Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation--The First London Invasion 1987

This concert by what is very likely the best and certainly the most influential rap group of the past two decades is a decidedly mixed blessing. On the plus side, there's very little Public Enemy available on DVD, which alone makes this 11-song set worth watching, especially as it roughly coincides with the release of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, their incendiary second album. Fronted by the fiery Chuck D and the self-described “hype of the group,” Flavor Flav, the band puts on a performance that's more like an assault than an evening's entertainment--calling “songs” like “Bring the Noise” hardcore barely begins to describe this relentless, razor-edged music, which gave no quarter to the pop music conventions of that or any other day. What's more, Public Enemy was actually saying something--it wasn't all about ho's, hula hoop rims, and bling-bling, but rather about African-American pride and empowerment and the evils of a system that keeps young blacks (especially males) down. Alas, the quality of both the sound and the visuals is horrible; the former--5.1 mix notwithstanding--is tinny and grating (both here and on the bonus audio CD), while the latter is annoyingly indistinct (a couple of DVD extra songs featuring the 2003 Public Enemy lineup are technically much better). Although the drawbacks here are serious, this is still a historic document that's worth considering (also for Chuck D's entertaining and informative audio commentary). A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)