The Process of Weeding Out

The Process of Weeding Out is the fifth EP by American band Black Flag.^[4] One of the most potent realizations of guitarist Greg Ginn's fascination with the avant-garde, The Process of Weeding Out is described by critic Chris True of AllMusic as "an interesting document of Greg Ginn's development from high-speed guitar 'sculptor' to one of the few punk artists to embrace 12-tone experimental music."^[1] Because of the jazz influences by Ginn, all of the tracks are instrumental.

The Process of Weeding Out
EP by Black Flag
Released	September 1985
Recorded	March 1985
Genre	Hardcore punk, free jazz, instrumental rock, punk jazz
Length	26:28
Label	SST (037)
Producer	Greg Ginn, Bill Stevenson, David Tarling
Black Flag chronology
Loose Nut (1985) The Process of Weeding Out (1985) In My Head (1985)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
All About Jazz	Positive[2]
Punknews	[3]

The back cover has a quote from Ginn, reading, in part:

"...even though this record may communicate certain feelings, emotions, and ideas to some, I have faith that cop-types with their strictly linear minds and stick-to-the-rules mentality don't have the ability to decipher the intuitive contents of this record."

Reception

Robert Palmer of The New York Times described the album as "what jazz-rock could have become if the best of the musicians who first crossbred jazz improvising with rock's sonic fire power had followed their most creative impulses."^[4]

Byron Coley at Spin said, "An all-instrumental album, it’s the last to feature the drums of Bill Stevenson (who offers an uncharacteristically jazzy touch at times), and with its release, Greg Ginn heralds the fourth stage of his ascension to heaven via strings. A hypnotically churning stew pot of murk, riff, and raff."^[5]

Track listing

All songs by Greg Ginn, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Your Last Affront" – 9:39
2. "Screw the Law" – 2:24

Side two

1. "The Process of Weeding Out" – 9:58
2. "Southern Rise" (Ginn/Kira Roessler/Bill Stevenson) – 5:00

Personnel

• Greg Ginn – guitar
• Kira Roessler – bass guitar
• Bill Stevenson – drums
• Raymond Pettibon – cover art

References

1. True, Chris. "Allmusic review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
2. Jazz, All About. "Black Flag: Black Flag: Family Man & The Process of Weeding Out". All About Jazz.
3. Gentile, John (February 13, 2017). "Black Flag - The Process of Weeding Out [EP]". Punknews.org. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
4. Palmer, Robert (February 23, 1986). "Black Flag Adds A Soupcon of Sophistication to Punk Rock". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
5. Byron Coley (March 1986). "Spins". Spin. No. 11. p. 31.