August 3rd, 2010

Spray Paint the Walls, The Story of Black Flag – Stevie Chick

Posted in bücher by Dolf


Omnibus Press, www.omnibuspress.com

I wish I could have been there back then, at the same time I’m glad I was not there – so many of my imaginations would have been destroyed. By the time I saw Black Flag in Germany they “developed” their music style not in my favour. Anyway, the book is a very good information source if you are interested in the story of Black Flag and ongoings in Los Angeles/Usa and of course the ssT label. Chick is a “outsider” (meaning, he was not there back then), but did a pretty good job researching, unfortunally he could not talk to Ginn and Rollins but both are quoted very many times.

With a lot of the other members Stevie did speak, so there is tons of first hand information. If they all remember correctly after all this time Read about how the band got together, the line up changes, the reasons for those, how ssT was born – or became a record label – how the scene was back then, how Black Flag went on tour it is all there. Not in “oral history style” but written by Chick with many quotes. And, well written I must say! Sometimes, when he talks about albums or songs or describes the music or the live performance, he exaggerates the use of words – I think, but for the rest, it is a lot of facts. You “get to meet” all the members and you can understand what role they played, how they thought and their thoughts about the band. Sometimes the retrospective is more interesting, since more distance is involved. All in all one gets a good picture of the band and its characters..

for example Henry Rollins, who is quoted from one of his books (Pissing in the Gene Pool) “I am a soldier and I travel through the jungle. I know what I’m about and I’m the only one who understands my trip. I hate having to explain myself, it’s like trying to build a house of air. I have no explanation to give anyone.”- I guess after saying something like this no explanation is required anymore.

Ginn also seems to be a total control/ego artist following his own trip. Which in general is fine, as long as the trip is a fine one, I doubt that. But hey, was I there? No. Do I know all these people. No. Maybe it is/was all a big joke, maybe not. So onward with the book, it has 400 pages, after a introduction come 12 chapters, basically chronological history of the band, in the end Acknowledgements, Bibliography and a selected Disography. There is also a bunch of great b/w photos to be looked at. Great band, great book, recommended when you are intersted in the bandhistory. (dolf)

14,10 Euro

Isbn 978 1847726209

[Trust #142 June 2010]

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