Broken Summers

by Henry Rollins

In 1993, three young boys were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. In what was widely considered a witch hunt, three older boys were convicted of the killings. Ten years later, Henry Rollins used his considerable cultural chops to raise money for their defense fund and for DNA testing, which could help clear them. His vehicle? The acclaimed CD “Rise Above” and a world tour. Broken Summers details the rehearsing of Black Flag songs he hadn’t played in years, dealing with an arrogant manager or two, a diverse group of musicians, recording the CD, and the arduous trek from Tucson to Tokyo that included grilling by heartland shock jocks unsympathetic to his cause. The book covers 14 months of desperate lows and dramatic highs, all rendered in Rollins’s trademark combative style. Included are black-and-white photos of the rehearsals, recording sessions, and tour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Memoir, Biography, Poetry

237 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Henry Rollins (born Henry Lawrence Garfield; often referred to simply as Rollins) is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, author, actor and publisher.

After joining the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the Californian hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 until 1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups until 2003 and during 2006.

Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as The Henry Rollins Show and Harmony In My Head, and television shows, such as MTV's 120 Minutes and Jackass, along with roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for human rights in the United States, promoting gay rights in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.

Reviews

[East Bay J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken Summers details the story of Rise Above, a twenty five song Black Flag tribute and a subsequent world tour to raise funds for DNA testing in the West Memphis Three case. The Flag tribute was played by the then current Rollins Band lineup and featured folks like Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Ice-T, Exene Cervenka, Lemmy and Rollins and many more singing the tunes. Rollins, a staunch supporter of the WM3, conceived the whole thing and got it done.

From concept to memory, you get a Rollins eye view of the action. Deciding to do the benefit CD, getting the songs recorded, getting the singers to sing the songs, getting the CD released on Sanctuary, booking a few shows then a whole tour. Sanctuary not doing a whole lot to push the CD. The promoters not doing their jobs. Good and bad shows worldwide. Trouble on the road. Interviews and interviewers. Friends. Fans. Greg Ginn. Through it all, Rollins keeps his eye on the prize and does not back down. In spite of the obstacles and hurdles, Rollins and company raised thousands for the WM3 defense fund.

Rollins was not alone in his support of the WM3. This was an incredibly high profile case once word got out and celebs and the like came out of the woodwork to provide aid where they could. Other supporters, not related to Rise Above or the tour, include Winona Ryder, Margaret Cho, Dixie Chicks vocalist Natalie Maines Pasdar, Eddie Vedder, Marilyn Manson, Axl Rose and Eddie Spaghetti of The Supersuckers, who organized another benefit CD, Free The West Memphis 3. None of this is discussed in Broken Summers but it’s worth noting.

Incidentally, the DNA evidence was finally tested in 2007 and no links to the WM3 were found. However, Judge Burnett denied a retrial, saying the DNA tests were inconclusive. Rollins addresses his fear of this exact thing happening in Broken Summer. The West Memphis Three still sit in jail, seventeen years later.

Favorite quote #1: “ Watched some band videos on TV when I got back here. People really like this shit? It’s so weak. I wouldn’t have been into this crap even when I was the ‘right’ age. A nation of soft youth with domination and fear in their immediate future. If you come out of the chute and your first taste of rock music is this shit, unless you encounter some divine intervention, you’re fucked for life. These people aren’t in bands, they’re models with musical instruments as accessories. They wear their music like a handbag.”

Favorite quote #2: “The hours pass like the water comes from a bucket not carefully carried - wasted, unnoticed.”

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book, which collects Rollins' journal entries from 2002 and 2003, which mostly focus on the album of Black Flag covers he and his band did as a benefit for the West Memphis 3, as well as the tour they did in support of that album. This book intrigued me the first time I read it, as Rollins seemed to be moving away from the dark, misanthropic tone that often pervades in his books of journal entries. Granted, he still seemed closed off from the human race to an extent I find uncomfortable to even contemplate, but I could see some hope for him. Since that first reading, though, I've read "A Dull Roar," a more recent collection of journal entries, in which it seemed that his perspective had returned to previous high levels of misanthropy. Now, with a second reading of "Broken Summers," I see far less of the hope that I saw in my original reading. Looking back now, I'm not even sure where I was getting that. For the most part, Rollins continues to have a pretty antisocial attitude towards humanity. If anything, I can see hints in this book that he's sometimes disappointed in the bad behavior of other people rather than angered by it, but those moments of sadness are mitigated by other moments of absolute anger.

In sum, it adds up to a pretty entertaining book that delivers on what I look for in a book by Henry Rollins. His perspective on the world is always unique and interesting, and he often says things that I can relate to on a deep level. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, since the things he's saying that I relate to tend to be pretty bleak, but at least I can feel like someone understands. I admit that, in reading these books, I often find myself wishing for happiness for Rollins, but I can see that, due to his unique lifestyle, worldview, and experiences, that it will be hard for him to ever attain such a thing, or even to describe what it would look like for him. I guess this is one of the things I relate most closely to him in--I don't really know what a happy life for me would look like, either. I hope that both of us find it someday. Until then, though, I'm sure I will continue to enjoy these books of journal entries that Rollins releases onto the world every few years or so.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Rollins fare.. Interesting tour journal, worth a read if you have a lot of extra time and are a Black Flag fan (why the hell aren't you?)... I wish whatever legal reasons would allow him to go into why him and Ginn don't get along on an even professional level these days...

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book infinitely better than Get in the Van, though I think age plays into a lot of both the writing and reading. Broken Summers was written when Henry was ten years older, and I think his writing matured and his anger was more directed and less annoying. I didn't even finish Get in the Van because I was kind of bored with it, but I really enjoyed Broken Summers - but I'm also about ten years older than when I read the first book. I definitely enjoyed just the random snippets of interesting things he's reading or listening to. It also made me look up more info on the West Memphis 3, which I'd previously purposely stayed away from. Anyway, easy read, and decent read.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second of Henry Rollins' tour diaries which I picked up off the street. Like the first one, Get in the Van, this deals with Black Flag, but here Henry is revisiting the songs he sang 16 years after Black Flag broke up, as the Rollins Band performs them for a benefit album and tours to raise money for the West Memphis Three, who were eventually released (but not exonerated) for the crimes which they did not commit. The physical living conditions are much better for Henry now, at home and on the road, and his attitude has mellowed (his cage is much bigger, with wider spacing between the bars and better ventilation and light). Promoters are still the enemy, and the audience is still the enemy, though Rollins acknowledges that he depends on them, and without them he would have nothing, because performance is his life. (I wonder what his attitude currently is, now that he no longer performs music.) Above all, weakness is still the enemy. Like Get in the Van, this diary is repetitive, but Henry is a better writer than he was while in Black Flag, and this makes a good bathroom read.

[Leigh V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book upon recommendation from a friend. I didn't know anything about Henry Rollins other than what he looked like and his work with Black Flag. Sometimes I think that's the best way to go into a book because then you become elated when you find yourself thinking if this person is writing from the confines of your brain. I love Rollin's intensity and his passion for his work. I love that he stands up for what he believes in and sheds light on so many issues that Americans SHOULD be getting angry about. Henry Rollins shines stadium lighting on the things we want to keep in the darkest corners. It was a pleasure meeting him through this book.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cry when I read Henry Rollins. Seriously. The Dude who Sings "LIAR" makes me cry. In a soft and Fuzzy sort of way.
There are moments in this work, that I most definitely did...but this is more a description of the Work he put into getting a Black Flag reunion (of sorts) together, and the headache that became. All for the West Memphis 3, too...to raise money for their Defense Fun.
Google it if you don't know what I am talking about.
Also, YouTube Hank, and watch him talk about the death of his friend Joe Cole. Heartwrenching but amazing.

[Rob Rinkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stream of conciseness

The drama of the WM3 is over ,but this book is a great read nonetheless. If you are a Henry fan , pick this up

[Cari Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After such a long time apart, Henry Rollins, we are once again reunited!

After reading other works by Rollins (I’m a hardcore fan of Black Coffee Blues and Do I Come Here Often?), I gave the author a break. And just like a wave returning to the shore, Broken Summers has brought me right back.

I forgot how much I admired and respected a man that could so clearly articulate his thoughts on the world around him while simultaneously talking about the books and music that feed his soul. I forgot how abrasive, honest, and unapologetic Rollins could be. Now that I’ve had my palate whetted, I’m eager for more in the future.

The book spans a couple of—you guessed it—broken summers in Rollins’s life. He chronicles the birth, construction, and release of the benefit album he did of Black Flag songs in support of the West Memphis Three as well as the brutal tour that accompanied it.

The sheer determination he seems to possess in the face of so much contempt and backlash is both admirable and heart wrenching. Too young to have seen the story play out, Rollins shines a light briefly on it with the lens of his heart.

[Adam Cormier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.. Henry writes from his soul (which can be dark). He journals while on tour. They play old Black Flag tunes to help fundraise for the West Memphis Three. Really enjoyable read, I enjoyed Henry's jaded view of LA and touring. Likely not for everyone but if you liked Black or Rollins Band then this will feel familiar.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admire Mr Rollins. He's a bit mental and I like that. His writing won't connect with everyone but it's just right for me. His stoicism is shown in full many times in Broken Summers. It's been a long while since I read some of his other books and it seems he's managed to mould his anger in a worthwhile direction, knowing when to rage and when to move on.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some really interesting content here. I wish Rollins would dig a little deeper into some of the relationship issues, challenges, and local cultures. It's a good read, but it's a bit cursory compared to his spoken word content.

[Brandon Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third HR book. I’ve read Get In The Van and Sic. Broken Summers was my favorite one so far. It covers the recording of the WM3 benefit record and the accompanying tour.

[Robert]

That was some real down to earth straight to the point of writing.

The man said, "Hail the mighty Black Flag."

[Josh Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

nobody does it like Henry Rollins

[Nick Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one I for sure will not be revisiting but an interesting look into the WM3 comp/tour.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book about ten years ago because I was (and still am) a big Black Flag fan and had some interest in the West Memphis 3 case but it ended up in my pile of unread books for a long time, although I leafed through it from time to time. The only other Rollins book I've read is "Get In The Van" and while I think that Henry is a pretty decent writer, I sometimes find his relentless misanthropy a bit a of a slog to get through. I have a very good friend who suffers from depression and Henry's thoughts often remind me of hers, so I kind of get where he's coming from and I can't begrudge him that. Anyway, I thought that the Black Flag tribute album done as a benefit for the West Memphis 3 was an interesting idea and I was curious to learn more about what went into making it but unfortunately Henry doesn't go it to great deal about it. For example, he mentions wanting Glenn Danzig and Ian MacKaye on the record. Neither ended up appearing and Henry never says why. I am also curious about how he got Greg Ginn to allow him to use the songs (since Greg owns the publishing and Greg's disdain of Henry is very well-known) but it's never mentioned. He does mention, after the album is released, that his manager got a call from Greg and Henry was expecting drama from it but the subject is never mentioned again so readers don't know what Greg wanted or what drama, if any, occurred. Instead of focusing on the album, the bulk of the book is dedicated to the tour. I can admire Henry's attitude of busting it out and giving it all he got, often in the face of diminishing returns and, in the end, I'm not surprised that Henry's done with making music. Anyway, Black Flag and Rollins fans are sure to find this book of interest.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a little boring at times. I admit it was a shock to discover that Mr. Rollins hasn't really changed since he was a young man. He's still bitter about everything, which, I guess, he is proud of. Still, not always that exciting.

[J.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another update from the fascinating world of Henry Rollins, writer, poet, actor, musician and all-around Renaissance guy. A writer with a truly unique voice. This all works, up to---BUT EXCLUDING---the Thomas Wolfe imitation at the end. Otherwise, great stuff.

[RandomAnthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Broken Summers" is probably my favorite Rollins book. He seems reenergized by the book's focus and the text has a bit more of a narrative thread than some of his other work. I'd recommend this book as a good place to start for Rollins novices.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

about the benefit tour he did for those boys who were wrongly accused of murder. it was a slow read for me. but it was borrowed to me at a time where i didn't feel the want or need to read. something i need to go back to.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite Rollins book. It was impossible to put down, and I was constantly comparing the dates in the book to what I was doing at that time ... which just makes what an amazing life he's lead all the more obvious.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is sorta like a "get in the van" part 2... only the tours aren't nearly as rough and it's not nearly as interesting. Worth a flip through for the parts about hanging out with Harley from the Cro Mags and his Ramones story.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, really boring and i'm a lifelong Rollins fan, being an author is not Rollins' strong suit. This book comes off as a long grumpy rant and not a very enjoyable one at that.I am a huge fan of his spoken word so i should be easily won over here but alas no.

[Aaron Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think if you've read some Rollins before , you will like this one. It's a journal of a couple of tours, not much of the poetry or prose writing of One from None or earlier works. Fun for the Black Flag history too.

[Kathleen Kosiec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the Rollins Band tours in support of the West Memphis Three, and the corresponding album. It still amazes me to read about some "fans" are obnoxious jerks, throwing stuff onstage and trying to pick fights with Hank.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my recommendations--seriously, it's a good book. BUT only if you like Henry Rollins. Or the West Memphis 3, to a much lesser extent. Otherwise i wouldn't bother with it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, and interesting about the determination to a workout schedule.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the single most inspirational book I have ever read.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great collection of Tour Diaries from Henry Rollins. This time he writes about a benefit album he did, and the tour that went with it. Very cool stuff - I'm enjoying him more and more.