Black Flag Slip It In

Black Flag: Henry Rollins (vocals); Greg Ginn (guitar); Kira (bass); Bill Stevenson (drums).
Additional personnel: Suzanne Gardner, Dave Claassen (background vocals).
Recorded at Total Access, Redondo Beach, California.
Personnel: Henry Rollins (vocals); Greg Ginn (guitar); Bill Stevenson (drums); David Claassen, Dave Claasen, Suzi Gardner (background vocals).
Recording information: Total Access Studios, Redondo Beach, CA.
Unknown Contributor Role: Black Flag .
1984's SLIP IT IN is the album that forever polarized Black Flag's audience. Many of the band's fans in the California-based hardcore scene felt that this album was a slap in the face to speedy, ultra-streamlined punk. Straight-edge punks, who forswore drink, drugs and sex, were particularly outraged by the near-pornographic title track. On the other hand, the album's lumbering tempos, heavy guitar solos, lengthy songs and dinosaur-strength attack were all incredibly influential in the Pacific Northwest's punk scene. It's hard to imagine Green River or any other early Seattle bands embracing this Vanilla Fudge/Blue Cheer brand of metal without Black Flag's example, and so you could make a case for SLIP IT IN as the first true grunge album. Your reaction to this album will depend on whether or not you think this is a good thing.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop