EVERYTHING WENT BLACK was originally released as a stop-gap during a protracted legal skirmish with SST's former distributor, Unicorn Records, which temporarily barred Black Flag from using its own name. As a result, the original two-LP vinyl edition featured only the bandmembers' names for identification.
Featuring live tracks and studio outtakes recorded between 1978 and 1981 with singers Keith Morris (later of the Circle Jerks), Chavo and Dez Cadena, EVERYTHING WENT BLACK is something of a hodgepodge, with several songs repeated by different lineups. Despite its patchwork nature, it's a surprisingly solid and illuminating overview of the band's pre-Rollins years, as they slowly progressed from sloppy Dictators-like goofiness into more streamlined and serious proto-hardcore. The highlight, however, is "Crass Commercialism," a side-long suite of radio ads for Black Flag shows that's a fascinating and often hilarious audio souvenir of the halcyon days of early West Coast punk.
Black Flag: Keith Morris, Chavo Pederast, Dez Cadena (vocals); Greg Ginn (guitar); Chuck Dukowski (bass); Robo (drums).
Engineers include: Spot, Dave Tarling, Geza X. Principally recorded at Media Art Studio, Hermosa Beach, California. Includes liner notes by Spot.
- Format: Vinyl, 2 LP
- Genre: Rock, Punk
Track Listing:
(Johnny "Bob" Goldstein Era)
A1 Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
A2 I Don't Care
A3 White Minority
A4 No Values
A5 Revenge
A6 Depression
A7 Clocked In
A8 Police Story
A9 Wasted
(Jealous Again Era-Chavo)
B1 Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
B2 Depression
B3 Police Story
B4 Clocked In
B5 My Rules
(Jealous Again Era-Dez)
B6 Jealous Again
B7 Police Story
B8 Damaged I
B9 Louie Louie
(The Dez Continuum)
C1 No More
C2 Room 13
C3 Depression
C4 Damaged II
C5 Padded Cell
C6 Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
(Crass Commercialism)
D Two Years Of Radio Ads
