silktempest's Full Review: Jealous Again [EP] by Black Flag (Punk)
In another of its many pre-Henry Rollins formations, BLACK FLAG released the Jealous Again EP back in 1980, with its typically snotty sleeve and Chavo Pederast’s uncompromising delivery colliding with the brutal backbone of Greg Ginn (guitar), ROBO (drums) and Chuck Dukowski (bass).
BLACK FLAG then rocked as a stubborn force of nature, more than the roaring self-conscious call to arms that Rollins would eventually provide (and consecrate). The roots of this band’s fiercest political arguments are already there, in tracks such as White Minority. But played against more ambiguous statements (deceptively nihilistic No Values) protest loses grip. And above all, those Californian teenagers were having some paranoid fun with sorority ditties of the caliber of Jealous Again and sarcastic You Bet We’ve Got Something Personal Against You (Dukowski on vocals). More than any other number here, Revenge displays intentions on sleeve – a sonic overkill trending lyrics, and anything else, out of the water. That’s why they will never be mentioned as, say, Emo pioneers.
In mere 6 minutes and a half an aural assault takes place, blurring the rough edges of those Hardcore diatribes. The anthemic title track is an excuse for lightning striking guitar licks. Chavo is a more forceful singer, compared with his substitute Dez Cadena, who sounded half-drunk half the time. One of the, hum, most accessible BLACK FLAG numbers, that would spawn its own host of subgenres across the 1980s. A couple of charming bridges and that teenage urgency that filled BUZZCOCKS recordings make Jealous Again a live staple, one of the most refreshing Californian Hardcore numbers of the decade. There’s even a gorgeous rollicking Ginn solo included for good measure, predating TSOL.
“Always on the phone Never leave me alone Why don't you just tell me what you want from me?”
The drive warps to Revenge. The paranoid number is the most overtly aggressive of the set, Chavo yelling teenage violence leading to murderous outcomes. A cavalcading Punk rhythm finds Gin and Dukowski almost interchangeably confusing instruments and ROBO pounding like mad. It is the least interesting set of lyrics here, frankly, it seems naïve. But BLACK FLAG favors sound over substance, overcompensating for lyrical paucity.
“We're gonna get revenge You won't know what hit you We're tired of being screwed Revenge! Revenge!
White Minority, you wonder what it is about. Indeed, it is more reflective number that one could have thought after Revenge. It is a mid-pace slab of self-conscious social criticism, directly addressing ethnic cleavages in American ethnoscape. Musically it is all simplicity: after the initial burst, an extended line of interlocking fractured licks, bundled drums and bass, a sonic mess mirroring the confrontational lyrics, fills space. Not comfortable to listen to, but that was never the intention with BLACK FLAG. It gets bolder and brasher, though, rising above (no puns) Revenge. Lyrics, though, remain naïve compared with latter-day efforts:
“We're gonna be a white minority We won't listen to the majority We're gonna feel inferiority We're gonna be white minority White pride You're an American I'm gonna hide Anywhere I can”
You bet Greg Ginn was not terribly inspired circa 1980, apart from the oddly “conventional” Jealous Again. The clearly RAMONESian No Values follows unsurprisingly, one-two-three call, careening licks and that feeling of…Deja-vu. They spare audiences of bubblegum choruses, preferring to ape I Don’t Care, doubling speed and inverting the main riff, to a disquieting impact. On the one hand, people that say it’s easy to replicate the magic of THE RAMONES will hate it. On the other hand, guitar riffs are vicious and compelling, the chorus is decent (and nanananas, funny), Pederast letting loose.
“I don't care what you think I don't care what you say I've got nothing to give you Why don't you just go away I've got no values”
If you didn’t get the last song’s message, You Bet We Got Something Personal Against You becomes more singularly interesting. Chuck Dukowski’s nasal-drunk-snotty-psycho vocals (not an American Sid Vicious, but something interesting anyway) compensate for the skeletal rhythm and bland guitars. Self-deprecating lyrics are humorous, unfortunately spent in the less distinguishing song here (calculated irony?). Its erratic presentation encapsulates what this Jealous Again EP is about – a transitional affair. See ya.
“You don't have anything personal against me do you? You bet I've got something personal against you! We know You stole our song You were there Every touch in wrong You were there F#ckin' wrote it all down You invent Everything you've done Now you bet that I've got something personal against you!”
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