ARTS
Friday, July 19, 1985

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Page 8
Records

The Michigan Daily

Sussman Lawrence was called from an otherwise okay
Po City (Orange Records) ballad. "Bitter World. it could be
passed off as some kind of twisted
The Top-411 has enough turgid trash humor: but it isn't. and mars one of
treading water in it these duos. All it the few moments that this I P verges
needs is 'nothser rsecord that <mpassshility. Donuinant themes iire.
distinguishes itself only by its inep not surprisingly. sticky sentirien-
titude. True to form, though. the fear
some forth will probably soon install il soif ssrii «sso
one more flaming phleghmball of an Lawrence's hormonal imbalance is
LP. and Sussman Lawrence'1 h be to b i far the most irritating thing aoiit
hlame for it- the hand. which provides some of the
Before it's even out of the wrapper. most adolescent blather about rutting
since Loserbos flubbered up the charts
to terrify anyone who appreciates the thu Gurl sn I is s! Slui ills
potential disaster-power i pop group i ' Tirturs ,ts I Psslo Donit
can wield. But ultra-lame waso art on 'e Youi But I Sure Do Like You a
the front cover. and the back cover's pic- iotj, " The Sperm Song. and an
ture of the band ,none f sohwho are
tlhen toifillatiosi Bibs etM B 'itslB
nared Sussman or Lawrence with Your Cigarette~' are the stuff
dudesque sneers are the least of Pop lockerroom humor is made of
City's problems. Surprisingly. the and is fine
Also. disturbingly evident on the technically. the production goodi'and
back cover are song titles for all four the music only relatively intolerable
sides of the album - bringing us to 'generally on the songs mentioned
Big Problem Number One: it really above, when fiddling around with
wasn't necessary for this hand toT
l Tssp-40 nisuswave sonthesiser fairts 1:.
produce a double album. especially hiind mainstrams pop-rock is hi sir
on an independent label. The fact that der of the day relieved by fEs
it has leads me to believe that the nstahle tracks like "Hsuss sn Firs
band members are either indepen- nd '-Luxurs Thire's miohe
dently wealthy enough (or indepen- enough good material here to merit
dently pompous enough i to assume an EP but certainly not enough to he olenry Rollins leads Black Flag through a power-packed set before a throbbing, thrashing crowd Wednesday
that people who've barely or never padded out to a two-record set. night.
heard of them will shuck out nine The third and final Big Problemiso F
turntable. Open up the wrapping and regular basis& I bet they will. if you
out from between the discs drops or put is copy of Pop (ity or any sub-
lyric sheet. Open up the lyric sheet. Sequent Sussman record the hands By John Logie Wednesday's show was a reaffir- slamming that Saint Vitus' two up
read. and weep. On it are lyrics so of angst-ridden teenage suburbanites. mation of Black Flag's status at beat numbers generated.
inane they'd make even the most ar- sign Sussman toi a maior label, and 4 6 E'VE BEEN playing what America's premier thrash band. Audience apathy continued throug
dent pop-slop poetry fan blush. wor- . ' . While the audience was prepared Black Flag strumental oPener b
waitit it. reso-chngeo' nd w wat toforthelast nine
sened by the fact that the band hadSuss n irece Tp years. We don't listen to or anything from Black Flag, they Ginn, bassist Kira Roessler, an
the audacity to print them up. A sam- before you can say Scandal featuring Henry Rollins, in response tosrequests were only tolerant, at best, of the drummer Bill Stevenson. The crow
pie: If you're sailing out to fPatty Snyth. from the audience Wednesday night opening acts. Tom Troccoli's Dog, was there to see Black Flag wit
nowhere/I'll be there to rescue Sussman Iawrencs is ' fsrg-ttabl- at the Nectarine Ballroom. - featured Dave-O the soundman on Henry Rollins, who has become th
you/ Because my lore is like For- pop phenomenon waiting to happen. Black Flag is a challenge. Those drums, Black Flag guitarist Greg focus of the band. Bullin demands a
mica . . . it shines like new who went to hear "TV Party"- Ginn on bass, and Troccoli on guitar. tention. From the opening song
Were it not for the fact that this gem -Julie Jurrjens because they heard Emilio Esteves The Dog's half-hour set ranged from "Loose Nut," on Rollins howled wit
sing in in Repo Ian were disappoin- ten-minute rockabilly and blues to hellist force.
ted. Those who went to hear the band two-minute thrash. Trocolli detuned Rollins has commanding stag
they saw in Decline of Vestern and returned his guitar, coaxing an presence. Visually he is a force
(iv ilization were also disappointed. A array of barks, growls. and yelps that. brimming with tattoos, muscles, an(
MP S IA R K E T significant percentage of the packed desered a better response than wa swea His har es
mcrowd, however, came to hear offered.full brown mop at the beginning of th
709 Packard (Near State) whatever Black Flag was going to The second act, Saint Vitus, was a show to sweat-drenched strand
throw at them. and for these fans. legitimate early '70s heavy metal which he whips around like a cat-o
band, that somehow has managed to nine-tails.
SLfind a time machine that allows it to The set drew heavily from Blac
'TAH IS W EEK 'S T-SH IRT travel back and forth between the age Flag's latest record, Loose Nut
itof the musical dinosaurs and the which a significant portion of th
present. An 18-piece drum kit over- crowd knew quite well. Bullins had n
whelmed the minute Ballroom stage, problem finding help on the choruso
Hom ogenized M ilk Baked Ham driving the lead singer out onto the "Annihilate This Week" een thoug
la ,,' 55~'s enut dance floor. Again, crowd respone the sung has only been out for a fey
1 99 g alln 9 was minimal. Three Billy Idol dance- months.
1eQ9 a gallon I.9 lb. "fsreaa" ahkes did a little fist twirling, but one As good as L oose Nut is. u'ednesda;
U0- -'Usoe- O er shouted "We Want Black Flag night demonstrated that Black Flag i
when the lead singer rewarded his en- primarily a live band. The song
Extra Large Grade A Eggs sup;, us Tsits only thusiasm by sharing the mike. deserve tm be played with gua
Saint Vitus rocks like a reincar- crunching force at a volume thu
nated Black Sabbath. replete with makes your neck throb. The song
o 8 doz thundering drums. wind effects, and a were made for a sweaty, bashin
C guitarist who can play with his hands. crowd.
wrists, teeth. tongue. and nose. Dave Black Flag also played better-thai
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. chandler elicited whoops of vinyl versions of "Slip It In." "M
Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m . --- - ---i amazement for his fret board War." and "Alienation.'amon
- ' - 1AAFN A RI ' acrobatics. nfortunately .an. over-
Tealkus bouncer stifled the minimal See BlACK FIIA, Page h.

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