MY WAR - Black Flag

YEAR: 1984

LABEL: SST

TRACK LISTING: My War, Can't Decide, Beat My Head Against the Wall, I Love You, Forever Time, The Swinging Man, Nothing Left Inside, Three Nights, Scream

IMPRESSIONS: This is my favourite Black Flag album mostly for side B. Side A contains really great and solid Black Flag songs with Rollins taking over as lead singer and preserving the Black Flag sound of the previous album "DAMAGED". Side A also features several songs which feature exhilarating tempo changes -- sometime several in one song -- especially tasty on "Beat My Head Against a Wall" whereas "The Swinging Man" sometimes sounds Zappa-like instrumentally. However, it's the final 3 songs which make up Side B that bring in an entirely new sound which is frankly thrilling by contrast; the tempo is almost mind-bogglingly slow yet remains impossibly heavy and doom-laden. . .Black Sabbath has been touted as an influence on the sound of these songs. This album (and Black Flag's subsequent tour of the Pacific Northwest) was apparently a big influence on the dawning of grunge.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: My War, Can't Decide, Beat My Head Against the Wall, The Swinging Man, Nothing Left Inside, Three Nights, Scream

FACT SHEET: MY WAR is Black Flag's second album (believe it or not); not counting their countless EPs and live albums. The cover artwork was done by Raymond Pettibon. Black Flag at this time consisted of Henry Rollins (vocals), Greg Ginn (guitar, bass) and Bill Stevenson (drums); the Dale Nixon credited as bass player was a pseudonym for Ginn.

WASTED . . . AGAIN - Black Flag

YEAR: 1987

LABEL: SST

TRACK LISTING: Wasted, T.V. Party, Six Pack, I Don't Care, I've Had It, Jealous Again, Slip It In, Annihilate This Week, Loose Nut, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Louie Louie, Drinking and Driving

IMPRESSIONS: This is a rather brief sorta "greatest hits" of Black Flag featuring the more "listener friendly" anthemic punch-your-head-through-a-wall songs and leaving out the more "difficult and demanding" material of the group. This is the album you want when you're in the mood for rage and boneheaded song topics. This is NOT a slam on the album but is meant as a compliment. There are sometimes in one's life when you just need to unleash some aggression and Black Flag is always there to help. I don't even drink beer and I wanna slam a beer can into my forehead to "Six Pack"; and there's no denying the everlasting charm of "T.V. Party". Now I dearly love Henry Rollins but my favourite singer for Black Flag has to be Keith Morris and his odd pronunciation. My favourite Black Flag song, after all, is "I Don't Care" sung by Morris.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Wasted, T.V. Party, Six Pack, I Don't Care, I've Had It, Jealous Again, Slip It In, Annihilate This Week, Loose Nut, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Louie Louie, Drinking and Driving

FACT SHEET: WASTED. . .AGAIN is a "best of" collection released after the band's breakup in 1986. Considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, Black Flag was formed by guitar/songwriter Greg Ginn in Hermosa Beach, California in 1976. Vocals on "Wasted", "I Don't Care", "I've Had It" and "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" are by Keith Morris. Vocals on "Jealous Again" are by Ron Reyes. Vocals on "Six Pack" and "Louie Louis" are by Dez Cadena. Vocals on "T.V. Party", "Slip It In", "Annihilate This Week","Loose Nut" and "Drinking and Driving" are by Henry Rollins.