Daniel Robert Epstein: Henry Rollins

henry is a man who has been around long enough and has touched enough people's lives that everyone is bound to have a deeply held personal opinion of jim - some of which can be corroborated with personal experience. those who have issues with his persona, work or conduct have their reasons for it, so rather than insulting them, it might be more instructive to say why.

for my part, i have to say that good or bad, henry's worked his fucking ass off to get to where he is today - harder than any of us, really. and for all the SGs out there who say that they'd have sex with him anyway, it's important to note that he's not a kid anymore. Unlike a lot of aging rockers, he's decided to grow up and accept maturity, and it's important for a lot of us to reflect on what that means.

i probably would hate myself too in the morning if i used my fame and indie cred to get into a teenager's pants. there are some guys out there who would think nothing of it, but it's good to know - and i take henry on his word here - that he isn't.

I have heard a lot of his spoken word stuff and it is great. Rollins is not only outspoken but witty and pulls no punches. I still have to read some of his books. Anybody have any suggestions on which book of his to read?

all of his books are really good. it depends what you're looking for, he has some books that are full of journal entries about his travels, and other books which are full of dark kinda depressing, but strong poetry.

His books aren't as funny as his spoken words, though there is humor in them, Hank is a bit more real in them, he keeps things interesting.

"Black Coffee Blues", "Do I Come Here Often?", "Smile, You're Traveling" and Broken Summers" are his journal books. "Get in the Van" is about his days with Black Flag, and the others are the dark writtings. I'd say go ahead and start with his latest "Broken Summers", it's a good book, he talks about a lot of stuff, but a bulk of it is about his work putting together the WM3 benifit album, good stuff.

You're blaming Rollins, for singing material he didn't write? For building off the reputation Black Flag had already cemented for themselves long before he even met the band?

I think it's cute and all that you decided to pick someone out to blame for everything, really i do, but no. Besides, there were a lot of shitty neo-nazi bands and their idiot skinhead followers at that same time doing shit that was much worse than getting rough at a show.

By "youth," I think he meant Henry's formative years growing up in school and with his parents, not when he was 18-19 and first started out with Black Flag. You saw a guy perfrom on stage, that doesn't mean you participated in his youth or "knew him." Get over yourself. Rollins was probably less popular than you were in High School and he was far from some super athletic bully. So the whole jock label is lazy on your part and, IMHO indicates that any man with big muscles, regardless of how he acts or what he says, is just some threatening bully in your eyes.

BTW I'm 24, and since I wasn't alive for your Golden Age Of Punk Rock, I don't expect you to even listen to a word I say.

you have got to be kidding me. "greatest minds of our time"??? have you read anything else?

oh, never mind. i see why you identify with him.

I'm going to be the guy who makes the only stupid comment on this, but:

Henry Rollins should be Venom/Eddie Brock if Raimi decides to do Venom in spiderman 3. He's perfect.

HE WOULD BE SO PERFECT FOR THAT ROLE!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, come to think of it, Marvel TOTALLY gets the finger for not casting him as Frank Castle. Not that the Punisher movie didn't suck anyway.

[Edited on Dec 06, 2004 by vuc2373]

i had something vaguely challenging i wanted to say, but after i found out he was friends with william shatner i totally forgot what i wanted to say

i thought he would have made an excellent punisher.

Henry Rollins is a champion, nothing else could do the man justice.

When I first read that, I thought it said publisher. I was about to link to 2.13.61 when I realized my mistake.

Fwiw, I think Hank's an excellent publisher.

dude.

i just want to meet him to fucking get in touch with william gibson.

i want to right the screenplay for Neuromancer, if gibson doesn't.

and lord they butchered johnny mnemonic. horrible.

love gavin.
x fuckin' o.

wintermute is watching...

I remember there was mention of the Neuromancer movie way back when. I think I was 5 or 6 and the game was out for Commodore 64...goddamn, no one could get their shit together in that time frame?!?!

If you go to williamgibson.com you'll find that the rights to many of his stories/books have already been sold. You could even read his blog, which is generally thought-provoking, and visit the discussion board which is entertaining if you wade through it enough.

Henry is too hard on himself.
Good Charlotte is social engineering not punk, but as a 31 year old I agree with Henry and step aside

William Gibson's Site

Henry is too hard on himself.
Good Charlotte is social engineering not punk, but as a 31 year old I agree with Henry and step aside

I love the guys saying how they were punk and they were there. If you were 9 in 1981, really how punk were you? I was 8 in 1984 when I first heard Black Flag. Rollins has sung/written some things that have been there when I really needed it in my life. Read or list to "I Know You", "Damage", "Rise Above". Some good stuff to help though dark times. I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him on a few occasions. Buddy of mine interviewed Rollins for a college paper right after (the buddy's) Grandmother died. Rollins ran into my friend two years later and remembered him and talked about his Grandmother. To me that is class.

So all of you who want to blame shit on Rollins for whatever or his views fine, I don't think it really bothers him to much. It just seems like petty jealousy of a guy who gave up everything that he had and went balls out for a dream. Twenty-three or so years later to considered an important member of punk music, mainstay of the alturnitive movement, published author, Grammy Award winner, Radio (and now again TV) host, known activist.... Not to shabby for a DC boy assistant manager at an ice cream shop.

watched "The Chase" with Charlie
Sheen on nthe tv the other night, Rollins is so fucking cool in that, i can't remember the quote he came out with for describing traffic cops but it was a pure genius three worder hehe

anyways, can't wait to see him on the spoken word tour in Oxford

Anytime, anywhere... But your tongue will be too busy for talking...

He's the reason I got well educated and heavily tattooed. He's a man before his time.

I've been watching Henry's show a lot lately. I really enjoy it. Good interview.