I've read this entire thread, and there's not one mention of Propagandhi. And you guys get accused of being 'liberal'! Saw them live for the first time in May this year, brilliant show, great guys, total dirtbag touring style. And they stand for something. Though some of this audience may be offended by themes (mis)interpreted as "anti-American". Eg, the song 'A Speculative Fiction' -
"A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel;
Cut all diplomatic ties as we expel;
all American dignitaries, and issue a nation-wide;
travel advisory for any others left inside.
Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
The burned out shells of south-bound traffic lay;
strewn across a cold stretch of would-be interstate.
Still visible below their charred remains: Pax Americana plates.
Your stupid f*#king laser-pucks were just the start!
And while you may stand six full cubits and a span;
A shepard's sling and five stones in our hand;
The battle of 1812 lives in our heart.
We don't care if we're destroyed.
We'll never capitulate.
We'll take the whole f*#king world down;
Down with us in flames.
Just a speculative fiction.
No cause for alarm.
We got a good 15 years left;
‘till the ‘United We Stand’;
murals on West Broadway finally fade;
and we wave good-bye to such sad, childish refrains.
Replaced with other stupid lullabies;
like "you can have my guns when you pry;
them from my;
cold dead hands".
Just a speculative fiction.
No cause for alarm."
The first album I ever bought was The Clash - Combat Rock. I brought it in for show and tell in school. I was in Grade 5... Teacher was not impressed with my music.
From my perspective as an amatuer musician raised on 60's and 70's rock, the best punk is worse than the worst rock of that era as far as musicianship goes, more or less.
So fans talk about the message, the anger, the frustration, the depression, the commentary on modern times.
Seems to me if I was trying to follow the acts of the likes of
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stones, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Carlos Santana, The Allman Bros, Skynrd, Janis Joplin Big Brother and the Holding Company, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Crosby Stills and Nash, Neil Young, ZZ Top, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkle, The Doors, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Who, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Cream, Led Zeppelin, etc, etc
Let alone
Elvis, The Supremes, The Four Tops, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokie Robinson and the Miracles, Michael Jackson
AND All the legendary blues players that laid down the foundation, like Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddly....
I'd be angry, frustrated, and depressed too when I got on stage, if "punk"s all I could do.
Oh well fuk it who cares
Punkstyle
I'm open minded though .... show me some punk with some exceptional musical talent, and I might change my mind
If I were to complain that Hendrix, et al., released thousands of records without ever playing ONE SINGLE DECENT POLKA! - you could safely assume I didn't get rock, either.
Here's a really good, long interview with Chris Thomas. Awesome producer. After working with The Beatles, Roxy, Floyd, the Sex Pistols come into his studio, about halfway down the page.
Q: How did you make the transition into producing new wave bands in the mid-'70s? At the time there was a real sense of these bands trying to break from the past, yet here you were-you'd worked with Procol Harum and Badfinger and bands who were definitely part of the old guard.
A: It wasn't a transition for me. It was all just music to me. I mean, when I first heard the Sex Pistols' demos that they brought to me, I thought, "This has the potential to be the best English rock band since The Who. It's a three-piece again - guitar, bass and drums."
A music producer thinks The Sex Pistols has the potential to be the best English rock band since The Who.
First of all, of all the English rock bands, The Who was one of the weaker ones, second he probably had interests in the success of The SP that influenced his opinion.
Bottom line - lack of musicianship is what makes punk punk. Actual musical talent would ruin it.
Let us know!