Various Artists — Flex Your Head

Author: tracysigler | Posted: November 17th, 2006 | | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments »

  • Artist: Various Artists
  • Title: Flex Your Head
  • Year: 1982
  • Format: Vinyl 12 in.
  • Rating (1-10): 8
  • Owner: Mary Earle
  • Acquired: 1982 – Some record store in Rockville, MD

This is going to be a mega post, keep scrolling. This is supposed to be about the label Dischord‘s no. 7 release called Flex Your Head. And it is. But I have a couple related stories and graphics to share.

Is this music special? That depends. If you weren’t really interested, or old enough, when it was new, probably not. If you were there and into the scene then yes, absolutely. There was something exciting about punk and hardcore, the shows at any place people could gather, no matter how unlikely, and the whole by-the-kids-for-the-kids vibe that I haven’t seen again in the last twenty years. I know, that sounds like an old geezer talking. But has there been another truly grassroots music scene like that? Tell me.

My wife, Mary Earle, was on the scene at the D.C. shows way back when. She’s seen most of the bands on this compilation more times than she can remember. She’s still the most punk rock woman I’ve ever met. And I mean that in the best way. She does it her way and doesn’t care what people think. And I mean that in the best way too. She’s not cocky, just independent and above putting on airs, and the most naturally honest person I know. Punk rock.

Mary took this picture of Sab Grey, the singer of Iron Cross. They are on side two of Flex Your Head. Keep scrolling…

This is a flyer Mary saved. It’s from around the same time. Most of the bands listed are also on this record, except for Scream and Gang Green. I never saw Scream in D.C. but I did get to see them in London, believe it or not. Anyhow, click this flyer to get a bigger image, print it out and pretend you were there.

Anecdote time… Mary and some friends were hanging out one evening when John Stabb, singer of Goverment Issue, coined the term “Beef Edge” in a surrealistic, or maybe just sarcastic response to Straight Edge. Continuing the surreal sarcastic theme they collectively came up with a Beef Edge logo: The Black Flag bars logo with a cow’s head on one end and a tail on the other. Mary even made it into a t-shirt that her friend Mike Ryan wore. I like the logo concept so much I’m tempted to get some more shirts made now.

Back to the record… Eleven bands and 33 songs on a single LP. If you don’t like a song, at least you know it will be over soon. My favorite bands are Minor Threat and State of Alert. Everyone knows about Minor Threat. SOA had Henry Garfield on vocals, later known as Henry Rollins. The album included a photocopied set of pages for each band. I’ve included a handful of them below the album jacket pics. Check out Henry and Ian Mackaye in the bottom corner of The Teen Idles page.

These were good times. Kids, it’s time to start another the do-it-yourself music scene.

Etched in the run out margins:
Side 1 — From nothin’ to nowhere
Side 2 — Don’t let it go to your head