HENRY ROLLINS

HENRY ROLLINS

ROLLINS BAND
LIFE TIME (1987)
320 KBPS

The inital release for the Rollins Band that has maintained itself as the apex of the groups output to this very day. The music is a jazz/metal hybrid that is truely frightening, especially with the serious and intense Hank out in front of it. The ultimate document of alienation, Rollins has yet to equal (or even come close to) the fury that "Lifetime" is. The rerelease adds the three tracks leftover from the sessions that later formed the studio side of the "Do It" EP (which is also well worth seeking out for it's live side..possibly the best of Rollins live recordings). They are covers that Rollins makes his own (a problem he had on "Hot Animal Machine") they also fit with the seamless whole of "Lifetime".
A great achievment, one of the essential underground CD's of the 80's and a must for any alternative music collection.

1. Burned Beyond Recognition
2. What Am I Doing Here?
3. 1,000 Times Blind
4. Lonely
5. Wreck-Age
6. Gun in Mouth Blues
7. You Look at You
8. If You're Alive
9. Turned Out
10. Do It
11. Move Right In
12. Next Time

HENRY ROLLINS
HOT ANIMAL MACHINE
DRIVE BY SHOOTING EP (1988)
320 KBPS

Henry Rollins is now no longer the just the lead singer of the legendary and sadly depared Black Flag (my favorite punk band of all time), he now leads the successful and experimental Rollins Band, has recorded quite a few hillarious spoken word albums (a string of T.V. specials based in it followed), and has played parts in many movies. Though he does all of that very skillfully, he has yet to capture the intensity and rawness of his solo recordings "Hot Animal Machine" and "Drive By Shooting E.P." (both make their home on this lovely C.D.). Even though he seems not to have found his niche at this point in time, Henry still shines with this extreme and intelligent record. Besides Rollins's voice and writing ablity, "Hot Animal Machine" contains many memorable riffs but some shakey drum work. The songs on the album range from flat out in-your-face punk music ("Black and White", "Followed Around") to a more experimental sound reminisent of his later years ("A Man and a Woman", "No One"). I for one love this record. It is original and - though there are many references to what his has done and is currently doing - different than anything he has ever done. The best tracks on 'Hot Animal Machine' are "There's a Man Outside", "Followed Around" (my favorite), "A Man and a Woman", and "Ghost Rider" (Suicide cover). Also, the cover of the blues classic "Crazy Lover" is golden.
For the 'Drive By Shooting" E.P., Rollins and Haskett (Chris, guitar) try all sorts of different things. The cool-as-he ll opener 'Drive By Shooting' has a surf rock type guitar riff playing with very ...er...um... differnt lyrics than you might expect. Also, it shows Henry at his vocal peak! The genius "Can You Speak This" is the highlight of the dual album. It is for the most part spoken word, but just brilliant. Also, the message behind "Men are Pigs" would not make that many ment happy (listen to it and you'll know what I mean). As the title implies (well blatantly states), this is the last punk album that Rollins recorded, so all you Black Flag fans will be happy!Though I perfer Black Flag and the Rollins Band to this, it makes a mark on music just the same. A must buy for diehard Rollins fans!

1. Black and White
2. Followed Around
3. Lost and Found
4. There's a Man Outside
5. Crazy Lover
6. A Man and a Woman
7. Hot Animal Machine 1
8. Ghost Rider
9. Move Right In
10. Hot Animal Machine 2
11. No One
12. Drive by Shooting
13. Ex-Lion Tamer
14. Hey Henrietta
15. Can You Speak This
16. I Have Come to Kill You
17. Men Are Pigs
18. There's a Man Outside (Reprise)