what I see – the BLACK FLAG photographs, glen E. friedman

Akashic Books, 232 Third St., #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Usa, www.akashicbooks.com

It starts with a great foreword by Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowksi, followed by a long introduction from Glen E. Friedman. Where he describes how it was back then and that he was at the right time, in the right city, with the right band. Reading this you feel like you are thrown-back in time, obviously, not many Europeans have seen Black Flag in the early eighties in California.

So all the readers can do is listen to what Glen has to tell about his journey with the band and some more. And of course enjoy the awesome photos that follow. There is fifteen different events in here, mostly live gigs, but also studios or practice space. You get to see the original flyer for the show, the details (venue, city, date) and also who was in the band at the time. Remember, Black Flag had a couple of member changes. Most of the photos are b/w, but there is also plenty of 4/c already here. The first gig that Glen photographed was at the end of 1980 and the last documented here was in fall 1983 – that was the time when Black Flag left their biggest impact, others would say their peak was later. Great, great photos – you can tell, a few young men here have been very angry and we are all happy they used instruments/music to let that anger out. Of course not every single photo is a iconic master shot, but there is plenty of them in there. To be exact, over 300 photos and 70% of them have never been published before. To be honest, I was a bit overdosed looking at more then 250 pages of only one band, or maybe I was just seeing too many photos of Rollins? The format of the book (27 x 3 x 22 cm) is big enough to operate for the photos. However, if you are a fan of Black Flag, this is a great addition to the collection. 256 pages, hardcover, 40,00 $ US (dolf)

Isbn 978-1636140360

[Trust # 215 August 2022]