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> Various Artists
24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three (2002 Sanctuary)
BAND: marcus blake (bass) - jim wilson (guitar) - jason mackenroth (drums) - various vocalists
TRACKLIST: rise above - nervous breakdown - fix me - american waste - i've had it - i've heard it before - room 13 - wasted - jealous again - tv party - no values - gimmie gimmie gimmie - depression - six pack - police story - revenge - thirsty & miserable - what i see - no more - black coffee - slip it in - annihilate this week - my war - nervous breakdown
REVIEW:
Henry Rollins organized this benefit for the West Memphis Three, who you may or may not have heard about in the news. Without going into detail, it's basically three guys that are accused of a cult-like murder and it appears to some like they may be wrongly imprisoned due to things such as profiling (they listened to metal music) and shoddy police work. If you're interested in knowing more, check out www.wm3.org or check the HBO documentaries entitled Paradise Lost. Anyway, what makes this a unique and frankly better tribute album is the fact that the band stays the same, only the vocalists change. Rollins recruits the other 75% of his Rollins Band to play, and they do a fine job of recreating the original, sloppy, and generally ass kicking Black Flag sound. Everything on this album sounds exaggerated too, but in a good way. The most scathing songs, such as "Rise Above" (sung by Chuck D and Rollins) and "Police Story" (sung by Ice T) sound many times more scathing, while the group effort on "TV Party" and the Mike Patton version of "Six Pack" are somehow funnier than the original versions. Rollins did a great job of getting this diverse group of vocalists together. Keith Morris doing "Nervous Breakdown" is a real treat, because if you didn't know, before he started the Circle Jerks, he was a pre-Rollins vocalist of Black Flag, and was also the original singer of this song. Cowpunk phenom Hank Williams III (yes, the one with the very famous father and grandfather) does a great and slightly Jello Biafra-esque version of "No Values". Other guest vocalists include Iggy Pop, Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Tim and Lars (Rancid), Chuck Dukowski (original Flag bassist), and Kira Roessler (post-Dukowski Flag bassist). Rollins himself even tackles "Black Coffee" and "My War" himself, somehow sounding more pissed off and powerful than when he sang them in the mid-80's. The only track I'm not that into is the last one, which is simply Ryan Adams and his electric guitar playing "Nervous Breakdown". It almost seems as a letdown after all the rock. On the other hand, as I write this, I am getting more and more excited about it and may even listen to it again. This is by far the best tribute album I have ever heard, and if you're thinking about getting into Black Flag, or you're a seasoned veteran of the Flag, you need to have this.
