Gone

Greg Ginn was bored with Flag and formed Gone. Gone released two albums in 1986. People didn't really take to these, but I did, and I still do. Reminds me of skateboards, Southern California, and rat weed, and no annoying vocalist or trite lyrics to spoil the sun-baked, dirt high, lowride of the whole affair. Get fucking Gone.

Here

The Process of Weeding Out...Brother

I had some other shit on deck for today, but then this came in from Hearse reader and brother, Perry Shall. With The Process of Weeding Out...Brother, Perry has put together something that will amuse and delight Hulkamaniacs and Black Flaggots alike. Thanks again, Mr. Shall.

Here

Jealousy

Really the only official Chavo-fronted Black Flag release. Many hold Mr. Ron Reyes as the best Black Flag frontman of all time. Well, I don't know about that, but this was my first exposure to the band that would ultimately have the most impact on me. Surely everyone has this already, but this post is more about the sentimental value to me. Maybe it's a been a while since you listened to it...whatever.

Here

Weeded

Okay, this was a bit hard to take when it came out. I was all of fifteen and it seemed my favorite punk band had discovered free-jazz, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and pot smoking. Actually I suspected they were already well versed in all these transgressions to punkdom, but now it was real and it was being reflected in their recorded output and live show. But you get older and your rigid teenage rules of what is acceptable when it comes to art weaken, they have to, or else a corrosive jadedness creeps in. Now The Process of Weeding Out holds much merit as I just let go and appreciate the sheer beauty of Ginn wrestling squonks and squeals from his Mosrite over the Roessler/Stevenson angular THC robot. Black Flag, at this point, was so honed and so prolific that they had license to do whatever they wanted. For that reason alone, Process (along with Family Man) may be Black Flag's punkest album, a buzzing sonic "Fuck You" to the rigor mortis that was setting in the scene in 1985.

Here

Lay Down Your Soul...

This bit of ridiculousness from England's greatest band (next to Sabbath) has been brought to the public's attention through a 7" release by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and a page or two in one of those Rollins books about the relentless grind that was part and parcel to being in America's greatest band (next to Slayer.) The story is that Black Flag landed a gig opening for Venom in New Jersey on April 2nd 1986. Someone in Flag's crew had the good sense to slip a blank cassette to the sound dude. The tape was edited to just the amazing between song stage banter of Cronos, and widely dubbed and distributed to friends that Black Flag met along the way. This probably inspired a similar collection of amazing stage rants from Slayer's Tom Araya that has been making the rounds. Even more intense is in 1986 you could see Venom and Black Flag play an all ages show, and it would only cost you the low satanic price of $6.66. I need one of those Nocturnus time machines, like now.

Here

Jellybeans

This record, to me and many folks around my age, was a crash course in punk. Through the Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation my impressionable ears were impressed upon by the sheer greatness of Flipper, Bad Brains, D.O.A. and The Feederz ( I already knew about Black Flag , The Dead Kennedys, and The Circle Jerks.) The others, like Really Red, BPeople, Wounds, Half Japanese, Christian Lunch, and Voice Farm were a bit too arty for me at that age but I have since come to appreciate their contributions as well, especially Wounds' great cut "An Object." Does anyone out there know more about them? I assume this won't be a big discovery for readers as sophisticated and worldy as The Hearse's but let's listen to this one today for the nostalgia and because Reagan was the best U.S. president ever. If you have any doubts ask yourself who has graced the cover of more punk albums or had more punk songs written about him. Certainly not that do-nothing Rutheford B. Hayes.

Here

Cracks

Cracks In The Sidewalk was an early New Alliance Records compilation released as a 12" EP in 1980. I guess the idea was to have the punker stuff on side A and the more artsy stuff on side B.

The tracklist:

1. Minutemen - 9:30 May 2

2. Black Flag - Clocked In

3. Saccharine Trust - Hearts & Barbarians

4. Kindled Imagination - Cowboy & Indian Scene

5. Artless Entanglements - How's The Blood Taste pt.2

6. Sharp Corners - Me Too

Here

Part Animal Part Machine

1986 and Black Flag was on shaky ground. Infighting, relentless touring and swollen egos threatened to rip apart one of the greatest bands of all time. Sensing the end, Henry Rollins assembled a kick-ass band and headed for the studio to record this pink thing called Hot Animal Machine. Part scorcher, part novelty record, Hot Animal Machine is a bit of a polarizing album. The album kicks off with three solid songs: "Followed Around," "Black and White" and "Lost and Found." Then we get "There's a Man Outside" rocking, yet lyrically and musically a bit monotonous. Next is a cover of Richard Berry's "Crazy Lover" which reminds us that Rollins, as well as being angry, has a sense of humor and a bit of a David Lee Roth type showman buried within his anguished persona. "A Man and A Woman" is an angular, discordant piece of skronky jazz which serves as a bed for a Rollins spoken word piece about domestic violence. The title track barrels in and pulls the album back to the intent of the first three cuts. Then two more cover songs, "Ghost Rider" by Suicide and "Move Right In" by The Velvet Underground. The whole thing falls apart rather brutally with "No One," a disjointed dirge that has Henry losing it. It's almost there to, once and for all, let you know that Henry has snapped despite all the fun you may have had with this record. Hard to believe he has a talk show now. Fantastic artwork by Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO.

Here

The Blasting Concept

Man, I have really been enjoying Donut Duck's great blog of all things SST Records, so in tribute, I bring you SST's 1983 mission statement of a compilation, The Blasting Concept. This was my introduction to Saccharine Trust, The Minutemen, and Hüsker Dü, all of which blasted my teenage mind right out my fucking earholes. The concept wasn't wasted on me. Oh the onrush of memories brought on by simply hearing these songs in this particular order. Perfect. The tracklist.

Minutemen - Paranoid Chant

Minutemen - The Maze

Minutemen - Boiling

Minutemen - Games

Meat Puppets - Tumblin' Tumbleweeds

Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets

Saccharine Trust - A Human Certainty

Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown

Black Flag - Jealous Again

Black Flag - I've Heard It Before

Overkill - Hell's Getting Hotter

Stains - Get Revenge

Würm - I'm Dead

Hüsker Dü - Real World

Blast Off!

Black Flag's 1982 Demo

Black Flag's 1982 demo was the band's only recording made with Chuck Biscuits on drums. Dez was still playing rhythm guitar. These songs ended up on later albums except for "Yes I Know" and "What Can You Believe?" This recording (and another 4 song demo with Bill Stevenson and Kira Roessler) have been bootlegged time and time again, but Black Flag is one of my favorite bands and I wanted to pay tribute here on the Hearse. The band never released this, there is no artwork, so I have opted to post one of my favorite Pettibon drawings instead.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4P775LZ4