Henry Rollins - Your opinion

[JohnTomorrow]

I started working with a surfer dude at the start of last year, who told me to listen to some of Henry Rollin's spoken word. I found Rollins' spoken word to be both funny and melancholy, profound and vulgar, but always always interesting.

Yet...when i listen to his Rollin's Band records, i get the feeling that he's a mediocre singer.

I cant fault the music, which is rockin to the core - but his singing can be lacking. I have never heard any of his Black Flag stuff, which is apparently a lot more harder then his Rollin's Band stuff.

I'd like to know if anybody else has listened to Rollin's Spoken Word (especially Black Coffee Blues - that shit is soooooooo deep), or his music, and give your opinion.

 

[FranzTyphid]

Never even heard him
i will check him out.

 

[Ralphfromdk]

he was pretty awesome in that Def Jam game, where he was the gym trainer

that's prettu much what i know about him

 

[BonsaiK]

I started working with a surfer dude at the start of last year, who told me to listen to some of Henry Rollin's spoken word. I found Rollins' spoken word to be both funny and melancholy, profound and vulgar, but always always interesting.

Yet...when i listen to his Rollin's Band records, i get the feeling that he's a mediocre singer.

I cant fault the music, which is rockin to the core - but his singing can be lacking. I have never heard any of his Black Flag stuff, which is apparently a lot more harder then his Rollin's Band stuff.

I'd like to know if anybody else has listened to Rollin's Spoken Word (especially Black Coffee Blues - that shit is soooooooo deep), or his music, and give your opinion.

Of course he's a mediocre singer, he comes from a punk background. The whole point of punk (in its original incarnation) was that ability was not meant to be a barrier to participation, and that ideas were more important than the ability to execute them. Rollins himself would never make the claim that he is a good singer on any sort of technical level, however he does have a powerful and unique approach to delivering words, both within the band and without.

"Damaged" is the definitive Black Flag album out of the ones that Rollins appears on. Later albums are also good but less hard-hitting. Personally I like the "Hot Animal Machine" album that he did just after leaving the group and before forming Rollins Band to be the best of everything he did musically. Rollins Band is good but gets a bit samey after "End Of Silence".

 

[ribonuge]

I like Liar by Rollin's Band. Some Black Flag stuff is pretty good too. I've never listened to the spoken word stuff though.


I think it's about heroin. That's my take on it anyway.

 

[DannyBoy451]

I started working with a surfer dude at the start of last year, who told me to listen to some of Henry Rollin's spoken word. I found Rollins' spoken word to be both funny and melancholy, profound and vulgar, but always always interesting.

Yet...when i listen to his Rollin's Band records, i get the feeling that he's a mediocre singer.

I cant fault the music, which is rockin to the core - but his singing can be lacking. I have never heard any of his Black Flag stuff, which is apparently a lot more harder then his Rollin's Band stuff.

I'd like to know if anybody else has listened to Rollin's Spoken Word (especially Black Coffee Blues - that shit is soooooooo deep), or his music, and give your opinion.

I really like his work, mostly because he's probably one of the least pretentious members of the American Punk scene who's still around in any major way.

But yeah, I'd reccomend you either read "Get in the Van", or listen to the audiobook of it that's read by him, it's a collection or diaries he kept while he sung in Black Flag, they're very insightful.

As for his singing, he admits himself that he can barely hold a note, it's more the feeling he puts into singing that I find impressive.

Spoiler: Case in point:

 

[LiquidGrape]

I admire his musical work, though I cannot truthfully say that I enjoy much of it particularly.
Simply not my cup of tea.
His spoken word albums however, I treasure beyond belief.

 

[Rath709]

The character he played in the second season of Sons Of Anarchy recently was vile. By contrast, I saw him in a brief cameo as himself in an episode of Californication and it was so brief he might as well have not been there.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Henry is an awesome guy and his spoken word is both profound and comedy gold all mixed into one. i've seen him do it twice and will go every time i know he's around, it's worth going to see him twice on the same tour as he will go off on different tangents each night.

i do agree he's not the greatest singer and he'd be the first one to admit that he isn't. he's a pretty humble guy that way. actually i think it's part of his act to mention how bad of a singer he is

 

[SmartIdiot]

He is a very witty man, what I've heard of his spoken word was funny and there was a lot of truth in it aswell. I've only heard one song by his band (the name escapes me at the moment) and his vocals were so-so, I know what you mean. However you MUST check out the work he did with Black Flag, bearing in mind he was a very angry man (well, still is, only more even-tempered now).

 

[Hiphophippo]

I don't like a single piece of music he's done but I think he's a terribly interesting person.

 

[aruseusx]

I don't like what he said about Iron Maiden so, fuck him.

 

[TheSentinel]

He is the definitive ass-kicker. He is also a very smart and witty person, as many have pointed out in this thread.

 

[DannyBoy451]

I don't like what he said about Iron Maiden so, fuck him.

I can't remember exactly what he said, but I do recall him saying something negative about Maiden.

However, he did have a lot of good stuff to say about Lemmy...

 

[CRAVE CASE 55]

I like Liar by Rollin's Band. Some Black Flag stuff is pretty good too. I've never listened to the spoken word stuff though.

This.

I also liked his acting in the show Sons of Anarchy.

 

[Thegreyfox666]

He's an ass, but he can be pretty funny sometimes.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

The only stuff i know by Rollins is "liar" with Rollins Bad some rants he makes when he's on VH1 doing stuff and Def Jam Fight for New York. He knows his way with words.

 

[Nerf Ninja]

His spoken word stuff is good even though he is a bit of an elitist prick.

His music doesn't do anything for me.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

I like Liar by Rollin's Band. Some Black Flag stuff is pretty good too. I've never listened to the spoken word stuff though.


I think it's about heroin. That's my take on it anyway.

It's not. Its about being a douche to women (seriously. HE said this in an interview on VH1)

Henry Rollins is pretty cool by me. Any many who's done THAT much THAT well, deserves some sort of medal. Plus he plays Epic Aryan on Sons of Anarchy. Racism has never been so compelling!

 

[ribonuge]

I like Liar by Rollin's Band. Some Black Flag stuff is pretty good too. I've never listened to the spoken word stuff though.



I think it's about heroin. That's my take on it anyway.

It's not. Its about being a douche to women (seriously. HE said this in an interview on VH1)

Henry Rollins is pretty cool by me. Any many who's done THAT much THAT well, deserves some sort of medal. Plus he plays Epic Aryan on Sons of Anarchy. Racism has never been so compelling!

OK I didn't know THAT.