By Ann Marlowe
“I bought Black Flag’s Damaged and Fred Frith’s solo guitar record on the same day about 10 years ago and wondered why they weren’t, or couldn’t be, the same band” God Is My Co-Pilot auteur Craig Flanagin helps explain his tweaked guitar and the 34 short-as-life, tempo-blending songs on the band’s self-produced I Am Not This Body. (The Making of Americans, P.O. Box 20871, Tompkins Sq Station, NYC 10009). But that doesn’t account for the opening ditty about fist-fucking (“I’ve got a special name for you/when I’m up to my wrist/I’ll call yr name & you’re going to come”), illustrated on the inner sleeve with Craig’s line drawings of cats, or maybe monkeys. Seems kind of cutte when yelped by perky gamine Sharon Topper, less cute if you know the words were written by the stocky, six-something Craig. His fists are pretty large. (more…)