Jack Feeny reviews: Black Flag

	Damaged (1981)
	"This fucking city is run by pigs"
	Best Tracks: Rise Above, Six Pack, TV Party, Thirsty and Miserable, Police Story

Black Flag were one of the most important and influential bands of the original hardcore scene, even though their proper full length debut did not appear until after many of their imitators'. The EPs and demos that they recorded with a variety of different vocalists in the first four years of their existence can be found on the compilation imaginatively titled First Four Years. In 1981, though, the band finally found the vocalist with which they would be mostly associated and who went on to become a cult figure in the American underground rock scene - a certain Henry Rollins. To tell the truth, I am not exactly au fait with Rollins's career and know him mainly as a buff, gay, political preacher who has a habit of turning up on talking heads programmes. To that end, he certainly seems a hellofalot cooler back in his Black Flag days as a screaming, raging, angry young man. I have seen somewhere his performance on this album compared to Iggy Pop's on the Stooges' Fun House and I would probably go along with such high praise to some degree. He's not as versatile as Iggy, or at least as insane, but he brings so much vicious, brutal power to this material - frothing at the mouth throughout with undiluted rage - that one is almost forcefully dragged through the album from start to finish. Although a lot of the lyrical subject matter is de rigeur for angry young punk bands, with Rollins effectively just spitting his dummy out for many of the numbers ('I don't wanna live, I wish I was dead'), the band adhered to the 'straight edge' ethos that American hardcore had extricated from punk's confused morality and therefore much of Rollins's raging is against people who have the audacity to drink beer, watch TV, or even have a bit of fun. Now I'm not saying I'm some kind of debauched, hedonistic animal (more the pity) but, for Christ's sake, there ain't nothing wrong with enjoying a cold continental lager in front of the telly now and again. Or glass of wine. Maybe a bottle. Or a whiskey and ginger with brandy chaser. Or whatever. Look, the point is the band should probably just lighten up a bit. That said, there ain't nothing wrong with primal aggression of the anthemic "Rise Above" or the anti-filth tirade "Police Story". At least those numbers present a positive message (albeit an angry one) whereas the anti-fun ones are delivered with a heavy-handed sarcasm that only draws unflattering comparisons with the far cleverer approach taken by the Dead Kennedys. Although a staunch supporter of straight edge the lyrics were not actually written by Rollins but by the band leader, Greg Ginn, who is also responsible for most of the musical compositions. Unlike the Dead Kennedys the music is simpler, dirtier, and more aggressive. There is barely a musical innovation or trick in sight as the guitarists stick to the rigid template of playing power chords as quickly as they can. In fairness, however, the dynamics of many songs are centred around Charles Dukowski's rumbling bass playing. True to the ethos of hardcore the production isn't so much poor as non-existent and the power seems somewhat muted by the weak mastering. I'm sure it would benefit from a sparkly remastering and deluxe digipak packaging but I suspect the members of the band would be rather against the notion. Still, as long as you crank the volume up Rollins inevitably makes his way to the forefront, particularly his mouth-foaming rant on "Thirsty and Miserable" ('always wanting more') and with the help of ensemble chanting on the classic "Six Pack" and the almost playful "TV Party". The second half of the album drops down slightly into less distinctive but nonetheless visceral aggression and although the material is entirely one dimensional they couldn't have made any better job at presenting such a fist-pumping facet. Shame the lyrical content makes Jonathan Richman look wild and irresponsible. Now excuse me while I have a few tins in front of the box.

I'd rate it a 9 or even a 10. The one thing that gets in the way is the production, which is tinny and obscures Dez Cadena's rhythm guitar parts.
Also, Henry isn't gay, which even a cursory listen to a couple of his spoken-word albums would tell you. Just wanted to point that out.

Rollins is not gay. At least not by his own admission. That rumour has always existed, and he may very well be but he has repeatedly (and famously) denied it.
He's sorta the punk rock Tom Cruise !
He is a big advocate for Gay rights and that has helped further the perception - even though he often starts his spoken word rants on the subject with 'As a straight man, I feel....'

Man, I'd feel sorry for him if he were gay. Girls just fall for this guy.
Alright, down to business. I haven't heard any Dead Kennedy material save their debut, Fresh Fruit for etc., but what I hear here is immeasurably superior to what I heard there. Whereas, as you said, the Flag sticks to fast power chords, the Kennedys still used Ramones-esque barre chords on their debut. Here, it has the effect of making this sound a LOT heavier and more brutal than the almost-comic jocular-noise coming from the much-more-ironic-and-gleeful Kennedys. Personally, I feel that the bad production is partially the point--if you didn't have these mangled guitars striving to worm their way from the tape hiss and the rhythm section buried by Ginn's and Rollins' respective roars, it wouldn't have the same visceral, emotional impact. Emotions are what set this band apart--as opposed to the Kennedys, who seem to make a point of MOCKING emotion, even going so far as to lecture 'Your emotions/Make you a monster.' Indeed.
I actually think side 2 is by far the more powerful of the album--this band is far more effective when dead-serious, as opposed to sarcastic, or mocking beer-drinkers and TV-watchers, as you said. The anger and desperation just reach insane proportions on "Damaged I and II" and "No More". THIS was the blueprint for grunge (along with Wire), not absurdist bands from U-Mass.
It's a little too monotonous to be a masterpiece, and tracks 6-8 are pretty much the same song, but I'll give it a 9.

Rollins, I believe was the only 'straight-edge' guy in the band. The rest of the guys were definitely connoiseurs of some homegrown stuff. Oh yeah, the album. Good, but I only listened to it once or twice. Unique hardcore with some weird stuff thrown in.