Episode 308: Black Flag

VHF-308 (Black Flag) We are featuring the first four vocalists of the legendary American hardcore punk band, with tracks that were released between 1978 and 1986. 

The lion’s share of songs are from the Henry Rollins era, 1981 to 1986.

Due to record label issues Black Flag had some time to compose music after the first full length album, Damaged, was released in 1981 with 20 year old Henry Rollins on vocals.

1982 and 1983 were spent in legal limbo with the band unable to put out new music until their issues with the record label were resolved.

Because of this three albums came out in 1984 alone! My War, Slip It In and spoken word/instrumental album Family Man. We check out the first two of them.

1985 featured two full length albums, Loose Nut, and In My Head. We are checking out a bunch of those songs as well as some of the early Black Flag songs from the first four years, prior to Henry Rollins joining the band.

We blast some prime punk with original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris. Tracks like Nervous Breakdown and Wasted are short and catchy. Punk as hell. Quite a bit different than the long Henry Rollins songs found on My War and Slip It In. 

Very High Frequencies also checks out a few cool songs with vocals by the bands second singer, Ron Reyes and their third vocalist, Dez Cadena. They both only released a few E.P.’s worth of songs before passing on the mic to Henry Rollins but their songs are pretty amazing and deserve to be heard. 

Not Dead Yet Mike has recently picked up the Black Flag album Slip It In so we’ll be hearing from that, and a whole bunch of other Black Flag classics. You know them, you love them, it’s Black Flag on this week’s Very High Frequencies. VHF-308 (Black Flag).