Peotr
05-16-2008, 10:34 AM
Today's song: "TV Party (http://www.bagofmice.com/tunes/daily/16.5.08.mp3)" by Black Flag (from the album Damaged, Unicorn/SST Records, 1981).
Born in the rock underground, punk rock was a vicious backlash against the pretentious, layered productions of the late 1970s. Opposing the large arena rock acts of the time (Kiss, Boston, Styx, Journey, Supertramp, Foreigner), punk rock was a stripped down 3-chord guitar/bass/drum sound that was supposed to be less about the musicians and more about having fun. The formula had a fast tempo and a loud, dirty stage sound; the songs were short and easy to play. The music was danceable, in its own fashion, often leading to uncontrolled thrashing that was first coined as 'slam dancing' and is now known as 'moshing'.
Because of its rejection of mainstream values this early punk rock was culturally inaccessible, and it barely penetrated the radio (excepting The Clash). Although not as musically radical as it pretended to be, punk rock was about rejecting conformity, and the punks were quick to adopt hairstyles and lifestyles that mocked normality. Because of this society disregarded punk as too violent, too strange, and too destructive, and label interest in punk acts withered. Punk then morphed into New Wave, which was readily absorbed by the studios and turned into the bland, synthesizer-driven tragedy that we now call 1980s pop.
In the early 1990s punk made a rebirth, of sorts. Now classified as 'pop punk' or 'neo punk', this newer punk rock achieved mainstream acceptance behind acts such as Green Day and Blink-182. Although the artists from both of these bands claimed the earlier punk acts as their influence, the 'established' punk scene rejected them, calling them too commercial. Apparently there was too much laughing and having fun for true punks.
Ironically, most of the punk rock melodies of the late 1970s and early 1980s are fairly typical - if you brought them back into the studio, cleaned up the instruments and the singing and gave them professional post-production, a lot of what we call 'classic' punk rock would sound like pop, rockabilly and surf music, with a handful of tunes resembling themes from Saturday morning cartoons.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy)
P.S. Caveat: This music is copyrighted, and is available here solely for the purpose of discussion.
P.P.S. Listen all the way to the end. It's really pretty funny.
P.P.P.S. If this doesn't make you bounce in your chair and bob your head like a spaz, you are a sad, sad person. Listen again tomorrow, it grows on you.
Born in the rock underground, punk rock was a vicious backlash against the pretentious, layered productions of the late 1970s. Opposing the large arena rock acts of the time (Kiss, Boston, Styx, Journey, Supertramp, Foreigner), punk rock was a stripped down 3-chord guitar/bass/drum sound that was supposed to be less about the musicians and more about having fun. The formula had a fast tempo and a loud, dirty stage sound; the songs were short and easy to play. The music was danceable, in its own fashion, often leading to uncontrolled thrashing that was first coined as 'slam dancing' and is now known as 'moshing'.
Because of its rejection of mainstream values this early punk rock was culturally inaccessible, and it barely penetrated the radio (excepting The Clash). Although not as musically radical as it pretended to be, punk rock was about rejecting conformity, and the punks were quick to adopt hairstyles and lifestyles that mocked normality. Because of this society disregarded punk as too violent, too strange, and too destructive, and label interest in punk acts withered. Punk then morphed into New Wave, which was readily absorbed by the studios and turned into the bland, synthesizer-driven tragedy that we now call 1980s pop.
In the early 1990s punk made a rebirth, of sorts. Now classified as 'pop punk' or 'neo punk', this newer punk rock achieved mainstream acceptance behind acts such as Green Day and Blink-182. Although the artists from both of these bands claimed the earlier punk acts as their influence, the 'established' punk scene rejected them, calling them too commercial. Apparently there was too much laughing and having fun for true punks.
Ironically, most of the punk rock melodies of the late 1970s and early 1980s are fairly typical - if you brought them back into the studio, cleaned up the instruments and the singing and gave them professional post-production, a lot of what we call 'classic' punk rock would sound like pop, rockabilly and surf music, with a handful of tunes resembling themes from Saturday morning cartoons.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy)
P.S. Caveat: This music is copyrighted, and is available here solely for the purpose of discussion.
P.P.S. Listen all the way to the end. It's really pretty funny.
P.P.P.S. If this doesn't make you bounce in your chair and bob your head like a spaz, you are a sad, sad person. Listen again tomorrow, it grows on you.