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| VariousBlack On Black: A Tribute to Black Flag2003 Initial 
 Review by: moldy See others by this writer Initial (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 
Published on April 25th 2003
Black Flag is arguably one of the most important bands that have ever existed. In the short time they existed, founding guitarist Greg Ginn and a revolving door of musicians were able to invent hardcore, pioneer the independent touring circuit, create a model independent label, reinvent hardcore once again, and create some of the heaviest in-your-face music that has ever been recorded. So naturally, being such an influential band, tribute albums are bound to happen. Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
First Black Flag EP came out in 1978, they formed in 1977, the first actual full length album came out in 1981. But by then the Flag had already proven themselves leaders of the touring curcuit. But the real shit didn't occur until later, when they were pulling off crazy stuff like 50 shows in 50 days while traveling in a shitty van packed with people. I think very few bands have been through that much. "while its true that the clash and ramones toured quite a bit but your forgetting one thing, they were both on major labels, cbs and warner bros, which means while not always doing stadiums, they had the major tour networks lined up for them and the tour support that comes with it, jello talks on his new spoken word that he saw the ramones open for a prog rock band. Black flag was able to tour on thier own in a small van sometiems barely making gas money, and in the process opened many areas up to booking smaller out of town bands." A band's live show is not a good argument in support of them... CRASS and DK are greatness... Black Flag is just horribly outdated hardcore. Pretty cool comp. The Coalesce, Hope Conspiracy, DEP, and PMFS tunes rocked me. Joy Division? seriously man, what the fuck? while its true that the clash and ramones toured quite a bit but your forgetting one thing, they were both on major labels, cbs and warner bros, which means while not always doing stadiums, they had the major tour networks lined up for them and the tour support that comes with it, jello talks on his new spoken word that he saw the ramones open for a prog rock band. Black flag was able to tour on thier own in a small van sometiems barely making gas money, and in the process opened many areas up to booking smaller out of town bands. didnt the nervous breakdown ep come out in 77 or 78, i cant remember right now. As for intense flag owns all others plus they got the praise from thier hereos and the founders of punk, ive heard rollins talk about the time they got a letter from wayne kramer(mc5) and how excited they were that he loved thier band, and they got iggy to record a track on their tribute(rise above) you have to be important for iggy to salute you Flag had the best live show, Kennedy's had the best lyrics. Crass is somewhere in between. I like CRASS and Dead Kennedys a lot more than Black Flag. Ok they didn't invent it, but they were the best. I believe the first band to use what would be known as "Grunge" was Joy Division... Before you say, "Oh that's just pussy synth shit!" down load a song by them called "Leaders of Men"... Nirvana blatantly ripped them off on many occasions. Black Flag... they're good for what they are, but you people are talking as if they invented hardcore. And I don't think the Damned get that honor, really. It goes to CRASS. "The Feeding of the 5000" came out in 1977! "I actually disagree....I think Black Flag was the single most important band of the past 25 years. Why? They basically single handedly dismantled the indie music structure and created it as we know it. Before the Flag there were only a few punk bands that REALLY toured, and they weren't very consistent." La La La I got the limited edition planes mistaken for stars black flag 7" and you didnt. La La La it's sold out. Shit, Tool and NIN consider Flag an influence. I actually disagree....I think Black Flag was the single most important band of the past 25 years. Why? They basically single handedly dismantled the indie music structure and created it as we know it. Before the Flag there were only a few punk bands that REALLY toured, and they weren't very consistent. Plus, there hadn't been music that raw and uncompromising.....ever. They were louder, angrier and more ferocious (especially live) than any band EVER, and they didn't even need to always use disturbing lyrics to get that edge. The haunting sound of Ginn's guitar and Rollins inhuman howls are enough to make any Slayer or Slipknot wannabe runaway in terror, simply because it wasn't a show. It wasn't fake, it was REAL emotion and that's what made it so great. So in a sense I think that brutal music in general would not be the same without the Flag..........I mean, really heavy hardcore and thrash didn't even exist until after the Flag's formation. They created REAL brutality in music. I'd say that's a pretty important landmark if you ask me. And they had such a wide influence...even bands you wouldn't figure. Everything from your Slayers, Dillinger Escapes, Good Riddance, Pennywise, to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and soooooo many others would have never been the same without the Flag influencing them. Ice T once said that Rollins intensity in Flag was what inspired his own onstage intensity with his career. Jurt Cobain stated that the Flag was the single most important band in history to him (or something along those lines). Greg Graffin said he loved Flag. The entire "Grudge" style of music can be traced to one band....Black Flag and their 1984 albums My War and Slip It In are probably the first albums with a high "grundge" tendency, as were Flipper's albums. Most of those Seattle grudge bands will sight Flag as one of their biggest influences. Even the fraking Sugar Ray guy (lol, eeeek) says that he loved the Flag. Alice Cooper praised them as being amazing. I mean, these guys were legendary. i'd also like to add that i think black flag's most important contribution to music wasn't even their music, it was their method of operation and DIY ethic that proved to be most influential (the live show didn't hurt either). oh, i don't argue the fact that black flag was important, they're just far from being one of the most important bands of all time. You know what bands it would be great to see cover Black Flag? I'd love to see Good Riddance to some more Flag, they were really great with "My War". I think F Minus would be cool to see play Flag, imagine F Minus covering "Nothing Left Inside"? That'd be fucking badass. It'd be interesting to see the Blood Brothers covering Flag, Leftover Crack might be cool. Missing 23rd, Rise Against, Shai Hulud (they, suprisingly, did great with BR and BB covers), Strife, Strike Anywhere, The Unseen, Mars Volta...shit, there are a million bands. well, you see, if the rating is perfect (5 stars) then it is gold. Everything else is blue. What is the difference between blue stars and yellow stars? alpha motherfuckers is the best tribute ever. i think planes mistaken for stars blow everyone else on this comp away, but thats just me. oh, according to the cross bio, he like intentionally lied about seeing black flag... new alliance also released a huskers single... mike watt just kicks that much ass. Yeah, technically they did. But BF/SST put on loads of the shows that Descendents/Minutemen both played at when they started out. Cobain's first gig wasn't Black Flag, he liked to lie... it was Sammy Hagar. you hit it on the head. but technicly, didn't New Alliance put out most of the Descendents and Minutemen stuff, then it got sold to SST? To the guy who said that calling Black Flag one of the... was pushing it: Pretty cool comp. The Coalesce, Hope Conspiracy, DEP, and PMFS tunes rocked me. i wouldn't call 8 years short, but whatever you think is best. Black Flag was the hardest, most brutal band of all time......but I'm not really digging this. There is simply too much "chugga chugga, growl growl" cookie monster shit going on. Black Flag was a million times more intense than any of these bands and they never had to resort to sounding like the cookie monster on crack. Some of the covers are good, but none truely pay tribute to the Flag's greatness. Get Rise Above instead. The score is for Flag. fuck the ass who said coalesce suck... I don't like a lot of really heavy heavy music, but Coalesce definitely devoured my fucking soul at Michiganfest last year. My liking their music started out as a fascination when a friend showed them to me and pointed out the crazy time-signature changes. But as I listened to it more, I began to appreciate and even like it. Anyone who thinks James Dewees is just a pussy emo pretty boy should watch him wreck a fucking drum set. Oh wait, shit, that's right, you may never get to, because just like all great bands, they broke up just as they got rolling. I saw the Casket Lottery with Small Brown Bike in K-zoo a month or two ago and asked Stacy, "will Coalesce ever record again?" He gave me a smirk and a definitive "no". At least Dillenger didn't quit when they lost their vocalist. I'm eager to hear the new stuff. My office chair, however, wishes they would've broken up (see "How It Ends" review). "Black Flag is arguably one of the most important bands that have ever existed" coalesce suck......METAL METAL GRRRRRRR The Hope Conspiracy track slays. They're billed as American Nothing on the Point Break comp as well, just to let you know. Oh and, Coalesce, as previously noted, will eat your soul. Coalesce will eat your soul! (if they were not broken up again). |
