Question for Old Punk Fans

[Bolshevik***]

the Sex Pistols broke it to a whole next level of exposure in the US because they were seen as a threat to parents and politicians -however it was all a hype media Fad that people forget about and move on to the next thing. There was so little substance. There contribution cannot be denied -but their contribution to what punk is or can be both musically, lyrically, and politically is really very very small compared to other bands of the era who crafted songs for the ages.

Other bands like Stooges, Ramones, Wire, Television, Clash, Joy Division, Gang of Four, were writing songs that would change peoples lives and make them a lasting punk fans.

no doubt. you can usually tell which bands were most important when you consider the lasting impact of their contributions. you're right about the media created hype associated with the sex pistols. it really read like a bad script.

 

[GracieMMABarra]

I dislike Sex Pistols music but damn did they influence some great bands.

 

[GracieMMABarra]

Jello Biafra always scares me when he talks. He's like a real life Joker.

Funny cause I believe Nolan actually used Rotten as an influence for his version of Ledger's Joker.

I raise you....

The only Punk book that matters. I remember we've discussed this in the past with Flemmy involved I believe.

 

[SMillard]

I can't imagine Jello cared much about the Sex Pistols politically or musically other than respect for their contribution -as the Sex Pistols were a put together punk band on a corporate label EMI -specifically designed/formulated to fuse the atitude and energy of Richard Hell, the sound of the The Stooges, and the look of the New York Dolls into something they could sell in oppostion to the soft and progressive rock that had stagnated radio. -

Wheras DK was a political DIY punk effort during their entire run -putting out there own label and distro -very different from the Sex Pistols - Plus The Sex Pistols were finished before the Dead Kennedys had national punk exposure so they really weren't contemporaries at all -by then John Lydon was doing the post punk thing.

I have alot of respect for guys like Jello, Cory Rusk, Ian Mckaye, Fat Mike and such -who really do the punk DIY ethic -hand shake contracts etc -They are true alternatives to the radio garbage we are fed.

excellent summary of the Sex Pistols, as much as people don't want to acknowledge they were the Punk Rock equivalent of a 90's boy band.

Jello was very much about the music and using it as a vehicle to get his message across. Lydon considered/considers himself to be more of a cultural phenom. In his mind from interviews Punk died with the Sex Pistols and everything after was just a corporate driven imitation, which is funny due to the Sex Pistol's origin.

I doubt Biafra ever gave much thought to voicing his real opinion about Lydon, it would be a losing battle as Lydon has such a cult of personality. Where as Lydon tends to make vague general references towards "the industry" for good reason, he seems more the type to prefer shooting at paper targets.

I just thank god for the Sex Pistols first concert in Manchester, almost everyone in attendance formed what turned out to be a great band. Especially Joy Division, such a shame about Ian Curtis. I like New Order, but they will always come up short to what Joy Division was and could have been.

 

[Kophens**]

punk is dead

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

Funny cause I believe Nolan actually used Rotten as an influence for his version of Ledger's Joker.



The only Punk book that matters. I remember we've discussed this in the past with Flemmy involved I believe.

i remember that. we were arguing about what should or shouldn't be called punk and me and oblivion got pretty heated about it. i think it may have even spanned across multiple threads.

i'm grateful tho. while i still don't really like most of the 80's hardcore punk stuff, i credit that argument for getting me to give a lot of the pre-punk bands like NYD and The Stooges a chance - both of whom I think are great. It also helped that I started listening to classic rock a lot more, and in particular, GNR.

a lot of the stuff from the actual punk scene, i could take it or leave it.

 

[SevenSamurai]

The last part of your post I'd add Bad Brains. All black members playin to a majority of white kids and adults.

I didn't include them because they came with the next wave of punk bands that got big after the pre punks (Stooges, MC5, Richard Hell, Thunders, Television) and the first wave (Ramones, Sex pistols, Wire, Joy Division, Clash, RFTT, Blondie, Talking Heads) They came in the third wave (Black Flag, Germs, Bad Brains, DK, Teen Idles, Minutemen, Descendants, 7 seconds, Wipers, DOA etc) after the New York Scene faded, then came the split into Hardcore, skate punk, anarcho, straight edge, pop punk, and post punk in the early eighties and then again in the mid eighties thrash,then split again into grindcore, sludge, doom, grunge and the modern california punk (which I find really annoying except NOFX), indy and math rock.

And here we are today with ever type of punk under the sun being made by every type of person.

 

[SevenSamurai]

I dislike Sex Pistols music but damn did they influence some great bands.

Yes,,,., but..

Well, really -you can thank the Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Richard Hell and the NY Dolls.

They were the catalyst for all of this -their hard sound beget the Ramones whose albums created the interest of punk music in England and whose tour in England in 1976 is what brought the major playors of the future punk rock scene together (Clash, Sex Pistols etc) which are the bands that ended up bringing it wordwide.

From there the Sex Pistols would tour the world bringing all kinds of future great bands together and also convincing everyone that anyone could pic up an instrument and play punk -a revival of simpler times in the 50s and 60s pop music and a rejection of the complicated and sophisticated progressive and instrumentalist rock of the 70s.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

modern california punk (which I find really annoying except NOFX)

that was my bread and butter for a long, long time. i can still pop any of those cds in and find songs to geek out to, but on the whole those bands sound too teenager-y to me now. NOFX being one of the worst offenders. It's their lyrics. The one thing I like about them are their chord progressions for verses. they do four chord measures, but each measure of the verse changes up a little bit.

out of all of em, i still think face to face rules.

 

[SevenSamurai]

I don't mean to disparage the Sex Pistols

They are significant in Punk Rock history.

But no one I have ever known listens to Sex Pistols hardly after the first initial exposure to Punk Rock.
I could never hear the Sex Pistols for the rest of my life and be okay with it.

However I listen to Television's Marquis Moon, every Clash record (they kept getting better and better), Wire's Pink Flag, Stooges, Joy Division, and others of that era religiouslystill decades later -their musical, cultural, and artistic contribution and influence is undeniable and meaningful on a completely diferent level than what the Sex Pistol's importance was.

 

[Kurisutofu]

I take a bit of a middle stance to be honest.

The movement was there and I'm sure it would have left it's mark with all the great bands that were around. However the amount of exposure and the media attention Sex Pistols made can't be overstated.

That may be a good or bad thing on who you speak to but I think we may have missed out on some great albums from great bands if Pistols never took off the way they did, manufactured or not.

 

[J0N0]

It's pretty impossible to listen to the Sex Pistols because most of their album is now so ingrained into pop culture that you're absolutely sick of hearing it. Those songs are on a Bohemian Rhapsody level of over-played non-viability.

In terms of material/influence ratio though, the Sex Pistols are possibly the most influential rock band ever.

 

[ICHEERTHEBULL]

I've never heard Jello talk about johnny but i imagine he viewed him the same way crass did. Just a corporate shill

Probably right. Have to love Crass though, self proclaimed anarchists getting their lawyer to threaten file sharers for copyright infringment

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

I remember being a teenager, going out on new years eve one time, got super drunk, blacked out.

woke up the next morning on my friends couch with the tv on and the sex pistols god save the queen on - the part where he sings "no future, no future..."

Was not a big fan of either. John always had opinions about everyone; but maybe he could not say shit about jello.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

But no one I have ever known listens to Sex Pistols hardly after the first initial exposure to Punk Rock.
I could never hear the Sex Pistols for the rest of my life and be okay with it.

if the sex pistols sounded more like this, i would listen to them.

(i know it's The Professionals and not the Sex Pistols)

 

[Kophens**]

what do you guys think of The Damned? imo they were the best and most musicality talent of the bunch at that time.

 

[KilledByDeath]

Seen them both, Had to walk out the last time i seen the pistols, they were bored on stage and that translated to the crowd.
My homeboy Lugi from Scoi punched him in the face at the Hollywood amphitheater back in the day.

I see Jello around at the shows sometimes, last i seen him he showed up to a FEAR show in a godamn limo....
Personally i cant stand the guy, he picks fights with people too damn much.
Not criticizing his music, but as a person he sucks ass and anyone here who has spent time with the guy knows exactly what im talking about.

 

[KilledByDeath]

what do you guys think of The Damned? imo they were the best and most musicality talent of the bunch at that time.

I can count the english punk bands that i enjoy and respect on one hand, they are the first i think of!
Scabies is hilarious.

 

[J0N0]

I can count the english punk bands that i enjoy and respect on one hand, they are the first i think of!
Scabies is hilarious.

You better be a victim of inbreeding man

 

[Kurisutofu]

what do you guys think of The Damned? imo they were the best and most musicality talent of the bunch at that time.

The Damned were a bit hit or miss for me (no pun intended). I think a lot of their stuff is great and I loved seeing them live but sometimes I felt they coasted. Great talent though.