Damaged

7/10

Feels like quintessential punk, though I don't know the exact timeline of bands to know where these guys fall. According to other reviewers, it's immensely important. Fast instruments, screaming, angst and social commentary, it has all the elements you want. It's pretty witty in it's cynicism in a pretty entertaining way. I think my favorites were TV Party and Damaged I. I'm going to knock it a star for it's mixing, as it's kind of hard to hear, even compared to other lo-fi punk.

4/5. Excellent guitar work and yes, vocals are interesting for sure, but it never was annoying which could have been the case. It's aggressive and they are still smart with their delivery and choice of words. It truly feels like someone on the brink of breakdown, less so an angsty attitude. It was a quick and to the point album, lingering on some songs a little longer than others. I wouldn't say I would dig this all the time but overall, much better than I was expecting from the get go. Definitely a solid punk record. Best Song: Rise Above, TV Party, Damaged II

I like it for the most part. Could use a little more variety to it for me. Still right up my alley Will I listen to again: 90%

A quintessential punk album. Doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still serious enough. Blast it, now.

Who knew I liked Black Flag? Not me.

Rock

Probably the wrong choice of word to describe ‘Damaged’ by Black Flag, but I thought this was a lot of fun….angry and violent, but fun. The guitar playing (and drumming) is ear-splittingly hard and frenetic, like a pneumatic drill in your skull, but it’s Henry Rollins’ desperate, insistent screaming and pleading that really elevates ‘Damaged’ to its well-deserved classic status.

This ended up being much better than I thought it would be. It starts off a bit unassuming, but the more you sit with it, the more its greatness shines. I do think that this album benefits a lot from hindsight as well as taking its cultural and musical impact into account. But it's still a really good, borderline great hardcore punk album. Then you add in that Kurt Cobain listed it in his top 50 albums, and you can hear some of the music that came after it clearly followed in its footsteps, and you can see that it really is a great album. Favorite Song(s): Thirsty and Miserable, Police Story, Damaged I

Ooh, raucous fun!

Classic album. For when ya just gotta rage.

She's no My War or Slip It In but I still have love for her. My War would be a 5 and should be on this list. Slip It In would never be on this list but I'm just yapping about how much I like it anyway because I think anyone who doesn't like that record is an idiot. Here's the real question: why is there no room to put in My War too but somehow all these irrelevant 00s British indie bands and every CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel and Beatles associated album known to man? The guy who made this list is so insufferable. But I listen through the list anyway... day 189

++: Rise Above, Six Pack, What I See, Thirsty and Miserable, Police Story, Depression, Room 13, No More, Life of Pain +: Spraypaint, TV Party, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Padded Cell +-: Damaged II, Damaged I 7,9/10

It is just as angry as it was in 1981. Despite this level of gritty Punk not being a genre I enjoy now (ever?), it is still pretty f*cking badass.

This albums stupid. It’s really fun. TV Party is objectively such a shitty song. I love it so much. It’s all about this vibe that just doesn’t exist anymore. I used to hate Black Flag because of that but in hindsight this album is a really fun little punk album

insane. really intresting music, fell asleep through half of it due to feeling a sort of serene state. didnt fully grasp the concept but have a general feeling of it. overall, a very intresting album, one i would like to play back in the future.

"Rise Above", "Six Pack," "TV Party", "Police Story" and "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" are the best tracks. Solid work from California punks. 3.6 stars rounded up.

gonna be honest. this one really grew on me. i'm not a huge punk guy, but i appreciate the genre for what it is. i have heard the name black flag a million times and have, of course, seen the logo in countless hot topic stores on the t-shirt wall, but have never actually listened to them until now. really fun, really frenetic, really aggressive. i liked the second half of the album more than the first half.

Pretty great Black Flag record. Maybe kind of a low bar? Anyway I dig this. I was in a band when I was a kid and could totally picture how TV Party got written haha

Goes hard. Interesting how much heavy punk today still sounds like this. Like I could even throw on a bunch of different local bands from 4ZZZ or wherever and their songs could almost be Black Flag and vice versa (I mean that in a positive way, like the genre is strong). Dug the track TV Party the most, it’ll be going in my playlists.

Great

I feel like I've been slagging a lot of albums lately because there's nothing on the album supporting the singles. I think this album is the opposite - the singles are good, and the whole album is great, singles and non-singles supporting each other. Great album.

15 tracks for a total of 34 minutes! I love this album, it might be my favorite Black Flag album. I would go all the way to 5 stars, but there are a few songs that don’t quite match the energy of the rest of the album.

A classic that hasn't aged at all. Still relevant topics unfortunately, guess we'll never learn.

Yup, still pretty darn good!

Definitely a hardcore classic that set the mold for much of the hardcore bands that were to come throughout the 80s and 90s. As a lifelong tea-totaler Rollins straight edge-ish leanings always made this band more interesting to me than most of the punk bands out there. I personally love the tracks "Rise Above" and "Gimme Gimme Gimme". Now, having said all that, it is clear that the debut album is pretty rough and clearly recorded on a very limited budget. I can see how listeners today would be pretty hard pressed to enjoy it on first listen, but let me tell you, it was mind blowing at the time to hear a Black Flag record on cassette in the early 1980s for the first time.

I'm not usually into punk like this, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album.

4.5/5. So punk, fuck yeah Henry Rollins the man that you are.

Awesome riffs throughout this album.

8/1001 Damaged is a very interesting album with some, at times, very shoddy production. Since getting properly into prog and latter doom the shorter songs, which are a hallmark of punk and even more so hardcore, made it hard for me to differentiate and appreciate it. Damaged is both instrumentally and vocally a great album with loads of fast and aggressive songs. Where it lacks, in my opinion, is when the production becomes too unpolished, which takes away some of the quality of Henry Rollins voice. One song I would like to highlight is Damaged I, which to me seem like an almost proto sludge song, and I’ve never heard it being spoken of like the b-side of My War. I just found that pretty interesting. 3,5/5

F*CK YEAH

Damaged is one of the best punk albums we've had, huge energy, MASSIVE influence on so much that came after it, Rollins dominates without feeling like he's taking over, songs and album overall are super tight, gets a 4 because the only problem with albums like this is that they can be a bit samey song to song but it still does a fair job of avoiding that. Top stuff.

Heh, I was just wondering if there was any _hardcore_ hardcore on here, as the few albums we've had from hardcore acts have not sounded like my idea of hardcore. (Not that I should complain too much, as I'd generally rather listen to post/prog hardcore than the vanilla product!) Well, this album has a credible claim to spawning the genre. I'm giving it an extra star for respect, because pushing the whole DIY ethos really was a baller move. Fave tracks - "Six Pack", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Room 13"

Fast and fun

This is punk / hardcore in it‘s purest form. Shredding guitars over some shouting and talking that sounds like their singer is drunken during the whole recording session. I like this album because it obviously was one of the first bands with a sound like this and that took some more steps into the hardcore genre.

Amazing, but not perfect

I got into a friendly argument with my British friend who asserted that if it's not from the UK, it can't be punk. Clearly, this album would prove him wrong? Punk in the UK came out of socio-economic hardship for the youth entering a stagnant adult world. Besides the location of the youth, what is this album if not that – a clear reaction to maturing into a stagnating world? He's wrong, I'm right. Black Flag = Punk Rock.

Now that’s a proper punk album.

Pretty spectacular hardcore. Black Flag are angry but they’re also smart and witty and strong songwriters. This album is plenty noisy but the feedback and sloppiness don’t get in the way of the riffs. And the vocals are produced in a way that makes them easy to hear on most songs. It’s well controlled chaos. Damn, this last track “Damaged I” is so heavy. I’m gonna have to revisit this album some more. This is incredible.

I’d forgotten all about this album. I had it taped for me. Not as earth shattering as the Dead Kennedy’s debut but it did leave an impression. Listening to it now I can hear much in common with other bands I listened to around this time, it seems very British Punk. Definitely one of the influential bands and albums of the Early 80’s punk scene

Oi oi oi

Rise Above has been a mainstay on my punk playlists for ages now. This album is fantastic. I hear it in all the albums I grew up listening to later.

Yeah, I like early Black Flag and this album is good, mostly great songs on this one!

The first time I heard Black Flag was when I saw the video for, "TV Party" and what struck me the most was their sense of humor. Sure, the music is hard-hitting, aggressive and angry, but the best long-running punk bands, (Descendents, Circle Jerks, NOFX) use humor to enhance their message, be it political or "raging against the machine". I would love to have been at early Black Flags shows to experience the intensity and vigor of the band, but surely I would have been terrified to get the shit kicked out of me from skinheads or an angry Henry Rollins. "Damaged" is up there with the best punk albums, it's influential sound and amazing playing makes this a must-hear classic, even if you don't love the genre it's still essential listening. And besides without Black Flag, guitarist, Greg Ginn and their debut, there wouldn't be the SST Records label that became the driving force for the 80's hardcore American underground scene.

Great punk! Like it!

Seminal hardcore punk album, with a couple of stand out tracks.

Like a really good shit. Two thumbs up! The butt!

Yes, weer een grondlegger. Ik ken Black Flag voornamelijk van naam. Ik heb meer de muziek geluisterd, die hieruit is voortgekomen. Al is deze plaat ook overduidelijk voortgekomen uit een ander genre, namelijk de punk. En dat hoor je heel duidelijk terug in een nummer als TV Party. Ze hebben 'nothing better to do', maken gewoon een bak herrie en roepen lekker hard dat ze niks te doen hebben. Maar in andere nummers hoor je al wel meer de hardcore punk terug. Veel energie, een rauwe bak herrie en een moordend tempo. En met teksten die je met zijn allen kan meezingen of schreeuwen, zoals in Six Pack. Het is muziek voor in de obscure en kleine achterafzaaltjes, waar dan een groep jongeren zich even helemaal kan uitleven. Alle agressie eruit gooien. Het is allemaal wat ongepolijst, later komen er ook bandjes die er wat meer melodie in verwerken. Maar het tempo blijft en ook de zang blijft vaak ruw. Alleen bij een band als Ignite kon de zanger een beetje zingen en dat is dan ook gelijk een vreemde eend in de hardcorebijt. Overigens is 'zanger' Henry Rollins later meer spoken word gaan doen, waarbij hij ook gedichten ging voordragen enzo. Dat past hem vast beter, want zingen kan hij zoals de meeste hardcorezangers niet. Performen wel. En dat was in de 80s hardcore punk veel belangrijker. Ik geef het 4 sterren, omdat ik aan het genre veel plezier beleefd heb. Dit is een grondlegger en wat ruwer en ongepolijster dan ik graag zie. Daarom geen extra bonuspunten om het op te hemelen naar 5 sterren, om te compenseren voor minimaal 1 zure broeder. Desalniettemin vind ik Black Flag wel een terechte toevoeging aan de 1001-snoblijst.

8/10. Really sick. Really influential. I love its energy!!! :)

This was a loud, grinding, screaming album, and I liked it. TV party took me back to the soundtrack from Repo Man. I'll give this album four black bars.

Can hear what influenced the coming surge of speed and thrash metal in this, as well as more avante-garde indie stuff, mixed in with the raw punkness of it all.

Goes hard.

One of the first hardcore punk bands, and still one of the best. Fast, brutal, bitingly sarcastic.

I love this album and it has objectively changed the course of music history. It is good, but it isn’t perfect. The range could be better. The vocals almost work. Henry has the right voice for the band, but they would be even better if he could get the note right when singing. The instrumentation could be a tad sloppy as well. Everything else was beautiful. A perfect “fuck you” to the powers that be. I think everything they set out to achieve and I enjoy it a lot. 4/5

Come out hard, come out fast, hit it. Change. Have a brew. Sounds like what DIY should sound like and help remind you why hate overproduced bullshit.

Loud and angry, good fun. Unrefined and not very musical. At the edge of my tastes with regards to dissonant vocals, but I enjoyed it.

Probably not the most enjoyable concept to ponder considering my current mindset of late, but I’ve often wondered what effect your mood has on critiquing music. Right now, I was more than happy to dive deep into the cathartic, nihilistic chaos of this album as it resonates. But even without bathing in that toxic soup there’s still such a bombastic blast mostly led by Henry Rollins that sucks you in. A classic for a reason.

I'm actually a little surprised that my recent detour into Hardcore never steered me into Black Flag. Glad for the list to fix that... Unlike some other Hardcore I've listened to this album spans a wide range of emotions and styles. Sure its got the upbeat, angsty, "fuck the system" punk tracks (Rise Above, Spray Paint), and the body slamming fight music (Police Story, Room 13, Padded Cell), but it also has straight up comical satirical commentary (TV Party, Six Pack), and several songs that are a bit more introspective (Depression) and even verging on sludge (Damaged). If nothing else this album is raw and unabashed. While the first half is certainly more "propulsive" in general, I actually found myself more drawn to the back half. Particularly those songs that feel like they are trying to pull themselves apart: Life of Pain (which opens like a perverted Mahavishnu Orchestra song), and Damaged I (which feels completely self-destructive). My fondness has only grown with repeated listens. Unsure if I'm quite in a perfect 5 camp, but were this a scale of 10, this would sit in the low 9s... As it is, this is a strong 4 / 5 for me.

with albums like this, i think it’s also important to consider its legacy and impact when rating it. asides the music on the record, this album was amongst the first to showcase proper punk, taking inspiration from british punk bands and channelling it into the us. its impact on modern day music is likely pretty big, so i have to bear that in mind when considering this record. as for the music, i enjoyed it. the short songs make the album very fast-paced, and just as you get into a rhythm, or a certain guitar riff, its whisked away from you as they push on into the next track. for me, that keeps the album fresh. it’s very in your face and very aggressive, and i’m all about that. a great record.

Punk, especially hardcore punk from this era, is like metal but without the technique and finesse. It's fast, hard and aggressive. Nevertheless it's still good and I listen to Black Flag from time to time and Damaged is probably their best album.

I liked it. You can hear the beginnings of punk rock in their style

justice for zaheer

At 35 minutes, Black Flag blows thru 15 tracks at a furious pace. As frantic and fast as the guitars and drums can be, they are clean as Black Flag lets us know they rebel against the man and love their booze. Great fun, 4 stars!

I think I’ve only ever seen Henry Rollins labeled as a “rockstar” in the media because they don’t want to associate him with a band and album that came for the throats of the mainstream. Hardcore punk is not my favorite genre but I can’t think of a better example than this. Loud, abrasive, and absolutely furious with the man. For thirty minutes I felt like toppling the capitalist system. Definitely understand this album’s place in the list, a surprising four from me.

Hugely influential album in the skate community! Every Gen X skater I've ever met has a Black Flag tattoo (probably because they're cheap to do). "Rise Above" and "TV Party" have been on my Skate playlist for a long time. I would say that this is by far the best example of a Punk album. A group of guys playing load and fast about any topic they want. Can't sing? Who cares. Poor recording equipment? Whatever. No one will book us a big venue? We only want to play in shitholes anyway. A true "fuck you I'm going to do what I want" attitude that seeps further into you the louder you turn the music up. Fuck you, fuck society, and fuck me! Let's get hammered and go skate.

4/5

Damaged doesn't have the sleaze of Angry Samoans nor the absolute chaos of The Germs. Bad Brains had shredding that Black Flag avoids and nothing can replace Fugazi's bop. That being said the performances and songs on this album are still fantastic. The raw angst and energy of Rise Above, What I See, and Depression make these the top tunes on this record.

4.5

**"Damaged" by Black Flag: An In-Depth Review** **Overview:** "Damaged," the debut studio album by the American punk band Black Flag, was released on December 5, 1981. It's widely considered one of the most important albums in the hardcore punk genre. Featuring vocalist Henry Rollins, guitarist Greg Ginn, bassist Chuck Dukowski, and drummer Robo, "Damaged" has become a seminal record influencing countless punk and alternative bands. **Lyrics:** The lyrics on "Damaged" are raw, confrontational, and introspective. They delve into themes of alienation, frustration, anger, and the struggles of daily life. Henry Rollins' delivery is intense and aggressive, perfectly complementing the band's ferocious sound. - **Pros:** - **Authenticity:** The lyrics reflect genuine feelings of disenchantment and rage, resonating with listeners who feel similarly marginalized or disaffected. - **Relatability:** Songs like "Rise Above" and "Depression" address universal themes of struggle and resilience, making the album relatable to a wide audience. - **Intensity:** Rollins' vocal performance adds a layer of emotional intensity, making the lyrics feel immediate and urgent. - **Cons:** - **Monotony:** Some critics argue that the lyrical themes can feel repetitive, with a constant focus on negativity and anger. - **Simplicity:** The directness of the lyrics, while powerful, can sometimes come across as simplistic or lacking in nuance. **Music:** Musically, "Damaged" is a brutal and relentless assault. The album's sound is characterized by fast tempos, aggressive guitar riffs, and pounding drums, typical of the hardcore punk genre. Greg Ginn's guitar work is especially notable for its raw, unpolished sound and unconventional solos. - **Pros:** - **Energy:** The album's high-energy performance is one of its most appealing aspects. The sheer intensity of the music keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. - **Innovative Guitar Work:** Greg Ginn's guitar playing is a highlight, featuring dissonant chords and avant-garde solos that set Black Flag apart from other punk bands. - **Rhythmic Drive:** The tight rhythm section of Dukowski and Robo provides a solid backbone, driving the songs forward with relentless momentum. - **Cons:** - **Production Quality:** The raw production, while adding to the album's authenticity, can sometimes make the music sound muddy or indistinct. - **Lack of Variety:** The relentless pace and similar song structures can make the album feel repetitive over its 34-minute runtime. **Production:** Produced by Spot, "Damaged" has a distinctly lo-fi sound. The production is raw and unpolished, which is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it captures the raw energy of Black Flag's live performances. On the other, it can detract from the clarity and impact of the music. - **Pros:** - **Authenticity:** The raw production adds to the album's sense of authenticity, making it feel like a true document of the hardcore punk scene. - **Energy Capture:** The lo-fi sound effectively captures the band's live energy and intensity, giving listeners a sense of what a Black Flag concert might feel like. - **Cons:** - **Clarity:** The rough production can obscure some of the musical details, particularly Ginn's intricate guitar work and the rhythm section's nuances. - **Balance:** At times, the mix feels unbalanced, with vocals or instruments overpowering each other, making it difficult to appreciate the full arrangement. **Themes:** "Damaged" explores themes of alienation, anger, frustration, and defiance. The album's title itself suggests a state of being broken or flawed, a recurring motif in the lyrics and music. - **Pros:** - **Cohesive Vision:** The themes of "Damaged" are consistent and well-executed, providing a unified vision of disenchantment and rebellion. - **Emotional Depth:** The exploration of personal and societal issues gives the album an emotional depth that resonates with listeners. - **Cons:** - **Limited Scope:** The thematic focus on negativity and anger can feel limiting, potentially alienating listeners looking for a broader emotional range. - **Intense Focus:** The unrelenting intensity of the themes might be overwhelming for some, lacking moments of respite or contrast. **Influence:** "Damaged" has had a profound influence on the punk and alternative music scenes. It is often cited as a foundational album for the hardcore punk genre and has inspired countless bands and musicians. - **Pros:** - **Genre-Defining:** The album is a cornerstone of hardcore punk, helping to define the sound and ethos of the genre. - **Legacy:** Black Flag's influence extends beyond punk, impacting alternative rock, metal, and other genres. Bands like Nirvana, Slayer, and Red Hot Chili Peppers have cited Black Flag as an influence. - **Cultural Impact:** "Damaged" has left a lasting cultural impact, embodying the DIY ethic and rebellious spirit of punk. - **Cons:** - **Niche Appeal:** While influential, the album's raw sound and aggressive style might limit its appeal to a broader audience. - **Overshadowing:** The intense focus on "Damaged" can sometimes overshadow other important works in Black Flag's discography and the broader punk scene. **Conclusion:** "Damaged" by Black Flag is a seminal album in the hardcore punk genre, notable for its raw energy, intense lyrics, and influential sound. While its production can be both a strength and a weakness, and its relentless focus on anger and frustration might not appeal to everyone, its impact on music and culture is undeniable. **Pros:** - Authentic, relatable lyrics - High-energy, innovative music - Cohesive thematic vision - Profound influence on punk and alternative music **Cons:** - Repetitive lyrical themes - Raw production quality can obscure musical details - Limited thematic scope - Niche appeal due to its aggressive style Ultimately, "Damaged" stands as a powerful testament to Black Flag's vision and the enduring legacy of hardcore punk.

Gave me a headache, but the raw punk energy is always very refreshing. Favorite track: No More

I don't listen to punk on the daily, but I always go to punk shows for the energy. Live is totally better than any produced record

Only the really bad-ass kids at school would listen to Black Flag and Damage. I was not one of them at the time, but I think I kinda wanted to be. Finally got into them during my very late nights on radio. Turn it up!

Wow. I've never listened to these before. I don't like hardcore as a genre but I get it now. This is it, everything that has come since is poser shite. Not normally my thing but will definitely have this on my life to get fired up sometimes. TV Party seems to have been the entire basis of NOFXs discography, and I've got no issues with that. Hilarious song that led to a hilarious band. Extra * just for that one song.

It’s fucking punk.

So few albums lay down the hammer so loudly that it creates a new genre while still being a contender in that genre decades later. An undeniable power house. While not the apogee of hardcore, it's energetic, influential, and hardcore.

Sloppy, angry, earnest. A punk classic.

I really want to give it a 5 because I know it's hugely influence to punk, but imo Minor Threat are the ultimate hardcore punk band, and I think Black Flag get better when they got a little weirder with 'My War'. Still, this is definitely a classic, a bizarre mix of satirical punk songs with some crippling depression on the side. 'Rise Above' is a legendary song too.

This is so mutilayered for a genre strapped with a label of being basic. These guys produced two near masterpieces with this and War, there second offering

This is the punk I was raised on. Henry Rollins went from being one of the angriest violient dudes ever to an absolutely amazing intellectual human being. I have sense moved away from punk in general but I will always appreciate Black Flag and this album in particular. 8/10

This one is funny. Like it a lot for background music to randomly hone in on. Believe I already knew of them though.

I am going to have my chance

Solid punk album. Rise Above and TV Party are flat out bangers. Some humour. Some social consciousness. Some anarchy. I'm down with this.

I love early punk. This stuff is raw. Bro was ANGRY

This album saw regular rotation for me during my skate punk years right alongside other albums by The Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, 7 Seconds. No doubt I was singing “TV Party” on my way down the ramp after pulling a decent backside grind. Chalked full of all the topics of the day from antiestablishment to depression, this gem also has a tongue in cheek humor to it on some songs. And Black Flag were some of the first to strike that balance which influenced many others down the punk rock line.

This is hard at a time when I neeeed something hard.

Punk isn't my scene but this is a great album.

This was good. At some points it felt more like noise rock, but it often had really good riffs. I think I may go for a 4 for this because even if I didn’t enjoy the whole thing, I really enjoyed what I did enjoy

Noisy punk with moments of glory. Outstayed its welcome for me, but this isn't really my cup of tea in the first place. I like that Damaged II comes before Damaged I, this band does have a good sense of humour amidst the destructive angst.

I did a deep dive into these guys years ago, so I understand why this album is on the list. It's not just about this punk record. This started the hardcore scene. The band would tour a lot, but play small venues, many of which had never had live music before. This opened the doors for other bands to follow and created the underground hardcore punk scene. The band also ran SST records, signing not just hardcore, but quite a diverse array of bands. Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Soundgarden, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr. and many more. The underground wouldn't have exploded into the 90's alt and grunge scene without Black Flag.

This gave me more energy than a couple shots of espresso. There are a few songs I wasn't a huge fan of, but ultimately it's a pretty solid record. Even if I didn't know what they were singing half the time.

Classic!!

Loved this, very fun

It's a classic punk-rock album ... my favorite genre. Sometimes the songs can be a little monotonous, though.

Y’know… if someone had played TV Party for me at an impressionable age I’d probably have been a hardcore punk growing up.

Haven't heard Black Flag in such a long time. Great tunes here

Great fun punk record.

Damn Good album! 4/5

Yeeeeeeaaaah Henry Rooooollins is the best

The platonic ideal of hardcore punk. This is exactly what I think of when I think punk.

Visceral and dissonant, exactly what I would want from an essential punk record.

Killer punk record. Can tell it was influential on what came after. Banger

Thoughts before listening: As a 90s punk fan Black Flag were enormous. Every band I liked cited them as an influence and their logo was as iconic as it gets. I do like a lot of what they do, but I never really got into them. Maybe it's too hardcore for me or something. I felt the same way about a band like the Bad Brains, and I gravitated to the more melodic hardcore of Descendents and Bad Religion. I'm excited to see this as my album today though. Review: I stand by my long held belief that Black Flag is a tier below the more melodic punk bands, despite their status as giants in the scene. Maybe I'm just not a Henry Rollins fan or something. It's too much one note yelling and barking instead of singing like the bands I prefer. Anyway, I do like some of these songs, including the absolute banger of an opening track with "Rise Above". That is definitely one of the best songs of the punk genre. Other than that, the more melodic the song the better for me: "Six Pack", "TV Party", "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", and "Depression" being the best of the bunch. I'll give this 4-stars for being so important to a genre I love, but Black Flag still just isn't one of my bands.

I already knew I liked Black Flag, but I'll always take a reminder to listen to them. Very raw.

Try saying "hardcore punk" without saying "Henry Rollins". Hint: it is physically impossible. 'Damaged' is fun, angry, and as poignant as ever, with 'Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie' being a personal favourite. I will never forget Rolling telling the tale of a Ramones concert so packed that it seemed that everyone of those dirty smelly punkers were in an involuntary orgy.

One of the first definitions of punk in the dictionary.

really liked some of the tracks on this album think it was really good BUT there were definitely some very repetitive and generic tracks that just bring it down for me i'd give it like a 4.2/5

Definitely a metal or a rock band, based on the album cover. Oops it's punk, that's a difference, but I mean they are quite alike. I expect that songs are gonna sound the same, it's gonna be hardcore, aand I don't think I'll like the songs, although I want to. First song, already hard start. Lyrical delivery is punky. It's a rebel song I think. I liked this more than I could imagine. I basically know the lyrics now. It's too short tho, that's the only problem. I never really liked punk, but this is giving. Second song, 33 seconds? And no transition weiiird. I do like that they have their own way of singing, it's noticeable iykyk. Third song, ooh he's talking. NO FUCKING WAY "I GOT A SIX PACK AND I DONT NEED YOU" that's funny as fuck wtf. Waittt I thought six pack is muscles on the stomach, but it's a drinking thing, even better, now I feel dumb, but still. Ohh six pack as in six beer bottles in that basket thingy, right?! Too good of a song, I mean it has something in it. Fourth song, these are tooo fucking short. Love the energy. Lyrics are giving in a way but as much as before. His voice is weirdly bad and enjoyable at the same time, like the way he spits during some words is determination. Can't really talk much I wanna hear the next song, but this is goooood. Fifth song, 3 minutes is a lot for them. What is that lyrical delivery. This feels comic. This is unfunny funny. Introvert ass song. The group singing is amazing, the way they say those lyrics is differently fun. I am entertained. Wtf is that ending I love it. Sixth song, same vibe, but now it's dark lyrically. Not as good as the last song, but I'll take it, plus this is short, which is the right choice. Not amazed I want more from the lyrics. Seventh song, this is about the police. Not what I want. Sonically they all sound the same so can't say anything new. And lyrically it's not fun, but dark again I guess. Eighth song, funny start in a way. I liked the sudden stop at the end and repeating the same shit. Problems that can be solved without an atom bomb, real. I liked this more than the last two, but not worth it still. Ninth song, these ARE dark, but not extremely. It's just they're not about love and those kinda stuff, which is good, buttt they have a funny side and they should use it more. 10th song, again same instrumental use, and not what I want from them. I liked that one part in the lyrics, but that's it. It's a short one too, as expected. It should get better than this, at least that's what I want. 11th song, too much repetitive lyrics. I was so gonna rate this higher, but they didn't keep it up. Maybe some time later I will relate to the lyrics and then like it. Longer than usual, but not for the right song. Btw songs stop very fast like too quickly no slow down and stop. 12th song, I like the slow progressive start. Not the good continuation I wanted. Love the way he repeats no more. Ain't no other goin on here tbh. Just needs a little guidance. 13th song, love the way he says maniacs. Sonically same. Lotta fast talking. Still not giving me what I want. Their other albums look sooo funny. Wanna listen to them, but not sure if they're actually good. 14th song, I'm kinda sick of this, it's too same, and the only thing that can fix this are tgr the lyrics, which ain't giving anymore. This one's about love I think. He started talking then almost another song, but stopped instantly. 15th song, he talked again, but not much. Dunno why damage II is the first in the album and this one second, plus there'll be no transition I'm sure. I feel like I need to be depressed to understand this fully. This guy was bullied by his father, I wasn't (just mostly ignored I guess). Basically, I'm disappointed, I'd rate this 3 because of how much not so good songs were in it. Buuut those three songs and the fact that I may just need a little understanding, makes me rate it 4. It has a potential, and I didn't not like it. It just needs a second listen to get through the lyrics and make the sonical part nostalgic or something.

This was probably the first Black Flag I heard way back when. Rollins is the superior singer to Morris and it shows on this recording. It is easy to see why this one has been labeled as a classic. 8.9/10

Aggressive and sardonic, like a humorously grim piece of sandpaper. Grating at times, but rarely boring. Like the Stooges with more speed and teeth-on-metal vocals. Could imagine the violence and release that could come from seeing this live. Visceral. Cathartic. Punk classic.

just a hardcore classic. I think this band would go on to do better things (though admittedly also much much worse things) you just can't go wrong with this one. tons of fun.

First half was great. Second half felt a bit too rough/shouty.

A quintessential hardcore album - arguably THE quintessential hardcore album. It’s rough and ready, noisy, and immature but pretty fun. Rise Above is the clear highlight, and TV Party is also pretty amusing. Even though not too much else stands out as an individual track, the overall visceral energy of it is engaging enough throughout to leave a lasting impression

Anger distilled. Henry Rollins really created something impressive here. It's raw, emotional, angsty, and youthful. Perfectly captured a feeling of disaffected youth. A key album in the American wave of punk. An early gateway into what would later become hardcore music.

A solid punk offering (even though the album was released in 1981, after punk’s heyday) with some classic lyrics and powerful vocals from Henry Rollins. I especially enjoyed Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie and Rise Above

Angry. Angry Henry Rollins was a huge trope in nme/melody maker in the 90s when I was a regular reader. And yes I understood he was an angry thrash punkist. It's visceral and smashing. Deserves to be in the book for sure. Does kind of all run into itself after 15 minutes or so. Not sure thrash should come in album form. Or maybe I'm just old now. No, it is the children who are wrong.

Side 2 isn’t as good as Side 1, and Black Flag would go on to better and more interesting things when they started messing about with spoken word, Free Jazz and Sludge Metal, but this is still a solid, influential US Punk album. I’ve had Six Pack stuck in my head since I discovered this was my album yesterday

Essential Punk. Listened to the shit out of this in HS. Love it.

Waldorf: It was dumb! Statler: It was obvious! Waldorf: It was pointless! Statler: It was... short. Statler & Waldorf: I loved it! HA HA HA HA!!!!

Late 70s / early 80s Punk Rock is the sweet spot for music. It hits on cultural themes, speaks to the masses and most importantly - each album can jam 15 songs into a sweet 35 minutes. It always leaves you wanting more. Is Black Flag the best punk band? They're up there, but after early British Punk, the Ramones opened the doors for amazing bands like Black Flag to crash through the windows. 4/5.

1. Keith Morris 2. Chavo 3. Henry 4. Dez (I think Henry is actually the worst Black Flag singer, but for me his non-musical contributions to the band put him over Dez.)

A very good hardcore punk album. I did not know that Henry Rollins was the lead vocals for Black Flag at this time. Overall, it was exactly what I expected from a punk album and I liked a lot of the songs. Favorites Song(s): "Depression", "TV Party", "Rise Above"

seminal punk legends black flag with their debut with henry rollins. chock full of aggression and anti-conformity commentary. this one’s a special one, kids. do not miss it. highlights: “rise above”, “police story”, “gimme gimme gimme”.

Rise above

3.7

I kinda liked it, it’s very loud, cool how it was so different from the norm. Deserves its place on the list though it’s not something I’d listen to a lot. “Six Pack” is a cool song though.

TV party tonight!

Bruyants, insoumis, dérangeants, parfois désagréables, avec un esprit de groupe palpable: un album punk exemplaire.

Uh oh. I fully understand the cultural importance of this album and how it influenced punk. I had never listened to them. Since the album is so short, I listened to it five times in a row. I like it. 4/5.

Djöfulsins partý er þetta! Hafði heyrt tvö lög áður en restin er frábær líka. Góð orka!

Il y a quelque chose de vraiment bon là dedans. Cest du vrai de vrai punk comme ca brassait dans mon temps. On voit bien que cet album a influencé une génération de Punk Rock Trash (Anti-Flag, The Exploited, etc...) J'ai aimé ca pour vrai et j'ai meme réécouté plusieurs fois quelques chansons, ar je me faisais déranger. 4.5

I need to lay down and do nothing after listening to this. But I can definitely understand why this record is on the list. As a very sheltered kid with a lot of unrestricted access to the internet, but also a deep fear of accidentally downloading a virus onto the family computer, I remember reading about Black Flag & Henry Rollins & the DC punk scene as a young teen. I deeply wanted to hear the music that influenced the music I loved the most (third wave emo, ofc) because I KNEW it would resonate with me, a 12-14 year old suburban girl in the early-mid-2000's. But I was scared I'd get in trouble for downloading it from Limewire or similar. This was before the days of streaming, so I had to make do with the little preview snippets from the Apple Store, and the random MP3 track or two someone would upload to Xanga or LiveJournal.... Anyway. Glad this music is so accessible now for those young people feeling really big feelings and looking for a relatively healthy outlet for them! I think I *would* have loved this album at that age. Now I am just exhausted. But appreciative!

good job henry

A refreshing face punch.

Better than I'd expected. Black Flag t shirt people always seem to be awful and gatekeepers, so I was very surprised to find out they are big inclusive sounding fun!

Another seminal punk album

Another band that just sounds so mad at their mom...but somehow I don't mind it. They're young and loud and fast. It's not my thing but I appreciate their place in history.

TV Party!

Every time I see someone wearing a Black Flag shirt I ask them to name five Black Flag songs to prove they’re a real fan. And that’s because I’m just better than most people. This album is about as punk as it gets. You know what you’re signing up for, and I know I shouldn’t expect any sort of dynamics or mixing gems in this record, but without that stuff, the 35-minute runtime feels just a bit too long. But overall, this is an insane debut from a band who was doing things literally no other band was doing at the time and has had a lot of mimics since.

Bricks walls stand no chance against runners aided by this acrid assault on the senses.

This is my fucking jam.

I would say this is a pretty fun album but it’s also just about as basic and generic as it gets when it comes to punk music, imo - 7/10

Clash vibes. Which was great.

Great stuff

This rips. Don't need to say too much more!

I know it’s a short album, but I wish it were even shorter. Because it was a damn blast to listen to overall, only a few tunes in the 2nd half kind of failed to stand out. Not the closer though. Freaking “Damaged I,” dudes. Whew. That’s a bruiser of a song and I love it. The only other Black Flag album I’ve ever really earnestly listened to is “My War,” and it’s strange to me to read how that album apparently alienated a bunch of the early Flag-heads, because I feel like the closer of this one set the stage for the heavy-sludgy songs to come on the second half of “My War.” But maybe Im crazy. I’m sure it was different if you were all up in that scene at the time. Anyway, god bless the refrain on “Jeffersons” in “TV Party.” It kills me every time.

This was a delight from start to finish 8/10 Fave: TV Party

I fucks with it

Anger distilled. Henry Rollins really created something impressive here. It's raw, emotional, angsty, and youthful. Perfectly captured a feeling of disaffected youth. 3.5/5

This was one of many albums I downloaded as a kid only to barely pay it proper attention, skimming through the album on shuffle (shamefully I did this with most albums as a kid). After listening to it all the way through, I'm happy that I decided to revisit this. As is the case with a lot of punk for me, even if I don't especially enjoy or prefer the music, I can't help but appreciate it for the merits it achieves and delivers consistently. Songs like TV party though will forever be a jam I'd be happy to hear when my playlists are on shuffle!

Scott Kelly's noncing World Cup reaches new heights

Verrattuna 70-luvun pink flagiin, joka oli punkin kannalta uraauuratava teos, on tämä 80 luvun punk albumi paskempi ja ei niin kokeellinen, pink flag oli hyvällä tavalla kokeellinen, ei mitenkään ärsyttävä, tämä paljon yksinkertaisempi. Puni on yksinkertaidta musiikkia yksinkertaisille ihmisille. Joten 2 tähteä enemmän kuin pink flag saa tämä albumi.

Fast and furious and often funny. A classic of hardcore. Though as far as Black Flag albums go I think I like "My War" better, probably because of the B side that alienated all their fans.

Переобуюсь, но! За супер сделанным на похуй мастеринге, скрывается чудесная агрессия и хардкор. Я прям включил и с первых нот мне плюют в ухо и я кайфую от этого. Очень удивлен, что такая почти андеграундая музыка тут, но это прям прибавило интереса

There is no pink pop here. This is thrashy punk that emphasizes biting guitars and lots of crazy angsty energy from Henry. Props.

Tätä levyä on tullut kuunneltua vuosien varrella! Nyt huomasin, että ollaan saman ikäisiä. Eilen pohdittua: jos Black Flag teki tän jutun näin hyvin 41 vuotta sitten, niin miksi yhä vain on bändejä, jotka haluavat kuulostaa juuri tältä? Varmaan siksi, ettei mikään olisi hauskempaa, kuin olla Black Flagin laulaja. No, ehkä vielä astetta hauskempaa olisi olla Melt Bananan laulaja. Meinasin pihistellä tähtiä ja antaa vain kolmosen, mutta kyllä tälle on annettava vähintään yhtä hyvä kuin Abattoir Bluesille, eli se neljä.

Katse peiliin ja hampaat sisään! Bändin vaikutusta ei voi kiistää mitä tulee punkin kehitykseen, mutta mites tää maistuu? Tykkään tästä pidättelemättömästä ja raa'asta ilmaisusta mikä bändillä on. Kyseessä toki bändi joka oli ensisijaisesti livebändi hurjine keikkoineen. Ehkä tässä kuulee sen että koitetaan äänittää jotain niin pitelemätöntä ettei se aivan onnistu. Tämähän lienee eka levy jossa Rollins on laulajana ja se tietysti eroaa edellisestä huippuhienosta Morrisin sungaamasta EP:stä, mutta en kyllä osaa sanoa kummasta soundista tykkään enemmän. Tykkään itse enmmän My War -levystä, mutta kyllä tämäkin on ansainnut 4 tähteä minun mittapuullani. Punkkia arvostelen varmaan rajummin kun muita genreä. 4/5

Äärimmäinen levy! Voimakasta HC:tä ja vedettynä sillee että bändistä otetaan ihan kaikki irti. Olis ollu siistiä nähdä nää livenä aikanaan! 4/5

I was expecting to hate this. So extra star for the surprise, and I could see myself jumping around to this after drinking a 6-pack.

Henry Rolling FTW 😎 I liked it a lot.

Hardcore punk classic. Prettty essential, if only for "historical" reasons. There are not many albums in that overall genre in Dimery's list anyway (Minor Threat's *Out Of Step* is included, and I think Bad Brains are, too). So it would be a crime to take *Damaged* out of it. Number of albums left to review: 729 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 133 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 74

What would hardcore be without this album? Would hardcore even be a thing?

My punk experience is admittedly low (and hardcore punk even lower than that), but my understanding and impression is that this album is a pillar, one of the goats. Not at all difficult to hear why. I've heard it before, and I'm a big fan of this one. Opens with a true classic in "Rise Above," and just maintains a caustic edge throughout. It's angst and rage expressed with frightening, piercing clarity. You know these guys hate everything. My absolute favorite track has to be "TV Party," not just because of how funny and angry it is about the stupidity of television watchers, but because it's a genuinely catchy song, which makes you think if these punks were stupid sheep instead of the free-thinkers they are (please bear with my layers of irony here), they could make a decent rock record for the masses to swallow with ease. But they aren't that, man! They're fucked up in the head, they wanna smash mirrors and kick fire hydrants or whatever. I love it, what a rush. I can only imagine how liberating it would have been to discover this album as an angsty teen in the early '80s. Shout out Henry Rollins for this one. Favorite tracks: TV Party, Rise Above, Six Pack, No More, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Life of Pain. Album art: Iconic for sure. Rollins punching a mirror, what more do you need? It gets everything across, this album sounds like a group of guys trying to shatter the world as we know it. 4.5/5

No offense to Darby Crash, but this sounds like a more polished Germs. It's angry and free, with Henry Rollins saying whatever comes to his mind. It's anthemic with plenty of lines to scream along to, a bit of order among the chaos of spoken word lyrics. "TV Party" is the best example of this, with the clear back vocals, chants, and clapping. His lyrics are unexpected and fun cause you never know when he's done. There are breaks where you think the song's over but then he just keeps going. But the greatest strength of this album is the distortion-heavy doom-like instrumentation. Each songs starts off almost sounding like a Black Sabbath song, but then speeds up out of control, and the crashes really set this apart with chaotic bangs. Out of 15 songs, only 4 of them are over 2.5 minutes (and only 1 of them are in the first 10), so it really flies by and keeps it interesting thinking what the hell he's gonna complain about in the next song. Loved every song, but the energy dies down in the last third (which does fit with the slow and eery starts of "No More", "Life of Pain", and "Damaged I"), which is why I see so many other bands like Minor Threat just settle with EPs.

Powerful, fierce hardcore punk, a classic among classics. Pissy, hard driving, badass, and also just a lot of fun. This is an album that grabs you from the first riff and and does not let go. I love how they burn though 15 songs in 35 minutes, like a freaking brush fire. Fave Songs: Rise Above, Police Story, Room 13, What I See, Damaged I, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Life of Pain, Padded Cell

punkzao, nao é o som que eu mais curto ouvir mas maximum respect

Pretty good punk album

Influence on music: 5 stars How much I personally enjoy it: 3 stars at most, I like punk but not so much hardcore. Average: 4 stars

Ground zero for hardcore punk. Used to listen to this in high school quite a bit.

Peak Rollins and BF

Despite them inventing it, I have never considered Americans to have ever really understood punk, or the potential of punk. Except for the Stooges and a fistful of others, American punk bands have never seemed that interested in the aesthetic liberation punk has offered. The Ramones, for instance, arguably limited punk by establishing a mannerism of punk, whereas the Sex Pistols concocted a philosophy of punk that emboldened a thousand and one British weirdo acts to philosophise further and stretch the possibilities of what music could be, from ABC to XTC. Or we have Nirvana trying to put punk's experimentalism at the centre of the American mainstream, but only resulting in so many whining gits writing so many feeble grungy dirges about stubbing cigarettes out on their wrists. No scene demonstrates this blinkered American take on punk than hardcore. Rather than exploring what they could do, the hardcore formula of "rough punk, played fast and heavy" not only became the creed of American punk for a decade, it became the standard definition of US punk: I once read an American review of Never Mind the Bollocks that insisted it wasn't a punk album because the songs were too long. That's the sort of warped mindset we're dealing with here, kids. (By the by, this pitiful American reverence towards the supposed edicts of a genre extends far beyond punk. How many rhythm and blues acts, pop groups, jam-bands and rappers act as if avoiding deviation from their genre's standard makes them the true inheritors of the craft? And will they ever realise that nobody cares?) So I worry that perhaps I'm approaching this album with a mild prejudice, which is that whenever I listen to hardcore punk, I feel disappointed that they didn't follow the British example of rejecting every example, and instead they just played a bit of punk. This is not to say I dislike hardcore punk: I don't. But it occasionally feels like the teenagers lobotomised themselves. Anyway, Damaged. It's a good hardcore punk album. Some of the tracks are a bit humorous, to its credit. I don't see this as a crippling existential howl at all, I see it as a good hardcore punk album. There are hardcore albums I prefer (e.g., Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables), and ones I like less (e.g., Milo Goes to College). Is there much more to say than that? Maybe you could say phrases like, "Oh, but they added mini guitar solos to the repertoire of punk," but that just means you're a trainspotter. Actually, I'll run with that. If your favourite form of punk is hardcore, you're basically a trainspotter of punk, writing down the BPM in your notebook as you slamdance. The reason you're straight-edge is because you've a thermos of weak lemon drink made for you by your mum. This album gets a clear four, but giving it a 5 marks you as spotty and bronchial. Also, I was reading about Black Flag before writing this review. After this, they turned to the Grateful Dead for inspiration. As much I should cherish such growth beyond hardcore, I'm not exactly squealing with glee at Black Flag harking to the Grateful Dead. Is there any better point to illustrate that hardcore punk is punk for trainspotters?

Visto con la perspectiva de los años, se hace durillo de aguantar. Aunque eso no quita que sea absolutamente rompedor. Personalmente, prefiero My War, pero Damaged es el principio de muchas cosas.

Thought I wouldn’t be into this but I was

Not usually a fan of older punk, and hardcore is hit or miss, but this goes hard and I get why people become such big fans of the genre. 4.5 for me but can't push it to a 5.

Brabo!!

Surprisingly fun! Top tracks: Rise above, What I See, TV Party

Fast Angry Punk. Pure classic for the genre.

YESSSSSSS!!!!! Rise Above punches people in the face. TV Party is funny. This is a decent punk record and you can hear the seeds of something more approachable and also the start of the more modern hardcore movement. But as an album on its own? not my favorite punk record.

Går hårt...

Great hardcore punk album. One of the best.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Rise above, Tv party, Room 13

Introduced the world to the madman known as Henry Rollins. A lot of noisy punk, with some sludgey riffs happening later in the track list. I think the recording holds back just how truly chaotic this must've been to hear live. Favorite tracks: "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Six Pack", "Damaged I", "Padded Cell"

Nasty, raucous, incisive

Stevig punkalbum, met uitgesproken baslijnen. Best wel genoten van dit kort maar krachtig album

Wie sagte Henry Rollins so schön, "The Blood Brothers are gonna save us all!", der Typ weiß wovon er spricht! Und was sollman zu Black Flag mehr sagen als LEGENDARY! Später dann gaaaanz anders... Urgestein des Punk, aber 'genießbar' würd ichs heute nicht mehr unbedingt nennen! ;) Dafür umso mehr 'in your face"! TV Party, wie geil!!!

Die rohe Energie ist schon echt geil, so eine unpolierte Faus in die Fresse hab ich lang nicht mehr gehört. 18 Jahre alter Stifte hätte wohl 6 Sterne gegeben, mittelalterlicher Mittelschicht Stifte gibt noch immer 4 :-D

I first heard Damaged when I was 18, which seems about the right age. But I perhaps wasn't angry enough to get the full impact of Rollins' ire. I'll tell you what though - change "TV Party" to "Internet Party", update the shows to website and nothing much has changed. We got nothing better to do.

Listening to this made me want to listen to more punk. I appreciate the 15 songs coming in at just about 35 minutes. Not sure if it was intentional, but I found so many lines laugh-worthy. In Six Pack, "what do they know about partying or anything else and in TV Party, "tv's broke what are we gonna do, we're gonna miss our favorite show." I want to become a rock star so that I can cover TV Party only so that I can sing real loud, "No TV Party tonight." There's also a line in the dark, very dark Room 13 that I love, "as I'll see to it." Somehow it seems very Victorian for a punk band talking about death. I had no idea that Henry Rollins had just started as lead singer with them in 1981, while making this album.

Super angry, raw sound, loved it

That was fast n hard, loved it

5 stars for the vibes, but I wouldn't be able to tell this apart from any other set of punk rock songs because I can't understand the lyrics, and there isn't a consistent melody throughout each song.

A reasonable punk record engineered to be loud and somewhat obnoxious. Short length tracks make way for urgency with allegro tempos and linear arrangements - 'Damaged' lays walls of overdrive guitars and hard-hitting drum patterns that ultimately incites strong dissentious emotions. While the production is short of modest for a 1980s album, the lyrics remain straightforward and upfront, though this makes the record simpler than it appears to be.

Classic 70's punk.

equal parts furious (Rise Above) and goofy (TV Party) - the authentic voice of American Youth. the better tracks are mostly placed earlier - it loses focus as it progresses to the end - but it still pelts along, full of rage and signifying something. iconic cover.

Very solid enjoyable thrash punk

I really like the Chats, and it's clear that they are heavily inspired by Black Flag - a band who i was familiar with, but have never listened to this album. I will definitely listen to it again though as it's really good!

Material tak klasyczny w gatunku punka, ze nawet ja znalem go przed listowym pickiem, wiec kolejny szybki odsluch debiutanckiego krazka studyjnego bandy Black Flag, czyli jednej z pierwszych prawdziwie punkowych band hameryki, formacja powstala w 76, a pierwszy album jest dopiero z 81, bo jak przystalo na punka poczatki dzialalnosci to gigowanie wszedzie gdzie sie da, a z takim kontentem ciezko o rekord dile, orginalnie plyta miala byc wydana przez MCA, ale po tym jak zarzad uznal, ze brzmienie jest zbyt hardkorowe i niezbyt rodzico przyjazne grupa musiala wiec wydac plyte pod wlanym szyldem, wiec gitarzysta i glowny liryk grupy, Greg Ginn. przebranzowil swoja firme na wytworne plytowa i tak powstal SST Records, banda w czasie nagrywania Damaged liczyla 5 czlonkow, Rollins jako glowny wokal, Cadena gitarka rytmiczna, pan Dukowski na basie, ksywka strasznie polacka, ale jest on hamerykaninem, ktory wybral sobie polacka ksywke, bo jak wiadomo polaki wszedzie znienawidzone, wiec idealnie pasuje do punkowego wizerunku, ostatnim czlonkiem jest kolumbijsko hamerykanski drumer o pseudonimie Robo, 35 minutowy material, to traki wypuszczone wczesniej jako single czy epki, pomimo tego, ze glownym tworca tesktow jest wspomniany juz Ginn, to kazdy z czlonkow ma jakis credit pisarski na plycie, bo trakow jest az 15, jak przystalo na punkowe kawalki sa to krotkie i wypakowanie chaosem brzmienia kompozycje, lirycznie od samego poczatku i rise above czuc wiadomo czemu ciezko bylo sprzedac to w szanujacej sie wytworki, bo banda otwarcie mowi o tym, ze ma wyjebane na obecny establiszment muzyczny, polityczny, kulturowy, no i na jakiekolwiek ograniczenia wolnosci, bo przeciez ludzie to nie roboty, czy istoty z waldena drugiego, wiec traki o tym ze policja nadal dokucza sie pojawiaja, o tym ze nie ma nic lepszego niz wyrazanie samego siebie przez destrukcje wszystkiego wokol, czyli sardoniczne teksty dotyczace marnowania zycia jak na gimmie gimmie gimmie, gdzie jest mowa o slejwowaniu za pejczekami, czy jak na jednym z najbardziej znanych numerow bandy, to jest tv party opowiadajacym o tym jak ludzie kochaja swoje odbiorniki tv i jak dla nich zyja, ale album ma takze swoje drugie oblicze, bo tak ekspresywne wyrazanie samego siebie jak w kulturze punkowej czesto kryje za soba jakies szkielety w klozecie, ktore ktos stara sie ukryc, wiec jednym z takich szkieletorow tutaj bedzie alkohol i jego naduzywanie, ktore przewija sie podczas odsluchu, od niewinnych piwerek, gdy nie ma nic innego do roboty, do zapijania sie na smierc, zeby tylko nie kontantowac z otoczeniem, inne drugi jako forma eskejpizmu rowniez sie pojawiaja, ale to jednak alkohol jest tym glownym antagonistom, ktory ciagnie za soba depresje, marskosc watroby i wszechobecna suchosc, to wlasnie strona liryczna sprawia, ze slucha sie tego tak dobrze, tak autentyczny punk ma sporo wspolnego z murzynskimi rapersami, oba gatunki wywodza sie z podobnych korzeni najglebszych skidrowow, jesli chodzi o instrumentalna czesc plyty, to najbardziej charakterystycznym elementem jak dla mnie jest wspolpraca miedzy drumami i basem, ktore wspolnie tworza scene dla glownej gitarki, w niektorych momentach slychac, ze jest to dosc biedne nagranie pod wzgledem masteringu, glownie poziomy glosnosci, chociaz caly album jest glowny, to jednak troche lepszy balans moglby byc miedzy wokalem a instrumentami, bo rytmiczna gubi sie wsrod innych dzwiekow, ciekawa sprawa jesli chodzi o drumy jest to, ze wczesniej nie moglem dojsc do tego skad taki poglos sie bierze przy dzwiekach talerzy, a wiki mowi o tym, ze pan Robo w jakiej branzolecie gral i stad ten dziwny dzwiek, podczas walenia w wysokie talerze, a co do wokali, to jak przystalo na punka spiewem tego sie nie da nazwac, bo jest to raczej liryczna recytacja, bardziej lub mniej luryczna, a glos pana Rollinsa brzmi dosc neutralnie, wiec ani nie grzeje, ani nie chlodzi, reszta bandy takze udziela sie wokalne, zazwyczaj jako horusy czy jak na tv party dopowiadajace pewnie kwestie glosy, dawno nie sluchalem w calosci, wiec dobrze ze lista pozwolila sobie przypomniec takiego klasyka, ktory juz nawet sama okladka mowi, ze to jest wlasnie klasyG przez duze G

I think this album, and having listened to some Dead Kennedys earlier in the year, has given me more appreciation for hardcore punk. I've always found it a hard genre to listen to because there's often not much to latch onto except for the speed and anger. Obviously the speed and anger are the point, but that doesn't always make for an enjoyable listening experience. The bitter sarcasm that drives this album is very interesting. The songs are a clear rejection of the world around the band, but the band is often focusing their songs around an (albeit very ungenerous) interpretation of the cultural perspectives they reject. The version of themselves that they present is one of emotional turmoil. I like the energy of this album. I'm not sure how often I'm going to come back to it, but I can see why it was so influential to young punks in the 80s 4/5

Raw

i respect the fun

About 3.5. 4.5 for the instrumental parts

daora

Como no tengo las suficientes herramientas para juzgar el punk, voy a decir que está ok porque no me hartó

I've only ever known Henry Rollins for his talking. I'll listen to more Black Flag now

punk

I'm not a huge black flag fan. I never got into the hardcore punk scene, although I really liked Rollins Band. Dirty Projectors cover album of this is one of my all-time faves. This was a fun listen. I wish I could go back in time and play it for a more open-minded, younger version of myself.

Nos tocaron dos de punk seguidito, pero acá éste suena más hardcore, más "crudo". Y aunque el mood es prácticamente invariable a lo largo de todo el disco, creo que justo suena a lo que se espera según un imaginario pank. Tengo mis favs: "Six Pack", "Police Story" y "Room 13", aunque no es un disco al que vaya a regresar seguido. 8.5/10

15 songs, 35 minute run time.... its like music ADHD. It is one of those albums that informed all the other albums in the punk genre moving forward... forever. It was over before I could work up a sweat.... to bad I really was enjoying the ride. Punk Rock out of 5

I wanna give it a 5 just for Six Pack and TV Party. The tension, the fury, the random changes in tempo, the call and response. I had this downloaded (probably over many days) on dial up from audiogalaxy, i think it had random glitches from where the torrent didn't completed... just added to the DIY sound. Anyway back to the album ... nostalgia for my teenage punk years probably biases my rating here, yeah its super influential, but would I personally listen to it much anymore? not so sure

Punk is great. Could be faster

ponk guarro hardcore estilo hispanoperrofla cerdísimo

Excellent stuff. Lovely heart warming punk.

Hell yes, just an incredibly solid punk album of fuck-off anti-authoritarianism

I wonder how great this album would have been with modern indie production.

Solid punk

Great early hardcore punk. personally prefer Black Flag's second vocalist, as it's easier to understand his lyrics in the songs

Punk rock

Punk demasiado gutural para ser punk

There are btter option

On the fine side of a racket

Classic, of course. There are much more iconic punk albums from this time that are better but I do get why this is here. It was good to listen to this again.

It's okay.

Decent album to end my journey on

I am Henry Rollins, hear me ROAR! Me angry, RAAAAAHHH!! The government is bad!!! I want to.. watch tv and drink beer? (!!!!) Black Flag is one of those bands where I think two things are true: 1. You Had To Be There, and 2. The influence is outsized compared to the qualify of the actual music. It’s very easy to dismiss punk, and hardcore punk like this in particular for sounding samey. A lot of punk was made by people who could barely play instruments and thus three-chord-punk was born- very basic stuff with the same drum beats and guitar riffs with whatever angry vocal you wanted to throw on top. It didn’t matter if it was good, it just had to have the attitude. Even the Red Hot Chili Peppers once said on “Funky Crime”: “p(f)unk is the attitude.” That said, this album definitely came equipped with the DNA that set hardcore punk into motion: you’ve got everything from micro songs, to anti establishment textures, to chillin with the homies songs, and even some filler! The album does have a fair amount of variety in terms of structure, which is more than you can say for a lot of punk albums, especially early ones. A lot of these guys showed up at the same time, immediately following the Sex Pistols and Ramones- Black Flag, JFA, Adolescents, Minor Threat, which gave way to Suicidal Tendencies, NOFX, and others who expanded on the “skate” side of things and less political. This one is tough to rate though. On influence alone it’s a 5, but personal enjoyment is more like a 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 it is.

Good rock thx

A very influential album whose legacy probably exceeds the actual quality of the music. The simple and brutal Punk assault hits hard at first, but the impact is short-lived. The mark left behind is just a t-shirt with the Black Flag logo on it, available at your local Walmart.

when i first moved to the region i live now, i got stuck in a terrifying dangerous dirt-road snowstorm with only the voice of the 19yo on college radio playing a Songs About Television rock block to focus on as i spent two hours caaaaaaarefully navigating what in the summer would be a fifteen minute drive. all this to say, i have a soft spot for TV Party. the rest is not super my speed; all very samey, but hey, it's a debut album and i can't argue with 34 minutes. 2.5

Das Album trifft mich eher als Zeitkapsel denn als Genuss. Die Wut ist echt, der Sound roh, aber vieles wirkt heute mehr wie ein chaotischer Schlag ins Gesicht als wie Musik, die ich freiwillig nochmal anmache.

My favorite thing about this album is that damaged ii comes four tracks before damaged i because who the fuck cares.

I liked this better than I expected to be honest. These are some amazing riffs, super fast and raw and I love the angry vocals. I’m just not sure if I’ll return to this a lot.

Very raw, sounds incredibly dated now. Just angry.

Henry Rollins is an angry man.

3.0

In the right mood, this is a fun album

Good punk album ..Rollins doing his thing.

Sounds really good at start but my tolerance of this kind of stuff was filled around mid album. Not something i would listen to full album, but few songs here and there refreshens the day!

#422 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ ✅ Revisit? ❌ ✅ First album with Henry Rollins doing the vocal duties. Music is very much US hardcore punk, while not exactly my thing, this band has similar vibes to the stuff I've listened to in the past. Easy 3/5, but not quite 4.

not bad overall, good punk album

Teenaged me would have been all over this - bit much for me now 🤣

C'est pas si pire mais torieux c'est sûrement le maximum que je peux supporter en terme de qualité d'enregistrement de marde. 2.5 étoiles

Decent

I'm ready to run through a brick wall (3.5)

Decent. A high 3

I can understand it's influence. You can hear it clearly in early Fugazi records, but not really for me.

I wanna kick something but alas I am listening from my desk job

didn't even open it - black flag i am sure is awesome for those who like this genre - i appreciate them, but it's NOT my sound can't bear even a minute

what you would expect from a hardcore album from the 80s

No private session used for Spotify. Quintessential american punk.

Six pack

нормалек, но в свое время, видимо, были круче. (у дейва гроула тату с ними)

I think these guys are damaged. Decent Punk album

A good hardcore punk album. I enjoyed this. Kinda cool to see punk evolve to this harder style so long ago. I thought this was gonna be a more mid 80s style.

Tbh I didn't hate it. I even tolerated it

Not my favorite genre but I can telll it’s good for what it is

Pretty good!

It was okay for it's genre but nothing I prefer to listen to on a regular basis.

Punky Fave track: Six pack

Decent punk. 3/5

Plenty of thrash here, wasn't bad, but there's better out there.

Ive enjoyed this more on other occasions. Its clearly good. Maybe im not in the mood, maybe it doesnt feel as fresh Its good. Nothing against it lad. Good

Listening to this I am immediately transported to a hot and sweaty room, my ears ringing the next day. It's energetic and angry, I liked it a lot. Favourites: Thirsty And Miserable Police Story No More Damaged I

I can appreciate their influence and appeal to punks but not melodic enough for me.

Fun punk! Love Henry Rollins and this album sounds awful in a charming way. Just a little one note for me

#notforme but TV party will always slap

3/5 Timeless lyrics and raw instrumental energy brings the score up.

Well recorded for a very early 80s pink album. I totally get the energy here and I reckon the gigs were hardcore. Not my scene and while I don't really enjoy this, going to give it a 3 because did actually help me focus on some work tasks this morning.

A punk punch.

Déjà écouté avant. Le punk hardcore dans sa plus pure expression, sans chichis, sans nuances, sans ornements. Juste un déchaînement brut de riffs stridents et d'aboiements primaux débités à toute vitesse pendant 35 minutes. Quitte à ce que le cocktail abrasion + répétition devienne carrément difficile à avaler à la longue. C'est une esthétique de la colère à laquelle on adhère ou pas, personnellement j'adhère plutôt, jusqu'à un certain point en tout cas. Top : Rise Above Flop : Room 13

I feel like I've already had this record, though I can't be bothered to check now. It's raw. It's solid. It's pretty damn caustic.

Guys, it’s bad on purpose. That’s the aesthetic.

It’s funny to me that old punk music sounds like it’s just 1 take of the whole band and if there are any mistakes or mistiming, they just roll with it. “Hey your rolls and fills are kinda off time” nah keep it, that’s punk “Are you sure the melody fits in with the song?” Yeah man, that’s punk This album can feel a bit exhausting when listening to everything back-to-back. That said, this is iconic punk rock.

What is this feeling? This feeling of…kind of enjoying punk music? Don’t get me wrong, this won’t make it into my regular rotation. But, there is something oddly real about this album. This isn’t a whole album about “woe is me, life is bad, fuck the man”, it’s like 4 15 year olds made an album but didn’t try to make it anything more than that. The TV party song made me laugh out loud at the absurdity of it - why did you write a whole song about watching TV? No further meaning? The emotions and rawness come through on this album far more than others. The songs all have the same mood but there is variation in chords, structures, etc. so that it doesn’t drone on. I’m coming in with a 6/10 today, against all odds!

Punk Rock is always good!

He keep screaming

Enjoyed this, but two listens is enough, given the plethora of bands that followed in that genre. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Iconic ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 295 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 209

I should be angry; really just feeling nothing.

I'm aware it's a landmark album and everything, but I just couldn't totally get into it.

High and low points. Classic punk sound but I do yearn for more punk messages lol also I have a headache so near the end it was getting rough

God energi og nogle spøjse tekster.

Not my thing at all but i totally get why it’s on the list. I imagine this is some people’s favourite album of all time… just not mine.

To this’ credit, I liked this a lot more than any other punk I’ve heard so far. There was a lot of weird and cool guitar stuff happening, and by the end I didn’t even mind his voice that much. That being said I just don’t think I like punk, it’s too shouty for me. It’s cool but it really is just a little annoying, I really just don’t like it. Favorites: What I See, Life of Pain, Damaged I

This was pretty good. I didn't expect there to be so many background vocals. That doesn't detract from it it was odd to me. The Jefferson's reference on TV Party was great.

I can respect it, but it’s not for me. Too hard.

Tough album to crush on a Saturday morning. But it was a vibe I enjoyed and made me laugh more than it probably was intended to. Tv party really hurt my feelings and I love that.

More fun than I anticipated.

Such an interesting album. It has some fun uplifting tunes and some heavier punk songs. TV Party and Six Pack are definitely bangers while the title track is very emotional and intense.

Heard this back-to-back with Murmur by REM. The 80's sure were diverse. It's anarchic, hardcore punk from LA in the early 80's. In some places, it's pretty noise-heavy ('Damaged II'). It's all very simple and often fairly melodic, though. The anger is palpable and, generally, it's a fairly emotive record. I haven't rated this yet but I don't expect this to have a very high score. Punk rock this raw isn't for everyone, nor is it meant to be. It could be made by anyone with something to say, though, and that's the point. Anyway, it's effective, representative of a movement and an aesthetic and a politics of that moment and, in places, it's actually fun and catchy ('TV Party' is definitely facetious but it's a catchy song). Probably won't be most people's favourite album, any more than some Napalm Death would be. You shouldn't skip any of it, though -- it's only a half hour long and this is what a punk show in a dive in LA in the early 80's would've sounded like. Seminal but maybe not broadly enjoyable. 3/5

Classic punk rock. Not my thing.

I like punk way more than hardcore, and this hits a bit too hardcore for me. Also, for a 35 minute album it feels very long.

This feels like the American version of the British Oi style of punk. It's music that I feel I ought to like more than I do but I just find it very middle of the road. It's a bit too simplistic for my tastes.

0/15 bekannt 5,5/10 Beste Songs: Rose above, six pack, life of pain

3,5

Hard-core is not my favourite kind of punk, but I appreciated listening to this tbh. And its probably a good intro to the genre.

Classic but apart from some bangers, not my thing.

listening at my desk at my job, the right venue clearly

Classic. Elliott: "is he really just saying sixpack over and over?"

What I know of this band is that it included Henry Rollins, whose solo work I really liked, I even bought his poetry (yep that is me keeping doom poetry alive). The first track reminded me of “beat the clock” by Sparks funnily enough but still a great song. This album was more punky and less thrash metal. Great lyrics fantastic energy, good stuff here.

heavy metal bastante estandar, pero contando que es del 81 quizá definia un poco el genero, suena bien, no es lo que me gusta, pero mejor que mierda popular, 3/5

Henry Rollins does not do it for me as a singer.

A good introduction to a seminal punk band

Should be on this list. I was just not in the mood.