(Untitled)

[tpunk]

I usually don't like to read more than one book at a time, but I've been all stoked on reading a bunch of stuff lately, so I've been impatient and now I'm reading a couple of books at the same time. I just started Get in the Van, finally. Black Flag was one of those life changing bands, and I've heard enough good stuff about the book that it's

Comments

[29usc151]

Hey, I actually just picked up The 42nd Parallel by Dos Passos today. Have you read Our Band Could Be Your Life?

[tpunk]

I think the two things I'm most excited to read right now are the Dos Passos stuff and Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee (which they have at the library as well, but I didn't want to take too many books out at once.... I also feel like I will want to own that one).

I haven't read Our Band Could Be Your Life. Is that the oral history of hardcore book? I know I've seen it around but I don't think I've looked through it. Is it recommended?

whee!
.tim.

[29usc151]

It's not really an oral history book (I think there's a punk oral history book - maybe "Please Kill Me"?), but it is really good. Agee & Evans is really good and worth owning.

[syndicalist]

i agree re: henry rollins and black flag. a lot of their best stuff was already written by greg ginn by the time he hopped on board, anyway. SOA was a good band, though, i have to admit.

[tpunk]

henry rollins is definately a dumbass, but damn, i LOVE his vocals. I think Damaged is a moment of pure raging bliss in the history of hardcore. Those songs are awesome with other vocalists singing them, with Dez coming in as a close second to Rollins, but ole Hank just adds pure fury to them which unlocks something in me. I used to listen to that record in my walkman while walking to school in 9th and 10th grade, and shit, it just blew my stupid high school mind. Unfortunately, they went downhill after Damaged. I never got too into the slower stuff... my rules is pretty good, but beyond that I've never even gotten too excited about anything after Damaged.
First four years is splendid but it seems like a different band to me...

whoo!
.tim.

[tpunk]

oh, also, i really like Rollins Band. Especially Weight. I'm not kidding.... that record moves me.

[squelch84]

Rollins might be a blockhead, but nothing can top his performance in "the Chase."

[tpunk]

he does work really well as a cop. which is funny, considering.

[spittingblack]

if you read the book "Our Band Could Be Your Life" there is the section about Black Flag. it's really funny how they meandor their way through southern claifornia music. but funnier still when Rollins joined the band and it all went to shit. like Rollins used to just attack people for heckling them. he would beat on people in the crowd or on the stage. he would pick fights while singing. eventually greg and the others would just leave him to get his ass kicked or whatever. at the same time, he was like a little puppy dog to greg. i don't know, he is a dork.

micah

[tpunk]

hah, and even with all the violent machismo, i am super interested in that time during the punk scene.

[spittingblack]

yeah, it is neat to think that they sort of created the "hardcore" genre with that speed and angst. bands like Raw Power and such added to it with that super fast edge. i'm still a bigger fan of early era 7 seconds though. "clenched fists, black eyes" and "red and black" will always be perfect hardcore songs to me. as well as the biscuits and minor threat.

micah

[tpunk]

i never got into 7 seconds at all really. gorilla biscuits is probably one of my top 5 bands ever, though. holy goddamn, i will rip it up to GB any day.