In Praise of.....Damaged by Black Flag

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Haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought...vut das heck?

Recently re-discovered the bleak majesty of this record after reading Henry Rollins' latest book, "Broken Summers" ("Broken Summers" by Henry Rollins: what ya think?). It's such a milestone record that everyone seems to cite with such regularity, that one almost takes it for granted. I first heard "Rise Above" courtesy of a mix tape a friend of mine (Richard Korn....last seen singing the theme song to "The Jetsons" in Central Park for spare change) gave me. Up until then, I was still convinced that Punk Rock was solely class of `77 acts like The Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Ramones. Blown away by the dogged ferocity, I sought out the album. I believe I picked up Damaged the same week I found the seminal (yeah, that's right, SEMINAL) Alt.Tentacles compilation, Let Them Eat Jellybeans (still criminally unavailable on cd).

Just one glance at the cover art of Damaged, and it was clear that there were no apologies nor comprises to be found therein. By the time you get to the sixth track, "Thirsty & Miserable," "Rise Above" sounds positively peppy in comparison. There isn't a great deal of sonic diversity here, but big fuckin' deal! Black Flag may do only one thing on Damged, but they do it with such brute force and vein-straining determinism that it cannot be denied. Rollins may have mutated into a bit of a self-parody these days, but his schtick was still pretty fresh at this point. Moreover, Rolllins is only the vocalist here (and the fourth for the band), a burly, scowling vessel for Greg Ginn's lyrics of isolation, self-loathing and barbed nihilism.

I'd always loved albums that scared my family, whether the fire-breathing shenanigans of Kiss or the jerky oddness of Devo or the cartoony mock-heroics of Iron Maiden, but this album genuinely disquieted my sister and my mother during its frequent airings in the summer of `82. But it's not an entirely bleak affair. "Rise Above" could be construed as an anthem of self-reliance, and there are a few examples of (very black) humour (notably "TV Party" and "Six Pack", though the inherent irony of these songs seems lost on a vast contingent of their fan base). The scond half of the record (from "Depression" through "Damaged 1"), however, is purely meaty self-chastisement that is almost overwhelming in its angst. But, once again, that's what Black Flag did. As relentlessly bleak as it could be, I remember BLASTING "Depression" out of my dorm room windows on a few occaisions in college (much to the chagrin of the Edie Brickell Nation) and finding it to be nothing short of tireless tonic of catharsis.

From Damaged onward, I dove into hardcore, embracing the Circle Jerks, the Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, MDC and a slew of other bands (including since-dubious ones like 7 Seconds). Eventually, hardcore seemed to be running in circles (pardon the pun, slam fans) and I started getting bored. Simillarly, Black Flag started forging a new, entirely difficult direction for themselves.....slowing down their once-speedy tempos to that of molten sludge and growing their hair out to dissuade certain factions of their demographic. I gradually lost interest in each successive `Flag album and immersed myself in British bands like.....wait for it....Killing Joke (who continued to deliver where Black Flag fell apart).

My vinyl copy of Damaged packed away in a crate in a storage space in Lower Manhattan, I didn't even own a copy of it on compact disc until quite recently. I just started playing it again (much to the furrow-browed irritation of the Mrs.) and still marvel at its utter, none-more-blackness. I used to take the album dreadfully seriously, as if it were some ritualistic device appropriate for exclusively for extreme circumstances. While that may be a acne-speckled adolescent's perspective, I'd say Damaged still holds up.

What sayeth thou?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 10 January 2004 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I flipped out when I heard "TV Party" used prominently in an episode of "Futurama". Rollins is a dong and I still think Bad Brains' debut is more fun but I had a different life so hey.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 10 January 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

This is an awesome album. I think there are very few records that have the demented power of this record. I remember hearing "six pack" on a radio 4 arts program (!) whilst at work on a saturday when it was current, and I just fucking knew I had to hear more of that. I'll be listening to this tonight, thanks Alex.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 10 January 2004 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Rollins may have mutated into a bit of a self-parody these days

aka 1985 and onward?

I think I've listened to this album once or twice at most. I have a feeling it would make a fantastic EP ("Rise Above," "TV Party," "Damaged," "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie").

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 January 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a feeling it would make a fantastic EP. --Ned

That's what I also thought the first two or three times I heard it. But it is of one piece. It must be taken in a whole to be truly appreciated (for its intensity). It is the sound of desperation and deppression. It was my first punk album that wasn't a compilation. It changed my life, yadda yadda yadda. My nu-metal adoring ex-roommate and I used to bond our first yr of college by moshing drunk to it in our dorm room, which might have had to do with the fact that we couldn't pull any o' the freshman chickies. Or maybe due to it...

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 10 January 2004 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

It is great. Sometimes I would like to see it remastered, but then I think that its muddiness is essential to its greatness.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 10 January 2004 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

...I still haven't got round to hearing a whole Bad Brains album...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 10 January 2004 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

one of the first punk records i bought in high school. amazing. ginn's in my top 3 guitarists for his work on this record.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 10 January 2004 18:00 (twenty-two years ago)

rollins what the worst black flag vocalist by far. he makes me cringe. then again, black flag are highly overrated in general anyway. as for damaged, definitely the best of the rollins era -- but still a dud. the first two bad brains albums and the later released Black Dots session crush the Flag to a pulp. i think the most important thing about Damaged is that serves as a decent gateway to much better music. besides, the Nig Heist album is better anway -- and funnier.

― jack cole (jackcole), Saturday, 10 January 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Choosing Nigh Heist over Damaged? You're high. Hippie!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 10 January 2004 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Whoops. Nig, not Nigh.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 10 January 2004 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

alex OTM. it's fun to pretend and all, but please.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 10 January 2004 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

rollins what the worst black flag vocalist by far. he makes me cringe. then again, black flag are highly overrated in general anyway. as for damaged, definitely the best of the rollins era -- but still a dud. the first two bad brains albums and the later released Black Dots session crush the Flag to a pulp. i think the most important thing about Damaged is that serves as a decent gateway to much better music. besides, the Nig Heist album is better anway -- and funnier.
-- jack cole (jack_col...), January 10th, 2004.

BLA BLA BLA ROLLINS RUINED BLACK FLAG I'MA WANKER

*fart*

[bold]SHADDAFOCKUPNOONECARESK[/bold]

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 10 January 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

stickin with Alex on this one. First listen of "Depression," reminded me of the overindulgence that Rollins can partake in presentation wise (take a look at his journal from Africa "The roofs are filled with glass. this place is fucked up."). But repeated listens have won me over. total ratty shit.

― brock (brock), Saturday, 10 January 2004 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Damaged is classic and anyone who says otherwise is a fool. Comparing it to the Bad Brains... kind of odd, innit? Bad Brains never really dove into the soul-searching hate-filled stuff of Black Flag; they were always much more of an upbeat band. To listen to while drinking, not punching mirrors.

Even sludgier: My War. Also very good, if not bonerfied classic.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 10 January 2004 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it is a bit odd. Enh. My head's elsewhere. I don't know nothin' about nothin'.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Sunday, 11 January 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Damaged is classic and anyone who says otherwise is a fool.

YEAH!

I love declarations like that!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)

As a parent, I found it to be an anti-parent record.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 11 January 2004 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i always thought Black Flag was given far too much credit. and, imho from seeing them live in the midwest in 1985 they sucked. but it was like everyone was *supposed* to like them to be good little hardcore boys. of course my understanding and appreciation of them is tied to the context of the local scenes at that time, and not thru vinyl. the music, with rollins, bores me.

― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 11 January 2004 07:09 (twenty-two years ago)

This album probably changed my musical tastes permanently. First heard it by proxy due to a bunch of friends who made incessant references, then spent an entire day listening to it at maximum volume while on some godawful high school field trip. You can't go wrong.. and the TV Party video is hilarious. Was HR trying to overact?

― daria g (daria g), Sunday, 11 January 2004 07:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex, I'm skipping right down to the end to say I loved your initial post and identified with it to a great extent.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 11 January 2004 07:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Seconded.

"Black Flag may do only one thing on Damged, but they do it with such brute force and vein-straining determinism that it cannot be denied."

ExACTly!

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 07:47 (twenty-two years ago)

A couple of months ago I was in the local record store and this guy comes in with some CDs. The guy behind the counter was low-balling him, but (this guy) had JAMC Psychocandy and Damaged. Record store offered him six bucks (Canadian), and even though I had them both on vinyl, I offered him 12.
I have them now.

― Christian Rawk (Christian Rawk), Sunday, 11 January 2004 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

You still got 'em below what the store would have charged you. 12 Canadian dollars = about 9.50 US dollars.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Damaged is pretty good for a novelty record, but Rollins is no Napoleon XIV but Greg Ginn could be Jerry Garcia with an extra finger.

― jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Damaged is pretty good for a novelty record...

Oh, jeez. And I suppose Big Boi is Andre's comic sidekick?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:19 (twenty-two years ago)

the analogy breaks down due to both ginn and rollins fighting over who's gracie allen.

― jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Say goodnight, Henry."

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:48 (twenty-two years ago)

rom seeing them live in the midwest in 1985 they sucked.

Just out of curiousity, Orbit, where did you see them? I too saw them in the midwest in `85 (I was a freshman at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and saw them at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus). This was the only time I ever got to see them, and truthfully, it was pretty underwhelming. Rollins had apparently been bitten by a spider or some such the night before (a likely story) and was all swollen up, so he wasn't his usually kinetic self. Moreover, by this point they were in their "molasses" era (long hair, sludgey tempos, very very few older tracks). I seem to remember them playing "Nervous Breakdown," but I don't believe they played a single track from Damaged.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

There are very few albums I would defend the merits of with physical violence.

Damaged is one.

Listening to it makes me want to chase down all the "heavy" bands that play on radio and beat them with a bag of dicks.

Hating Rollins shows just how weak some of you fuckers are, now shut up and go to work.

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Monday, 12 January 2004 04:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to say, I still think Damaged is Black Flag's best full-length album. Earlier Flag was great, but Damaged brought them to a new level of volent intensity. Damaged was the first real old-school punk I ever listened to, and like many others it turned me onto bands like Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Misfits, and my favorite punk band ever, Minor Threat. Rollins best work with Flag (or anywhere else, for that matter) was on Damaged. He may be Flag's weakest overall singer, but he delivered on this one. Anyway, Damaged fuckin' rocks.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

People who bash Damaged were clearly never angry adolescent males.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember being very disappointed by Damaged because of the sludgy guitar sound (compared to the earlier singles and ep's) and Rollins' expressionless bark. But to those claiming he was the worst of their vocalists--you may not remember Dez Cadena, who was no better, and certainly less charismatic.

― 4kflka, Monday, 12 January 2004 07:05 (twenty-two years ago)

There are very few albums I would defend the merits of with physical violence.

Damaged is one.

This is meet and appropriate.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 12 January 2004 07:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ian Johnson is on the fuckin' mark.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 12 January 2004 07:45 (twenty-two years ago)

i think my war is better

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

what a frisk bunch of garanimals you all are. don't get your toughskins too dirty or mom will be awfully sore.

― jack cole (jackcole), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:24 (twenty-two years ago)

quack, quack, quack, mr. cole.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Meow!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Little to add to what's already been said, except that I'd like to draw attention to Alex's mention of 'Let Them Eat Jellybeans'. This is an amazing, inspirational album that basically got me into hardcore, thanks to a knownothing shop that stuck it in the racks for a bargain £6 eight years ago. It's worth pretty much whatever you have to pay for it, trust me.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:36 (twenty-two years ago)

First punk record I ever bought. Since then have had to put up with ten years of punker-than-thou bleating and whining about how "Rollins ruined Black Flag". Great post, Alex.

― Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 12 January 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

If you listen to a lot of the, frequently horrible, later instrumental stuff, it's obvious that Greg Ginn is at least as much as responsible for the supposed "ruining". As with Rollins, the problems with Ginn seem to arise whenever you give him too much leeway, I think.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 12 January 2004 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It would be interesting to know what it was like when Rollins the "straight-edge" joined this band that included at least two major stoners (Ginn and Dukowski). Anyone have a link to BF history?

― 4kflka, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

read: Get In The Van

"Dez Cadena as a bad vocalist" is really suspect upthread. Dez sings quite a bit on Damaged but people tend to overlook that.

It's a good album, not nearly as powerful as the singles which alone warrant "top 5 bands ever" in my book... I've got it, with the Unicorn stick Meeder refs upthread. Nervous Breakdown is their pinnacle. Get "The First Four Years" instead if you want a definitive album-length of Black Flag material.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 01:25 (twenty-two years ago)

black flag=the true grateful dead of punk (not television)

― jack cole (jackcole), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

People who bash Damaged were clearly never angry adolescent males.

Well, I was annoyed a couple of days here and there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

i got really miffed once after puberty but it passed as all things do.

― jack cole (jackcole), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 03:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"well, the evening began at the gentleman's club, where we were discussing Wittgenstein over a game of backgammon..."

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 07:53 (twenty-two years ago)

This was not one of the punk records that I heard in high school, or even in college. I don't have any succinct memories of it, other than being told it was so great and then being inevitably let down when I finally listened to it for the first time. I wasn't at a formulative point in my life where this album really spoke to me, and whenever I've gone back to this album to try to figure out what I was missing, I still don't get the chills.

I always thought Rollins was more loud than informed, and I still do. I find him entertaining, but he never seemed to be able to intellectualize punk like I wished he would. The album carries rage well, but it no longer seems fresh. Or vital, actually. I like Black Flag more for who they are and what they did rather than for the actual music.

― don weiner, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

When he breaks into the sarcastic "Oh, yes sir, yes sir." - That bit in Damaged II near the end is great (the whole thing is too, but that part cracks me up every time).

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

THEY DISTORT WHAT WE SAY!

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:12 (twenty years ago)

TRY TO STOP WHAT WE DO

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

People who bash Damaged were clearly never angry adolescent males.

-- Ian Johnson (johni72...), January 12th, 2004.

otfm

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:28 (twenty years ago)

praise, praise

― blunt (blunt), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:34 (twenty years ago)

These threads feel like collective masturbation pretty quick don't they (not that I would know, ahem)

― blunt (blunt), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

this thread about black flag, not the circle jerks.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:44 (twenty years ago)

i'm totally singing 'rise above' at karaoke this week

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 October 2005 03:05 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

Joe Carducci did a run through YouTube and made a comp of clips, lineup by lineup, including one with Ron Reyes on vocals that I'd never seen before, wowza. And then recent Ginn at the end. We posted it at the arthurmag blog -- http://bit.ly/UrYv6

― jaybabcock, Thursday, 26 February 2009 15:30 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

room 13 imo

― wilter, Friday, 21 May 2010 14:07 (fifteen years ago)

Fantastic milestone record. I have always been amused by the 'TV Party' video, BTW.

― ImprovSpirit, Friday, 21 May 2010 14:56 (fifteen years ago)

one year passes...

The tempo change in "Six Pack" is killer.

― Poliopolice, Thursday, 12 April 2012 15:20 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0k14whUSw1r5gmoeo1_r1_500.jpg

― Clarke B., Wednesday, 11 September 2013 18:35 (twelve years ago)

six years pass...

There are very few albums I would defend the merits of with physical violence.

Damaged is one.

Listening to it makes me want to chase down all the "heavy" bands that play on radio and beat them with a bag of dicks.

Hating Rollins shows just how weak some of you fuckers are, now shut up and go to work.

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Sunday, January 11, 2004 11:30 PM (sixteen years ago)

Wouldn't go that far but this is hitting the spot right now.

― totally not pomentiful (pomenitul), Tuesday, 1 September 2020 00:54 (five years ago)

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