History
There's no shortage of people wanting to claim punk as their own so here's an attempt to trace its roots. You'll meet some surprising people, weird bands, scary people and probably disagree with a lot of what I say but do I care ? Do I f**k ! Coz this basically is a chance for me to present some of the music that I love listening to and sometimes take the piss. Its also an attempt to put the UK punk scene in some sort of context instead of just an isolated style.
The History Of Punk – Start Here
‘Anger is an energy’ sang Mr Rotten and there’s a long trail of bands that used that emotion in their music. Take a trip with Punk77 along the byways and highways of music for a totally biased history of punk.
Elvis & Rock ‘n’ Roll – The History Of Punk
Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll is as good as any other claim for the start of Punk! Youthful rebellion with music and clothes parents hated. Yeah!
The Sixties – The History Of Punk
The sixties were a time of free love, The Beatles and some downright dirty scuzzed up garage bands like The Seeds, Standells, Thirteenth Floor Elevators & Love.
The Rolling Stones – The History Of Punk
The Rolling Stones, were an uncouth, dirty garage/blues band stoking up teenage rebellion with songs like ‘Satisfaction,’ ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ and ‘Street Fighting Man.’
US Garage Punk – The History Of Punk
US Garage punk was short sharp bursts of teenage angst set to flame job fuzzed up riffs and pre-dated punk with The Standells, Seeds & Count 5 and many more.
The Who, Yardbirds, Small Faces & Kinks – The History Of Punk
Punks roots can be traced right back to British bands like The Who, Yardbirds, Them and The Small Faces who coupled riffs with teen angst.
The Boring Sixties – The History Of Punk
The boring 60’s – by the end it was a bloated musical beast that spawned a lot of the bad things that would make punk have to happen!
The Velvet Underground – The History Of Punk
The Velvet Underground were a significant influence on punk in style, sound, attitude and look with songs like ‘Waiting For My Man.’
The Beatles Suck – The History Of Punk
By 1967 the Beatles were addled by success & adulation & fast disappearing up their own backsides in a welter of mysticism and twaddle.
The Seventies – The History Of Punk
The Seventies were a confusing time of glam boys in make up, boot boys and terribly terribly dull prog type serious music stuff!
Hawkwind and The Pink Fairies – The History Of Punk
Hawkwind & the Pink Fairies were grungy anarchic cosmic warriors with a spirit and occasional sound that predated Punk.
Alice Cooper – The History Of Punk
Alice Cooper was both band and the name of their lead singer formed in Detroit in the sixties. They played dark hard rock with added shock props. Eater would cover ‘Eighteen.’
Bowie – The History Of Punk
With Bowie rock again became dangerous, sexy, confusing, rebellious and annoying to parents with this bisexual shamen and chameleon.
Lou Reed
Lou Reed was the leader of the Velvet Underground and solo artist who released classics like ‘Transformer’, ‘Street Hassle’ and ‘Metal Machine Music’ and was very influential on punk.
Glam’s Evil Offspring – The History Of Punk
The New York Dolls may have been a major influence of punk rock, but they also spawned the US glam hair metal rock scene of the Eighties! Fact!
Sweet, T Rex & Roxy Music – The History Of Punk
The Sweet, Roxy Music and T Rex. Glam with some hard-edged tunes, sexuality blurring, and a bit of spice, art rock, campness, fashion and an edge.
Suzi Quatro – The History Of Punk
Suzi Quatro was the Detroit born bassist with trademark leather catsuit and window rattling rasp who inspired Joan Jett and other later punks.
Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Yes – The History Of Punk
Genesis, Emerson Lake and Palmer and Yes were ponderous, overblown musical virtuoso prog bands who put skill over emotion.
The Who, Jethro Tull, King Crimson & Rick Wakeman – The History Of Punk
The Who, Jethro Tull, King Crimson & Rick Wakeman were more examples of how music moved away from its roots and became bloated and took itself too seriously.
US Versus UK Punk – The History Of Punk
The US versus UK Punk debate – Disparate US bands and no scene versus the avalanche of bands, fashion and music from the UK with an aggressive bite.
Pub Rock – The History Of Punk
Pub rock was a musical genre of the mid-1970s that provided an alternative to progressive and glam rock and influenced punk and the prime example was Dr Feelgood.
Disco – The History Of Punk
Before there was even punk music, the fashions from Acme and SEX were worn by disco and soul club devotees from Crackers & the Lacey Lady.
