Family Man

Black Flag | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sst Records
• ASIN: B000000LZQ
• In-Print Editions: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,470 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I've talked dirt before. . .it never sounded quite like this. . ., September 24, 2007

By 

L. J. Penglase "billy gnosis" (allentown PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Family Man (Audio CD)

"I come to infect, I come to rape your woman, I come to take your children into the streets. . .I come for YOU, family man."

Black Flag was a busy band in 1984. They had been put on hold for years because of a tedious legal battle spawned by the controversial release of "Damaged," and could not release any music that used the name Black Flag or their famous four-bar logo. Because of this time off, the difference between "Damaged" and the albums that were released in 1984 may be a bit jarring for listeners. There was no transition to the almost-metal hardcore found on the latter releases.

After the smoke of the jarring transition clears, what is left is some really amazing music. Like "My War" and "Damaged" before it, "Family Man" is very much divided into two sides. "Damaged" side one is chant-along anthems, where side two is dark, angry, frustrated, and unrelenting. "My War" has a similar breakdown, where side one is shorter, more standard songs, and side two is made up of only three songs. Nightmarishly slow, emotive, and expressive, side two polarized many Black Flag fans; what was the band who invented hardcore doing to the genre? It sounded like reinvention.

"Family Man" is even more polarizing. Side one is completely made up of spoken word performances by Henry Rollins; audiences are forced to face the deepest insides of Rollins' psyche through a series of poems and readings that range from black humor (Salt On A Slug) to diary-like mumblings (No Deposit-No Return). Side two is almost completely instrumental, featuring great musicianship by the guitar-god Greg Ginn, the spastic Bill Stevenson (also of the Descendents) and new-comer Kira Roessler on bass. All three muisicians shine amazingly in the quirkily-titled tracks. Each song begins with the band performing the "head" (a la jazz performers) then carrying the listener through a series of variations, each becoming more and more spastic and wild.

The one track to feature vocals and music becomes the centerpiece for the album, and that is Armageddon Man. The format musically is the same as the other tracks on side two, but amidst the insanity is Henry Rollins' almost stream of consciousness ramblings. In the same way the band will repeat an idea and vary it, Rollins will make a statement and then "jam" on it for a bit. For example, "dirt getting stuck in my mouth, dirt getting stuck in my eyes, seeing everything through dirt, all I see is dirt, all I know is dirt, just talking dirt, talking dirt, digging dirt, loving dirt, rolling in dirt, dirt river, dirt sliver, dirt lover, dirt undercover, dirt overcover. . ." He is using his words to express what is happening musically, and the band responds in kind. Many times, it's not sure if Stevenson is following Ginn's lead, or Rollins'.

"Family Man" is a huge artistic statement that was a huge risk to release to single-minded punk fans, but has stood the test of time. A dark journey to take, but a rewarding and cathartic one nontheless.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another masterpeace., March 18, 2001

By 

matt bobby - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Man (Audio CD)

punk rockers will absolutly hate this, but open minded music freaks will love this. the spoken word stuff is unbeliveably intense, from "rattus norvegicus", "no deposit, no return" and the monster epic "amageddon man". raw is the best word to describe this simply because it sounds so in the moment.and the intrumental stuff is out of this world.its wild, unpredictable, and very direct at the same time.oh, and one more thing.if you at all know what its like to feel alienated,angry and depressed,you should relate to "armageddon man".if not, you probably wont like this album.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To the left!, October 3, 2003

By 

A E T (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Man (Audio CD)

what ALWAYS seperated BF from ANY of their contemporaries was their lack of concern, regard for or respect of rules. this album disappointed their "punk rock" audience (and apparently a few narrow-minded reviewers here) and that's exactly what i love about it. they didn't give a made f*ck about anything other than taking it out as a far as they possibly could. this album demonstrates their TRUE punk rock attitude and unparalleled hard work ethic. they were slaves to their art and, unlike 99% of their companions of the period, not so easily forgotten. experimental, raw, improvisational... FAMILY MAN gives you something your lame EXPLOITED albums never could... the balls and ability to leave their audience scratching their head.