Henry Rollins talks downloading, SST relationship

In a new column for LA Weekly, Henry Rollins takes a more nuanced view of downloading than some of his peers. He begins by explaining the situation with his Black Flag catalogue and the band's label, SST Records:

[SST Records] is owned and operated by Greg Ginn. He doesn't pay royalties. No royalties, no statements, nothing. At least not to me and several of my old bandmates. I would love to see an accounting and even an estimate of what I'm owed over a period of almost three decades. I'm not good at holding my breath and I am a very busy person, so I'm not exactly waiting for the man to come to my door with one of those oversized checks anytime soon.

There are many records that are out of print. Many of these will never be re-pressed and will often be impossible to find for sale anywhere, and even if you did, you would probably have to pay a very hefty price. This is where the download is the key to the magic door. There are so many records that I have had a chance to hear only because someone posted them. Records of all genres are available online, and sometimes members of the bands will write in and thank the site for putting the tracks up so people can enjoy this music that otherwise would have been deep in obscurity. The optimum outcome of this is a cool reissue.

Check it out here.