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Punk Bands


MindCrime

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Well, I'll be controversial and say:

The Ramones

The Sex Pistols

The Clash

That's chronological order only.

Actually, in my prejudiced mind, I could never see the Ramones as true punk, they were so apolitical, so completely non-threatening. The Pistols essentially define punk for me, but that has nothing to do with what I like or what I prefer. In fact, I think that the Clash, although they obviously have punk roots, rose far above that to become something much much more.

Depending on our definitions, I'm also happy to say I love the Stooges, the MC5, Radio Birdman, the Saints, the Stranglers. I like my Eminem too, although I doubt that anyone else would really consider him punk - don;t ask me why!

Just raving now...

See ya,

LeeBB

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The clash rose above the average punk band because they incorporated reggae beats with jazz without losing their guitar punk sound, unlike the average jazz-punk manchester band of the time, who relied on bad steel drums and whistle technique, whereas the Clash used real jazz chords.

The Clash also used Beatles style psychedelia on several recordings (secretly!)

Overall, the Clash were a punk band who weren't afraid to go beyond typical three chord rapid fire punk format, while keeping a sort of contemporary punk feel to a majority of their work.

Of course some of their stuff was horrible.

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The clash rose above the average punk band because they incorporated reggae beats with jazz without losing their guitar punk sound, unlike the average jazz-punk manchester band of the time, who relied on bad steel drums and whistle technique, whereas the Clash used real jazz chords.

The Clash also used Beatles style psychedelia on several recordings (secretly!)

Overall, the Clash were a punk band who weren't afraid to go beyond typical three chord rapid fire punk format, while keeping a sort of contemporary punk feel to a majority of their work.

Of course some of their stuff was horrible.

I fully agree, I never really saw The Clash as "the" punk band... and yes, some of their stuff is terrible... :laughing:

The Clash

The Sex Pistols

The Stooges

The Ramones

MC5

The Damned

Siouxsie and the Banshees

Patti Smith

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Starting with "classic UK punk" (1976 - 79), alphabetically...

One of my favourite punk bands from this era is Adam And The Ants. Because of his rise to teeny-pop stardom as the "Dandy Highwayman", many remain blissfully unaware that Adam And The Ants were originally a punk band, with a penchant for fetishistic imagery.

"Whip In My Valise"

"You're So Physical"

"Cleopatra"

"Beat My Guest"

A couple of these are "covers" of early Ants tunes, recorded after he teamed with Marco Pirroni, but before he went on to his huge success. Anyway, you get the picture...a bit.

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Also more than worthy of a mention in any credible discussion of the "classic era" of UK punk is The Adverts. Unlike the original punk-rock Ants (above), The Adverts actually scored proper chart hits, most notably "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" (link below), which was Top Ten, shown on Top Of The Pops, and everything. Alas! Because Britain in the late 70s had only 3 TV channels, none of which welcomed "punk" with open arms, footage of a lot of the even-quite succesful UK punk bands is limited. Thank heavens for German TV:

"Gary Gilmore's Eyes" (Live on German telly)

"Gary Gilmore's Eyes" (single version) & "Bored Teenagers"

" One Chord Wonders" (live at The Marquee)

Am I the only one who thinks this sounds ******* magnificent?

"No Time To Be 21"

"Bored Teenagers" Ok, so it's just "Bored Teenagers" again, but this is just such a good clip. Forget the Pistols and The Clash et al, this is what punk rock was really like. "Bored Teenagers" is just the best punk/teenage song, because it takes an apparent cliche (the repeated chorus) and turns it on its arse with a lyric in between times, which is so clever at getting to the crux of, and expressing that "teen alienation" thing in such an articulate way, that others of the genre tend not to.

"We're talking into corners.

Finding ways to fill the vacuum.

And though our mouths are dry.

We talk in hope to hit on something new.

Tied to the railway track,

It's one way to revive

but no way to relax.

We're just bored teenagers.

Looking for love,

Or should I say emotional rages.

Bored teenagers.

Seeing ourselves as strangers.

We talk about the whys and wherefores.

Do we really care at all?

Talk about the frailty of words.

Is rarely meaningful,

When we're sitting watching the 'planes.

Burn up through the night like meteorites.

We're just bored teenagers.

Looking for love,

Or should I say emotional rages.

Bored teenagers.

Seeing ourselves as strangers.

Bored teenagers"

This one of my favourite lyrics.

Incidentally; See the "punk pin-up" bassist, Gaye Advert? She was at the recent Killing Joke gig at Kentish Town Forum (London). I was standing about two yards away from her in the pub before the gig. :cool:

P.S. The Adverts first album "Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts" is a "must have" for anyone interested in going beyond "the obvious" punk albums.

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Thank heavens for German TV

a phrase not often heard, even here :jester:

(we recently had another public debate about the (lack of) quality in TV nowadays)

btw, in the late 70s/early 80s there were only 2 national channels in Germany

Am I the only one who thinks this sounds f***ing magnificent?

certainly not :rockon:

well, the sound quality of the clip could be better, I posted the album version of One Chord Wonders somewhere up there^^

See the "punk pin-up" bassist, Gaye Advert? She was at the recent Killing Joke gig at Kentish Town Forum (London). I was standing about two yards away from her in the pub before the gig. :cool:

and did you get to talk to her? :)

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Still on the letter "A"; I had a lifechanging moment when I saw The Angelic Upstarts on Top Of The Pops (see link below to a sadly-curtailed rendition of "Teenage Warning": the very one!):

"Teenage Warning"

"I'm An Upstart"

" Kids On The Street"

Ugly working-class punk-rock b******s though they were, The Angelic Upstarts managed chart hits, Top Of The Pops appearances, lyrics reprinted in those glossy pop magazines...Crazy days, indeed. :crazy: :content:

Like me, Morrissey is/was a big fan of The Upstarts. (Believe it or not, it's true, I tell you. :) )

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