Turned On: A Biography of Henry Rollins [Paperback]

James Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2000

A celebrity like no other, Henry Rollins initially made his mark as the front man for the punk band Black Flag, and has since gone on to a successful musical career with the Rollins Band, along with spoken word performance tours, appearances in films, and the creation of his own publishing company (2.13.61). He has remained an uncompromising icon of American alternative culture, a man to whom unrestrained expression is not just a career, but the reason for living. Unlike nearly every other rock 'n' roll celebrity, Rollins has avoided the usual wallowing in booze, orgies, and medication in favor of pumping iron, performing constantly, writing furious diatribes against complacency and passivity, and repeatedly attempting to rip the scales from the eyes of a brainwashed populace. His performances are karate chops of information, thought-provoking and dangerous. Turned On is a look at the circumstances, alliances, and conflicts that made Rollins the force he is today. Biographer James Parker starts off in Washington DC, birthplace of Henry Garfield, and chronicles the development of his drive and rage. Parker shows how skinny skate-punk Garfield hooked up with his favorite band, Black Flag, and remade himself as part-animal, part-machine Henry Rollins. Parker examines at length the punk scene of the early to mid-eighties, when Black Flag toured with few breaks, going into towns where no punk band had ever been and preparing the ears of the nation for the harsh new sound. A historian of the punk movement as it migrated from London to New York to Hollywood, Parker recreates the era, covering the bands, the places they performed, and the riots over which they presided. Interviews with cohorts, members of Black Flag, roadies, musicians, film directors, and music professionals provide a multifaceted look at Rollins. Above all, Parker examines Rollins' music, giving informed reviews of the noise Rollins has brought to this world and deciphering what the music says about the man. Turned On is the story of Roll

Editorial Reviews

Review

Parker's informed and enthusiastic take on the horrfic Black Flag years is breathlessly brilliant. (New Musical Exprees )

Parker engages with his subject at every level....[The result] is gripping and instructive Parker captures the brutal excitements of American hardcore punk with commendable vigor and immediacy. He is equally good on the intellectual and cultural backdrop to the Rollins story. (The Independent )

Turned On scores highly detailed account of the U.S. punk rock scene of the early 80s, and the grueling, violent tours Rollins undertook with Black Flag. (Q Magazine )

Turned On scores highly detailed account of the U.S. punk rock scene of the early 80s, and the grueling, violent tours Rollins undertook with Black Flag. (Q Magazine )

A compassionate, lyrical tribute to some of the most savage music ever produced.... Turned On is a modern Pilgrims Progress . (Feed )

A compassionate, lyrical tribute to some of the most savage music ever produced.... Turned On is a modern Pilgrims Progress . (Feed )

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815410506
• ISBN-13: 978-0815410508
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informed often brilliant look at Black Flag and Rollins, March 15, 2001

By 

Mark Vermaire (Wyoming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turned On: A Biography of Henry Rollins (Paperback)

This biography is a must for Rollins and Black Flag fans. Based on interviews, the book is peppered with quotes. This is not a fawning fan's account, although Parker is a fan he tells the story straight and shows the often negative ugly side of Rollins, his insight into the man and the music scene surrounding him can border on profound. A lot of time and detail is spent on the Black Flag years and reveals the personalities of the other band members making this a great companion to "Get In The Van", [a collection of photographs and Rollin's journal entries of those years]. Surprises are revealed, like a brief period of heavy LSD use by the straight-edge Rollins. If you ever wondered what made Rollins the unique intense person he is, this book will answer a lot of questions. A worthy often brilliant account of the early hardcore scene and its most fascinating survivor.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Well Written Unique Insight into Rollins Life, December 21, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turned On: A Biography of Henry Rollins (Paperback)

This is an extremely well written book and Parker is obviously a fan of Black Flag and Rollins Band music. It is, therefore, with greater impact that the contradictions in Rollins life are described. Henry's middle class, decently educated albeit dysfunctional childhood, while skimmed over to a degree, is in stark contrast with the extreme, intense later personality. Also the early DC 'straightedge' punk edict of no drink and drugs which Henry is described as a chief exponent of is ditched when touring with Black Flag a couple of years later as he throws himself into almost continuos LSD usage. Many of these type of details are missing from anything in Rollins own written work (notably 'Get in the Van') but Parker has had access to almost all the key people around Rollins through the years inspite of Rollins trying to ensure that Parker is not given access to press and interviews he gives himself. Is this because he is nurturing his public persona and wants to hide some of these glaring contradictions in his life. The Flag frontman willing to degrade himself on the floor of gigs as punters abuse his body, the 'art' performances where Rollins and cohort Lydia Lunch systematically abuse members of their audince in a tiny room one by one and the non-communicative, obnoxious Rollins of the final Flag days, are all in stark contrast to the lovable, funny guy Hank of '90s spoken word tours. Has this change been wrought by a mere coming to terms with his true self and inner demons or is it simply a mellowing with age from a man willing to appear in crass Hollywood movies to further his publishing business? I have always admired the guy for his intense honesty but this book throws up a lot of contradictions in the Rollins psyche. I guess in that respect he's no different from the rest of us. Incidentally, as a UK punk fan of the late '70s its interesting to note that DC hardcore and Black Flags main punk influences and early days are from and against a UK backdrop where punk had been over for at least 2 years (only cartoon punk bands like UKSubs, Damned - both thanked in 'Get in the Van' - Sham69 and Exploited were left and all were considered a total joke at the time).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerhouse of a Bio, November 15, 2000

By 

Margaret Stone (BURLINGAME, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turned On: A Biography of Henry Rollins (Paperback)

James Parker's biography of Rollins is incredibly informative. We follow Henry's odyssey from DC to LA, and from the primal brutality of Black Flag to the more sophisticated dynamics of the spoken word scene. Rollins emerges as an intense and challenging man (though he does sometimes resemble David Lynch's comic-strip "The Angriest Dog in the World"). From the bloody stage to the bedside reading, this book's got it all --a must for any true Rollins fan. The best part: hearing about those salad days of punk, when it was a community, not a commodity.