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Product Description
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Founded by guitarist/songwriter Greg Ginn, Black Flag exploded out of LA in 1981 with a debut album so confrontational that MCA Records refused to release it, stating that Black Flag was "immoral" and lacking "redeeming social value". When the album finally came out on Ginn's own SST label, it was clear why MCA recoiled, as Black Flag's skinhead look and hardcore sound signalled a new chapter in punk--and rock in general. With Henry Rollins's venom-dripping vocals leading the way, the album features such hostile teeth-gnashers as "Rise Above" ("Try to stop us/It's no use"), "Six Pack" ("I got a six pack, and nothing to do") and, of course, "Life of Pain". --Billy Altman
Review
Consisting of mostly undigested lumps of bile spat out with a caustic vehemence, the word 'uncompromising'' might well have been designed with LA punk combo, Black Flag, in mind. There's an almost autistic single-mindedness about this album's monochromatic howl. Consisting of short-sharp-shock songs taken at a frenzied pace, the stripped-back garage sound is topped by the splenetic baying of vocalist Henry Rollins.
Formed in 1977 and guided by guitarist Gregg Ginn, the band was the embodiment of dysfunctional, disaffected white America, borrowing from the UK's punk movement but adding more than enough attitude to derail an oncoming train. It wasn't until fan of the band, Rollins, joined the group - after jumping on stage during a gig - that they found their stride and recorded their guttural debut. Essentially an album of electric protest songs, if asked what it was they were getting hot under the collar about, then you'd have to say just about everything! The likeably buffoonish 'TV Party' and 'Six Pack' are acute digs at slackers everywhere, whilst 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme' takes a swing at the insularities and shortcomings of the 'me' generation.
Mostly though, their invective nails self-doubt, alienation and the self-inflicted martyrdom of being square pegs tired of being battered into a round of hole of conformity. The one variation in their acidic drench of sound is 'Life of Pain', opening with an angular motif revealing that Ginn had more than a passing knowledge of Robert Fripp's 1979 solo album, Exposure.
Despite coming a few years after the white heat of the punk revolution had cooled off somewhat, the album caused waves when released in 1981 for the extremes of its furious nihilism. Further albums of similar ferocity (though widened musicality) followed, but they folded in 1986. Even after more than 25 years, listening to it is akin to stumbling into the middle of a bar-room brawl. Though you wouldn't guess it from this outing, Henry Rollins went on to become of the most incisive observers of the period via his book and spoken word CD, Get In The Van. --Sid Smith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
Yeah, bought this in '82, aged 14 - along with Dead Kennedys' Plastic Surgery Disasters, the other classic from that year. Nothing on the face of your earth prepares you for this sonic assault. Nothing. Heavy metal, eat my shorts, you lame losers, you fakes! Rise Above kicks off like they mean to go on, a spiralling, pummelling thrash of positive electricity that says 'you can kick me and beat me, but I will keep on getting up just to spite you goddamnit'. SPRAY PAINT THE WALLS - a 90 second slash across your ears. The feedback from Ginn's guitar before Rollins SCREAMS Depression, thrashing into a rolling thunder of pain and angst so real it hurts. The sound that launched a thousand boring imitations careers on through Life of Pain, Padded Cell, Room 13, all tempered and annealed in a white-hot, speed-of-light, grenade in the mouth and shit the pin's been pulled, NOISE that rips out to its 'de-facto' template with Thirsty and Miserable. Man, I felt like this. I lived it. Finally the record crawls, hobbles, spins out of control with the nightmare of working 9-5, living a lie and kissing your boss's butt just to get a slave wage as Rollins croaks and snarls his way through Damaged no.1. Damaged declares war on you - it'll leave you breathless, adrenalized and wanting to believe that the world cannot do anything to you more painful than you can inflict on yourself. You'll either find this LP a life-enhancing phenomenon or a crushing blow to all your sanitized pre-conceptions on what your trivial life is supposed to be. Nothing is louder, faster or harder. Believe me, I've heard it all. Accept no imitations. This is your brain through the mangle, into the mincer and fried in petrol. Lacerate yourself. Go on, you know you want to.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
This album first surfaced in 1980 when punk wasn't cool anymore. People talk about the British punk music classic bands but there was absolutely nothing as vitriolic and full of genuine fury as this album at the time. Henry Rollins, sounding like a kid just going through puberty, screams and shouts his way through 35 minutes of brilliance. It's amusing when you hear people whinging about the rough production of this album or the shoddy musicianship. Isn't that what punk is supposed to be about? If you listen to this album in the spirit it was intended to be then you will see why, rightly so, this was one of the most important punk albums ever. Other punk bands might have better production and be better musicians but this album was a decade ahead of its time, along with the likes of Bad Brains and Suicidal Tendencies.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By "davsnfu"
Format:Audio CD
Black Flag are the greatest band I've ever heard, or are ever likely to hear. Damaged is Life-affirming music that rouses you out of complacency. Frightening and real, this is not fake aggression, or forced aggression, this band lived this way, amidst so much harassment and bullshit it makes a mockery of most everything Ive heard since. "Depression" is sung with such conviction that cannot be faked. If you are listening to Korn/Machine Head/Fear Factory with their down-tuned dirge guitars, baggy-pants and goatee beards and think they are the real thing then pass this one by, you dont deserve to hear it. Riot Music, pure and perfect.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Have.
I'm only 18, so unfortunately I wasn't around during the time when Black Flag were still active but what I do know that this album and it's predecessors have some of the biggest... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Chad G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visceral and lacerating, superb.....
I'm 49, I listen to and play classical music and my musical taste usually runs to ambient stuff like Solar Fields or Christian Fennesz. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2010 by PEF
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most visceral, authentic, ALIVE music you could ever hear
How anyone could give this iconic cultural phenomenon of an album a one-star review leaves me utterly speechless. Most of the other reviewers here have really said it all. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by Richard House
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only Flag album that absolutely everyone should hear
One of the previous reviewers suggested that if you like Black Flag then you must be in some way unable to appreciate music. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by lexo1941
5.0 out of 5 stars
True gem of US hardcore
One of the defining moments of early 80s US punk. Get this and 'The first 4 years' and you're set. Later records pale in comparison but this is the real stuff. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2009 by D. Reynolds
4.0 out of 5 stars
black flag-damaged
Released in 1981 and the first black flag album to feature the vocals of black flags biggest fan prior to joining,damaged is an album of two different types of song racing at you... Read more
Published on 22 May 2007 by sean paul mccann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard. Core. Punk. Rock.
It is fast.
It is loud.
It is raw.
It is offensive.
It is awesome. Read more
It is loud.
It is raw.
It is offensive.
It is awesome. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2006 by Punk Rocker
1.0 out of 5 stars
Cack Shag
Damaged? Their musical prowess certainly is. Unlike certain albums that show a groups musical talent, this tells us how good Black Flag are: complete and utter rubbish. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
The finest piece of US hardcore EVER!
This is Black Flag's finest moment. Song's about depression, alienation and just plain hating stuff. Read more
Published on 29 May 2000
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