Black Flag
Damaged
Play Damaged
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MOG Editorial Review
The sound of L.A. hardcore starts with Black Flag, who defined the underground sound. The 1981 release of Damaged was the first recording with Henry Rollins as their vocalist. He was new to the gig, sure, but that didn’t make him any less of a terror. Founder and guitarist Greg Ginn wrote furiously fast songs that weren’t on the brink of explosion, but rather, the explosion itself. “Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie,” “Depression,” and “Rise Above” are all full throttle, high-speed aggression guided by Greg Ginn’s heavy metal-influenced playing. On “TV Party” their satirical sense is revealed, as they all yell out random television shows (“Hill Street Blues!”), and yet songs like “Damaged I,” reeling in bruised emotion is what helped Black Flag become as legendary as they are now considered.
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AMG Review of Damaged
John Dougan
All Music GuidePerhaps the best album to emerge from the quagmire that was early-'80s California hardcore punk, the visceral, intensely physical presence of Damaged has yet to be equaled, although many bands have tried. Although Black Flag had been recording for three years prior to this release, the fact that Henry Rollins was now their lead singer made all the difference. His furious bellow and barely contained ferocity was the missing piece the band needed to become great. Also, guitarist/mastermind Greg Ginn wrote a slew of great songs for this record that, while suffused with the usual punk conceits (alienation, boredom, disenfranchisement), were capable of making one laugh out loud, especially the protoslacker satire "TV Party." Extremely controversial when it was released, Damaged endured the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism (some reacted as though this record alone would cause the fall of America's youth) to become and remain an important document of its time.
 "Damaged")
- Rate It:
- Release Date 1981
- Label SST Records
- Genre Alternative/Indie
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