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5.0 out of 5 stars
The quintissential hardcore album., July 15 2004
This review is from: Damaged (Audio CD)
Imagine the rawness, the simple fast catchiness of the Ramones. Now imagine it being even faster, harder, and louder. Imagine it being completely out of control, with extremely distorted guitar riffs and lyrics that explode from the singer's throat. Imagine raw, unchecked emotion flowing from your speakers. You've just imagined Damaged.
Black Flag's first full length is a truly brilliant album, an unparalleled work of punk art that still sounds as dangerous, angry, and intense as it did twenty three years ago.
The music is exactly what it should be, a mix of slashing, high speed power chords, driving, light-speed bass lines, and powerful gut-punching drums, all of which back Henry Rollins' venomous, acidic roar.
The lyrics, penned mostly by guitarist and bandleader Greg Ginn, tackle such topics as hate, depression, rebellion, lonliness, and confusion, with the occasional cynically funny song. Songs like "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie," "Depression," and "Thirsty and Miserble" are entirely serious in nature telling of suicide, and the general vagaries of being human.
Meanwhile, "Six Pack" and "T.V. Party" mock popular culture (My favorite line off Damaged is from "T.V. Party": "I wouldn't be without my T.V. for a day, OR EVEN A MINUTE! I don't even bother to use my brain anymore, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT IN IT!")
And since Black Flag began to experiment with art rock and poetry on later albums, Damaged is also important as Flag's last truly "punk" album. Truth be told, Damaged does have a lot of historical significance: It is a perfect document of eighties hardcore punk, and another landmark of Rock (n' roll).
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent punk, an extreme rarity., July 11 2004
This review is from: Damaged (Audio CD)
Unlike most punk bands, Black Flag is rather excellent. What did you expect from a band who's singer is Henry Rollins. I like his angry style of music, he's punk but he's not. That means he has the lyrics to be called punk but he doesn't have that stupid punk voice with it. This album is a deffinite keeper and should be listen to by all who love good music.
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