Rollins Band

Last updated

Rollins Band
Henry Rollins 2.jpg
Founder and frontman Henry Rollins with Chris Haskett (background)
Background information
Also known asThe Rollins Band
Origin Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1987–1997, 1999–2003, 2006
Labels
Past members
Website www.twothirteensixtyone.com

Rollins Band was an American rock band formed in Van Nuys, California. The band was active from 1987 to 2006 and was led by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early-mid 1990s.

Contents

Critic Steve Huey describes their music as "uncompromising, intense, cathartic fusions of funk, post-punk, noise, and jazz experimentalism, with Rollins shouting angry, biting self-examinations and accusations over the grind." [1]

In 2000, Rollins Band was included on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, ranking at No. 47. [2]

History

Precursors (1980–1986)

Gibbs in a July 1980 performance in Paris, France Melvin Gibbs.jpg
Gibbs in a July 1980 performance in Paris, France

Rollins was the singer for the Washington, D.C. punk rock band State of Alert from October 1980 to July 1981. Afterwards, he sang with California punk rock band Black Flag from August 1981 to August 1986. Black Flag earned little mainstream attention, but through a demanding touring schedule, came to be regarded as one of the most important punk rock bands of the 1980s.

Less than a year after Black Flag broke up, Rollins returned to music with guitarist Chris Haskett (a friend from Rollins' teen years in Washington D.C.), bass guitarist Bernie Wandel, and drummer Mick Green.

This line-up released two records: Hot Animal Machine (credited as a Rollins solo record and featuring cover art drawings by Devo leader Mark Mothersbaugh) and Drive by Shooting (credited to "Henrietta Collins and the Wifebeating Childhaters"). The music was similar to Black Flag's, though it flirted more with heavy metal and funk.

First edition (1987–1994)

Soon after, Rollins formed Rollins Band with Haskett, bassist Andrew Weiss, and drummer Sim Cain (Weiss and Cain had previously played with Gone, an instrumental rock group led by guitarist and Black Flag founder Greg Ginn). Live sound engineer Theo Van Rock was usually credited as a band member.

Critics Ira Robbins and Regina Joskow described this line-up as a "brilliant, strong ensemble ... the band doesn't play punk (more a jazzy, thrashy, swing take on the many moods of Jimi Hendrix), but what they do together has the strengths of both. The group's loud guitar rock with a strong, inventive rhythmic clock borrows only the better attributes of metal, ensuring that noise is never a substitute for purpose." [3]

Second edition (1994–1997)

Rollins's tour diaries from this era details the personal and creative tensions that led to Weiss being fired following the End of Silence tour. These diaries were published by Rollins's 2.13.61 company as See A Grown Man Cry and Now Watch Him Die.

The band's new bassist was jazz and funk veteran Melvin Gibbs, who'd been highly recommended by Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, a friend of the Rollins Band since the first Lollapalooza tour. Cain and Gibbs had also both played in different versions of guitarist Marc Ribot's band. Gibbs performed on Ribot's album Rootless Cosmopolitans (1990) and Cain on Requiem for What's His Name (1992).

The first video from 1994's Weight, "Liar", was a huge hit on MTV, with Rollins sporting numerous costumes (including a cop and a nun). The band appeared at Woodstock '94, and Rollins was a guest-host for several MTV programs, including 120 Minutes.

Rollins Band performing in 1994 Rollins Band 1994 (cropped).jpg
Rollins Band performing in 1994

This version of Rollins Band had some of the most overt jazz leanings of the band's history: Gibbs had begun his career with Reid in the 1980s jazz fusion group of drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, and worked with Sonny Sharrock on albums like 1987's Seize the Rainbow. These influences, along with Rollins' obsession with the late '60s/early '70s electric/fusion era of iconic trumpeter Miles Davis, shaped this version of the band's music. During the sessions for Weight, Rollins Band recorded with free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle, though these sessions remained unreleased for ten years at Gayle's request to avoid conflicts with his contractual obligations. The Gayle sessions were released in 2003 as Weighting.

In 1996, there was a legal battle with the band's former label, Imago Records. Rollins claimed "fraud, deceit, undue influence and economic coercion" on the label's part. [4] They signed with the then-new major label DreamWorks Records, who released 1997's Come In and Burn . The album had a minor hit with the single "Starve" and the band appeared on Saturday Night Live to promote the album (season 22, episode 18). However, Come In and Burn was not as successful as Weight and, after touring for Burn, Rollins dissolved the group, citing creative stagnation.

Third edition (1999–2003)

Rollins replaced the Haskett-Gibbs-Cain lineup with the Los Angeles rock band Mother Superior, retaining the name Rollins Band, and released Get Some Go Again (2000) and Nice (2001). They also released a two-disc live album, The Only Way to Know for Sure. This line-up was a more straightforward hard rock group: their first album featured "Are You Ready?" a cover of a Thin Lizzy song, featuring Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham; Rollins has often expressed fondness for Thin Lizzy and its founder, Phil Lynott.

Fourth edition (2006)

In between other commitments (his radio show Harmony in My Head, his cable/satellite TV show The Henry Rollins Show, and his spoken word tours), Rollins also reunited the Haskett-Gibbs-Cain lineup. [5] In a March 2006 blog entry on henryrollins.com, Rollins admitted, "Actually we have been practicing on and off for months now, slowly getting it together ... It's been really cool being back in the practice room with these guys after all these years." [6]

Rollins told Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald that this reunion with Haskett, Gibbs and Cain would not become long-term unless the group decided to write new songs: "Let's put it this way. I don't want to go out and hit America again without a new record, or at least a new album's worth of material. Otherwise the thing will lack legitimacy ... Miles Davis would never do that. And I'm not into a greatest-hits thing. I think a band, if you're going to be around, you should be moving forward and putting in the time and working for it, getting after the art. Otherwise you're just playing retreads. ... Imagine a tree that grows canned peaches. It's nothing I want to do." [7]

The band opened some concerts for X, and played on the first-season finale of The Henry Rollins Show on August 12, 2006. [8]

Hiatus and retirement

Former member Jason Mackenroth died on January 3, 2016, in Nevada from prostate cancer. [9] In 2011 Rollins stated that he has retired from music, meaning that Rollins Band has come to an end. [10]

Musical style and influences

Rollins Band's sound has been described as alternative metal, post-hardcore, hard rock and funk metal genres. [11] [12] [13] [14] Chris Haskett has highlighted the impact of King Crimson on the original lineup's sound, stating:

"There were three records in particular, at the beginning of the 70’s – Starless and Bible Black , Larks' Tongues in Aspic , and Red. And just the aesthetics of those records... they’re so heavy. And they have almost dark quality – they’re almost metal. (...) And those King Crimson records are very, very heavy and dark. They have an incredible musical tension. But they’re also very rich with a lot of depth. The tonalities within the intervals and the progressions – they use a lot of flatted fifths which creates a kind of dark tone. And also just a radical dynamics, if you’re listening to these records – they’re incredibly from powerful - from heavy rich chords to near silence. (...) And they also improvised a lot. A lot of King Crimson stuff is just jamming. It’s not noodling, they’re doing collective improvisation. It’s not all written out. And some of the most amazing parts of their music were just improvised. That was what we also brought into Rollins Band. There was a lot of space for improvisation. Not noodling, not a kind of wasting time. But actually making unwritten music happen. And it’s (sic) also came from Grateful Dead." [15]

Mid-career albums such as Weight also had a pronounced jazz influence. [16] [17]

Rollins Band were a major fixture of the early 1990s Los Angeles alternative metal scene, alongside Tool, Jane's Addiction, Rage Against the Machine and Green Jellÿ. [13] Rollins' shout-singing style proved influential to later alternative and nu metal artists, such as Coal Chamber, Korn, Chevelle, Godsmack and System of a Down. [11] The Rollins Band songs "Tearing" and "Shine" have been covered by Pearl Jam. [18]

Band members

Final lineup

Former members

Timeline

Rollins Band

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsSales
US
[19]
AUS
[20]
GER
[21]
NLD
[22]
SWE
[23]
UK
[24]
Life Time
Hard Volume
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Texas Hotel
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
The End of Silence
  • Released: February 25, 1992
  • Label: Imago
  • Format: CD, CS, 2xLP
16068
Weight
  • Released: April 12, 1994
  • Label: Imago
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
331053352922
Come In and Burn
  • Released: March 25, 1997
  • Label: DreamWorks
  • Format: CD, CS
893871765276
Get Some Go Again
  • Released: February 29, 2000
  • Label: DreamWorks
  • Format: CD, CS
1804060112
Nice
  • Released: August 21, 2001
  • Label: Sanctuary/SPV
  • Format: CD, CS, 2xLP
1786456

Outtakes and demos collections

Live albums

EPs

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
Main
US
Mod
AUS
[20]
NLD
[22]
UK
[28]
"Tearing" 199254The End of Silence
"Low Self Opinion"25
"Liar"19944026652827Weight
"Disconnect"
"The End of Something"199777Come In and Burn
"Starve"
"Illumination"2000Get Some Go Again
"Get Some Go Again"
"—" denotes singles that were released but did not chart.

Promotional singles

  • "You Didn't Need" (1992) – radio promo
  • "Fool" (1994) – 2×12" promo
  • "Your Number Is One" (2001) – radio promo

Miscellaneous

Other appearances

YearSongAlbum
1994"Ghost Rider" The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1995"Four Sticks" Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin
1995"Fall Guy" Demon Knight (soundtrack)
1995"I See Through"Johnny Mnemonic (soundtrack)
2001"What's the Matter Man" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (soundtrack)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Rollins</span> American musician (born 1961)

Henry Lawrence Garfield, known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the California hardcore band Black Flag from 1981 to 1986. Following the band's breakup, he established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, and formed the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups from 1987 to 2003 and in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Flag (band)</span> American hardcore punk band

Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013. The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019.

<i>My War</i> 1984 studio album by Black Flag

My War is the second studio album by American band Black Flag. It was the first of three full-length albums the band released in 1984. The album polarized fans due to the LP's B-side, on which the band slowed down to a heavy, Black Sabbath-esque trudge after establishing expectations as a faster hardcore punk band on its first album, Damaged (1981).

<i>Damaged</i> (Black Flag album) 1981 studio album by Black Flag

Damaged is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released by SST Records in November 1981.

<i>Family Man</i> (Black Flag album) 1984 studio album by Black Flag

Family Man is the third studio album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. Released in 1984 through SST Records, it features spoken word tracks by vocalist Henry Rollins and jazz-indebted instrumental tracks. It is also the first album to feature bassist Kira Roessler. "Armageddon Man" is the only track on the album in which Rollins and the instruments are together.

<i>Undertow</i> (Tool album) 1993 studio album by Tool

Undertow is the debut studio album by the American rock band Tool, released on April 6, 1993, by Zoo Entertainment. Produced by the band and Sylvia Massy, it was recorded from October to December 1992 at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys and Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood. The album includes some tracks the band decided to not release on their debut EP Opiate. This is their only album to feature original bassist Paul D'Amour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mark of Cain (band)</span> Australian indie rock band

The Mark of Cain are an alternative metal band from Adelaide, South Australia. Their style has been likened to that of Helmet and Rollins Band, yet this band pre-dates both groups and was influenced by the early work of Joy Division, Big Black and United States hardcore groups. The Mark of Cain were formed in mid-1984 by brothers, John (guitar) and Kim Scott, with Rod Archer on vocals and Gavin Atkinson playing drums. Before long, Archer had left the group and John Scott took on the lead vocal role and the group has remained a trio ever since. The Scotts have been the core of the band which has featured 10 different drummers. Since January 2001, former Helmet member John Stanier has been their drummer; he is also concurrently with Tomahawk and Battles. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the group's sound as "Gloomy, monotonous vocals and bleak slabs of metallic guitar did battle over a lurching rhythm section to arrive at a harsh sound." Rod Archer died on 26 February 2016. 2019 marked the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Battlesick album. A major national tour took place in October and the album was re-released on vinyl to celebrate the occasion. Eli Green again tours with the band fulfilling the drumming duties.

Blind Idiot God is an American instrumental rock trio formed in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, by guitarist Andy Hawkins, bassist Gabriel Katz and drummer Ted Epstein. The phrase "blind idiot god" comes from horror writer H. P. Lovecraft's description of the god Azathoth. Their often improvisational musical style combines influences from punk rock, noise music, 20th-century classical music, heavy metal, dub, free jazz, and funk. They are currently based in New York City and have often collaborated with musicians Bill Laswell and John Zorn.

Andrew Weiss is an American musician, composer, audio engineer and record producer.

Chris Haskett is an American guitarist. He was a member of the rock band Rollins Band from 1986 to 1997 and again for the band's reunion in 2006. He has also recorded or performed with David Bowie, Foetus, Pigface, The Cassandra Complex, Tool, The Joy Thieves, and others.

<i>Weight</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Rollins Band

Weight is the fourth studio album by American rock band Rollins Band, released on April 12, 1994. It featured the band's biggest hits, "Liar" and "Disconnect".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Baird</span> Musical artist

Daniel John Baird is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist from the 1980s rock band The Georgia Satellites. Baird formed The Georgia Satellites in 1980 and left the band in 1990 to pursue a solo career. He is often credited as one of the pioneers in cowpunk and alt-country music, which combines elements of rock music, country music, outlaw country, and punk rock.

<i>The End of Silence</i> 1992 studio album by Rollins Band

The End of Silence is the third studio album by the American rock band Rollins Band, led by former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins. The album spawned two singles, including the MTV hit "Low Self Opinion". It was their first release to reach the US Billboard 200 chart, and is considered their mainstream breakthrough, with the band having previously released a string of underground albums.

<i>Come In and Burn</i> 1997 studio album by Rollins Band

Come In and Burn is the fifth full-length studio album by Rollins Band. Released in 1997 on DreamWorks Records, it is their major label debut. It is also the last album before vocalist Henry Rollins dissolved the band's "classic" lineup of guitarist Chris Haskett, bassist Melvin Gibbs, drummer Sim Cain and sound technician Theo Van Rock. Rollins later formed a new version of Rollins Band with musicians from Mother Superior, who provided his backing band from 1998 until 2006, when the classic Rollins Band lineup briefly reunited.

<i>Get Some Go Again</i> 2000 studio album by Rollins Band

Get Some Go Again is the sixth studio album by Rollins Band, released in 2000. It is also the first album by lead singer Henry Rollins after dissolving his longtime lineup featuring guitarist Chris Haskett and others. On this album, and its follow-up Nice, Rollins was backed by the band Mother Superior.

<i>Nice</i> (Rollins Band album) 2001 studio album by Rollins Band

Nice is a studio album by the American rock band Rollins Band, released in 2001. It was the Rollins Band's final studio album.

<i>Life Time</i> (Rollins Band album) 1987 studio album by Rollins Band

Life Time is the debut studio album by the American rock band Rollins Band, fronted by ex-Black Flag singer, Henry Rollins. The 1987 album was produced by Ian MacKaye. It was reissued in 1999, 2014 and 2021.

"Liar" is a song by Rollins Band and the lead single from their fourth album, Weight, released in 1994. It was the album's only charting single and is one of the group's best known songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvin Gibbs</span> American bassist

Melvin Gibbs is an American bass guitarist who has appeared on close to 200 albums in diverse genres of music. Among others, Gibbs is known for working in jazz with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and guitarist Sonny Sharrock, and in rock music with Rollins Band and Arto Lindsay.

Punk jazz is a genre of music that combines elements of jazz, especially improvisation, with the instrumentation and performance style of punk rock. The term was first used to describe James Chance and the Contortions' 1979 album Buy. Punk jazz is closely related to free jazz, no wave, and loft jazz, and has since significantly inspired post-hardcore and alternative hip hop.

References

  1. "Henry Rollins" from Allmusic.com; URL accessed April 16, 2008
  2. "VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists: 1–50". Rock On The Net. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  3. "Rollins Band". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  4. "Henry Rollins Sues Imago Records". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  5. "Rollins Band returns". Punknews.org. March 31, 2006. Archived from the original on August 27, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  6. "Dispatches". 21361.com. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009.
  7. "Herald Extra". August 2, 2006. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009.
  8. "ROLLINS BAND To Perform On Tonight's 'The Henry Rollins Show': Video Available - Aug. 12, 2006". Roadrunnerrecords.com Blabbermouth.net News archive. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  9. Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2016 January to June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  10. "HENRY ROLLINS: Why I Stopped Making Music". Blabbermouth. December 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Rollins Band | Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio". AllMusic . Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  12. Bradley, Stephen (September 22, 2010). "Concert review: Kevin Seconds". The Washington Times Communities – Riffs. Retrieved October 27, 2011. [...] Where most punks from the '80s hardcore scene made the transition into hard rock or post hardcore outfits like Rollins Band and Fugazi, it still seems natural that he would make the jump into the acoustic side of things. [...]
  13. 1 2 Grow, Kory (March 20, 2013). "Not a Downer: Tool's Adam Jones Talks 'Opiate' Reissue, New Material | SPIN | Q & A". SPIN. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  14. Chris True. "Life Time". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  15. Volohov, Dan (August 2018). "Honest Creativity: An Interview With Chris Haskett Of The Henry Rollins Band". Punk Globe. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  16. "Rollins Band, 'Weight'". Rolling Stone. April 17, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  17. "Lollapalooza 1991: Where are the stars now?". USATODAY.COM. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  18. "Pearl Jam Music". Pearljam.com. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  19. "Rollins Band Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Peaks in Australia:
    • All except noted: "Discography Rollins Band". australian-charts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
    • The End of Silence and Nice: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 238.
  21. "Discographie Rollins Band". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Discografie Rollins Band". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  23. "Discography Rollins Band". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  24. Weight and Come In and Burn: "ROLLINS BAND | full official chart history". Official Charts Company (select "Albums" tab). UK. Retrieved January 25, 2023.Get Some Go Again: Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: The Rabble Army - RZA". Zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Rosen, Craig (June 22, 1996). "Imago Sues Dreamworks, Henry Rollins". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 4, 95. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  26. Morris, Chris (February 6, 1999). "DreamWorks Records Still Striving To Live Up To Great Expectations". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 1, 81. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  27. Billboard Staff (June 13, 2001). "Rollins Band Inks With Sanctuary". Billboard . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  28. "Rollins Band | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved September 12, 2022.