Harley Flanagan says nobody who played on Cro-Mags‘ 1986 debut was ever paid for it. Forty years later, he has re-recorded the entire album so that the people who wrote those songs finally see money from them.
The Age Of Quarrel: 40 Years Of Quarrel arrives November 13 through BLKIIBLK, the metal imprint of Frontiers Label Group, on CD and black vinyl. A re-recorded “World Peace” has been released with a video, following the original song “Wired For Chaos” in June.
“It all started with the making of the ‘Wired For Chaos‘ movie, but there were several reasons for revisiting The Age Of Quarrel. None of the people who played on the original record ever got paid, and none of us ever received an accounting of the album’s sales. For years, I tried to reunite the original lineup to re-record it and reclaim the rights to The Age Of Quarrel and Best Wishes through the Copyright Reversion Act. But I couldn’t get everyone together to take back ownership of the music, and that window has now closed,” Flanagan said.
He continued: “We had to re-record a few songs for the ‘Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos‘ documentary soundtrack because the original recordings couldn’t be licensed. That inspired me to finish the entire album. To honor The Age Of Quarrel, I brought together friends, current bandmates and musicians from other bands to celebrate these songs that have meant so much to so many people, myself included. Forty years later, everyone who wrote these songs will finally be paid through ASCAP and BMI, and the remaining proceeds will go to charity. I’m doing my best to make things right. These songs belong to the fans. I’m washing my hands of the past and trying to clear the bad karma from this record. Love wins. My quarrel is over.”
The Copyright Reversion Act allows authors to reclaim rights to their work after a set period, but it requires the original parties to act together. Flanagan says he could not get them to the table before the window shut.
The documentary that started it, “Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos“, was released through Lightyear Entertainment and RexPix Media.
Flanagan is joined by Doug Holland, who played guitar on the 1986 record after joining from Kraut, and Rocky George, formerly of both Cro-Mags and Suicidal Tendencies.
Guests come from two bands that grew up on the album, Meg Mills of Turnstile appears on “It’s The Limit” and Zach Blair of Rise Against on “Don’t Tread On Me”. Dave Sharpe features alongside Holland on the opener, and producer Arthur Rizk plays on “Seekers Of The Truth” with George.
Greyson Nekrutman, currently drumming with Sepultura, handles drums across the record. Rizk, whose credits include Power Trip and Blood Incantation, produced and mixed.
The album adds “Everybody’s Gonna Die“, a song from the 1985 demo era that never made the original tracklist.
The Age Of Quarrel: 40 Years Of Quarrel Tracklist:
- “We Gotta Know” (featuring Dave Sharpe & Doug Holland)
- “World Peace”
- “Show You No Mercy”
- “Malfunction”
- “Street Justice”
- “Survival Of The Streets”
- “Seekers Of The Truth” (featuring Arthur Rizk and Rocky George)
- “It’s The Limit” (featuring Meg Mills)
- “Hard Times”
- “By Myself”
- “Don’t Tread On Me” (featuring Zach Blair)
- “Face The Facts”
- “Do Unto Others”
- “Life Of My Own”
- “Signs Of The Times”
Flanagan started Cro-Mags in 1981, at 14, while drumming for The Stimulators. He wrote and played everything on the first demos himself, recorded around 1982 and 1983, and those four songs became the foundation of what followed.
The lineup that made the Age Of Quarrel demo in 1985 was Flanagan, guitarist Parris Mayhew, vocalist John Joseph McGowan and drummer Mackie Jayson. Holland joined on second guitar for the album, released in 1986.
Flanagan took over vocals with 1989’s Best Wishes and is the only person to appear on every Cro-Mags release.
The band are currently in Europe with US dates to follow. Announced runs include a North American tour with Helmet and a West Coast run with Danzig, Down and Abbath.
Flanagan said this week that he intends to stop touring at full scale, with nine shows booked after the current European leg, citing pinched nerves in his neck and lower back.
He posted the announcement to Instagram on Wednesday morning (August 5), over a photograph of a concert crowd carrying the line: “I can feel it in my bones, my touring days are coming to an end.”
He wrote: “I don’t know how many more I got in me… But it’s winding down….i’ve been on the road since the 70s. Even Stigma can’t say that lol.”
“This used to be an escape from living in squats. I don’t live in a squat anymore. I still enjoy playing music. I just don’t enjoy traveling. I have nine more shows booked after this tour. I’m gonna take a break for a little while and think this through, my new album is almost done I have a few more songs to finish and it may be the best one I’ve ever written that’s all I want is to write one good album that really makes me happy.”
“Then we will see what happens….”
“i’m not saying I’m gonna stop playing altogether. But I’m done grinding it out on tour. I’ll play when I feel like it, but this s**t is done, touring is a young man’s/woman’s sport. I like to eat right, I like to sleep right and I like to wake up next to my wife. I actually love my life. I’m not trying to escape it anymore.”
“When you find happiness hold onto it.”
“I don’t wanna spend my whole life on the road and die without holding onto the life I have created for myself.”
