3hree Things: On Bad Religion's 'Generator,' 20 Years Later

We all have records in our collections that are game changers; records that changed the way we listened to, thought about, and (in some cases) wrote/played music. In the days since Thrice announced its “indefinite hiatus,” I've spent a fair amount of time reminiscing, not only about my career with the band, but about the records and bands that inspired me to pursue that career.
One of those bands is Bad Religion. And one of those records is their sixth full-length, Generator. It came out on this day (March 13) 20 years ago and it was an absolute game changer for me. We've been over my questionable taste in music during my junior high years in a previous 3hree Things, and Generator played a huge part in helping filter out a lot of the crap I was listening to, inspiring me to play drums and guitar, and opening my eyes (and ears) to the world of punk rock. They were a gateway band, if you will.

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Generator helped me learn how to play drums by playing along
to it, helped me learn chords trying to figure its songs on guitar,
helped me learn how to sing harmonies by singing along to it in my car,
and improved my vocabulary by having to break out a dictionary every
once in a while to figure out what the hell Greg Graffin was singing
about. That learning, exploration and inspiration proved to be
invaluable and I can honestly say that the 14-year career I've had with
Thrice wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for this record.

Twenty years after its release, Generator still moves me just as much as it ever did, continues to inspire me, and holds a special place in my heart.
If
(for some reason) you don't own this record, please think about
celebrating its 20th birthday (and thanking an iconic punk rock band for
their contribution to the genre) by picking up a copy.

Here are my top three songs from that album:



1) “Generator”



2) “Too Much To Ask”



3) “Atomic Garden”

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