Customer Reviews

Slip It in

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Slip It In.

Ok, I'll admit something here. I'm perplexed how people can bash on this Flag record. Out of all the Flag albums I've heard and had at various times this is the one I come back to the most.

I recently encoded to WAV my vinyl copy I bought at Tower Records in Bellevue, WA in 1986 (oh the memories). I listened to the whole damn thing tonight while working out. I have to give it rave reviews. This album still rocks. Its almost as some other reviewers have said a mix of punk, hardcore and maybe a skosh of metal in there. I love the energy, the attitude and swagger. ( Its also a great album to do cardio to, but thats another subject.)

I think the flow of the record is great. The first three songs bust out the gate and don't slow down till Rat's Eyes. Then a brief reprieve and off you go again.

Favorite Tracks:
Black Coffee
You Think You're Evil
Obliteration (interesting song progression)
Slip It In
The Bars

This is a long way removed from Damaged, which is great on its own. My War I can't get into as much, sludgey and the material isn't as ferocious. Plus, I don't think that album flows as well and the band doesn't seem to being into it as much.

Seems there are factions of fans who like specific angles of 'Flag. Chalk me up as one who thinks Slip It In is one of thier top tier albums. Fusing punk, hardcore, 70s hard rock and charging hard makes it thier most complete album. It does what few artists dare to do - fuse genres. It works brilliantly here.

Would recommend this and Damaged as a introduction to 'Flag.

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Fun sidenote to this LP - Etched in the vinyl after the last song on each side is a message:
S1: "Only The Steaming Liquid of Caffeine... Stark ... Starker"
S2: "And Walked Out Into the Bright Light without Sunglasses"

I don't know if the CD has this. Thought I'd throw that one out there.

The best Flag album. They grew musically a great deal from the hardcore days of Damaged and in doing so melded punk, metal and hard rock into this freakishly powerful electric blast. The title track is propelled by Kira Roesler's manic bass and Bill Steven's drums. Ginn's guitar is crazy, great leads. Next is another Gregg Ginn musing on betrayal while getting teeth grinding wired: Black Coffee - what an overcaffinated wind up to Wound Up. "I get so wound up!!! To feel so let down." I don't know how many times I screamed along with the cathartic release of that song. Lots of variety on Slip It In, from the rave up Bars (one of the best Flag songs ever) to the slow grinding and aptly titled instrumental Obliteration. Greg's guitar is fantastic throughout, I love his careening f the rules leads. Rollins was the perfect foil to Greg Ginn's over the top insanity. His delivery is unrelenting KEN mode (Kill Everyone Now) When these guys were on they were an unstoppable force of nature. This album gives some indication as to what they were capable of live. Not everything is great, Rat's Eyes and My Ghetto are just ok, but the power of the other songs makes up for their shortcomings. Slip It In is the best album Black Flag ever released.

I've never been the biggest fan of hardcore, but I do know a great record when I hear it. 'Slip It In' is the band's third effort that was originally released in 1984. Tunes I found myself playing a lot off here were the title track "Slip It In", the in-your-ugly-*ss-mug "Black Coffee", "Rat's Eyes", "The Bars" and the body slammin' classic "My Ghetto". This is the sort of music that lures you to drive around at 3am and smash up every mail box (the ones they have by the end of the driveway) within a two mile radius. Line-up: Henry Rollins-vocals, Greg Ginn-guitar, Kira Roessler-bass and Bill Stevenson-drums. Should appeal to most fans of Misfits, the Germs, Minor Threat and Dead Kennedys. Believe I saw guitarist Greg Ginn's post-Black Flag trio, Gone play an actual in-store appearance. Wasn't just a three song mini-set, it was like a 45 minute show that had nearby tenants calling the police. You KNOW you've had a great time when that happens. Highly recommended.

I'm not sure if it's the best Black Flag overall but it's certainly one of them.

There's a couple of things i've never understood about how 'Flag fans perceive this album. One is how it isn't considered up there with "first four years", "damaged" and "my war" when it's easily as good as any of them and the other is that people rag on this but love "my war" which i find mind-boggling as "my war" is far more sludgey and complex whilst this is actually quite, ya know, hardcore. Listen to this and "my war" together and then tell me which is the most straightfoward hardcore album. Black Flag are often described at being the point in rock history where The Stooges met Black Sabbath and if "my war" is their most 'Sabbath influenced album then "slip it in" is the Stooges album as it's the most sexual album the 'Flag made. That's not to say the Black Sabbath influence and lurching tempo changes found on "my war" aren't here, they are on songs like "obliteration" and "rats eyes", but there are also vicious hardcore songs like the title track, "black coffee", "the bars" and "my ghetto" here too. It's just that the band could really play now (Kira and Bill Stevenson are the best rhythm section they ever had and Greg Ginn in his prime is a true heir to Ron Asheton from The Stooges) and weren't interested in making minute-long-thrashes anymore.

Don't get me wrong, i agree that the later albums "loose nut" and "in my head" are both pretty horrific (although there are demo and live versions of songs from both which are ferocious like the '82 demo of "modern man") and while i do have a slight fondness for the "process of weeding out" e.p i can see why yer garden variety hardcore fan was disgusted by it and would have to admit that it is a prog/jazz-rock noodle-fest. "Slip it in", however, is still Black Flag at their best and is the last truely essential album they made.

A good Black Flag effort!! I love the instruments in this, Kira is an awesome bass player, what can I say about Greg, it's already known that he's one of the best. Of course Descendents leader Bill Stevenson is good on the skins! The angry singer Rollins too! But there are problems on this like, some songs just run too long. You have to be in the right mood to listen to the whole thing. I can see how Stephen Egerton(ALL,Descendents) really liked this album, he uses some of the styles of riffs Greg Ginn played on here.

Black Flag, is one of the most fond memories of my youth. Such classic songs as "Slip It In" and "Black Coffee" remind of the angst I felt as a teenager, and also of the solace that Rollins inspired vocals gave me. Balck Flag rocked hard! I miss being able to rock as hard as I once did, but it's nice to remember my dance slammin', pogoin' and skankin'. This is definitely a must have volume for the American punk rock collection.

Black Flag-Slip It In *****

So basically the album opens with a six minute guitar solo from Ginn while Henry Rollins and a woman shout 'slip it in' and simulate sex through a microphone. The tempo changes in the song symbolizing the breaths one must take while engaging in intercourse. This is classic Black Flag and maybe their most diverse and sophisticated album (musically at least) and the opening title track warns you of this.

Ginns guitar work is unmatched in the punk realm. Only a few can even come close; Slip It In is a testament to this. As for the rest of the band they are in top form to, namely Rollins. His vocals seems angrier than on Damaged and his lyrics while not as overtly political as previous releases, they focus more on social issues. 'Rats Eyes' finds Rollins playing Jim Morrison dressed up as a straight edge hardcore punk amongst Reagan's youth. 'You're Not Evil' serves as not only one of the smartest songs to emerge from the hardcore movement of the eighties but finds Rollins once again taking a role other than himself; something of a psychic healer.

Slip It In serves as maybe even a better album than that of Damaged, the bands magnum opus. Anything that wasn't needed was thrown out leaving what I consider a perfect album in the world of hardcore punk. Many had turned their back on the band at this point leaving me speechless as this is truly one of the best albums of the time. There is really no bad songs on the record. So would it recommend it...you bet!

On my list of best Black Flag albums, Slip It In is #3. It's bassist Kira Roessier first album with Black Flag. Greg Ginn starts exploring his talent as a guitarist by becoming more technical. This is also what I consider Black Flag's last overall fast album. In the following album, Loose Nut, you notice a slower pace to more songs, although still heavy with Black Flag's usual angst. I'd recommend buying this to any Black Flag fan who's already got Damaged and My War.

Black Flag was always trying new things! They were experimenting but sure they were rockin'! On Slip It in, they mix hard-rock/heavy metal sounds with they powerful punk sound! The result is really good! There is awesome tracks on this CD the best example is probably for me The Bars! But Slip It in, Black Coffee & My Gettho are also really good!

so black flag returns with there 4th installment and longest lineup that the band would have.with new bass player Kira (replaceing dale nixon .aka greg ginn).so black flag was always trying new things on all there albums (breaking rules all the time)but this would be there most straight forward realise that they would have.more of a rockin punk album.i think they have finally gottin use to useing a studio and really show ya that.i like the fact that even with the production some of the guitar tracks have flaws in them .is that punk or what.so from the start of "slip it in" greg ginn really has some of his best riffs here .Not since black sabbath have you heard such a riff maniac. it could be the fact that bill stevenson (descendents)is the drummer on this album that made this more straight forward of a album his caffine driving beats are some of his best(also see descendents milo goes to college.)so also henry rollins is really starting to come into his own buy this point droping the screaming and starting his more talk singing style that he has always been known for.on tracks like "you think you're evil 'and "rats eyes" hes at his best.so if you are new to black flag and like your punk fast and furious .this is an album to get.but ya know every black album is worth getting because no two sound alike...