Life is cheap

Flipper 'Album' (1982)
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In its prime, San Francisco's Flipper was a magnificent, fascinating entity, playing what might have been typical hardcore music at an unsettlingly slow speed: like a 45 slowed down to sub-LP pace, a flawless impression of a downed-out hardcore band. The harsh music lumbers and creaks, oozing feedback all the way. Flipper could be your car on the verge of a total breakdown or your worst hangover nightmare amped up to brain-splitting volume. As if staggered by the weight of reality but determined to plod forward anyway, leaders Bruce Lose and Will Shatter (both usually on bass and vocals) groaned and howled while Ted Falconi's clangorous guitars sputtered and wheezed. Flipper's cathartic noise — sort of a foul-smelling castor oil for the ears — was more than a gimmick, though. For all the intentional sloppiness and gratuitous noise, not to mention the superficial shock of ('Album') tunes like "Life Is Cheap" and "Shed No Tears," Flipper can be uplifting. Underneath the tumult you'll find compassion, idealism and hope, best represented by "Life" ("the only thing worth living for"). That kind of moral statement takes courage. - Trouser Press
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