Pure Punk Picks
Rise Above – Black Flag
When I first met Andy Bang, we were both working in a mail room, late ’79, for a National show store’s headquarters, walking distance from where I now live.
I remember we got a half hour lunch break. And often, we’d race to his car and speed to a local pastry shop that had pizza. I’d hop out, buy a few slices, and then we dashed to a nearby liquor store. Where I’d hop out, buy an eight pack of eight-ounce beers. (They’re not available anymore, I believe).
And we’d consume all the beer and pizza while we were traveling, arriving just in time to punch in back at work.
We’d arrive back at work, sober, because not only had the pizza not been digested but the alcohol had not yet fully entered our bloodstream. We still do this every Friday when we meet for lunch.
This song starts with a second of feedback that sounds like a sliver of steel going through your brain. Then a descending, guitar lick enters like a drunk stumbling down a flight of stairs. Once Henry Rollins vocals appear, whatever he spouts off about is met with the hearty, refrain of “Rise above! We’re gonna rise above!”
That chorus also sings, “We are tired of your abuse, try to stop us, but it’s no use.”
And the music that is so powerful and energetic, states the state of punk at the time and maybe even now- You can ignore us, not sign us to record contracts or even write about us. But you can’t stop us. You can’t stop me from doing what I wanna do. What I believe in and in the end you’ll lose this battle.
‘Cause I’m gonna rise above your tired, old, corrupted ways and create something of worth that will be, eventually, greatly influential.
There’s also, a quick, great, wild guitar solo that at first sounds like Johnny Thunders/Chuck Berry but then skitters of the rails into avant-garde/noise land.
The beginning part of this essay, may be amusing, but I can see you questioning what the hell does it have to do with this Black Flag song.
Andy and I grew up in same town as working class kids in Boston. Andy’s dad was a policeman, mine a City Hall employee. And at the time we grew up, late seventies into the eighties, if we followed the general inclination of the folks like us, we would have been quite different. We would have been racist, sexist, homophobic probably. We would have the mindset of the typical “townie” of the time. We would have stayed in our hometown, exclusively- socializing and hanging out at the local bars. Keeping our lives contained to a small area while keeping our minds and experiences limited, too.
But we looked beyond our horizons. Going to punk clubs nearly every weekend in Boston, Cambridge, Allston, Somerville- we, instinctively knew, that our little town had little or less, to offer.
And we were drawn to punk rock. Which is why we spent the majority of our social lives in the eighties at The Rat, The Channel and countless other punk music clubs.
We were born into a certain lifestyle and knew no one would ever blame us if we never wavered from that position, that stature.
But I like to think we rose above our beginnings, rose above that narrow mindset, the racist prejudice, the distrust of the new. The acceptance of not what is of value but only what is safe and known.
And though I’m now back living in that same town, I know not only did my ears take a walk far from here but my mind and soul went our for a walk, too.
And never looked back, just kept on walking.
Along with “White Riot” by The Clash, these are the two songs I best feel reflect the feelings of the original punk and hardcore scenes.
Both are filled with anger and energy and plot a course to rebel and change and seek out, not only new musical change, but a new way of living, a new way of thinking, as well.
I feel the most important lesson of life one must learn is to not let your environment shape you. No matter how bad society is at the time, or how bad the area you grow up in is or even how bad your home life is- there’s no shame if you’re adversely affected by any of that, it’s understandable. But you have the ability to rise above it. To believe in yourself and what you believe in and if you do, there’s no way you can’t be right.
The ending part of this song is the best part for me. When they repeat, “Rise above, rise above,” and then, “We’re gonna rise above!”
With all the nihilistic thoughts in the original punk scene, here was an optimistic, determined battle cry, an affirmation, a promise that they would overcome, that they would succeed. That their ideas, emotions and art would win out in the final evaluation.
I’d say this song does.
I’d say what Andy and I believed in, has as well.
And I’d say that all you believe in, now- will win out, too.
Because you will rise above.
(Slimedog)
