25+ Years of Punk in the States
Created | Updated Dec 17, 2002
1977.
Was it the Sex Pistols or the Ramones?
The Stooges or the New York Dolls?
England or America?
All this could be debated for years, and has been. 25 years to be exact. Or is it more like 26? 27? Well, that could be debated as well, but that isn't what this entry is meant to cover. What follows is more a brief history of punk rock's lineage here in the States.
<b>Punk Rock American Style</b>
New York in the mid 70s, coming out of the peace, love and war period wrought by the end of both free love and the Vietnam Conflict found its music scene a mixture of fading hippy folk singers, and burgening discos packed with mindless, happy, drugged up youth. But hidden beneath the silly and musically stagnant scene, New York had a shining jewel.
The New York Dolls in the early 70s filled a niche. A non-diso dancing, niche. Those not familiar with New York Dolls, may be more familiar with their singer Buster Poindexter.
Playing what some feel was an early form of punk rock, the Dolls achieved incredible local appeal. Almost always wearing make-up, the Dolls left it all on stage, and get credit even from the Sex Pistols as being a major influence. KISS and Rush both opened for the Dolls in the mid 70s and eventually outlived the doomed Dolls. After two albums and minor world acclaim the Dolls called it quits, but the punk foundation had been layed.
Other New York bands bucked the trend as well. Television, much like the Dolls had a dirtier pub rock sound, blended with a sly lyrical wit. The Dolls and Television, as well as fellow New Yorkers, Richard Hell and the Voidoids created a noisy blend of roots rock-n-roll and glam rock. It was about the show, and the angry young bohemians that showed up in the local venues. Not about major label deals and world tours. It was DIY rock at its purest form.
Entrenched in the New York City underground, late 1970s, the gang at CBGB literally yelled into the face mainstream popular music. Disco had a foothold on the wallets of America's youth and prog rock ruled the college scenes. A cold war and flat economy left a young sect of the American population angry and poor. Youth of the inner city were looking for something that "spoke" to them more than the enigmatic croonings of Roger Waters or the random happiness of the Bay City Rollers.
What they found was a diverse and eclectic convergence of roots rock and pure unrestrained groove. Armed with little more than four chords, pawn shop Strats, black leather jackets and busted pants, the New York music scene was attacked and subdued by squat-house bands, cross dressing rock-n-roll carnies, braces wearing geeks and inked up gas-huffers, and CBGB was ground zero.
CBGBs, a small club on the...played host to the rise of rock-n-roll history. In 1977, punk rock came to New York. Not from England, but from the city streets themselves. Youth disenchanted with the American dream and living in fear of a nuclear war found a voice in in a dirty, often simple rythmic sound they called punk.
The Ramones, earsplitting, four four, sound was an assault to mainstream music. No complex scales or fancy guitar solos, only pure groove overlayed with irreverant and sly remarks pertaining to everything from sniffing glue to UFOs.
The Ramones never claimed to have invented punk rock, and other NYC locals were doing similar things during the sound's infancy. In fact all across America bands began to take the lingering refuge of pub rock and glam and blend it together, but the Ramones did it better. There was no attempt to be more than they could be, not even a hint of philosophical prog rock or glittery glam. Just pure, sweet, groove. Happiness was four four time, and "Blitzkrieg Bop" was nirvana.
Across the fertile plains of the States, sandwiched between the Sierra Mountian range and the Pacific Ocean another scene was growing. A different, almost relaxed from of music emerged. Though, often every bit as angry and heavy as its sibling in NYC there was a California smootheness to the west coast punk.
Like the east coast, the west had its share of punk innovators. Los Angelas would soon become a proving ground for many bands. Few did it as well as X. The mixture of female and male lead vocals, pulse pounding beats, and intelligent lyrics touched the minds of American youth. "Johnny Hit and Run Puline", an anti-rape song, proved punk could have a message; even if sometimes that message was sometimes mis-understood. The Angry Samoans gave birth to junk rock and Social Distortion blended almost seamlessly punk and country to create almost a whole new genre.
Punk rock was alive and well under Uncle Sam's nose.
Was it the Sex Pistols or the Ramones?
The Stooges or the New York Dolls?
England or America?
All this could be debated for years, and has been. 25 years to be exact. Or is it more like 26? 27? Well, that could be debated as well, but that isn't what this entry is meant to cover. What follows is more a brief history of punk rock's lineage here in the States.
<b>Punk Rock American Style</b>
New York in the mid 70s, coming out of the peace, love and war period wrought by the end of both free love and the Vietnam Conflict found its music scene a mixture of fading hippy folk singers, and burgening discos packed with mindless, happy, drugged up youth. But hidden beneath the silly and musically stagnant scene, New York had a shining jewel.
The New York Dolls in the early 70s filled a niche. A non-diso dancing, niche. Those not familiar with New York Dolls, may be more familiar with their singer Buster Poindexter.
Playing what some feel was an early form of punk rock, the Dolls achieved incredible local appeal. Almost always wearing make-up, the Dolls left it all on stage, and get credit even from the Sex Pistols as being a major influence. KISS and Rush both opened for the Dolls in the mid 70s and eventually outlived the doomed Dolls. After two albums and minor world acclaim the Dolls called it quits, but the punk foundation had been layed.
Other New York bands bucked the trend as well. Television, much like the Dolls had a dirtier pub rock sound, blended with a sly lyrical wit. The Dolls and Television, as well as fellow New Yorkers, Richard Hell and the Voidoids created a noisy blend of roots rock-n-roll and glam rock. It was about the show, and the angry young bohemians that showed up in the local venues. Not about major label deals and world tours. It was DIY rock at its purest form.
Entrenched in the New York City underground, late 1970s, the gang at CBGB literally yelled into the face mainstream popular music. Disco had a foothold on the wallets of America's youth and prog rock ruled the college scenes. A cold war and flat economy left a young sect of the American population angry and poor. Youth of the inner city were looking for something that "spoke" to them more than the enigmatic croonings of Roger Waters or the random happiness of the Bay City Rollers.
What they found was a diverse and eclectic convergence of roots rock and pure unrestrained groove. Armed with little more than four chords, pawn shop Strats, black leather jackets and busted pants, the New York music scene was attacked and subdued by squat-house bands, cross dressing rock-n-roll carnies, braces wearing geeks and inked up gas-huffers, and CBGB was ground zero.
CBGBs, a small club on the...played host to the rise of rock-n-roll history. In 1977, punk rock came to New York. Not from England, but from the city streets themselves. Youth disenchanted with the American dream and living in fear of a nuclear war found a voice in in a dirty, often simple rythmic sound they called punk.
The Ramones, earsplitting, four four, sound was an assault to mainstream music. No complex scales or fancy guitar solos, only pure groove overlayed with irreverant and sly remarks pertaining to everything from sniffing glue to UFOs.
The Ramones never claimed to have invented punk rock, and other NYC locals were doing similar things during the sound's infancy. In fact all across America bands began to take the lingering refuge of pub rock and glam and blend it together, but the Ramones did it better. There was no attempt to be more than they could be, not even a hint of philosophical prog rock or glittery glam. Just pure, sweet, groove. Happiness was four four time, and "Blitzkrieg Bop" was nirvana.
Across the fertile plains of the States, sandwiched between the Sierra Mountian range and the Pacific Ocean another scene was growing. A different, almost relaxed from of music emerged. Though, often every bit as angry and heavy as its sibling in NYC there was a California smootheness to the west coast punk.
Like the east coast, the west had its share of punk innovators. Los Angelas would soon become a proving ground for many bands. Few did it as well as X. The mixture of female and male lead vocals, pulse pounding beats, and intelligent lyrics touched the minds of American youth. "Johnny Hit and Run Puline", an anti-rape song, proved punk could have a message; even if sometimes that message was sometimes mis-understood. The Angry Samoans gave birth to junk rock and Social Distortion blended almost seamlessly punk and country to create almost a whole new genre.
Punk rock was alive and well under Uncle Sam's nose.
