Public Enemies

Before they released It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy invaded London as part of the Def Jam '87 Tour (along with L.L. Cool J and Eric B. & Rakim). The landmark recording that followed incorporates a number of concert excerpts, including, "London, England, consider yourself warned," "I like that from the people up top," and "Bass for your face, London." In case you ever wondered where those snippets came from, London Invasion '87 is the answer. Along with their exhortations to the Hammersmith Odeon's capacity crowd, this 48-minute film features live performances of early hits, like "My Uzi Weighs a Ton" (Yo! Bum Rush the Show), and soon-to-be-classics, like "Bring the Noise," along with backstage banter from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and Professor Griff. As befits the group in their early days, this isn't a slick document, but it's an undeniably historic one. --Kathleen C. Fennessy