Was there any good punk rock?

[monkeyfinger]

Well focusing on GG Allin as an example of punk culture is a bit of a stretch. He certainly was associated with the punk underground of the eighties, but I would not call it typical punk. I think if you asked about the artistic value of this particular performer, the conversation would have gone differently. But you choose to make it about punk rock and then held GG Allin up as an example. That, by definition, is trolling.

 

[Jazzdogg]

I admit that I used to love the Ramones when I was a kid, but I don't really get most of it beyond that.

Just because something caused a big sensation doesn't mean that it had value. And it seems like the people who went to the concerts were always trying to find some new experience to make them happy. And it never really happened if they still talk about the past.

What do you think.

I am careful not to dis other musicians' music; if I like it, or it doesn't appeal to me, that's pretty subjective. All I can say about punk is that I've never heard any that appealed to me.

 

[ElectroVibe]

We can only go by what you said in your first few posts, which seemed to address the whole of punk music and did not mention GG Allin. To do otherwise would be making unwarranted assumptions.

Point taken.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Trollercoaster ftw

 

[ElectroVibe]

Well focusing on GG Allin as an example of punk culture is a bit of a stretch. He certainly was associated with the punk underground of the eighties, but I would not call it typical punk. I think if you asked about the artistic value of this particular performer, the conversation would have gone differently. But you choose to make it about punk rock and then held GG Allin up as an example. That, by definition, is trolling.

I wasn't even going to mention that until I saw so many responses. But I'll admit that I have a tendency to let my feelings color my opinions.

 

[Grinderman]

 

[Paul New]

Rock and Roll began as a bunch of young kids who had a little talent (not a lot) and a lot of teen/young adult angst and energy, flailing away expressing the feelings of being young. Punk is very much in that vein.

It wasn’t a genre I embraced wholeheartedly, but like any sub-genre, there are good and bad tunes and bands, and nobody gets to be the “authority” and tell you which is which.

The first R&R I'm aware off was performed by jump blues and blues artists with loads of talent. Then picked up by white country musicians, also with loads of talent. At some point, suburban kids without much talent started trying to imitate the originals, and maybe tried to substitute energy for competence.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Eddie and the Subtitles original lineup!

 

[5StringBlues]

Yeah, tho I have no great love for punk, having G.G. as the example of punk ain't cutting it.



A lot of good satire, political and otherwise, in punk that G.G.'s music never touched on.

 

[Grinderman]

Sure, and we could posit that the Butthole Surfers are the beginning and ending of all punk rock, why not?

Here's a little something about regret.

 

[MichelD]

The Clash were great.

Played well and brought up social issues.

Kind of punk rock Woody Guthries just like Billy Bragg solo or Vancouver's DOA.

 

[Outbush]

There was the question posed (bloody often) in another thread, what would modern music be like without Joni Hendrix. What would modern music be like without Punk or Ambient or (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Rap? Etc etc. I like a lot of Punk. Early Sydney Australia and other stuff too. And I like a lot of US Ska even though it’s nothing like Dexi’s Midnight Runners Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. I guess Dexis and The Specials et al influenced US Ska and I hear US Ska tucked in some cool places. (Oh, I was joking about that Rap thing too…)

 

[Dincrest]

Was there? Yes. Is there? Absolutely! I play in a punk band and I like to think we make pretty darn good punk rock.

Yo, I checked out some songs by your band. Good stuff, friend! All I could think was, "Yeah, my old punk band would have totally played shows with you!" My old punk band was a south Jersey/Philly based band from 2010-2012, but we played some shows in Long Island and shared the stage with some killer New England bands when they came down to Philly. I remember this band The Cryptics from Dover, NH and Refuse/Resist from Boston. I don't think either of those bands are still around (I think Refuse/Resist disbanded around 2011), but still good stuff. I would have loved for us to play up in New England.

 

[Grinderman]

Sure, and we could posit that the Butthole Surfers are the beginning and ending of all punk rock, why not?

Here's a little something about regret.

Dammit, now I need to hear this for old time sake. I can't recount how many times I listened to the album this song is from, completely baked, back when it came out.

 

[Daniel Piper]

There still is good punk

 

[zubrycky]

I've listened to at least 20 of the bands mentioned in this thread, and I'm sure I will continue to in the future.

The thing that sparked this thread was hearing something about GG Allin somewhere. Some kind of praise. I just felt so sad to know that there are people who find any value in that. How sad their lives must be.

I'm trying to say that there is a better way. And I get called a troll for this.

With all due respect, why anyone's life should be a sad life just because they value a musician you think is worthless?

Obviously I'm aware of all the controversy around the late G.G. Allin but, as far as I know, people are free to have their own musical preferences and their choices aren't an unequivocal sign of the happiness or sadness of their lives.

 

[Commreman]

Punk was, and is fun. Did a gig with the Ramones decades ago. They were true to the ethos. Visited Dee last time I was In LA

 

[Grinderman]

With all due respect, why anyone's life should be a sad life just because they value a musician you think is worthless?

Obviously I'm aware of all the controversy around the late G.G. Allin but, as far as I know, people are free to have their own musical preferences and their choices aren't an unequivocal sign of the happiness or sadness of their lives.

Taylor Hawkins for example.

 

[Grinderman]

Punk was, and is fun. Did a gig with the Ramones decades ago. They were true to the ethos. Visited Dee last time I was In LAView attachment 4718240

With Johnny.

 

[fhm555]

I’ve been thinking about this and for me the deal with punk was rebellion. Initially music was incidental to punk. It was a bunch of kids so fed up with everything they rejected the American dream wholesale. Just my opinion, but punk as a musical genre is the antithesis of what’s required to monetize a musical genre. It was tiny basements crammed with fellow travelers while they made noise with instruments as background for expressing their frustration and rage. I initially thought of them as the next evolution of beat poetry. At first I was not sure what to make of it, but as I dug in, it didn’t take long to realize what punks had in common. They all understood something had to change. True punk, at least to me was more a time and place than a musical genre, the sanitized stuff that made it to the outer world was just that.
And here’s the nutshell for me. If you don’t play, you can’t win. Punks where harbingers of change in several aspects of our lives, especially the arts.