sst / unicorn. 9502 / 15 tracks / nov 1981

RI (LP): sst. 007 / 1984

RI (CD): sst. 007 / oct 1990

RI: EU: roadrunner. 9956 / 16 tracks

Pressings: #1 - Originally distributed by MCA/Unicorn, full cover sleeve photo, MCA logo covered by a parental warning sticker. #2 - like #1, but only Unicorn logo on back, no MCA logo. Some copies have a misprinted cover, back cover is plain white. #3 - After the Unicorn distribution deal went bad the LP was reissued on SST. SST reissue has black & white photo (showing much more detail than the color one), and there’s one extra track (Louie Louie from the Posh Boy 7”). Late 80s SST reissues on pink/clear swirl, purple and red vinyl. Also available on cassette and CD with the original 15 tracks (first CD version includes Jealous Again 12”). #4 - Euro press on Roadrunner (color sleeve) has extra track “Louie Louie” (announced on front cover in an ugly blob).

Their first LP, and after numerous vocalists they found the one that stayed with them until the bitter end. It’s debatable whether Henry Rollins was their best singer, and many people like one of their previous frontmen better, but in my book the psychotic Ginn/Rollins combination created some of the most intense hardcore punk music ever. This is kind of a Karaoke record for Henry because he didn’t write any of the songs or lyrics (except for Damaged I), but he gets the intense hateful feelings of the older songs with ease. Great, compact, mid-tempo hardcore punk, all the hits, lots of hate & raw energy. [10]

Nach 3 Jahren endlich die erste LP; inzwischen haben BF mit Henry Rollins auch ihren intensivsten Sänger gefunden, der sich hier allerdings noch damit begnügt, alte Songs mitzusingen - nur Damaged I wurde von ihm mitgeschrieben. Insgesamt halte ich Damaged für die beste BF-Platte, die Synthese ist einfach perfekt: extrem kompakte Produktion, der irrsinnige Sänger, dazu die alten, noch etwas flotteren und eingängigeren Songs… genial. Wohl eine der besten, auf jeden Fall aber eine der wichtigsten HC-Platten überhaupt, glüht auch heute noch vor Energie und Haß.

Tracks: rise above / spray paint / six pack / what i see / tv party / thirsty and miserable / police story / gimmie gimmie gimmie // depression / room 13 / damaged II / no more / padded cell / life of pain / damaged I