Flex Your Head

Flex Your Head
Compilation album by Various artists
Released February 1982
Recorded April 1980 - December 1981
Studio Inner Ear
Genre Hardcore punk
Length 41:49
Language English
Label Dischord
Producer Skip Groff
Alternate cover art
First pressing cover
Late cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Frankenstein Sound System(Positive) link

Flex Your Head is a compilation album featuring punk rock bands from the Washington, D.C. area. It was originally released in January 1982 on Dischord Records in LP format.[nb 1]

Background

The compilation takes it title from the Minor Threat lyric shouted in the song "12XU", included on the album, originally by the English band Wire.

Dischord Records assembled Flex Your Head as a way to record the many punk bands that had started up, and sometimes also ceased, in the previous years in the D.C. area. The album served as either a debut or sophomore release for every band on it except Minor Threat (it was their third).

At the time of the album's release not only had most of the bands on it already have broken up, but many had gone on to start other bands, some of those bands also appear on the album. The Teen Idles had broken up in late 1980 and by the time of Flex Your Head's release members had already started Minor Threat and Youth Brigade. The Untouchables broke up in 1981 and with the former members joining a multitude of bands including The Faith, The Warmers, Rites of Spring, One Last Wish, Skewbald, Happy Go Licky, Youth Brigade, and The Meatmen. State of Alert had also folded in early 1981 as singer Henry Garfield had joined Black Flag. Minor Threat had disbanded (although they would reunite a few months after the album's release) and since then Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson had founded Skewbald while Lyle Preslar joined an early version of Big Black. Youth Brigade and Red C both existed solely during 1981, and both Artificial Peace and Deadline would break up within a few months of Flex Your Head's release, aside from Youth Brigade these band's only recorded output is on the compilation, though from those bands would come the longer lasting Beefeater, Marginal Man and Fugazi. Only Government Issue and Iron Cross would survive past the next year.

The songs "12XU" and "Steppin' Stone" were extremely popular covers in the D.C. punk scene. "Steppin' Stone", which was performed by State of Alert on this album, was also covered by Minor Threat on their second EP In My Eyes, while the song "12XU" was so commonly covered that several shows would have multiple bands playing their renditions.

Recording

Flex Your Head was recorded between April 1980 and December 1981.[1] The Teen Idles, State of Alert, and Red C songs were recorded at Hit & Run Studios by Steve Carr, Iron Cross' tracks were recorded at C.A.B Studios by Tom Scott, while all the other songs were recorded at Inner Ear Studios by Don Zientara.[2]

Cover art

When the album was first released, it came in one of several quite different covers which have all since been the exclusive cover art of re-releases: a painting of a violin, roses, and sheet music (the most common cover of the original release and early represses), a blurry photo of a man in a hat (the cover used for represses from the mid-80's to the early-90's), a photo of stalks of wheat (the cover for represses from the early-90's to the mid-00's), and a red and white version of the D.C. flag with the stars replaced by X's (the cover used by current releases of the album).[3] The D.C. flag version was also printed in black and white.

Reissues

Flex Your Head was re-released on CD in August 1995.

A remastered CD version was released in 2002.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Contributing artist Length
1. "I Drink Milk"  Ian MacKaye; The Teen IdlesThe Teen Idles 1:07
2. "Commie Song"  I. MacKaye; The Teen IdlesThe Teen Idles 0:59
3. "No Fun" (originally performed by The Stooges)Iggy Pop; Dave Alexander; Ron Asheton; Scott AshetonThe Teen Idles 2:25
4. "Rat Patrol"  Alec MacKayeUntouchables 0:59
5. "Nic Fit"  A. MacKayeUntouchables 1:01
6. "I Hate You"  A. MacKayeUntouchables 1:24
7. "I Hate the Kids"  Lyle Preslar; Henry GarfieldState of Alert 0:39
8. "Disease" (originally performed by UK Subs)Nicky Garratt; Charlie HarperState of Alert 0:27
9. "Steppin' Stone" (known by Paul Revere & the Raiders and The Monkees)Tommy Boyce; Bobby HartState of Alert 1:56
10. "Stand Up"  I. MacKayeMinor Threat 0:52
11. "12XU" (originally performed by Wire)Bruce Gilbert; Graham Lewis; Colin Newman; Robert GotobedMinor Threat 1:09
12. "Hey, Ronnie"  Brian GayGovernment Issue 1:08
13. "Lie, Cheat, and Steal"  John Stabb SchroederGovernment Issue 0:52
14. "Moral Majority"  Nathan StrejcekYouth Brigade 1:06
15. "Waste of Time"  Bert Queiroz; Tom ClintonYouth Brigade 0:51
16. "Last Word"  Strejcek; QueirozYouth Brigade 1:23
17. "Jimi 45"  Eric Lagdameo; Peter Murray; Toni YoungRed C 1:19
18. "Pressure's On"  MurrayRed C 1:40
19. "6 O'Clock News"  Lagdameo; MurrayRed C 2:03
20. "Assassin"  Lagdameo; Murray; YoungRed C 0:56
21. "Dehumanized"  John WeiffenbachVoid 1:15
22. "Authority"  Weiffenbach; Bubba DupreeVoid 0:48
23. "My Rules"  Sean FinneganVoid 0:59
24. "War Games"  Wendel BlowIron Cross 1:22
25. "New Breed"  Sab Grey; Dante FerrandoIron Cross 1:21
26. "Live for Now"  FerrandoIron Cross 2:13
27. "Artificial Peace"  Steve PolcariArtificial Peace 1:38
28. "Outside Looking In"  Polcari; Rob MossArtificial Peace 0:58
29. "Wasteland"  PolcariArtificial Peace 2:02
30. "Stolen Youth"  Ray Hare; Brendan CantyDeadline 1:43
31. "Hear the Cry"  CantyDeadline 1:02
32. "Aftermath"  Hare; CantyDeadline 2:12
Total length:
41:49

Personnel

The Teen Idles

Untouchables

State of Alert

Minor Threat

Government Issue

Youth Brigade

Red C

Void

Iron Cross

Artificial Peace

Deadline

Notes

  1. Dischord #007

References

  1. Curd, Zach. "Flex Your Head Review by Zach Curd". allmusic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  2. "Dischord Records: Various Artists - Flex Your Head". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  3. "Various - Flex Your Head". Discogs.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  4. "Dischord Records: Teen Idles". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  5. "Dischord Records: Untouchables". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  6. "Dischord Records: State Of Alert". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  7. "Dischord Records: Minor Threat". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  8. "Dischord Records: Government Issue". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  9. "Dischord Records: Youth Brigade". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  10. "Dischord Records: Red C". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  11. "Dischord Records: Void". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  12. "Dischord Records: Iron Cross". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  13. "Dischord Records: Artificial Peace". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  14. "Dischord Records: Deadline". Dischord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.

External links

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