two people who work with Bad Religion reply to this video in a row! Do you know each other @drewberwocky and @JeffAbarta ? Thanks for the insider info, and glad to know we are on the right track! Also, do you know if Brett watches reaction videos? ~Liam
Well folks I used to work for bad religion Isk if it's been said This song is about chess..and tsa with a timer for a chessboard It's not about what most think Mr Brett was stopped long ago and held as a terrorist for half a day thx tsa.. Also epiphany the song on this same album Is about graffins boat the ss epiphany. And how it always broke down leaving them stranded out In the ocean. Note the sea .c..see references If ya want more useless info..like this lemme know Ps my daughter used to call this The mother in the kitchen song Which btw is a chess strategy To use pawns to force up and move the queen to swap king side Hence mother the queen.. is trying g to fix those holes from sacrificed pawns. Glad you like br! Worked since 1994-2014 Oorah
Wow, thanks for all of the chess explanations! I did make note of some of the chess references, but you know a lot more than I do, and I appreciate hearing context to these lyrics from an insider! ~Liam
This is one of if not my favorite BR tracks. The antiphony (Call and response where the backers sing a parallel but different lyric line) is prevalent throughout their catalog. Greg and Brett write out all their songs in 2, 3, and 4 part harmony on a piano before punkifying it up.
Just came across you guys and am loving what I've seen so far. Bad Religion is one of my all-time favorite bands. My 8-year-old son loves them, too. His favorite album is The Empire Strikes First, but he LOVES 21st Century Digital Boy. He even named his cat Sorrow. So, ya, we like BR round these parts. Gonna dive back in.
Thanks so much! That's so cool that your son loves them at such a young age! The Empire Strikes First, 21st Century Digital Boy, and Sorrow reactions are all coming! ~Liam
I mentioned this in the video, though I am not a big chess player so some of the references were lost on me. Maybe someone else could fill in the gaps! ~Liam
To explain some of the chess metaphor: A defense is an opening sequence for Black that responds to White's first moves. A defense is considered "sound" if it doesn't allow White to maintain an advantage. Positional play ("when conditions are positional") is a part of the game where, in the absence of immediate tactical opportunities, the players are shuffling their pieces around the board, looking for better positions. It's somewhat infamous for being a difficult part of the game to really grasp because it requires a lot of long-term thinking; and usually if you screwed up positionally, you don't know until you've lost. The last verse seems to be where the metaphor becomes a lot clearer, at least for me. A defensive sacrifice can be an effective way of slowing an attack, but usually you wouldn't want to sacrifice a piece unless the alternative was losing. Trapping your opponent by allowing moves that look good, but lose, is a huge part of the game; especially below expert level, where most people are aware of the majority of common traps. Setting a trap in a losing position is commonly known as a "swindle" and is considered a sign of desperation. Traps are often "combinational", which means that the threat isn't necessarily the move on its own, but a whole sequence of moves that are now available. Pressure is a very important concept, where well-coordinated pieces can make it very difficult for the opponent to maneuver. If a piece is in two other pieces' line of sight, but it's being defended by two pieces as well, then those defenders can't move without leaving it vulnerable. Adding more pieces to the attack can cause a whole defense to collapse, because more defenders have to be tied down, slowly eliminating the player's options, and making it hard for them to take initiative. Seizing the initiative is a really important part of what's called "counterplay", because if you're losing, you obviously need to take aggressive action to change that. Overall, the terms being used play into the overarching themes pretty well. The positional conditions suggest an unclear path forward, the pressure putting you on the back foot and making you act out of desperation, just hoping that your moves aren't putting you at more of a disadvantage. Being in that kind of situation in chess can feel like drowning, or like waiting for the inevitable, a lot like the modern world can. Loving the reactions!
Wow, this might be the most thorough response we have received on the channel so far. Chess is a pretty deep game, and I am super impressed by your analysis and understanding here, thanks so much for sharing that with us!! ~Liam
Actually the whole album was written before 9/11, probably recorded by then too Song is, from songwriter’s own mouth, about game of chess, but of course lots of allegories to modern life
I just saw Bad Religion in April, so I'm super stoked about this conversion😂 Man I would really really love if you did a conversion attempt with The Menzingers 😎
Great song. Since you were introducing this song to metalhead, I would point out that this is the first Bad Religion album with Brooks Wackerman on drums. Brooks went on to become the drummer of Avenged Sevenfold. I’m not a metal head, but I think that Avenged Sevenfold is a metal band.
![Shocking Reaction To [ Punk Rock] Dead Kennedys - This could be anywhere](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N66iWG0E7qM/mqdefault.jpg)
Love this. I wish more people gave Process of Belief more credit than just being the album Sorrow came from.
Process of Belief is my favorite Bad Religion album! Brett Gurewitz comes back after an extended hiatus and you can tell there is just this reinvigorated creative energy in the band. ~Liam
As of this moment, Process is my third favorite album of theirs (#1 The Gray Race, #2 Against the Grain) and I think "Sorrow," and "Broken," are tied for my second least favorite with, "The Lie," which is the only skippable one, for me, being my least favorite. I absolutely love every song on the rest of the album. My two favorite albums don't have any songs that I'd skip.
I concur it's one of my fav ab
Albums from Brooks era
Sorrow is maybe my least favourite song from the album.
@misterderp4566 its a good song but it's a radio song and honestly played at every
Show.
It is painful
Working with them you get to here at least 6 songs per set that never change
"mode not a malady" is a top tier music nerd joke
Plot twist is they're the same person, just one side has drawn a beard on their face.
They've actually been opening their concerts with this song for the past year or two...
new to your channel... i am super impressed with Mika"s way of interpreting song lyrics and all in all really like the aproach you are taking with song reactions
Thank you so much for the lovely comment 😊 Glad you like the format! ~Mika
did you noticed that in the chorus the phrases begins with the back vocals articulating in the first half with the lead voice is answering them but in the second half they change their roles and is the lead voice who start talking and then the back vocals answering. it's so good
Yes! That's part of what I love so much about the ending, thanks for putting it into words! ~Liam
I'm very impressed by Mika's ability to quickly interpret lyrics and explain her interpretation so succinctly. I don't know what your profession is (new to the channel in case that was stated at some point) but you would be a great educator!
Yes!! My favorite Bad Religion song!
Im glad Mika is there to bring some much needed intellectualism to Liam's inane singing
One of my favorite BR albums! I have insider knowledge, since I work for the person who wrote this song, Brett Gurewitz. You guys did a great job picking the lyrics, and yes, the outro is a chess allegory! Traps and blunders are common chess lingo, in addition to the black & white aspect.
(No shade) Too much to sacrifice
(And no light) It's hard to recognize
(Just black) Traps to compromise
(And white) Obscuring deadly alibis
(My plans) It's combinational
(Designs) The pressure so intense
So I'll construct this sound defense
(No way) Nothing's plainer than the madness in the world today
(No sign) I must conceal myself and steal myself and break away
(No grace) I seek initiatives in matters that are black and white
(No sense) So I'll construct this sound defense
Wow, we just had two people who work with Bad Religion reply to this video in a row! Do you know each other @drewberwocky and @JeffAbarta ?
Thanks for the insider info, and glad to know we are on the right track! Also, do you know if Brett watches reaction videos? ~Liam
Well folks
I used to work for bad religion
Isk if it's been said
This song is about chess..and tsa with a timer for a chessboard
It's not about what most think
Mr Brett was stopped long ago and held as a terrorist for half a day thx tsa..
Also epiphany the song on this same album
Is about graffins boat the ss epiphany. And how it always broke down leaving them stranded out In the ocean.
Note the sea
.c..see references
If ya want more useless info..like this lemme know
Ps my daughter used to call this
The mother in the kitchen song
Which btw is a chess strategy
To use pawns to force up and move the queen to swap king side
Hence mother the queen.. is trying g to fix those holes from sacrificed pawns.
Glad you like br!
Worked since 1994-2014
Oorah
Wow, thanks for all of the chess explanations! I did make note of some of the chess references, but you know a lot more than I do, and I appreciate hearing context to these lyrics from an insider! ~Liam
This is one of if not my favorite BR tracks. The antiphony (Call and response where the backers sing a parallel but different lyric line) is prevalent throughout their catalog. Greg and Brett write out all their songs in 2, 3, and 4 part harmony on a piano before punkifying it up.
Just came across you guys and am loving what I've seen so far. Bad Religion is one of my all-time favorite bands. My 8-year-old son loves them, too. His favorite album is The Empire Strikes First, but he LOVES 21st Century Digital Boy. He even named his cat Sorrow. So, ya, we like BR round these parts. Gonna dive back in.
Thanks so much! That's so cool that your son loves them at such a young age! The Empire Strikes First, 21st Century Digital Boy, and Sorrow reactions are all coming! ~Liam
Is Liam a Lagwagon fan? Reign might be a good one to introduce Mika to.
I am! Good suggestion! ~Liam
Dr. Graffin claims this song is about playing Chess ♟️
I mentioned this in the video, though I am not a big chess player so some of the references were lost on me. Maybe someone else could fill in the gaps! ~Liam
To explain some of the chess metaphor:
A defense is an opening sequence for Black that responds to White's first moves. A defense is considered "sound" if it doesn't allow White to maintain an advantage.
Positional play ("when conditions are positional") is a part of the game where, in the absence of immediate tactical opportunities, the players are shuffling their pieces around the board, looking for better positions. It's somewhat infamous for being a difficult part of the game to really grasp because it requires a lot of long-term thinking; and usually if you screwed up positionally, you don't know until you've lost.
The last verse seems to be where the metaphor becomes a lot clearer, at least for me. A defensive sacrifice can be an effective way of slowing an attack, but usually you wouldn't want to sacrifice a piece unless the alternative was losing. Trapping your opponent by allowing moves that look good, but lose, is a huge part of the game; especially below expert level, where most people are aware of the majority of common traps. Setting a trap in a losing position is commonly known as a "swindle" and is considered a sign of desperation. Traps are often "combinational", which means that the threat isn't necessarily the move on its own, but a whole sequence of moves that are now available.
Pressure is a very important concept, where well-coordinated pieces can make it very difficult for the opponent to maneuver. If a piece is in two other pieces' line of sight, but it's being defended by two pieces as well, then those defenders can't move without leaving it vulnerable. Adding more pieces to the attack can cause a whole defense to collapse, because more defenders have to be tied down, slowly eliminating the player's options, and making it hard for them to take initiative. Seizing the initiative is a really important part of what's called "counterplay", because if you're losing, you obviously need to take aggressive action to change that.
Overall, the terms being used play into the overarching themes pretty well. The positional conditions suggest an unclear path forward, the pressure putting you on the back foot and making you act out of desperation, just hoping that your moves aren't putting you at more of a disadvantage. Being in that kind of situation in chess can feel like drowning, or like waiting for the inevitable, a lot like the modern world can.
Loving the reactions!
Wow, this might be the most thorough response we have received on the channel so far. Chess is a pretty deep game, and I am super impressed by your analysis and understanding here, thanks so much for sharing that with us!! ~Liam
You need to play her the entirety The Empire Strikes First
Currently we are doing single song reactions but that could change in the future. What is your favorite song from this album? ~Liam
Actually the whole album was written before 9/11, probably recorded by then too
Song is, from songwriter’s own mouth, about game of chess, but of course lots of allegories to modern life
I just saw Bad Religion in April, so I'm super stoked about this conversion😂
Man I would really really love if you did a conversion attempt with The Menzingers 😎
I love this song. Its definitely a more under rated ones. This was a good pick.
I love this song....
One of my favourites....
6 out of 5 for me
Thats the first record with Brooks wackerman he made 5 records with badreligion before he leave the band to join a7x
Try The Streets of America next (if you havent already done it). Have fun with those lyrics.
Funny to mention Floyd a few times. Brett and Greg, the primary songwriters, are both prog fans. They’ve borrowed some lyrics from King Crimson.
Great song. Since you were introducing this song to metalhead, I would point out that this is the first Bad Religion album with Brooks Wackerman on drums. Brooks went on to become the drummer of Avenged Sevenfold. I’m not a metal head, but I think that Avenged Sevenfold is a metal band.
Good point! He also played for Suicidal Tendencies, which Mika is a huge fan of! ~Liam
Ain't it beautiful to be alive... Yeh right!
The Defense is great. But I think you'd have the easiest conversion if you played 'I want to conquer the World' or 'You'
Stay tuned. ;)
If you're trying to get a metal head into bad religion, load up Entropy off of Against the Grain.
Just do the whole Suffer album already
Do some earlier stuff suffer, no control, against the grain and don't forget about how can hel l be any worse
I wouldn't forget the classics! All of those are coming! ~Liam
seriously
Guitar solo rips
So many better BR songs .