Black Flag - My War
Original Release Date
1984Release Information
US LP 1984 (SST - SST 023)
UK LP 1984 (SST - SST 023)
US CD 1989 (SST - SST CD 023)
1 My War 3:52
2 Can't Decide 5:27
3 Beat My Head Against The Wall 2:34
4 I Love You 3:23
5 Forever Time 2:25
6 The Swinging Man 2:55
7 Nothing Left Inside 6:39
8 Three Nights 5:51
9 Scream 6:54
Chart Placings
UK Indie Hit: 5, 8 wksCredits
Henry Rollins - vocals
Greg Ginn - guitar
Bill Stevenson - drums
Dale Nixon - bass
Produced by Spot, Greg Ginn, and Bill Stevenson
Engineered by Spot
Recorded at Total Access, Redondo Beach, California
Reviews & Opinions
PUNKY GIBBON: Returning to the studio after an extended layoff, Black Flag baffled and alienated much of their fanbase with this bizarre effort. With Dukowski gone, Ginn (under the pseudonym Dale Nixon) plays bass as well as guitar, and the often arduous disc explores Ginn’s fascination with Black Sabbath riffing and jazzy weirdness, and Rollins' introspective rage. With songs built on monolithic riffs repeated over and over again, sometimes at excessive length (side two has three extremely slow numbers), the constant breaks for what sound like the most shiteawful, unhinged punk/metal solos ever recorded make for a baffling listen. Not their best effort (side two is considered utterly unlistenable by some fans), but unforgettably crazy, with some great moments ('I Love You', 'Can’t Decide', the title track). It also has one of the best, most iconic album sleeves ever from the always-reliable Raymond Pettibon.
TIM YOHANNAN, MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL, APRIL 1984: BLACK FLAG have worked long and hard to break ground for punk, and weathered a lot of legal harassment in the process, so it's impossible to casually dismiss them for putting out a bad record. But that temptation certainly exists with the release of this album. To me, it sounds like BLACK FLAG doing an imitation of IRON MAIDEN imitating BLACK FLAG on a bad day. The shorter songs are rarely exciting, and the three tracks on the B-side are sheer torture. I know depression and pain are the hallmarks of BLACK FLAG's delivery, but boredom too?
Additional Notes
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Images
US LP 1984 (SST - SST 023). Click here for more
UK LP 1984 (SST - SST 023). Click here for more
US CD 1989 (SST - SST CD 023). Click here for more
