Punk

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is a question for people who didn't experience punk firsthand (sorry o wise eldersaurs!)

How did the ideas/legacy/presence of punk affect your listening to and thinking about music?

(I didn't say it was a small question)

And do you still feel it as a presence within pop music and culture? Does it affect current music? Does it affect how you approach the music that came before it?

I'm interested in 'my' generation of listeners (30somethings) but also especially in 20somethings and younger - and in British people especially.

Comments

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I will be very disappointed if your column makes no reference to the fact that you went to a major public school at which every school band covered Anarchy in the UK, many in 'hilarious' re-worked versions. Wykhamy in the UK anyone?

I came to punk AFTER metal (which had also led to glam) and I was always a bit unsure as to how the Sex Pistols and the Clash and the Dead Kennedys were supposed to fit together. The answer to me at the time was -- they don't, since the Clash seemed like Classic Rock, the Pistols still had an edge (but then so did the Psychedelic Furs), and the DKs were most obviously agit-punk (part of me wanted obvious 'political' content (I was 13/14) while part of me just liked the anger / rage / confusion of the Pistols). Then I got into indie and EVERYTHING went wrong because I learnt all the fossilised dogmas (Floyd bad (I was very ready to hear this because everyone at school was into PF -- but this is why the Clash seemed to be in the same category); guitar solos bad; long complicated songs bad (bye bye Metallica, but I could keep listening to AC/DC) while at the same time hearing the Buzzcocks and wondering why everyone was making such a fuss about them. The Mary Chain I liked for their energy but also for the bubblegum / rock n roll element. This is very similar to my relation to 'theory' i.e. I got into it because there was some energy there that I needed or wanted while also simultaneously having an emperor's new clothes moment because a lot of what you were 'supposed' to agree with or like seemed either obvious or wrong. If I were to try and humour Frank I would compare this to my social experience at school i.e. depression and stasis induced by the gap between my need ro revolt and the transparent conformism of rebel postures.