FLIPPER BLOW'N CHUNKS ROIR CD 1984/2001

despite being consistently labelled a "hardcore" band by dint of association of the scene they grew out of and the bands they played with around the San Francisco area in the late 70's/early 80's, Flipper were one of those one-off anomalies the universe likes to throw up every once in awhile.

when I first encountered the band years ago on a Henry Rollins compiled retrospective on his short lived Infinite Zero imprint, my first reaction was balls out laughter. "they can't be serious" I giggled to myself as I scanned through the cd. zig-zagging atonal guitar lines smashing head long into a wildly careening rythym section, topped off with a particularily vicious vocal spew concerning liquor, drugs, bubble gum sex, the status quo, more drugs and nihilism, nihilism, nihilism. fun, eh? I filed the disc away, only occasionally pulling it out to hear my favorite Flipper jam, SACRIFICE, a song I always gravitated towards for its unholy dirge tempo, akin to a collapsing galaxy, the whipping-a-slave Bruce Lose vocal decrying war as society's validation of itself, an animalistic self hatred turned outwards. if I had to offer a starting point for the Flipper experience, this would be it.
but anyways, flash forward a few years later, I spy a used copy of this disc and seeing that it had a live version of SACRIFICE on it, decided to pick it up, and, hey, it was only 5 bucks to boot. and now I get it. big time. like the donkey laughter of a drunken idiot god raining down on a stupified, dumbed down world, Flipper honestly reflect everything, the pathos, love, stupidity, humour, hopelessness, hope of this insignificant little spinning acorn we call home. yeah, tall words, I know, but the coat fits in this case. check the track IF I CAN'T BE DRUNK for confirmation. this sort of retard roar is surely some kind of bastard genious, naysayers be damned. any groop that can pull off a Wagnerian swoop of molasses stomp like this deserves a lifetime achievement forever award. "falling apart" doesn't do justice to what goes down here. this is Bukowski at his drunkest jammin with The Who on downers, someone randomly firing a rifle into nothing, nothing shoots back, nobody wins. one could posit this song as a endgame of sorts for ROCK in general, if one were willing. I'm not.
so I could go on and on, such is my love for this warm beast.just check it out.oh, and there's also a whole lotta LOVE going on with Flipper. they have love, laughter,ICE COLD BEER and so much more.
P.S.
Flipper is still a going concern these days, minus Will Shatter, who dies of a heroin od some time ago.Ted Falconi, Steve De Pace and Bruce Lose are touring and releasing new stuff, tho it's not my cup. BLOW'N CHUNKS was recorded at CBGB'S in 84, originally issued on cassette by the ROIR corp, reissued by same label on disc w/ 4 bounus tracks in 01. the disc is the one worth finding for the bonus tracks alone.
www.myspace.com/flipper

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