Punked Out

Lawrence King left an interesting comment to yesterday's tribute to Walter Lure.  I thought I'd put up a post to respond.

I think punk was received differently in the U.K. and the U.S.  It was hugely popular over there right from the start, and the establishment had to react to it. In America, it was easier to dismiss,  It was an underground movement that didn't have much mainstream success until some years later, when it was tamed (and called new wave) and, as you note, more sophisticated musically.

Perhaps this is because England is a smaller country and takes its cultural lead from London, so what was big in the city took over everywhere.  Plus England is more class-based, so the rebellious politics from (allegedly) lower-class performers played better.

Meanwhile, the movement in New York was growing, and small pockets of kids were catching on across the country, but if you looked at the charts you'd barely notice any punk.

Also, punk was different in the UK--the bands were mostly the basic raw sound punk is most well-known for, while the DIY movement in America approached the music from different angles.  You've got the Ramones, of course--the ultimate punk band in my book--who stripped the music to its essence.  But the other big acts at CBGB were Patti Smith, who started out reading poetry to guitar backing, Television, who had lengthy, intricate guitar solos, and Talking Heads, who had a quirky, nervous sound.

It's no surprise that most bands, if they lasted long enough, grew more complex musically.  First, it's hard to keep doing the same thing for years on end when you create your own music.  Second, when you start as elemental as possible, where else will you go? (This trend is common in other types of music--you start out raw and then get more sophisticated.  Look at jazz, for instance.)

When I first heard about punk, the idea sounded stupid. Eventually, though, I listened to it, and it awoke me from my dogmatic slumber.  It reminded me of the excitement at the root of original rock and roll, and now so much of what passed for rock seemed slick and overproduced.

By the way, speaking of predictions, no one got it more correct about Johnny Thunders than the Replacements with "Johnny's Gonna Die."