Weight - Rollins Band (1994)

90s Intermezzo - some 90s albums I loved in the 90s

Henry Rollins is one of my very favorite characters in rock music. From almost accidentally becoming the frontman of his favorite punk band, Black Flag, to running his own band, his spoken word / comedy / commentary shows, publishing, running a reissues label, acting appearances, commercial voiceovers, TV hosting, and whatever else he wants to do. The word to describe him is always “relentless.” There is no moment when Henry Rollins is not Henry Rollins: in your face, unapologetic, and undeterred by setbacks.

Some artists go through different personas to navigate their changing creative endeavors. Rollins has never been anything other than Rollins.

Rollins Band is mostly bounded by the 90s, when Hank was playing the rock star game. After the breakup of Black Flag, He put together another band to do more of what he’d fought to do in that original band. He did it on his terms, and this is the best example of what he and his band could do. It’s an uncompromising slab of angry, cogent, focused laser blast of jazz- and funk-inflected hardcore energy.

Liar was a huge MTV hit for them, although you’ll notice that one’s not in the “tracks I liked section.” Just sayin.

It also seems to be the only record in the band’s catalog that isn’t readily available for streaming. This is apparently because of rights issues caught up in the death of the band’s label, Imago.

Tracks I Liked

Disconnect - an ode to dropping out of the rat race

Icon - this record dropped the same month Kurt Cobain died, but this song is clearly a nod to the burning-too-brightly rock star archetype that just happened to be embodied by Cobain in the moment.

Shine - This track is probably the origin of my go-to tic of referring to music as “get up and break stuff” music.