This article refers to a music recording. For the more general use of this term, see mental breakdown. Mental breakdown (also known as nervous breakdown or snapping) is a non-medical term used to describe a sudden acute attack of Mental illness such as

Nervous Breakdown
EP by Black Flag
Released	October 1978
Recorded	Media Art Studios, January 1978
Genre	Punk Rock Hardcore punk
Length	5:13
Label	SST
Producer	David Tarling & Black Flag
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Black Flag chronology
Nervous Breakdown (7" EP) (1978) Jealous Again (12" EP) (1980)

 Music samples:

"Nervous Breakdown"

Sample of Black Flag "Nervous Breakdown" from Nervous Breakdown EP (1978)

Problems listening to the file? See media help. An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music SST Records is an American Independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach California by musician Greg Ginn. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist Jealous Again is a 12" EP that was the second release by Black Flag and the third-ever release on SST Records.

Nervous Breakdown was the first Black Flag 7" EP. Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify It was released in 1978 and was the inaugural release on SST Records. SST Records is an American Independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach California by musician Greg Ginn.

Recording history

The recording was financed by Greg Ginn with proceeds he had earned from his mail-order ham radio electronics business, SST Electronics^[1]. Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is a Guitarist, Songwriter and singer Through Spot, then an apprentice engineer whom Ginn had already known from living in Hermosa Beach, California, the band found Media Art, a studio that had recently completed construction. SPOT, (born Glen Lockett in 1951) was the house producer and engineer for the influential independent punk Record label ^[2]

The recording was originally supposed to come out on Bomp! Records, but the band felt that the label was taking too long to put the record out. Bomp! Records is an American indie label featuring punk pop powerpop garage rock new wave old school rock neo-psychedelia and much more Eventually the band took the master rights back, and Ginn put some more earnings from his ham radio business, located a pressing plant in the phone book, and co-founded SST Records with Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski, borrowing the label's name from his business. SST Records is an American Independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach California by musician Greg Ginn. Chuck Dukowski (b Gary McDaniel, February 1, 1954) is an American Punk rock musician best known as a founding member and original bass player ^[1]

It is commonly misconstrued that Spot was the producer and engineer of record for Nervous Breakdown. In his sleeve notes for the 1982 outtakes anthology Everything Went Black, Spot pointed out that as an apprentice engineer, his involvement in the sessions was limited to setting up microphones during the tracking sessions, and doing rough mixes for the band to hear. Everything Went Black is a compilation album by Black Flag, released in 1983 ^[2]

The initial pressing of Nervous Breakdown was 300 copies. Black Flag were able to use the record as "a badge of legitimacy" (according to Dukowski) to begin getting live gigs in the Los Angeles area. ^[2]

The Band Rise Against have covered Nervous Breakdown and Fix Me on the This Is Noise EP. This Is Noise is an EP released by Rise Against while they were on their 2007 Canadian Tour

Release History

The EP is still in print both in its original form (a 7" vinyl EP), as a 5" CD single, and as part of the anthology The First Four Years. The First Four Years was a compilation of early Black Flag songs recorded before Henry Rollins became the band's vocalist in 1981 It was also available at times as a 3" CD single, a 10" colored vinyl EP, and as part of the various artists compilation of SST singles, The 7 Inch Wonders Of The World.

Track listing

All songs by Ginn except "Wasted" by Ginn/Morris

1. "Nervous Breakdown" – 2:07
2. "Fix Me" – 0:55
3. "I've Had It" – 1:20
4. "Wasted" – 0:51

Personnel

• Keith Morris - vocals
• Greg Ginn - guitar
• Chuck Dukowski - bass
• Brian Migdol - drums
• David Tarling - co-producer, engineer
• Spot - engineer, mixer
• Raymond Pettibon - artwork

References and footnotes