TSOL
Dance With Me
1981 – Frontier Records
Dance With Me
Producer Thom Wilson

Jack Grisham – vocals
Ron Emory – guitar
Mike Roche – bass
Todd Barnes – drums

01 – Sounds Of Laughter
02 – Code Blue
03 – The Triangle
04 – 80 Times
05 – I’m Tired Of Life
06 – Love Story
07 – Silent Scream
08 – Funeral March
09 – Die For Me
10 – Peace Through Power
11 – Dance With Me

If I were to create a list of my desert island top ten punk albums, ala Tower Records Desert Island Discs, TSOL’s Dance With Me would sit at the top of this list.

I wrote this review back in February of 2008, but couldn’t find the right way to describe this. My Brother, and I once had a conversation about not wanting to loan people certain albums we had grown up on, for fear that the other person’s reactions would be negative, or they just wouldn’t get it. When you’ve listened to an album for twenty plus years, there is more built into it than just some good songs. Who you met along the way, trips you made, everything that had happened to you in the last two decades – those songs came with you. That’s why since 1981 only one other person has listened to my Dance With Me album. A few months back I sent a copy for my Brother. Once he got it in San Diego (where he was living at the time) he called my place, and my Wife picked up, and my Brother tells her “Mike sent me a CD with songs about doing the freaky with dead people.” Like I’ve said for years, Code Blue was done in a very tongue-in-cheek way, but unless you’re familiar with them, you could be shocked. Another reason this album stayed hidden until I moved away from home.

I hate to admit it, but when I first bought their, now classic Poshboy Records EP, with the songs “Superficial Love” and “Abolish Government,” I didn’t dig them so much. I was still into the garage sounding hardcore that bombarded you with excessive feedback, and ridiculous shout-outs at the beginning of the songs. So, when I put on the EP, I discovered they could play their instruments, and Jack could sing. There were tempo changes, and vocal arrangements – who needed that? So, I traded the EP to my Uncle Rick for something, or other. About a year later I picked up Dance With Me, and loved it, I guess my musical tastes had evolved, because this wasn’t your typical Hardcore album. After seeing TSOL live several times, and getting hooked on the songs from the EP, I went back and picked it up – AGAIN!

TSOL blasted onto the scene in 1979, with white face paint, and blazing anthems, they were a shot in the arm for the scene. The release of their first EP enabled them to open for bands like The Damned and The Dead Kennedy’s. By the summer of 1981, the band released Dance With Me, on Frontier Records, which propelled them to the top of the California punk scene, and had them to headlining 3,000 plus seat venues, like the Hollywood Palladium, with bands like Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and the Adolescents opening.

I have to admit to loving the lyrics on this album. The lyrics for Silent Scream were written as if Jack had somehow channeled Edgar Allan Poe:

Silent Scream:
“I’m the cobwebbed stairs, the ancient bones
I’m the shadow rippling cobblestones,
I’m the stagnant swamp, the black lagoon
I’m the branches scratching at the moon
I’m the funeral service, the unknown mourner
I’m the demon cowering in the corner
I’m the sexton’s spade, the new thrown clay
I’m what’s left when they walk away
I’m the ebony coffin, satin lining
Pale thin lips in the back room dying
Pale thin lips in the back room dying
I’m the walking dead, the fly by night
I’m the last of the fading light
In the unbarred door, the open encasement
I’m the stairs leading down to the basement
The four post bed, the let down hair
I’m the cross that you forgot to wear
I’m the highest voltage, the shining slab
The crack of midnight in the doctor’s lab
I’m the night before, the morning after
Echoing of the baron’s laughter
Echoing of the baron’s laughter
I’m Jonathan Harker, I’m Lucy’s trance
Elegant count’s hypnotic glance
I’m the wooden mallet, the sharpened stake
I’m the precautions you forgot to take
I’m the mummy’s curse, the passing bell
I’m the fortune they wouldn’t tell
I’m pyromania, Transylvania
I’m out of breath, I’m worse than death
I’m the late night air, exhilarating
I’m with you in the darkness, waiting.”

This is my favorite album of theirs, it’s a punk masterpiece. The music is raw, catchy, and full of life. Get a copy of this album for someone who doesn’t own it, they will thank you. I always come back to this one. Did I gush enough? Did I make it clear that I liked their album?

Todd Barnes, the band’s drummer, died on December 6, 1999 of a brain aneurysm at the age of 34.

If you don’t own it go, and buy it, stop reading! Go buy it.

Rating: ***** five out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Blossom by Andrew Vachss
Listening: TSOL – Dance With Me
Watching: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Directed by Jay Roach

Free & legal download of the week: Shattered Faith – Reagan’s In

Frank Agnew, Jonathan Anastas, Phil Anselmo, George Anthony, Mark Arm, Jack Grisham, and more
American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
February 20, 2007 – Sony Pictures
Directed by: Paul Rachman

Over the years I have seen many, many “punk films.” The bulk of them are throw-away. Cheap junk created to make a buck. Or if they’re not cheaply done, there is absolutely no way in which to relate to them. They just don’t seem to hit on a piece of the scene that I remember, that is until American Hardcore came out. Prior to this, I thought the best movie about the genre was The Filth and The Fury, but I think American Hardcore sneaks into first place.

Based on Steven Blush’s book American Hardcore: A Tribal History, Paul Rachman’s documentary chronicles the underground hardcore punk years from 1980 to 1986 (hence the title). Interviews, and rare live footage from artists such as TSOL, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and SS Decontrol.

The history of hardcore –the tougher, faster, and more politically minded stepchild of the 1970’s punk movement that arose in the 1980’s is examined in detail in Rachman’s documentary. Rachman’s cameras careen across the United States to trace the movement’s beginnings in cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York, and interview the musicians that helped shape its sound and impact, including Jack Grisham, Henry Rollins, Greg Ginn (in a surprise interview), H.R., Ian MacKaye, and many others.

Hardcore’s violent reaction to the Reagan administration, and the mindset of middle-class America is also detailed in performance footage clips, and flyer reproductions, which do much to dismiss the popular opinion of hardcore as nothing more than mindless rebellion. Some fans may find the omission of certain bands a considerable oversight (The Misfits, and the Dead Kennedy’s are only mentioned in passing), but for most devotees, American Hardcore will be vital and essential viewing.

The DVD contains deleted scenes, bonus performances, commentary by Rachman and writer Steven Blush, and a gallery of photos from photographer Edward Colver, who covered the hardcore scene in detail. These extras are a movie unto themselves. Great stuff, the clips of Lisa Fancher add a bit more legitimacy to the film.

If you don’t have it, go buy it.

Rating: **** * four out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Another Life by Andrew Vachss
Listening: Symbol Six – Monsters 11
Watching: Elf Directed by Jon Favreau

Free & legal download of the week: Simpletones – I Like Drugs

Bauhaus
Bela Lugosi’s Dead 45
August 1979 – Small Wonder Records

Peter Murphy – Vocals
Daniel Ash – Guitar
David J – Bass
Kevin Haskins – Drums

01 – Bela Lugosi’s Dead
02 – Boys

I first heard about the Bauhaus in 1981. The Los Angeles punk scene was splitting up around this time, sort of splitting into separate genres. Basic punk was bands like Mau Mau’s, and a couple of the groups from the first Decline movie, then you had Hardcore where you had most of my favorite bands like Bad Religion, Black Flag and dozens of others. After that a death-rock scene started, we didn’t call it Goth back then, the death-rock scene in L.A. started around the time T.S.O.L. put out Dance With Me (some of you may dispute this, but this is how I remember it), and the scene suddenly had a truckload of groups, such as Christian Death, 45 Grave, Castration Squad, and a few more. And then around the same time, psychedelic punk started with Redd Kross, Salvation Army (later 3 O’ Clock), The Bangs (later the Bangles), and a few others. It was around this time that a girl (Stephanie C.) from school told me about the Bauhaus. I was a huge T.S.O.L. fan, and she was telling me that a lot of these death-rock bands were biting stuff from The Damned, and Bauhaus, so when I put some money together from my McDonalds job I picked up the only vinyl of theirs I could find at Moby Disc.

On the first play I thought something was wrong with the single, I’m waiting two to three minutes before the guy starts singing, and then they go on for about nine minutes. I was used to songs that ended by the two-minute mark. But the craziest thing happened, after the second listening the song is imbedded in your brain.

Every few years or so, I still put it on. While I still treasure the Dance With Me album more, Bauhaus were a pretty good band. Their version of Ziggy Stardust is a damn good cover.

The song was written as if Bela Lugosi’s was a vampire. Lugosi was, in fact, buried in his Dracula cape, an event shown in the film Ed Wood:

“White on white translucent black capes.
Back on the rack.
Bela Lugosi’s dead.
The bats have left the bell tower.
The victims have been bled.
Red velvet lines.
The black box.

Bela Lugosi’s dead.
Bela Lugosi’s dead.
Undead, undead, undead.
Undead, undead, undead.
Oh Bela…
Undead, undead, undead…”

More than thirteen different bands including The Buzzcocks, Godhead, and Poison Idea have covered Bela Lugosi’s Dead.

Bauhaus, Originally called Bauhaus 1919 after the German art movement; by 1979, they had dropped the 1919 from their name, formed in 1978 in Northampton, England. Guitarist/vocalist Daniel Ash, bassist/vocalist David J, and drummer Kevin Haskins had played together in a band called the Craze, before forming Bauhaus with vocalist Peter Murphy.

In August of 1979, they released their debut single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” on the independent label Small Wonder. Three months later, the group signed with Beggars Banquet’s subsidiary label, 4AD. The group’s second single, “Dark Entries,” was released in January 1980. Following their first European tour, they released their third single, “Terror Couple Kill Colonel,” which became a hit on the indie charts.

After their first American tour in September 1980, the group released a cover of T. Rex’s Telegram Sam. A month later they released their debut album, In the Flat Field, which reached number one on the independent charts, and number 72 on the pop charts.

The success of In The Flat Field led to their first hits on the pop charts; both “Kick in the Eye” and “The Passion of Lovers” made the U.K. Top 60 in 1981. In October, they released their second album, Mask, which revealed a more ambitious musical direction, which featured elements of metal, and electronic, that made the music more accessible, without abandoning the dark core of their music. Mask was a commercial success, peaking at number 30 on the U.K. charts.

In March 1982, Bauhaus released the EP Searching for Satori, which reached number 45 on the UK charts; another successful single, Spirit, followed in the summer. That fall, the group had a number 15 hit with their version of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. The success of the single propelled their third album, The Sky’s Gone Out, to number four on the album charts.

Murphy contracted pneumonia at the beginning of 1983, which prevented him from participating in the recording sessions for Bauhaus’ fourth album, Burning From the Inside. The album featured substantial contributions from Ash and J, who both pursued more personal directions. After Murphy recovered, the band toured Japan, and then returned to the U.K. to promote the summer release of Burning From the Inside. The album was another hit for them, hitting at number 13.

If you haven’t already heard this song a million times, give it a listen!

Rating: *** ** three out of five stars

Currently:
Reading: Ham On Rye by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Symbol Six – Monsters 11
Watching: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Directed by Adam McKay

Free & legal download of the week: Bad Religion – Against The Grain

Bad Religion
How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
11/30/82 – Epitaph Records
Producers Bad Religion

Greg Graffin – vocals
Brett Gurewitz – guitars
Jay Bentley – bass
Pete Finestone – drums on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 13
Jay Ziskrout – drums on tracks 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14
Greg Hetson – guitar solo on track 3

01 – We’re Only Gonna Die (Greg Graffin) 2:12
02 – Latch Key Kids (Greg Graffin) 1:38
03 – Part III (Jay Bentley) 1:48
04 – Faith in God (Greg Graffin) 1:50
05 – Fuck Armageddon… This is Hell (Greg Graffin) 2:48
06 – Pity (Greg Graffin) 2:00
07 – In the Night (Brett Gurewitz) 3:25
08 – Damned to Be Free (Greg Graffin) 1:58
09 – White Trash (2nd Generation) (Brett Gurewitz) 2:21
10 – American Dream (Brett Gurewitz) 1:41
11 – Eat Your Dog (Greg Graffin) 1:04
12 – Voice of God is Government (Jay Bentley) 2:54
13 – Oligarchy (Brett Gurewitz) 1:01
14 – Doing Time (Brett Gurewitz) 3:00

I remember when I first heard about this album, I was hanging out with my Uncle Rick at his work, Fallbrook Mann Theatre, one Saturday afternoon. He had come to work with his hair bleached-blonde, and one of his coworkers, a guy named Jay was asking Rick how he got his hair so blonde. So, Rick tells him “it’s simple, I bleached it.”

Well, I came back the next day, Sunday, and I’m hanging out in my Uncle’s office, and he tells me that this coming Tuesday, Bad Religion’s new record was going to be out. My Uncle was friends with some of the the guys from LADS, and the guys from Bad Religion. If memory serves, he went to El Camino with Jay Ziskrout, and Jay Bentley for a year or so.

Anyway, in the middle of this conversation, my Uncle’s coworker, Jay comes walking in, and he starts complaining about bleaching his hair. We both look up and Jay’s forehead, around his ears, and the back of neck were bright red, like he had been burned in a fire. Turns out Jay had taken my Uncle’s advice and “bleached” his hair – but with Clorox Bleach. He was in pain, and the bleach had only lightened the hair a bit. All pain, and no gain.

I think I must have had the first side of this album on my turntable all the time. Because when I re-purchased this LP a while back, I knew all the words to all the songs on the first side, and not as many on side two.

I am a fan of Graffin’s lyrics. Graffin always had a way of delivering somewhat gloomy lyrics in a way that made you pay attention, and hold your interest.

We’re Only Gonna Die
“Early man walked away as modern man took control.
Their minds weren’t all the same; to conquer was his big goal,
So he built his great empire and slaughtered his own kind,
Then he died a confused man, killed himself with his own mind.
Go!
We’re only gonna die from our own arrogance.”

How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is Bad Religion’s first full-length album, it was released in 1982. It was financed by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz’s father. Its “success” surprised the band when it sold 10,000 copies in under a year.

Part III
“The final page is written in the books of history,
As man unleashed his deadly bombs and sent troops overseas
To fight a war which can’t be won and kills the human race,
A show of greed and ignorance, man’s quest for dominance.
They say when a mistake is made, a lesson can be learned.
But this time, there’s no turning back, the hate engulfs the world.
A million lives are lost each day, a city slowly burns,
A mother holds her dying child, but no one is concerned!”

I always dug this song, the crazy instrumental introduction, and the vocals are great:

Fuck Armageddon… This Is Hell
“There’s people out there that say I’m no good,
‘Cause I don’t believe the things that I should,
And when the final conflict comes, I’ll be so sorry I did wrong,
And hope and pray that our lord god will think I’m good.
Countries manufacture bombs and guns
To kill your brother for something that he hasn’t even done.
Smog is ruining my lungs, but they aren’t sorry they’ve done wrong;
They hide behind their lies that they’re helping everyone.
In the end the good will go to heaven up above,
The bad will perish in the depths of hell.
How can hell be any worse when life alone is such a curse?
Fuck Armageddon, this is hell
We’re living in the denoument of the battle’s gripping awe,
So what’s the use of being good to satisfy them all?
How could hell be any worse?
Life alone is such a curse!
Fuck Armageddon, this is hell”

Bad Religion’s original drummer, Ziskrout, co-founded the band with Gurewitz in 1980. He performed on the EP, the Public Service compilation, and eight tracks on How Could Hell Be Any Worse? Rumor has it he decided to leave the band with only half of the songs recorded for How Could Hell Be Any Worse? due to a misunderstanding regarding the band’s new press photos (Rumor has it). Bad Religion found another drummer, Ziskrout’s drum-tech, Pete Finestone, who took over drums to complete the album.

Shortly after leaving the band, he moved to New York, where he worked for many years with Clive Davis as Vice President of Album Promotion for Arista Records. Later he returned to his punk roots by joining Epitaph Records in Amsterdam, where he served as Managing Director of Epitaph Europe/International working to break such artists as The Offspring, and Rancid. After Epitaph Records, Ziskrout returned to New York to launch two Latin Alternative music businesses, Grita! Records and LatinoVision.com. From 2001 to 2004, he served as COO of The CMJ Network.

Ziskrout currently works as CEO of the music, marketing, and technology consulting company, Sonicvista, based in Vermont.

Finestone composed the soundtrack fro the soon to be released film The Still Life, along with members of Skid Row, and Guns ‘N Roses. The film also has a cameo from Jonathan Davis of Korn.

How Could Hell Be Any Worse? was released on CD as part of the 1991 compilation, ’80-’85, and was remastered for the 2004 re-issue of this album.

If you don’t own it go and buy it, stop reading! Go buy it.

Rating: ***** five out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Flood by Andrew Vachss
Listening: The Briggs – Come All You Madmen
Watching: Curious George Directed by Matthew O’Callaghan

Free & legal download of the week: T.S.O.L. – Peace Thru Power

Cherry Bombz, Poison
Country Club, Reseda, CA
April 11, 1986
Admission $8.00
Time: 8:00 PM

Anita Chellemah – vocals
Andy McCoy – guitar
Nasty Suicide – guitar
Dave Tregunna – bass
Terry Chimes – drums

House of Ecstasy
100 Degrees
Pin Up Boy
Oil and Gasoline
Sweet Pretending
Comin’ Down Slow
Taxi Driver
Life’s Been Hard
Good Lovin’
Ain’t What You Do
Traveling Band
Hot Girls (Loverboy cover)

Now, don’t freak out! I’m not giving you a hair-metal review. My intentions for seeing these bands come from a very punk state of mind. I had a chance to see the ex-members of Sham 69, The Clash, Generation X, Lord Of The New Church (not so much them), and Hanoi Rocks. Bare with me . . . here’s the story:

I remember when I first heard about Hanoi Rocks it was in 1984 or early 1985. I was in my post-punk phase, hair grown out a bit, and clothes, kind of looked like I robbed a gypsy (or rolled a bum). Anyway, I was out on a date with a punk girl from Pasadena named Meredith. And she decides we should go downtown (Los Angeles) to a place called the Fetish Club. I’ve been to a lot of rat holes in my time, but this place really was one of the worst places I had ever been to. We paid to get in, and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom, I go in, and the bathroom has no doors, and the stalls have no doors. Basically, everybody in the club can see you. So, I’m standing at the urinal doing my business when I hear “Oh my god, look at these sexy men!” I turn my head to see a six foot 4 inch black transvestite in a blonde wig. He . . . or she comes running over to get a better look so I turn as much as I can, and when he gets too close I stick my leg out to keep him at bay and he says “I like them feisty.” I finish up and leave the bathroom for the night. I meet up with my date, and explain what I just went through, and she just laughed and said “this is the Fetish club.”

So, we hang out a bit, and discover one of the rooms in this place is a rundown bar with a wall-sized video screen that was showing all the stuff that I normally didn’t see on MTV, like Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, Bauhaus (you know, “I’m dead, I’m dead”), and Hanoi Rocks. The first video on was Hanoi’s cover of Up Around The Bend, corny video, but cool song. I remember saying to the girl I was with “I wish I had seen these guys live.”

Another weird part of the evening is when we entered the “video room” is over in the corner was a guy I went to High School with, I didn’t know his name, dressed in a Misfits type style complete with the “devil-lock.” Which is fine, but in school I remembered in Polo shirts. I did a double take when I saw him, and he ends up giving me the casual “what’s up” nod. How cool?!

After an hour, or so we stepped outside to smoke a clove or two, in the 1980’s this was still cool, and a block or two down I heard what sounded like a brick go through a window, then an alarm going off. About three minutes later a black guy comes running up to me with an armful of dresses, and asked me if I “wanted to buy a dress for my woman?” I thanked him for his great offer, but I passed.

A year or two later my friend Chris, from around the block, comes by to tell me that some of the remaining members of Hanoi are going to be playing up the street from us, did I want to go? Definitely. Somehow, Poison was headlining the show, they didn’t have an album out at the time, but they had a decent following in Los Angeles. Cherry Bombz had their album out, and were reasonably established – but they opened. Anyway, we get there and the place is full of the type of people you would see in Decline of Western Civilization II. After sitting through an opening act that I can’t remember I push my way up front to check out the Hanoi boys, this is where things get bad, I’m amped and the band comes out and . . . nothing. No energy, no charisma, nothing. The guys just stood there doing Pete Townshend poses. Most of the show there was no movement, then at the end of their set the did Loverboy’s Hot Girls In Love, and then they exploded, jumping all around, running from one part of the stage to the other, fricking bizarre. I was heart broken; I figured with this line-up how could you go wrong?

A bit later Poison came on, and did a set that was much better when Sweet did it fifteen years earlier. Spraying silly string into the audience, crazy stuff. For their encore they did a song called Out-Fuckin-Rageous, it was about the best thing that they did, it’s never been released. I don’t have to review Poison, history has written their review.

When Andy McCoy was 13 years old, he met Pete Malmi. Together they formed the first ever Finnish punk band: Briard, and from 1977 to 1979, they released a couple of singles (“I Really Hate You / I Want You Back” was the first), and performed numerous shows. The line-up of the band varied during the years, and Briard broke-up in 1979.

In 1979, McCoy joined Hanoi Rocks, in his native Finland, along with Michael Monroe, and guitarist Nasty Suicide. Hanoi would continue on until 1985, releasing five studio albums including, “Two Steps from the Move.” The band had gained a large following becoming their country’s biggest rock band. After their drummer Razzle died in a car accident, with Motley Crue’s Vince Neil, the band soon dissolved.

After Hanoi’s 1985 split-up, McCoy formed the Cherry Bombz, which featured several notable artists such as former band mate Nasty Suicide, Anita Chelman (real name Mahaderlan), of Toto Coelo, and former ‘Legs and Co.’ dancer, Dave Tregunna of Sham 69, and Lords of the New Church as well as Terry Chimes drummer from punk legends The Clash, Generation X, and for one year Hanoi Rocks.

A video of one of their live performances was released; it was called Cherry Bombz – Live From London. The footage was shot during a concert at the world famous Marquee club in September 1986; the music is from the band’s only album, Coming Down Slow.

Cherry Bombz received a great deal of foreign television exposure, with Loverboy’s Hot Girls In Love single, and toured hard, but to no real success. The band split with Chellemah going on to a TV career. McCoy, ultimately, joined the revamped version of Hanoi Rocks back in 2002, and has been with them ever since. Terry Chimes also had a stint with Black Sabbath in the late 1980’s. Dave Tregunna would join Kill City Dragons, and in 1993, Slumlords. Nasty Suicide is studying to become a professor in Department of Pharmacology at the University of Helsinki.

Rating: ** *** Two out of five stars

Currently:
Reading: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Listening: The Briggs – Come All You Madmen
Watching: Blades of Glory Directed by Josh Gordon

Free & legal download of the week: T.S.O.L. – 80 Times 1980 demo version

Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, the Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs and X
The Decline of Western Civilization
1981 – Atlantic Television, Inc.
R – 100 Minutes
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris

From the first words out of Eugene the punk’s mouth: “That’s stupid, punk rock,” I knew this was going to be memorable.

I remember when this was first released; I had the movie poster on my wall and the soundtrack in constant rotation on my turntable. I believe it was scheduled to open at the Nuart Theatre; I picked up their newspaper listings that came out every month, at Licorice Pizza. I had the date circled, and I was raring to go. A week before Decline was to open my Uncle Rick offered to take me. Here’s where I get bummed: my Mom tells him “No.” I wasn’t, quite yet, fifteen and she reminded me that I had to be seventeen to see it, and she mentioned a few recent police riots at the local shows. I tried to plead my case, and my Uncle promised to look after me, but still “No.” As it turns out the police were outside the theatre when the movie let out, and a small-scale riot did, indeed, ensue; to Mom was right.

For me this was the start of punk rock. I know people will debate on, and on about the Ramones or the Stooges starting punk, but for me this was the start. Let me explain: I was a fan of the Sex Pistols and they, pretty much, started the whole thing, but the bands in this movie were up the street from me, in some cases a few cities over. It became real, and tangible. After this film everybody had a band, including yours truly.

Filmed by Penelope Spheeris, from December 1979 to May 1980; Decline is not just a compilation of concert footage it chronicles the Los Angeles scene when it was beginning, before Hardcore really came into being. It, also, compiles viewpoints on the meaning of the movement, from journalists, one of whom calls “punk the folk music of the 1980’s,” to club security guards, to the punks themselves, in black and white interviews. Especially interesting is the performance by The Germs, thanks to Darby Crash, who would later commit suicide around the time this film was released.

Director Spheeris conducts the interviews herself, and gets the musicians to open up in a very unselfconscious way. Some of them are quick-witted, while others seem totally clueless.

In a wise move, many of the more garbled songs are subtitled, like the songs from Black Flag’s set.

The film begins with Black Flag singing “Depression,” “White Minority,” and “Revenge.” Afterward, they give a tour of their grungy, old Baptist Church crash-pad, and show off the cupboards and closets where they sleep.

Next, the Germs’ manager, Nicole Panter (ex-wife of Slash Magazine artist Gary Panter), discusses the problems managing the Germs, specifically singer Darby Crash, who’s often so wasted that he forgets to sing into the microphone. While clips of Crash falling off the stage play, Nicole explains that “the band originally couldn’t play their instruments, but nowadays, can.”

The film then visits the office of Slash Magazine; followed by the droning of writer/singer Claude Bessy, who fronts the band Catholic Disciple and performs “Underground Babylon” and “Barbie Doll Lust”. Bessy wrote for Slash under the name Kickboy Face. It’s during this segment that I always remembered, Bessy is reading a Slash letter aloud, and they show a crowd shot of some show, this one guy, dressed in black, starts shouting at someone, then stands there gritting his teeth for the remainder of time. His eyes are black, and he looks like he is going to explode; definitely the poster child for punk anger.

Next up is: X, who spend much of their segment giving a close-up demonstration of home tattooing, in a house which looks like the insides of a thrift shop. X seems to be one of the few groups the club owners actually like; the management of the Whiskey-a-Go-Go had even sent them flowers. On stage they perform “Beyond & Back,” “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene,” and “We’re Desperate.” There is a funny moment with X ragging on “hippies” while stoned out of their minds.

The Circle Jerks perform a record-breaking five songs (songs that Black Flag had claimed Keith Morris stole from them) in six minutes, with “Red Tape,” “Back Against the Wall,” “I Just Want Some Skank,” “Beverly Hills,” and “Wasted.” No band interview is shown in the film. The Circle Jerks debut album, Group Sex, would come out between the filming of their sequence in Decline, and the release of the film. Bassist Roger Rogerson died in 1996 of a drug overdose.

After that, Alice Bag Band sings “Prowlers in the Night” and “Gluttony.”

The film ends with Fear, and singer Lee Ving verbally abusing the crowd until he’s met with a hail of spit; before launching into a set that includes “I Don’t Care About You,” “Beef Bologna,” “I Love Livin’ In the City,” and “Let’s Have a War.” A definite high point is Fear’s on-stage footage, since their songs are fueled by their twisted sense of humor with funny comments like: “This is 1980, can’t you afford a fucking hair-cut?” No interview is shown for Fear.

If you get the chance to see this, fast-forward through the Catholic Discipline, Slash Magazine and Alice Bag segments. Claude Bessy seems to drone on about God knows what, and his music isn’t a true representation of what was going on at the time, meaning it sucks. Some of the X moments are a bit long, too.

Rating: *** ** three out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Factotum by Charles Bukowski
Listening: The Decline of Western Civilization OST
Watching: Bewitched Directed by Nora Ephron

Free & legal download of the week: Bad Religion – Modern Man

Bad Religion
Back To The Known 12″ EP
11/30/84 – Epitaph Records
Produced Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin

Greg Graffin – vocals & acoustic guitar
Greg Hetson – lead & rhythm guitar
Tim Gallegos – bass
Pete Finestone – drums

1. Yesterday – 2:39
2. Frogger – 1:19
3. Bad Religion (Theme Song) – 2:10
4. Along The Way – 1:36
5. New Leaf – 2:53
Length 10:43

“As the title suggests, the band eliminated all the hints of psychedelia and keyboards that flowed throughout the previous album, concentrating on relentless punk rock. While it’s a stylistic retreat, the band’s strength is blistering hardcore punk, which is something Back to the Known delivers in spades.”
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

I didn’t end up getting a copy of this EP until twenty-three years after its release. When I popped it on, initially, I was surprised by the sound. Over the course of three years (since their first EP) Bad Religion had changed their sound drastically. Now, I can comment positively, or do like every other punk would have done back in 1984, and screamed of selling-out, or becoming heavy metal, but I choose to go with the positive. Bad Religion evolved, it had to happen. I don’t know if this is what I would typically call “punk.” It’s good, but different.

A little less than ten years ago a band called Dynamite Hack came out with a cover of the Eazy-E song Boys In The Hood. Track three of this EP hit me the same way the Dynamite Hack song did. You say “Damn, this is familiar. Do I know this song?” I would have sworn it was a cover. The way Graffin sang on the first EP, How Could Hell Be Any Worse? and the tracks from the Public Service compilation is completely different here. Graffin had a higher pitched, kind of, screaming sing-song voice. The screaming is now gone. So, track three ends up sounding like a cover, not the guys that stomped this down your throat a mere three years early.

In 1984, Greg Hetson of the Circle Jerks, who had played guitar on “Part III” on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, joined to replace Mr. Brett, who had gone into rehab. In the meantime, the band’s lineup underwent some more changes. Greg Graffin is the band’s only original member on this EP. In addition to Graffin, this incarnation of the band also featured the previously mentioned Hetson, bassist Tim Gallegos, and returning drummer Pete Finestone. Finestone also drummed on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?

I remember my Uncle Rick telling me stories about Jay Ziskrout, and Pete Finestone. My Uncle was friends with both guys, and whenever he’d talk to them they would both insist that they did the bulk of the drumming on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?

Back to the Known was Bad Religion’s fourth release. They abandoned the progressive sound of their not-so-popular 1983 album, Into the Unknown, and instead returned to their roots. Back to the Known was originally released in a 12″ format, with only one side of the vinyl containing all five tracks. The B side contained no music, it was grooveless, and smooth. It was re-released as part of the 1991 compilation ’80-’85, and again on the 2004 reissue, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?

Bad Religion formed in the Woodland Hills section of the San Fernando Valley in 1980, with guitarist Brett Gurewitz, vocalist Greg Graffin, bassist Jay Bentley, and drummer Jay Ziskrout. Gurewitz established Epitaph Records, to release the band’s music. Between their self-titled EP, and their first full-length record, Pete Finestone replaced Ziskrout as the group’s drummer.

All in all out of the EP’s five tracks three of them are definitely strong. If you get a chance to pick this up check out Yesterday, Bad Religion, and Along The Way. Graffin came back with some more interesting lyrics; this is from Along the way:

“I refuse to abuse what is kind to the Muse,
But it’s there and it’s happening to me along the way.
As we go through the snow, we cannot forget our foes,
But the dinner’s always waiting at the table ‘long the way, yeah.

What you see, not for me, isn’t what you planned to be,
But you’ll have what you wanted in the end along the way.
And we’ll try as we cry and our brothers pass us by,
To be strong through the ages of our tears along the way, yeah.

Now we grow as we show that the morals we must know
Will be shapen and mistaken by the falls along the way.
But forget, don’t regret, to find love and happiness
Unless you’re willing to be strong when they are gone along the way.
Like Tommy, you are free, and you will not follow me,
Until we see each other once more on the path along the way.”

Give this one a listen!

Rating: **** * four out of five stars

Currently:
Reading: Barfly by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Bad Religion – Back To The Known
Watching: A Night at the Roxbury Directed by John Fortenberry

Free & legal download of the week: T.S.O.L. – You Don’t Have To Die 1980 demo version

Bad Religion, Circle One, Disability, Redd Cross and RF7
Public Service
1981 – Smoke 7 Records

01 – Redd Cross – Cease to Exist 2:35
02 – Redd Cross – Everyday There’s Someone New 1:09
03 – Redd Cross – Kill Someone You Hate 1:30
04 – RF7 – World of Hate 1:00
05 – RF7 – Scientific Race 2:57
06 – RF7 – Long Live Their Queen 1:59
07 – RF7 – Perfect World 1:17
08 – Circle One – G.I. Combat 0:39
09 – Circle One – High School Society 1:45
10 – Bad Religion – Bad Religion 1:51
11 – Bad Religion – Slaves 1:10
12 – Bad Religion – Drastic Actions 2:40
13 – Disability – Battling Against the Police 1:56
14 – Disability – White as a Ghost 2:00
15 – Disability – Rejection 2:28
16 – Circle One – F.O. 0:20
17 – Circle One – Destroy Exxon 1:40

Some years back I was Christmas shopping with my Wife, Sister-in-law, and my two Nephews. As the evening wore on it seemed like every other store, I was being told to wait outside or take the boys to this side of the store, so eventually my Nephews, and I went off by ourselves. We passed a store called Hot Topic. My oldest Nephew started freaking that he needed a pullover sweatshirt from this place. So, we go in. I had never paid attention to the place, and I didn’t this time either. It was wall-to-wall people, and I was trying to talk to my Nephew about the spirit of Christmas, and how he shouldn’t buy himself a sweatshirt, and instead shop for something nice for his mother. Finally, we left. I don’t know if the talk worked.

I didn’t go back into a Hot Topic for another year or so. I was pushing my Son through the mall while my Wife was scurrying around in one of the Bath shops. So, I’m walking around, and I pass Hot Topic. As I’m walking by I see the Slip It In album by Black Flag displayed on top of a small album bin. I b-lined into the store. I was surprised, I hadn’t seen new copies of punk albums on vinyl in years (I have since seen vinyl on dozens of sites). I quickly shuffled through the records, nothing, but the Black Flag album. Then I started going through the CD’s. I couldn’t find anything, or at least anything I knew. So, I step back and kind of scan the shelves, when a young Latin guy, about 24 or 25 years old comes up, and stands beside me and says “Damn Dog, I’m trying to find some old-school punk.” I kind of look him over, it’s not a racial thing, but I would have taken him as a Tupac fan. Anyway, I tell him that’s what I’m looking for too. So, he pulls a CD out of the rack and tells me “Hell yeah, Dropkick Murphy’s. This is old school punk from Ireland.” I just nodded, because at that point I hadn’t heard of them. Only recently did I download one of their tracks. I downloaded Worker’s Song. It’s a pretty good track, but it didn’t have the old hardcore feel that I grew up loving. Then I found out about two weeks ago that the band was formed in 1996 in Quincy, Massachusetts. Now, being my age — ten or eleven years ago isn’t really old school, and being of Irish descent doesn’t mean you are from Ireland.

I know a lot of the punk sites really dislike Hot Topic. I am really undecided. It is funny that for $100.00 and a half an hour you can leave the mall looking like a “punk.” Back in the 80’s, to get the clothing that we wanted, we had to travel all over Southern California to get a few things, and the rest we made. I liken it to the generation growing up in the 50’s, and having to watch Happy Day’s. It’s good entertainment, but that’s not exactly how it was.

Speaking of things I’ll probably not find at Hot Topic, I was recently able to replace my copy of the Public Service compilation, thanks Scott. The Public Service compilation was released in 1981 on Smoke 7 Records with songs by Bad Religion, Circle One, Disability, RF7 and Red Cross, before they had to change it their name to Redd Kross. This album was put out by Smoke 7 Records, which was run by Felix of RF7, in Canoga Park, CA. With the exception of Circle One, and Red Cross this was pretty much a San Fernando Valley record.

Like most of my record collection back then, I picked this up at Moby Disc. I saw the ad for it in Flipside in early 1981, and it was a chance to add some more Bad Religion recordings to my collection. I don’t remember if this was first or the Bad Religion EP was, but I ended up owning both. Another reason I bought this was the Circle One tracks.

The first three songs are by Red Cross, Cease to Exist, There’s Someone New, and Kill Someone You Hate. The sound is like a combination of old Rolling Stones with a pinch of Sex Pistols mixed in. Overall good garage music, and the more you listen to the first track, the more it grows on you.

The next four songs are by RF7, World of Hate, Scientific Race, Long Live Their Queen, and Perfect World. When I first bought this album these guys were my favorite band, for about a month based on these four tracks, I even went as far as painting their name on the base of my leather jacket. But now the vocals sound incredibly strained, like the guy’s been gargling with Drano. Long Live Their Queen was an L.A. reworking of the Sex Pistols tune, intentional, or not. I wasn’t digging them as much, but this sound is everywhere now from Slipknot to Lamb of God. RF7, mavericks? Maybe.

Track 8, 9, 16 and 17, G.I. Combat, High School Society, F.O., and Destroy Exxon, are by Circle One. The tracks are completely old Black Flag. The distorted guitars, the shout-outs at the beginning. It’s decent Hardcore, but listen to them, then go back to the old Black Flag stuff. Now, by the time they recorded these tracks, in Los Angeles, Circle One, and John Macias their singer in particular had become almost mythological creatures. My Uncle was the first to tell me stories Macias, months before the fanzines picked-up the stories. The first one was that my Uncle was at a show at Devonshire Downs in Northridge, and some guy comes in with a cane. And somehow word gets to John that it’s not just a cane, but really a concealed sword. John comes flying at the guy telling him to leave, so on, and so on. The guy denies that it’s a weapon, and John takes it from him and unsheathes it and looks at the guy and breaks the cane and sword over his leg, and promptly escorts the guys to the door. The second story my Uncle told me, was of him going to a UK Subs show at the Country Club in Reseda. Anyway, my Uncle goes up onstage does his stage dive, and as he’s coming down everybody changes positions, and my Uncle lands on his head. He’s bleeding all over the place, John sees this, and starts throwing bodies everywhere, gets to my Uncle, and picks him up like you would a baby, and carries him outside, and waits until someone drives him to a hospital. John could be a bit of a rough-neck, and I was surprised when I found out he died, which I had written about before, but I just found this version of his death, it seems like the National Enquirer version:

“John Macias had started his rampage on the Santa Monica Pier when he was confronted by pier security. According to The Evening Outlook, Macias was getting rousted by a security guard in the midst of his sermon when he picked the guard up and flung him over the side, dropping him two stories to the ground onto concrete. He then fled on foot up the pier to Colorado, where he entered a McDonalds. He approached an elderly woman, a German tourist who was sitting at a table enjoying a Big Mac. He snatched the burger out of her hands and punched her in the face. He then fled across the street where he was seen running down the embankment of Interstate 10. Motorists reported seeing him in the McClure Tunnel reaching out as if attempt to grab people from their quickly moving vehicles. He reemerged on Colorado, where he was spotted by a passing squad car, which quickly had back ups, as the Santa Monica Police Department was less than a half a block away. Three squad cars and six armed cops surrounded him. Macias apparently was not going to go down without a fight. Unarmed, he charged the six cops, all with guns trained on him professing aloud “God is going to watch you die, pig!” It took 8 bullets to bring him down. Many bands had professed their disdain for the men in blue, not many of them went down in a blaze of glory like John Macias did.”

The next three songs, Bad Religion, Slaves, and Drastic Actions are alternate versions of the songs from their first EP. The drumming is phenomenal, it sounds like one guy on drums and another on cymbals. No matter how many years go by or which version of the Bad Religion song I hear the words instantly come back to me:

“See my body; it’s nothing to get hung about.
I’m nobody except genetic runaround.
Spiritual era’s gone, it ain’t coming’ back.
Bad Religion, a copout, that is all that’s left
Hey Mr. Mime, stop wasting my time,
With your factory precision.
Factory precision is your
Bad Religion, regurgitate
Indecision, it’s not too late.
Bad Religion, Bad Religion.
Ay!
Don’t you know the place you live’s a piece of shit?
Don’t you know blind faith through lies won’t conquer it?
Don’t you know responsibility is ours?
I don’t care a think about eternal fires.
Listen this time, it’s more than a rhyme,
it’s your indecision.
Your indecision is your
Bad Religion, regurgitate
Indecision, it’s not too late.
Bad Religion, regurgitate
Indecision, it’s not too late.
Bad Religion, Bad Religion,
Bad Religion.”

Just great stuff.

Tracks 13, 14, and 15, Battling against the Police, White as a Ghost, and Rejection, are by Disability. This is about the only recordings this band made. The were known as Isolation from 1980 to 1981, then Disability from 1981 to 1982, then back to Isolation again from 1982 to 1983, and finally broke up for good. The music itself is decent Hardcore, the drumming is especially good and fast, but the rest is kind of average.

If you find it, give it a listen.

Rating: **** * four out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Listening: The Clash – The Clash
Watching: Zoolander Directed by Ben Stiller

Free & legal download of the week: T.S.O.L. – Abolish Government

7 Seconds/Suicidal Tendencies/Youth Brigade/Wasted Youth
Galaxy Roller Rink, Fullerton, CA
Friday, December 17, 1982
Admission $6.00
Time: 8:00 PM

I remember picking up the flyer for this show at Vinyl Fetish on Melrose, down in Hollywood. I was hanging out with a friend of mine Chris W. Chris was out here for a year from New York, and I was shopping for a pyramid-studded belt (a must for every punk’s arsenal). Anyway, I picked up the flyer, and Chris takes it, and say’s “let’s go!” Now, if you ever saw Chris, you would think he was the last guy who would ever belong at a punk show. As I said he was from New York, he had curly blonde haircut into a preppy-type mullet, drove a BMW, and wore Member’s Only jackets. I told him that it might not be a great idea, but the New York attitude in him insisted. So, for the next week, or so that’s all he talked about – going to the show. I invited two of the girls I hung out with at school Stephanie C. and Steph B. This show was turning into a full-blown road trip. I had never ventured this far out for a show, from where I lived it was just over 43 miles, and a good hour drive. Chris offered to drive, and we all accepted.

The night of the show my Mom dropped me off at Chris’ place in Tarzana, after the gig I would just crash out there. Chris had pulled out a bag of old work clothes, jackets, shirts and boots. When I walked in he was working overtime drawing anarchy symbols all over the boots, and had emptied out about half a tub of Dipity Doo into his hair. He didn’t look so much like a punk as he did a homeless guy. So, he asked me how he looked, I told him he’d be fine, the way he looked I don’t think anybody would talk to him.

The two Steph’s were over at Steph B.’s place. We picked them up at 6:30pm-6:45pm, and hopped onto the 101 freeway. We took the 101 for about 30 minutes, and then switched over to the Interstate 5 for the last half hour. When we finally arrived we parked a few blocks away, Chris was not sure what would become of his new BMW.

Once we got to the rink, there were huge lines to get into the place. The Fullerton police were frisking everybody, and waving handheld metal detectors over everyone in line. They didn’t have female officers for the girls, same group of male cops for everybody. And standing to the side were a couple of officers holding back German Sheppard’s on leashes. Finally after fifteen or twenty minutes I got waved forward, immediately the metal detector goes off as the officer waved the metal detector over my leather jacket. The cop gets this look on his face, and my eyes bug, because I have no idea what set it off. One cop comes over to check my pockets as the other holds my shoulder. The officer pulls out a pocketknife with a razor blade tucked into the blade. I almost crapped. I became the very stereotype these cops were fighting. The other officer was now holding both of my shoulders. The first thing that came to mind was that I was going to be arrested and have to call my Mom, and have her drive an hour to get me, and this was going to be all bad. So, I decided to bargain with them. I said “Would you like to keep the knife, I don’t need it.” The officers look at each other for a minute, and told me to get moving. Whew, I was safe!

OK, now let me explain, I had begged my Mom for a pocketknife. For two reasons, one to use in my art class for paste-up’s and things like that, the second . . . well, I thought they looked cool. Finally, my Mom let me get one, and it sat in my pocket for months untouched. The razor, I also forgot I had. My art teacher, I think he was fruity, gave me a razor blade to draw for part of my final. I was supposed stick it in something like an apple, or something and draw it. Well, I didn’t want it to cut through the jacket so I tucked it into the knife. As I started to walk away, I look up and twenty or thirty people are staring at me like I’m super-hardcore. Bringing in weapons, and just walking away. I wasn’t cool; I was scared, and dumb.

Finally, we walk in, the two Steph’s run off to socialize, and me, and Chris find a spot to hangout as 7 Seconds tune-up. Then they just launched into their set. They were pretty good. I don’t remember the exact songs they did. I know they did some songs from the Not So Quiet On The Western Front compilation on Alternative Tentacles, and their 7″ EP Skins, Brains and Guts, also on Alternative Tentacles. 7 Seconds was formed in Reno, NV, and relocated to Sacramento, CA. Vocalist Kevin Seconds did a good job.

The second group on was Suicidal Tendencies. From the minute we walked in there was a mass of Suicidal fans standing the back, somewhere fifty to a hundred of these guys all in white dress shirts with different versions of the Suicidal Tendencies logo drawn on the back, skull and cross bones, some crosses. Anyway, they all stayed in the back of the rink until the first chord was played, then like the running of the bulls they took over the stage, they took over the pit, and eventually they took over the room. Suicidal played the bulk of their songs from their self-titled album that they would release the next year. “Suicide’s an Alternative / You’ll Be Sorry,” “Two Sided Politics,” “I Shot the Devil,” “Subliminal,” “Won’t Fall in Love Today,” “Institutionalized,” “Memories of Tomorrow,” “Possessed,” “I Saw Your Mommy…,” “Fascist Pig,” “I Want More” and “Suicidal Failure.” The only real difference I remember is the I Shot the Devil song, I’m pretty sure they sang it as I Shot Reagan. I was never a Suicidal Tendencies fan, but you couldn’t deny the powerful performance. As their music took over the stage, their fans took over the hall. I was surprised they weren’t headlining, with their fans alone they could’ve sold the place out. Mike Muir was an intense front man.

The third band on was Youth Brigade. Youth Brigade was made up of three brothers Shawn, Mark, and Adam Stern. These guys are also the founders of BYO Records. They played a great set. It was L.A. punk, but with a hint of Oi in it. They played Violence, Boys In The Brigade, and Look In The Mirror from the compilation they produced: Someone Got Their Head Kicked In. They were really good; their set went by too fast.

Finally, the fourth band of the night: Wasted Youth. These guys got great crowd reaction. The whole place was jumping, and singing along to all the tracks off of Reagan’s In: “Reagan’s In,” “Problem Child,” “Teenage Nark,” “Uni-High Beefrag,” “Born Deprived,” “Fuck Authority,” “You’re a Jerk,” “We Were On Heroin,” “Punk for a Day,” and “Flush the Bouncers.” Lyrically, Wasted Youth were very amateurish. But once you get past that they were a real fun band to watch live. The band was in it’s classic line-up of: Danny Spira on vocals, Chet Lehrer on guitar, Jeff Long on bass, and Allen Stiritz on drums.

You may remember Wasted Youth’s cool album cover, done by Pushead Lamort. During this time (three months before I turned seventeen), I would buy almost anything drawn by one of my favorite artists: Marc Rude, Shawn Kerri or Pushead. As you may remember Pushead went on to do some great art for The Misfits and some other stuff for Metallica.

Anyway, the ride home was a bit quicker. We dropped off the two Steph’s, who we would talk to all night between bands, basically giving our critiques. Then Chris and I headed to his place and crashed out at 1:00am. Other than the police incident it was a cool night.

Currently:
Reading: Apaches: A Novel of Suspense by Lorenzo Carcaterra
Listening: Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute To Swingin’ Utters
Watching: The Filth & the Fury directed by Julien Temple

Free & legal download of the week: Bad Religion – Generator

Henry Rollins
Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag
1994
2.13.61

I originally purchased the spoken word tape of this when it came out, loved it. Then I picked up the tenth anniversary edition of the book . . . the pictures were nice. Let me start off by saying that I was a big Black Flag/Henry Rollins (Garfield) fan back when Henry was in S.O.A and when he first joined Black Flag. Like many of us young guys back then, I wasn’t overly enthused about the direction they took in the mid to late 80’s. I think the track Rise Above was the ultimate punk track of its time; it was definitely the blueprint for L.A. hardcore.

The first hundred pages of this book are great, the next fifty are all right, but after that it’s all-bad. As you’re reading, you witness Henry’s mental unraveling. He seems like a somewhat normal guy, but as time drags on you start to see Henry turn, and start to turn against to the fans or vice versa. And eventually, he doesn’t really seem to like the band or its members much, but like he’s stuck in a tractor-beam, and can’t leave. Originally, I got this a while after it first came out on tape, and listened to it often. Then, when they brought out the second printing of the book, I picked it up, but there are a few incidents that Henry writes about that are a bit too nutty. One scene is when he’s coming off stage with Black Flag, and he’s so amped he feels the need the self-mutilate, so he starts cutting himself with a bottle, I guess the whole action weird’s everybody out so bad that Ian MacKaye, from Minor Threat, starts crying. Another twisted scene is midway through the book, Henry is in a car talking to some girl, and they see a cat get hit by a car, Henry gets out of the car, and snaps its neck, and takes it to its owner’s house, and dumps it in the yard. After this bit I just stopped reading. Not that I can’t handle the whack-a-doo behavior, but all I really wanted was an in-depth story of Henry, and Black Flag, not how the world doesn’t understand him, and everyone’s bad. He seems to become a mental case without a real reason for the transition. I don’t know if it was for shock value, or he just felt that the singer for the mighty Black Flag has to be crazier than everyone else.

In the introduction, he says that he began to compile the book in 1990. He goes on to explains that many of the journal entries were written while living in The Shed, a “tool shed” in the back yard of Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn’s parents’ house.

The book begins in Spring of 1981, and documents the time surrounding Rollins’ personal introduction to, and the joining of Black Flag. From here on Rollins recounts a string of violent shows, long hours on the road, and abuse by police while immersed in the poverty-stricken lifestyle where the band dwelled. A major part of 1982 is dedicated to the band’s first tour of England, which Rollins paints as a pretty hellish affair. As the book goes on Rollins describes the band as being alienated by its audience, and alienates himself from the band. July 12, 1986 is the final entry. Following it is an afterward by Rollins describing the effects his experiences with Black Flag had on him and the time immediately following the band’s breakup.

In 1981, his friend Mitch Parker gave him a copy of Black Flag’s Nervous Breakdown EP. Rollins soon became a huge fan, and began exchanging letters with the group. When Black Flag toured the East coast, playing Washington D.C. and New York City, Rollins attended as many performances as he could. At an impromptu show in a bar, he asked them if they would play “Clocked In,” as Rollins had to return to work after the performance. Rollins asked singer Dez Cadena if he could join the band onstage for the song. Unbeknownst to Rollins, Cadena wanted to switch to guitar, and the band was looking for a new vocalist Black Flag’s members were impressed with Rollins’ singing, and stage demeanor, and the next day, after a semi-formal audition, they asked him to become their permanent vocalist. Despite some doubts, he accepted, due in part to Ian MacKaye’s encouragement. His high level of energy, and intense personality made him a perfect fit as their front man.

After joining Black Flag, Henry Garfield changed his last name, and got the Black Flag logo tattooed on his arm. It was to be the first of many tattoos (others are The Misfits’ Crimson Ghost logo and the “stickman” logo of German experimentalists Einsturzende Neubauten). As Rollins became more heavily tattooed, and more built, he wore less clothing on stage, often hitting the stage bare-chested, barefoot, and wearing only a pair of black shorts (Is this where Mike Tyson got it?)

While in Black Flag Rollins began publishing his own books. His early efforts were self-made poetry books, photocopied, and stapled; though he quickly began printing chapbooks before moving on to establish his own publishing company 2.13.61, named after his birthday.

The spoken word version of this book was read by Rollins, and released as a 2-CD/tape set, which won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Spoken Word Album. On the January 1, 2005, episode of IFC’s Henry’s Film Corner, Rollins says the entire Grammy affair was “corny,” and that he gave his Grammy statue to a friend.

In 2004, on the 10th anniversary of this book Henry produced a new version of the book with 50 more pages, and a bunch of Raymond Pettibon’s flyers. It includes extra journal entries; artwork, and an additional afterwards.

The photography in the book are works by Glen E. Friedman, Ed Colver, and Naomi Peterson as well as drawings by Black Flag’s crewmember, Davo. The cover photo, taken by Gary Leonard, depicts a squad of Los Angeles police officers marching on a show on November 17, 1984. The back cover features a Photo taken by Peter Gruchot of the February 19, 1983, show in Munich Germany; the band, and crowd, singing along to “TV Party,” after the PA was turned off.

An appendix of Black Flag line-ups and tour dates starting with Rollins’ joining is included. One of the afterwards mentions a journal authored by Joe Cole, roadie, and published by 2.13.61 titled Planet Joe which offers an alternate recount of the same dates as the Rollins offering.

Rollins met Joe Cole While in Black Flag. Cole was an acquaintance of Ginn’s. They became close friends and, in December 1991, Rollins and Cole were robbed at the home they shared. Cole was murdered by a gunshot to the head, and Rollins escaped without injury; the crime remains unsolved. Most of Rollins’ subsequent efforts have been dedicated to his late friend’s memory.

Currently:
Reading: Another Day in Paradise by Eddie Little
Listening: The Vandals – Peace Thru Vandalism
Watching: The Decline of Western Civilization III by Penelope Sheeris

Free & legal download of the week: Bad Religion – Struck A Nerve