My Damage: The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor

Keith Morris’s book, “My Damage: The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor” Is Keith's contribution to setting the record straight about his involvement in the LA punk scene.The first thing you need to know about Keith is that first and foremost he loves music and that his passion for music led him to see Bowie, Iggy Pop and others at their creative peaks. His name-dropping at the beginning of the book let’s you know he is as much of a fan as he is a bonafide punk rock persona.I was most interested in his re-telling of his involvement of the later Masque days and the beginnings Black Flag in Hermosa Beach. There are moments where Jim Ruthland, Morris’ semi-Ghost writer really captures that era of Hermosa Beach. To really take in the landscape of Hermosa Beach I would suggest Spot’s photo book, “Sounds of Two Eyes Opening” that features HB and early Black Flag to really take it in.The biggest fault of the book is that Morris only briefly touches on what the early 80’s LA punk/hardcore scene was like and doesn't talk enough about his his relationship to its players. Instead he decides to go the predictable route of his fall into drinking, cocaine abuse and why the Circle Jerks never got it together. While many of the stories are entertaining and rightly solidify Morris as the true author of the historically contested song “Wasted”, the truth is, I wanted to read more about the early 80’s punk scene and Morris’ musings on his relationship with the players (well known or not) and less of his using stories (as entertaining as they are).The book looses steam when Morris recounts his involvement in the Hollywood scene of the 90’s and his relationship with the Hangmen, Inger Lorre and the Nymphs and his bands outside of the Circle Jerks namely Bug Lamp and Midget Handjob.If you’re a fan your like me, you already bought the book. However, I can’t help but think Morris missed an opportunity to go a little deeper and tell a few more stories about the early 80’s punk rock scene and its players for those of us that weren’t there.

He's 65 in 2020 and still singing for OFF! His story is our story, every punk, cept his exact version. As with most punx the divide between band member and punk who enjoys goin' to the shows is not steep like it is in big business rock or rap. The celebrity factor just isn't as big a deal in punk. I was at a record store in Hollywood maybe 20 years ago and he and I were both just lookin' thru bins. I ran some lps past him, that's good, that one's good. I show him a Circle Jerks lp, That sucks. Just another punk but a guy who started with Black Flag and followed his natural inclination, with the urging of Greg Ginn, to be a vocalist. Great to have him share his story with us. Lotta substance abuse. Unapologetic about his story. Not designed to hurt anyone and he lived on the edge that way. Let's face it, Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown is an amazing classic 7", my favorite ever. And Circle Jerks lp Group Sex has Deny Everything and I've Got the World Up My A.. and Beverly Hills Century City, I Just Want Some Skank, Wasted, just incredible stuff. Thanks for opening the door and letting us read about yer life man.

Loved this book, I felt like I was with Keith during his whole life. Great adventure through LA punk punk rock

I really enjoyed this book a lot! I admit, I have been a big fan of punk rock over the eras, but was never a major fan of the hard core (Black Flag, etc) but it was a great walk down memory lane of what I feel was an underrated era in music. I love the detail Keith Morris went into to & his honesty about his life!

I've been reading lots of non-fiction/oral history/auto-biographical books about the punk scene for years. Please Kill Me, We Got the Neutron Bomb, American Hardcore, A Wailing of a Town, the Husker Du story, Bob Mould's book... Jack Grisham, John Doe and Dave Dictor have all recently published their own books... Usually I pick at them here and there when I've got nothing else to do and it takes me weeks to eventually finish them. My Damage is one that I read unusually quickly. Not often I find myself reading a book at 7AM on a Sunday morning, but that's what happened with this. (The kitties woke me up for their breakfast and then rather than go back to sleep...) It has a great chronological momentum that just kept pulling me along, made it a pleasure to go through its 200+ pages.I got into punk in 1982 and the Circle Jerks were one of the first bands I glommed on to and claimed as my own, and I still listen to them now and again to this day. Keith is a real character and his story is real, and interesting. Real interesting. Ahem. Anyway, I loved it and think it might be a good read for someone even if they aren't necessarily a fan.I also recommend as a companion piece the Circle Jerks documentary DVD 'My Career As a Jerk.'

Keith tells his story in a kind of warts and all manner that moves along excellently and without any pretentiousness. You get an honest account of his story with just enough detail to make you feel satisfied without getting bogged down in technical descriptions or encyclopedic details. Keith comes across as down to earth and honest. It's a quick read and it's an interesting story if you're interested in the subject matter. There are times the story feels a bit scant on details but that's a minor complaint. Loses a star for a few digs at Rollins and Greg Ginn. Greg undoubtedly deserves it for his questionable book keeping. The Rollins jabs feel superficial. Either way it feels beneath Keith to have made a few swipes without going into detail though the reason may be legal.If you're unfamiliar with Keith Morris he was a founding member of Black Flag and vocalist on what is arguably some of their finest work. He also founded the Circle Jerks and currently is the vocalist for OFF! who are probably the only "punk" band worth knowing formed in this century.

This is an honest and unflinching memoir that lives up to its billing. Keith is likeable and interesting. I took inspiration from his sobriety and how he has dealt with his health problems in recent years and that nevertheless, he is enjoying life more than ever before.

I hope you get paid very well for all you are doing now and that CJ catalogue will also reward you. If Springsteen can sell his catalogue why not you. Sometimes I regret not being in the scene back then. But now I know you and all the people you write about made art and had that life. I can see it wasn’t for me. I hate the phone era too. My band is called Stupid Phones.

Good review of beginning of Punk bands

Awesome

Keith Morris is a legend! Great stories. Very inspiring.

Being the lead singer of Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, Buglamp, and then Flag! gives Keith Morris a certain credibility. In fact he has tons and tons of it. That he emerges relatively unscathed here is a miracle because our Keith does about everything wrong in life only to find a certain amount of success coming his way just the same. This is a tale full of pathos and more than a few tearful laughs, a life totally worth reading about but not one you would want to experience first hand. Morris remains a hero to many and justifiably so.