Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown 7"

Welcome to my theory on the pressing of the first real Hardcore punk record (yes, I know that the Middle Class "Out Of Vogue" 7" pre-dates this record but in my opinion it was just fast punk and has had nowhere near the same influence as this). You will notice that I only refer to the first pressing as a "pressing" and all the other ones as "versions", this is because I am not sure what else to call them as I am always finding new versions of this record and I can't say with any kind of certainty whether or not they are different pressings or just housed in different sleeves. The only "facts" that I have, is that there are four different centre labels combined with three different colours of vinyl, indicating that there are at least six pressings of the record, but I have found ten different versions so far, but to say that there are ten pressings would only be speculation.

As most people will already know the first pressing comes in a white sleeve printed with black ink and features a brick wall type of background around the Raymond Pettibone artwork. It's a lithographic print on a 14.5" high x 7.25" wide sheet of lightweight gloss paper and is folded in half, there were only 500 copies printed and has the first version of the centre labels as seen above and below.

After this pressing the brick wall background and the band logo were changed and the famous "bars" were added to the front. This is where it gets a little interesting, all listings on ebay and every discography I've seen states that the second press is printed with red ink and just leave it at that, however due to years of buying, selling and collecting many different copies (close to 100 copies of this record have passed through my hands) I have a differing opinion.

There is a version with a light blue sleeve which has the exact same center labels as the first press, I have had a few of these through my hands and they have all been like this so I am pretty sure it isn't a mix up of sleeves and vinyl, certain details on the artwork is also another reason for my thinking that the light blue sleeved version could be the second press.

For instance, the artwork on the back of the sleeve is the same size as the first press and also what I believe to be the third press with red ink (more on that later). The record pictured is the best condition I have seen, this version always seems to turn up in a poor condition which also leads me to believe it's a much older version.

The version I believe is the third pressing has a red sleeve and also has the same center labels as the first pressing.

The artwork is the same size as the first and second pressing too, notice how it comes up to the top of the sleeve on the back.

The fourth version (not pictured) has the first style of centre labels but the same sleeve as the one below.

The fifth version has the second style of center labels using different fonts for "Black Flag" and "Records" under the SST logo, the pocket sleeve has a square cut to the top, as previously it was curved. (I have had a few copies with the first center labels in this sleeve, but more often than not it has the second center labels)

The artwork on the back of the sleeve has been reduced in size to fit a little better too.

This sixth version goes back to having a curved top to the sleeve but is a reverse of the previous sleeve with the curved top rising toward the center whereas the previous one dips in the center, it also has the second version of the center labels.

The back of the sixth version with the same artwork as the fourth/fifth version.

The seventh version (not pictured) has the same sleeve as the one above, it is pressed on YELLOW vinyl but the centre label is the same as the version below with dark blue print.

This eighth version is pressed on RED vinyl and it features another change of centre label.

The back of the sleeve is laid out differently too, the artwork has been scaled down even further, the text has been moved and the "bars" and UPC/bar code has been added.

The ninth version (not pictured) is the same as the one above but is pressed on BLACK vinyl.

The tenth version (not pictured) which is still being sold by SST records has the same sleeve as the ninth version but the vinyl has a white centre label rather than blue.

Sleeve art comparisons.

Below are the back of the first and second sleeves next to each other, as you can see, the artwork is the same size on both versions.

The artwork on the back of the second and third sleeves are also identical other than color. The reasons I believe that the light blue sleeve came before the red one is because all the copies I have seen with light blue ink have the first edition center labels and have the larger size artwork. It also makes sense that they were still trying out new ideas with the art until they settled on the red ink until the later editions with the bar code.

The back of the third sleeve with the larger artwork and the fourth sleeve with the square edge along the top and the reduced art.

Below is back of the fourth and the fifth sleeves, notice the return to the curved top like the third version and all versions after this.

The front of the fifth and sixth versions are identical other than the ink color.

However the back is quite different, as I mentioned earlier the artwork has been scaled down again and the "bars" and bar code have been added.

Below is the second and sixth versions of the sleeve so you can see the difference between the two blue ink colors.

Then finally the back of the second and sixth versions, quite a big difference between them.

Pressing Numbers

As far as numbers go, the first press is always stated as being 500 copies, the second version with the light blue sleeve turns up very rarely and it could also be as low as 500, the third version again turns up very rarely and I would guess that at about 500 copies too. The fourth version of the sleeve which turns up with the first style centre labels is rare and is probably limited to 500 copies also. I read in "Spray-paint the walls - The story of Black Flag", in a 1980 interview for Outcry fanzine issue #1 Greg Ginn said "We pressed up 2000 copies, for $1000". This would explain why the first press centre labels show up so often, and I'd like to believe it's a nice round 500 in each of the first four sleeves. All the other red sleeved versions with the second edition center labels are seen quite often and were probably pressed several times in numbers of at least 1000 at a time throughout the 1980's, after that it's anybody's guess, the colored vinyl is probably limited to 1000 each, the black vinyl in the dark blue sleeve is very common and as I already said SST are still selling them.

If anyone has any comments or other ideas about this let me know, if you would like to hassle Greg Ginn to find out if I'm right that would be awesome, but chances are he will only have a vague memory of the pressing figures, it's been over 30 years since this record was released after all, and I heard he doesn't like to talk about Black Flag these days.