Punk Rock is an overwhelming genre; it’s difficult to navigate around all the hackneyed cliches that pass off as Punk acts. I feel sorry for the recent teenager that's just discovered the stripped-down, 3 power chord phenomenon that first shocked the music world in the late 70s; there’s just too much junk to wade through these days in this digital information age. A student asked me recently for a list of punk rock essentials; I’m not sure I ever answered that daunting question, but here’s an attempt to begin an answer.
The first on my list, without a doubt, would be England’s more artsy punk rockers, Wire. Members, Colin Newman and Graham Lewis, formed the band in London in 1976. They released 3 seminal full lengths in the late 70s, disbanded in the 80s, and reunited in the 90s to record several more albums, the most recent being released in Dec. 2010. Most critics and musical enthusiasts celebrate the first three albums (of the late 70s) as their most important material. Their debut Pink Flag (1977 Harvest/EMI) is by far the best album of the 1st wave Punk movement; the next two releases, Chairs Missing (1978 Harvest) and 154 (1979 Harvest), moved more towards Post-Punk/Art Punk sounds and away from the minimalism that distinctly defines 1st album's style. They’re great albums as well, but Pink Flag is a dead serious essential for all rock collections! Here’s the opening track “Reuters”:
What an awesome opening to an album that continues to be good the whole way through! Here’s the song that cost the 90s Britpop band, Elastica, a lawsuit (see Elastica’s strikingly similar song “Connection” - a big radio hit in the mid to late 90s...); Wire’s song is called “Three Girl Rhumba”:
And now Elastica:
Hmmmm. That guitar rift is almost exactly the same, for sure, but I don’t know if I would sue Elastica over it....
In the song, “Mannequin,” one can clearly hear their nascent movement towards Post-Punk sensibilities. Here’s the track:
That’s a good song. Wire has obviously had a major, widespread impact on many musicians over the years. R.E.M., for instance, has covered the song, “Strange,” from the Pink Flag Lp on their album, Document (1987 I.R.S.). Here’s the Wire version:
That song almost reminds me of early Velvet Underground or early Stooges; it's good stuff... Also, Dischord Records enthusiasts may notice that Minor Threat, at one point, covered the Post-Punky track, “12xU,” from the Wire debut:
Minor Threat really plays that song hard and fast. Definitely check it out as well. 4 Men With Beards rereleased the Vinyl version of Wire’s debut album in 2006; it sounds really good! I cannot recommend it enough. This is the best punk album ever! Enjoy!
Now, before we depart, I must leave you with this:
Ahhhh, American hardcore...
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