Bĭepleted by the kind of corporate strife I thought these guys were too cynical to fall for (which may be why they did), Henry Rollins's adrenalin gives out. But as punk-era Firesign Theatre, worth going out and flattering a geek with a skateboard to hear. These are still collector-only, I suppose. Stuck in legal limbo, they resort to historic alternate-take arcana featuring the three screamers who passed through the band before Henry Rollins took possession-except for side four, which is filled with radio ads for Flag gigs.

Inspirational Verse: 'I wanna live/I wish I was dead.' A. Greg Ginn is the greatest noise guitarist since Johnny Thunders, new vocalist Henry Rollins can snarl along any tortured contour they serve up, and 'Rise Above,' 'Six Pack,' and the uproarious 'TV Party' prove they can write songs as well as gnash fragments. BĪlthough the B side drags more painfully than I bet was intended, this is powerful stuff. The sound is extreme and unique, all forced rhythm and guitar blur with no ingratiating distractions-no humor, irony, hooks, or (God knows) melody. Five songs, seven minutes, as arty as no wave, with a comparable relationship to punk precedents, which for L.A. Black Flag are committed to rage, not in itself-I don't believe their 'I've got something personal against you' even though I know it's true-but as a musical principle.

Black flag damaged