He is best known for his unique and creative guitar playing style, which incorporates feedback noise, unconventional picking, and tapping, as well as heavy use of guitar effects. Morello is known for his socialist political views and activism; creating the Nightwatchman offered an outlet for his views while playing apolitical music with Audioslave. He was ranked number 18 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of greatest guitarists of all time.[5] As a member of Rage Against the Machine, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Morello's father participated in the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) and was Kenya's first ambassador to the United Nations.[12] Morello's paternal great-uncle, Jomo Kenyatta, was the first elected president of Kenya.[12] His aunt, Jemimah Gecaga, was the first woman to serve in the legislature of Kenya; and his uncle Njoroge Mungai was a Kenyan Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament, and was considered one of the founding fathers of modern Kenya. Morello's parents met in August 1963 while attending a pro-democracy protest in Nairobi, Kenya.[13] After discovering her pregnancy, Mary Morello returned to the United States with Njoroge in November, and they married in New York City.[14]
Denying paternity of his son, Njoroge returned to his native Kenya when Morello was 16 months old.[13][15] Morello was raised by his mother in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School, where his mother taught American history.
Morello developed left-leaning political proclivities early, following in his mother's footsteps. He described himself as having been "the only anarchist in a conservative high school", and has since identified as a nonsectariansocialist. In the 1980 mock elections at Libertyville, he campaigned for a fictitious anarchist "candidate" named Hubie Maxwell, who came in fourth place in the election.[citation needed] He wrote a piece headlined "South Africa: Racist Fascism That We Support" for the school alternative newspaper, The Student Pulse.[16]
Morello graduated from high school with honors in June 1982 and enrolled at Harvard University as a political science student that autumn. His band Bored of Education won the Ivy League Battle of the Bands in 1986 with Carolyn Bertozzi, a laureate of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, on keyboards.[17][18] Morello graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies.[19] He moved to Los Angeles, where he supported himself, first by working as an exotic dancer:[20]
When I graduated from Harvard and moved to Hollywood, I was unemployable. I was literally starving, so I had to work menial labor and, at one point, I even worked as an exotic dancer. 'Brick House' (by the Commodores) was my jam! I did bachelorette parties and I'd go down to my boxer shorts. Would I go further? All I can say is thank God it was in the time before YouTube! You could make decent money doing that job – people do what they have to do.[20]
Adam Jones, a high school classmate, moved to Los Angeles as well; Morello introduced Jones and Maynard James Keenan to Danny Carey, who would come to form the band Tool.[21]From 1987 to 1988, Morello worked in the office of U.S. Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA);[20] however, this proved to be a negative experience for Morello, who decided never to pursue a career in politics:
I never had any real desire to work in politics but if there was any ember burning in me, it was extinguished working in that job because of two things: one of them was the fact that 80 percent of the time I spent with the Senator, he was on the phone asking rich people for money. It just made me understand that the whole business was dirty. He had to compromise his entire being every day. The other was the time a woman phoned up to the office and wanted to complain that there were Mexicans moving into her neighborhood. I said to her, 'Ma'am, you're a damn racist', and she was indignant. I thought I was representing our cause well, but I got yelled at for a week by everyone for saying that! I thought to myself that if I'm in a job where I can't call a damn racist a damn racist, then it's not for me.[20]
Musical influences
At age 13, Morello joined his first band, a cover band called Nebula, as the lead singer; Nebula covered material by bands including Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller Band, and Bachman–Turner Overdrive.[22] In this same year, Morello purchased his first guitar. Around 1982, he started studying the guitar seriously. He had formed a band the same year called the Electric Sheep, featuring future Tool guitarist Adam Jones on bass.[12] Morello wrote original material for the band that included politically-charged lyrics. Tom has cited Randy Rhoads as an influence when giving a speech at Randy's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, stating that he had a poster of the guitarist on his wall. Morello has said that he was profoundly influenced by Run-D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay in particular. [citation needed]
At the time, Morello's musical tastes lay in the direction of hard rock and heavy metal, particularly Kiss and Iron Maiden. As he stated in Flight 666, he is a huge fan of Piece of Mind, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and Black Sabbath. In an interview with MTV he said Black Sabbath "set the standard for all heavy bands to come".[23] He cited Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi as one of his biggest influences as a riff writer.[24] Morello developed his own unique sound through the electric guitar. Later, his musical style and politics were greatly influenced by punk rock bands like the Clash, the Sex Pistols, and Devo, and artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. On Queen he said, "It's one of the few bands in the history of rock music that was actually best in a stadium. And I miss Freddie Mercury very much."[25]
In the mid 1980s, Morello joined the band Lock Up, for which he played guitar.[26] The band's debut album, Something Bitchin' This Way Comes, was issued by major label Geffen Records in 1989.[26] Lock Up had disbanded prior to Morello forming Rage Against the Machine.[citation needed]
Rage Against the Machine (1991–2000; 2007–2011, 2019–2024)
In 1991, Morello was looking to form a new band after Lock Up disbanded. Morello was impressed by Zack de la Rocha's freestyle rapping and asked him to join his band. He drafted drummer Brad Wilk, whom he knew from Lock Up, where Wilk unsuccessfully auditioned for a drumming spot. The band's lineup was completed when de la Rocha convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford to play bass. After frequenting the Los Angeles club circuit, Rage Against the Machine signed a record deal with Epic Records in 1992. That same year, the band released their self-titled debut album. They achieved mainstream success and released three more studio albums: Evil Empire in 1996, The Battle of Los Angeles in 1999, and Renegades in 2000.
In August 2000, in Los Angeles during the Democratic National Convention, Rage Against the Machine performed outside the Staples Center to a crowd numbering in the thousands while the convention took place inside.[27] After several audience members began to throw rocks, the Los Angeles Police Department turned off the power and ordered the audience to disperse, firing rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd.[28]
In late 2000, amid disagreements on the band's direction and Commerford's stunt at the VMAs, the disgruntled de la Rocha quit the band. On September 13, 2000, Rage Against the Machine performed their last concert, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Although Rage Against the Machine disbanded in October 2000, their fourth studio album, Renegades, was released two months later. 2003 saw the release of their last album, titled Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, an edited recording of the band's final two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2000 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was accompanied by an expanded DVD release of the last show and included a previously unreleased music video for "Bombtrack".
After disbanding, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford went on to form Audioslave with then-former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and released three albums and a DVD from the band's concert in Cuba. De la Rocha started working on a solo album collaboration with DJ Shadow, Company Flow, and the Roots' Questlove, but the project was dropped in favor of working with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. Recording was completed, but the album will probably never be released.[29] So far, only two tracks have been released: "We Want It All" was featured on "Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11", and "Digging For Windows" was released as a single.
On April 29, 2007, Rage Against the Machine reunited at the Coachella Music Festival. The band played in front of an EZLN backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival. The performance was initially thought to be a one-off, but the band played seven more shows in 2007 and in January 2008 played their first shows outside the US since re-forming, as part of the Big Day Out Festival in Australia and New Zealand. In August 2008 they headlined nights at the Reading and Leeds festivals.[30][31]
The band has since continued to tour around the world, headlining many large festivals in Europe and the United States, including Lollapalooza in Chicago. In 2008 the band also played shows in Denver, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention, respectively. In July 2011, Rage Against the Machine played at L.A. Rising, a concert formed by the band in Los Angeles, in which they headlined and played with other artists, including Muse and Rise Against.
On November 1, 2019, it was reported that Rage Against the Machine were reuniting for their first shows in nine years in spring 2020, including two appearances at that year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[32][33][34] The planned summer 2020 tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled tour began in July 2022, but remaining tour dates in North America and Europe needed to be postponed after De la Rocha tore his left Achilles’ tendon. In 2024, Wilk announced that the band would no longer be touring or performing live.[35]
After de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, the remaining bandmates began collaborating with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell at the suggestion of producer Rick Rubin.[36] The new group was first rumored to be called the Civilian Project,[37] but the name Audioslave was confirmed before their first album was released.
The band released their eponymous debut album on November 19, 2002. It was a critical and commercial success, attaining triple-platinum status.[38]
The band released their second album, Out of Exile, on May 24, 2005. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts[39] and attained platinum status.[40] In the same year, they released a DVD documenting their trip as the first American rock band to play a free show in Cuba.[38] The band's third album, Revelations, was released in the fall of 2006. As of February 15, 2007, Audioslave had broken up as a result of frontman Cornell's departure due to "irresolvable personality conflicts". The band reunited with Zack de la Rocha and resumed their previous band, Rage Against the Machine.
Audioslave reunited for one show in January 2017,[41] and there were talks about a reunion tour.[42] However, Cornell's death on May 18, 2017, eliminated such possibility.
Morello performing as The Nightwatchman in May 2006
Morello writes and performs folk music under the alias the Nightwatchman. He has explained:
"The Nightwatchman is my political folk alter ego. I've been writing these songs and playing them at open mic nights with friends for some time. This is the first time I've toured with it. When I play open mic nights, it's announced as The Nightwatchman. There will be kids there who are fans of my electric guitar playing, and you see them there scratching their heads. But it's something that I enjoy doing. I look at it more as an extension of my politics. Then again, some of the songs are not explicitly political. It really helped me grow as an artist and songwriter. Once you prick the vein you never know what is going to come out. You could aim for all union songs and you find yourself in other territory."
In November 2003 the Nightwatchman joined artists Billy Bragg, Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers, Steve Earle, Jill Sobule, Boots Riley of the Coup and Mike Mills of R.E.M. on the Tell Us the Truth Tour. The thirteen-city tour was supported by unions, environmental and media reform groups including Common Cause, Free Press and A.F.L.-C.I.O. with the ultimate goal of "informing music fans, and exposing and challenging the failures of the major media outlets in the United States."[43] Morello explained:
Media consolidation needs smashing and globalization needs unmasking. When presidents and politicians lie, it is the job of the press to expose those lies. When the press fails, the gangstas come out from hiding. The lie becomes the law. The point of the Tell Us the Truth Tour is to help others make connections, and to show them that activism can change the policies of this country.[44]
One of his many songs, "No One Left", which compares the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks to that of a U.S. attack on Iraq, appears on the album Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11. The Nightwatchman appeared on the album/DVD Axis Of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1, contributing the songs "Until the End", "The Road I Must Travel", and "Union Song". Morello, as the Nightwatchman, released his debut solo album, One Man Revolution, on April 24, 2007. The Nightwatchman joined the Dave Matthews Band for its European tour in May 2007. As well as opening for the Dave Matthews Band, he was invited to guest on a couple of songs each night. The last night of this Morello/Dave Matthews Band arrangement was May 30, 2007, at Wembley Arena in London, on Morello's birthday. The Nightwatchman supported Ben Harper on tour. During this tour, Morello joined Harper onstage for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War", on which he plays the electric guitar in the style for which he is best known.
On February 2, 2019, Morello made a guest appearance at the Foo Fighters pre-Super Bowl 53 concert in Atlanta, along with Zac Brown, for a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs".[46]
Following Audioslave's breakup in 2007, Morello met up with Boots Riley of the Coup, suggesting that they start a band which Morello had named Street Sweeper. After giving Riley a tape of various songs to write to, the two created the duo Street Sweeper Social Club.[citation needed]
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2008–2015)
Morello appears on two songs on Springsteen's 2012 album Wrecking Ball. He joined Springsteen, the E Street Band, and the Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to preview the album prior to its release. On December 4, 2012, Morello again joined Springsteen and the E Street Band for five songs during a concert in Anaheim.[47] On January 17, 2013, it was announced that Morello would temporarily join Springsteen and the E Street Band on the March 2013 Australian leg of their Wrecking Ball Tour, filling in for longtime E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt, who had scheduling conflicts filming the TV series Lilyhammer. During the tour, Morello joined the band in the studio to record new music.[48]
The material Morello recorded with Springsteen appeared on Springsteen's 18th studio album, High Hopes, which was released in January 2014. Morello appears on eight of the album's 11 tracks and shares lead vocals with Springsteen on a re-recording of "The Ghost of Tom Joad". It was Morello who originally suggested that Springsteen perform "High Hopes" during a concert for the first time in March 2013. Springsteen had previously recorded "High Hopes" in 1995, and the 2013 performance led to its re-recording, which subsequently developed into the album of the same name. Springsteen heavily credits Morello as being a major inspiration for the album by saying he was "my muse" and "he pushed the rest of this project to another level". Morello subsequently appeared alongside Springsteen and the E Street Band during a January 2014 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and then on the ensuing High Hopes Tour which came to an end in May 2014.[49] Springsteen's subsequent The River Tour 2016 featured a smaller lineup without Morello.[citation needed]
The band's name derives from the title of the Public Enemy song "Prophets of Rage" from their 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. To coincide with their protest performance at the Republican National Convention, the band released their debut single, entitled "Prophets of Rage". The group released the EP, "The Party's Over" in 2016, and the LP "Prophets of Rage" in 2017. The band began their "Make America Rage Again" tour of North America during the summer of 2016 and continued to tour through 2018. With the announcement of the 2020 reunion of Rage Against the Machine, Prophets of Rage disbanded.[52]
On September 21, 2021, Morello released a new song called "Let's Get The Party Started" featuring members of Bring Me the Horizon.[54] He followed this with the October 15, 2021, release of his second solo album, The Atlas Underground Fire.[55]
As the Nightwatchman, Morello has often performed alongside Boots Riley, frontman of the Coup; he produced and performed on a track for the Coup's 2006 release Pick a Bigger Weapon. In July 2006, it was reported that Morello and Riley were to collaborate on a project called Street Sweepers.[59] Morello appears in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as a "guitar boss" (the first of three in the career mode of the game) in a night club. Beating him in a one-on-one battle (playing an original composition he recorded for the game) will unlock him as a playable character and will result in the player and Morello playing the master track of "Bulls on Parade" as an encore immediately following the battle.[60] Morello's original composition features many of his trademark guitar effects like those heard in songs such as Audioslave's "Cochise" and "Doesn't Remind Me" and Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade" and "Sleep Now in the Fire".
In April 2006, Morello produced two tracks for the group Outernational;[61] on the band's website, it states that Morello will be producing their debut album.[62] In 2007, Morello was a featured guitarist in the Mortal Kombat: Armageddon soundtrack, playing guitar for the Armory stage's battle music.[63] On February 23, 2010, Cypress Hill released the second single, "Rise Up", from their album Rise Up featuring Morello on guitar. He is featured on the track "Shut 'Em Down" from the same album. Unlike "Rise Up", which is very similar in style to Morello's rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, it contains strong Latin and rapcore influences. On November 2, 2010, Travis Barker and Morello released a song alongside RZA and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan called "Carry It". It would later appear on Travis's debut solo album Give the Drummer Some.
He is collaborating with David Rovics' latest album.[64] Morello was featured in the song "Opinion" in the eponymous debut album by Device, which was released in April 2013. Morello is featured on Linkin Park's album The Hunting Party on the song "Drawbar", released on June 17, 2014. Morello plays the guitar solo of the song "Without End" on Anti-Flag's studio album American Spring released on May 26, 2015. In March 2016, Morello appeared with Knife Party and Pendulum as a guest at Ultra Music Festival Miami. Songs played featuring Morello's guitar work included "Battle Sirens" from his upcoming album The Atlas Underground and a mashup of the two co-headliners entitled "Pendulum VS Knife Party – Tarantula VS Bonfire."[65] Morello, along with Michael Moore and others involved in the film industry, is a board member of the Traverse City Film Festival, an annual event that takes place at the end of July, in Traverse City, Michigan.[citation needed]
On February 24, 2019, Morello appeared as a presenter at the 91st Academy Awards.[citation needed] On January 4, 2021, Morello teamed with DJ Free Leonard to urge President Trump to Free Leonard Peltier, by releasing the single "Traditional Way of Life" which contains poetry by Mr. Peltier recorded while incarcerated[citation needed]. In February 2021, Morello was featured on The Pretty Reckless song "And So It Went" on their album Death by Rock and Roll. In April 2021, Morello released a new song and music video with Pussy Riot, "Weather Strike".[66] He has hosted his own weekly show, One Man Revolution, on the Lithium channel at SiriusXM. He joined an additional weekly show March 2, 2021, and an original podcast March 3, 2021.[67]
He was a participant for the "Live for Gaza" online-event which was in April 2021. It featured Gaza's first Rock Band, Osprey V[68] and other Gaza artists, Wafaa Alnjeili, and Badeel Band.[69]
On January 13, 2023, Morello was featured on Måneskin's single and music video for "Gossip".[70] On August 18, 2023, Morello was featured on Babymetal's single and music video for "Metali".[71]
In 2011, it was announced that Morello, a lifelong comic book fan,[74] would write a new 12-issue comic book series for Dark Horse Comics, entitled Orchid. The series is a post-apocalyptic story in which the title character is "a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her." The first issue was published in October 2011, and Morello released an exclusive new song to accompany each issue. Orchid is illustrated by Canadian artist Scott Hepburn.[75] The series was collected into three trade paperback volumes released in 2012 and 2013.[76][77][78]
Morello is famed for his guitar style, which consists of heavy metal/punk hybrid riffs and hip hop-inspired sounds. A 1993 Melody Maker live review of a Rage Against the Machine gig said, "Guitarist Tom Morello wears his guitar high up to wring every sound out of it. Falling bombs, police sirens, scratching – he can do them all."[82]
In the studio, Morello uses the same setup for the bulk of the guitar tracks. For The Battle of Los Angeles, he used a few other amplifiers, such as a Line 6 as heard on the clean, spacey intro of "Mic Check", plus a Pignose mini-amplifier and a MusicMan "Twin" style amplifier.[83] During the recording of Audioslave's last album, Revelations, Morello experimented with different amplifier setups. For the title track's solo he split his signal to his standard Marshall 2205 head and Peavey cabinet and a 100 watt Fender Bassman head and an Orange cabinet. With delay sent to one while the other is unaffected the sound is being "ping-ponged" between the two amplifiers. He also borrowed a Vox AC30 amplifier from producer Brendan O'Brien for some tracks.[84]
Morello was voted the fifth greatest guitarist of the past 30 years in a 2010 BBC poll.[85]
Equipment
Morello uses heavily modified guitars from various manufacturers, with each guitar having different slogans written on them that was inspired by Woody Guthrie's "This Machine Kills Fascists" guitar.[86][87][88] He has played the same Marshall JCM800 amplifier since the late '80s, and has used the same amp settings since choosing them in 1988 or '89.[89]
Morello, as well as fellow members of Rage Against the Machine, holds left-wing political views. Morello in particular identifies as a socialist,[16] and has called socialism a necessity for the world, saying "I think [socialism is] a necessity, to save the planet [....] Look at how capitalism has responded to the global pandemic–it's a disaster. Look at how capitalism has responded to the impending environmental crisis – it's a disaster. Look at how capitalism has responded to racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the 21st century–it's a disaster."[91]
Morello frequently uses communist imagery, such as hammer and sickle stickers on his guitars, and Red star hats.[92] Following the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, he expressed support saying "While I don't agree with all that Fidel Castro did there is ample reason why he is vilified in the US and yet remains a huge hero throughout the Third World [....] By defying Yankee imperialism for 50 years, instituting the best healthcare, child immunization and literacy systems in the Western Hemisphere (surpassing the U.S. and Canada), exporting doctors to countries in need all over the globe [...], and being an unrepentant advocate of the poor and exploited it is no surprise that millions will mourn his passing."[93] Regarding his childhood, Morello cites the Black Panther party, Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and radical left militant organization Weather Underground as "Very important to [him]. These were people who unapologetically stood up to injustice with the most forceful means necessary."[citation needed]
In 2023 he attended the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, saying that the United States "shares responsibility" for the coup.[99]
Activism
Morello, with fellow members of Rage Against the Machine, protested the "Parental Advisory" sticker, introduced in 1987 in the U.S., on explicit albums and singles by Tipper Gore's Parents Music Resource Center. The protest consisted of the band refusing to perform at Lollapalooza 1993: They took the stage naked, mouths covered in duct tape, and bodies painted with the organization's abbreviation, PMRC.[100] Instead of performing, the band allowed their instruments to feedback for 14 minutes.[citation needed]
"Guantanamo is known around the world as one of the places where human beings have been tortured–from waterboarding to stripping, hooding and forcing detainees into humiliating sexual acts–playing music for 72 hours in a row at volumes just below that to shatter the eardrums. Guantanamo may be Dick Cheney's idea of America, but it's not mine. The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me."[103][104]
During his 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama had promised to close down Guantánamo in 2009. After being elected, Obama's attempts were largely stymied by Republican opposition in Congress. On 15 August 2016, 15 prisoners were transferred from the prison.[105] Twelve Yemeni nationals and 3 Afghans were transferred to the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total number of prisoners to 61 with 20 more cleared for transfer. President Obama did not close the prison before leaving office but had reduced the number of prisoners to 41. On 11 February 2021, President Joe Biden announced a formal review of the camp, with a stated goal of closing it by the end of his term.[106] At the time, there were 40 prisoners at the camp, most of whom had been held for nearly two decades without being charged or tried.[106] As of March 2022, one prisoner, Mohammed al-Qahtani, was expatriated to Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number of prisoners to 38.[107]
On February 21, 2011, Morello organized and performed an acoustic concert in support of the protests over collective bargaining rights in Madison, Wisconsin. The concert featured the MC5's Wayne Kramer and Boston punk band Street Dogs. Morello wrote an article in Rolling Stone about his experience.[108]
In June 2013, Morello and numerous other celebrities appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning.[115][116]
On September 26, 2014, Morello played a benefit concert in Seattle for 15 Now, the group launched by Socialist Alternative and Kshama Sawant to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour.[117] The concert was aimed at expanding the organization nationally.[118] After playing the show, Morello encouraged a boycott of The 5 Point Cafe, a local diner in Seattle, which he claimed on Twitter was "anti-Kenyan" and "anti-worker", encouraging his fans to "spread the word". The restaurant's owner, David Meinert, responded, stating that "Rock stars don't get special treatment at The 5 Point", and claiming that "Tom and his crew didn't get let in as the place was at capacity and there was a line. No one was being let in." Morello responded to Meinert, stating that he would show "leniency" and "forgive" Meinert if he embraced a $15 minimum-wage.[119][120]
Morello and Serj Tankian of System of a Down are the co-founders of Axis of Justice, a political group whose declared purpose is "to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice together." They "aim to build a bridge between fans of music around the world and local political organizations to effectively organize around issues of peace, human rights, and economic justice."[121] The group has worked for such causes as immigrant rights and death penalty abolition. Its recommended book list includes such authors as Karl Marx, Che Guevara, George Orwell, Noam Chomsky, Mumia Abu-Jamal and Grant Morrison.[122]
On April 6, 2006, Morello was honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award for his support of worker's rights and for his AOJ work.[123] Morello has worked on numerous labor campaigns: the Guess sweatshop boycott, the LA janitors strike, the Taco Bell boycott, the southern California grocery workers strike & lockout, and the Democratic Socialists of America's Starbucks unionization campaign,[124] among others.
Morello was a strong supporter of the 2006 United States immigration reform protests around the US. Morello played as the Nightwatchman at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and has featured many articles on AOJ.[21] On September 28, 2006, Morello was one of 400 protesters arrested protesting in support of immigrant hotel workers' rights, in what organizers called "the largest act of civil disobedience in the history of Los Angeles".[125][126]
Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991. The band consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They melded heavy metal and rap music, punk rock and funk with anti-authoritarian and revolutionary lyrics. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics first described Audioslave as a combination of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. Their unique sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock and 1990s alternative rock, with musical influences that included 1960s funk, soul and R&B. As with Rage Against the Machine, the band prided themselves on the fact that all sounds on their albums were produced using only guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, with emphasis on Cornell's wide vocal range and Morello's unconventional guitar solos.
Audioslave is the debut studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on November 18, 2002, through Epic Records and Interscope Records. In the United States, it has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album spawned the singles "Cochise", "Like a Stone", "Show Me How to Live", "I Am the Highway", and "What You Are"; "Like a Stone" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 46th Grammy Awards.
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against the Machine and his activism, de la Rocha promotes left-wing politics in opposition to corporate America, the military-industrial complex, and government oppression.
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician. He was best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to numerous movie soundtracks. Cornell was the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend, musician Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
Timothy Commerford is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, respectively, he has also been the lead singer and bassist of the bands Future User and Wakrat.
Bradley Joseph Wilk is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).
Brendan O'Brien is an American record producer, mixer, and engineer. He has worked with many groups and artists during his career, such as AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, and Bruce Springsteen. O'Brien was also credited on a plethora of nu metal albums with such artists as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Incubus, and Papa Roach
Lock Up was a rock band that featured Tom Morello on guitar before Rage Against the Machine was formed.
Renegades is the fourth and final studio album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on December 5, 2000, by Epic Records. It consists of covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, the Stooges, MC5, the Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, Devo and others. The cover is a take on Robert Indiana's Love artwork series.
"Killing in the Name" is a song by the American band Rage Against the Machine, and appears on their 1992 self-titled debut album. It features heavy drop-D guitar riffs. The lyrics protest police brutality, inspired by the beating of Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
The Nightwatchman is the solo project of American musician Tom Morello. Morello began performing as the Nightwatchman in 2003 as an outlet for his political views while he was playing apolitical music with Audioslave.
Revelations is the third and final studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on September 4, 2006 internationally and a day later in the United States through Epic Records and Interscope Records. Chris Cornell quit the band in February 2007 and the remaining members disbanded Audioslave rather than looking for a new vocalist since they were busy with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine.
"The Ghost of Tom Joad" is a folk rock song written by Bruce Springsteen. It is the title track to his eleventh studio album, released in 1995. The character Tom Joad, from John Steinbeck's classic 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, is mentioned in the title and narrative.
The Fabled City is the second studio album by The Nightwatchman, the alter ego of Tom Morello. It was released on September 30, 2008.
This is the discography of Tom Morello, an American rock guitarist who is most known for his work with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Street Sweeper Social Club and as his folk alter-ego The Nightwatchman. Morello started playing guitar in the mid 80's in the band Electric Sheep together with future Tool guitarist Adam Jones on bass. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University in 1986 with a BA in political science, he moved to Los Angeles, where he briefly worked as an aide to Senator Alan Cranston. Later Adam Jones moved to L.A. as well; Morello introduced Jones and Maynard James Keenan to Danny Carey, who would come to form the band Tool. In the late 80's Morello was recruited to replace original guitar player Mike Livingston in the rock band Lock Up. In 1989 the band released its only album Something Bitchin' This Way Comes. In 1991, Morello left Lock Up to start a new band. After being impressed by Zack de la Rocha freestyle rapping, he invited him to join. He also recruited Brad Wilk, who had previously auditioned as a drummer for Lock Up. Zack convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford to join as the band's bass player.
Street Sweeper Social Club is an American rap rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006. The band primarily consists of guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and vocalist and emcee Boots Riley of the Coup. The band had been testing songs out during Tom Morello's Nightwatchman tour and released an album on June 16, 2009. Stanton Moore drummed for the group for the recording of the album although he did not join the band for the following tour. Street Sweeper Social Club opened for Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction in May 2009. Street Sweeper Social Club describes itself as "more than a band, it's a social club." Their 2010 EP The Ghetto Blaster EP includes covers of M.I.A. "Paper Planes" and LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out".
Wakrat is an American trio composed of Tim Commerford, Mathias Wakrat and Laurent Grangeon. The heavily alt-punk-influenced group released their self-titled debut album in 2016.
Prophets of Rage was an American rap rock supergroup. Formed in 2016, the group consisted of three members of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, two members of Public Enemy, and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill. The band disbanded in 2019, following the reuniting of Rage Against the Machine. During its three-year existence, Prophets of Rage released one EP and one full-length studio album.
Prophets of Rage is the sole studio album by American rap rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, consisting of three members of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Public Enemy's DJ Lord and rapper Chuck D, and Cypress Hill rapper B-Real. The group formed in 2016 with a mission to "confront the injustices and be the soundtrack of resistance," and the primary message of Prophets of Rage is only the people themselves can solve the world's problems.
↑ Benitez-Eves, Tina (November 26, 2021). "Tom Morello: Spinning the 'Atlas'". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 11, 2022. Fire ignited, uniting the nations of music, crossing genres and experimental mixes, starting at the beginning with 'Harlem Hellfighter,' a frenetic instrumental ode to Morello's birthplace of Harlem, New York...
↑ Portner, Matt; Heller, Sarah. "Tell Us the Truth Tour". The Boston Underground. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
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