Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Possibly the best punk basslines ever?


jmchich
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373533624' post='2138624']
Ramones were never a punk band - just a fast rock band with short songs.

If any US band can get any credit for stirring future punk imaginations I guess the New York Dolls could have an honourable mention. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers were pretty much adopted as punks because they spent so much time over here.

The reast of the US bands that tagged along coined the horrible 'new wave' epithet so beloved of Radio 1 and BBC DJ's when they were forced to play things they so obviously detested.

Post '79 most genuine punk bands had floundered and/or turned into cheap parodies of themselves. The Americans were merely copping a style of music.

Saying that punk lives on is a bit like saying genuine Mod or Ska or Rock 'n' Roll is still with us. Sure, there are bands playing this type of music but they are just copyists not the 'real thing'. I don't have anything against them (I, unashamedly, play in a covers band) I just can't accept that they are 'punk' bands.

Maybe you had to 'live the life' in the late '70's to understand it.
[/quote]
Everybody has their own opinions of course, but for me punk was born out of the prog rock scene, complete anti prog rock if you like and nobody, but nobody strips down rock and roll to the core basics like the Ramones did, that's why for me, if anybody 'invented' punk they did

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373533624' post='2138624']
Ramones were never a punk band - just a fast rock band with short songs.

If any US band can get any credit for stirring future punk imaginations I guess the New York Dolls could have an honourable mention. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers were pretty much adopted as punks because they spent so much time over here.

The reast of the US bands that tagged along coined the horrible 'new wave' epithet so beloved of Radio 1 and BBC DJ's when they were forced to play things they so obviously detested.

Post '79 most genuine punk bands had floundered and/or turned into cheap parodies of themselves. The Americans were merely copping a style of music.

Saying that punk lives on is a bit like saying genuine Mod or Ska or Rock 'n' Roll is still with us. Sure, there are bands playing this type of music but they are just copyists not the 'real thing'. I don't have anything against them (I, unashamedly, play in a covers band) I just can't accept that they are 'punk' bands.

Maybe you had to 'live the life' in the late '70's to understand it.
[/quote]

The punk music I grew up with is now considered old school (Bad Religion, NoFX, Suicidal, DK, Poison Idea etc), the youngsters discovering punk music now are more inclined to gravitate towards a band of their generation.
In the same way that I considered the first wave of punk music to sound dated and safe, the next generation will look for something that is relevant to them.
It's arrogant to think that the music you grew up with is real and everything else is just done by copyists.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='jmchich' timestamp='1373545870' post='2138868']
I agree on Matt Freeman, definitely the best punk bassist alive today imo. [/quote]

Me too; I don't know how well his playing would work in any band apart from Rancid though, with a lot of guitarists it could just sound like an over-busy mess but it TOTALLY works with Armstrong's economy of playing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='genendeddie' timestamp='1373550677' post='2138945']
Seriously only 1 mention for J.J .....Bear Cage ..Peaches .. No More Heroes x
[/quote]
have to say, much as I love JJ's playing, No More Heroes is a horrible bassline, IMO of course

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[sup]Holiday In Cambodia- Dead Kennedys[/sup]
[sup]Babylons Burning-The Ruts[/sup]
[sup]The common belief that punks could not play their instruments is not always true. If I had any punk teach me to play bass it would have to be Gaye Advert[/sup]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1373537525' post='2138682']


The punk music I grew up with is now considered old school (Bad Religion, NoFX, Suicidal, DK, Poison Idea etc), the youngsters discovering punk music now are more inclined to gravitate towards a band of their generation.
In the same way that I considered the first wave of punk music to sound dated and safe, the next generation will look for something that is relevant to them.
It's arrogant to think that the music you grew up with is real and everything else is just done by copyists.
[/quote]

I don't think the music after punk isn't real - it just isn't 'punk'. I think lots of people referred to it as 'post-punk', 'new wave' or even 'oi' and 'hardcore'.

And then there's the punk revivalists of the later '80's and early '90's - some of these are still going now!

I think anyone who was around during the height of punk 'proper' would acknowledge that anything beyond '79 has to be 'post' punk.

Exact timing of punk's demise will always be a source of great debate. Eg A lot of hardcore Clash fans will say that Give 'Em Enough Rope was the end of the Clash as a punk band because of Sandy Pearlman's overtly American rawk mainstream production. Meanwhile others will say London Calling was the last punk album proper and yet more will say the spirit managed to survive Sandinista and continued until Joe Strummer's untimely passing.

For me it was the release of Public Image in October '78. Mr Rotten resurfacing as Lydon, Jah Wobble's sinuous bass and Keith Levene's jangling crashing guitars signalled the death knell for me.

The flat I lived in had housed Billy Idol for a while and was visited by many a Pistol, future Ants, Pretenders, the odd New York Doll and even the Clash turned up one night on the way to see the Mighty Diamonds in Harlesden (I bummed a free ticket, yay!).

By early '79 most of the London crowd were moving in droves to what became the New Romantic nightclub scene.

A lot of them, including me, still wearing the same colour nail varnish and mascara and using Krazy Kolor on top of peroxide but with less leather and more lace :)



Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I refer to "punk" as anything within that fairly broad umbrella that isn't categorised as "hardcore" "oi" "psychobilly" etc. It includes much stuff that would be categorised as ska-punk or skacore, anarcho-punk and the heavy end of punk that is nearly hardcore. I don't specifically refer to just the 70s/80s stuff using that label.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1373535814' post='2138663']

Everybody has their own opinions of course, but for me punk was born out of the prog rock scene, complete anti prog rock if you like and nobody, but nobody strips down rock and roll to the core basics like the Ramones did, that's why for me, if anybody 'invented' punk they did
[/quote]

I must admit that some punks I knew liked the Ramones but, in London especially, there was a strong anti-American feeling. Admirably summed up by the Clash with "I'm so bored with the USA" which became something of an anthem whenever anyone brought up the Ramones, Television, Richard Hell, Talking Heads etc.

Personally I'd always associated the Ramones with the stripped down rock that was growing fast in the UK pre-punk. People like the 101'ers, Eddie & the Hot Rods, Dr Feelgood etc.

I did go and see the Ramones at the Roundhouse (supporting the Damned I think). They weren't bad but were already veering towards cliche ridden rock posing.

They seem to have worn well though. Much of their stuff still sounds good today and is much more listenable than a lot of early punk which has dated pretty badly :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373553821' post='2138981']


I don't think the music after punk isn't real - it just isn't 'punk'. I think lots of people referred to it as 'post-punk', 'new wave' or even 'oi' and 'hardcore'.

And then there's the punk revivalists of the later '80's and early '90's - some of these are still going now!

I think anyone who was around during the height of punk 'proper' would acknowledge that anything beyond '79 has to be 'post' punk.

Exact timing of punk's demise will always be a source of great debate. Eg A lot of hardcore Clash fans will say that Give 'Em Enough Rope was the end of the Clash as a punk band because of Sandy Pearlman's overtly American rawk mainstream production. Meanwhile others will say London Calling was the last punk album proper and yet more will say the spirit managed to survive Sandinista and continued until Joe Strummer's untimely passing.

For me it was the release of Public Image in October '78. Mr Rotten resurfacing as Lydon, Jah Wobble's sinuous bass and Keith Levene's jangling crashing guitars signalled the death knell for me.

The flat I lived in had housed Billy Idol for a while and was visited by many a Pistol, future Ants, Pretenders, the odd New York Doll and even the Clash turned up one night on the way to see the Mighty Diamonds in Harlesden (I bummed a free ticket, yay!).

By early '79 most of the London crowd were moving in droves to what became the New Romantic nightclub scene.

A lot of them, including me, still wearing the same colour nail varnish and mascara and using Krazy Kolor on top of peroxide but with less leather and more lace :)
[/quote]

The irony in this argument being, although you consider nothing after the punk era to be true punk, London Calling, which you say some consider the last true punk album, is actually quite devoid of what I would class as true 'punk' songs.

So now we're into a debate on how you classify punk.

I've even heard some question the Clash as true punk due to Joes boarding school, art college upbringing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1373568144' post='2139184']


The irony in this argument being, although you consider nothing after the punk era to be true punk, London Calling, which you say some consider the last true punk album, is actually quite devoid of what I would class as true 'punk' songs.

So now we're into a debate on how you classify punk.

I've even heard some question the Clash as true punk due to Joes boarding school, art college upbringing.
[/quote]

I'm afraid, as a purist, I'm one of those who definitely think The Clash only released one punk album. I was genuinely devastated when I ran home with my, pre-ordered, copy of Give Em Enough Rope to discover the Clash had become a 'rock' band.

Over the years I mellowed and was able to enjoy it (and London Calling) but it really was an end of an era album for me :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1373485820' post='2138231']
Guess it depends what you term Punk? The Ramones, Clash, Ruts to name a few had some decent basslines
[/quote]

If you include Stranglers and The Jam then those plus the Damned is game over for me. Unless you include Motorhead of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1373524331' post='2138502']
Oooh get you!
[/quote]

You thought that was bragging? LOL. No man, I was just a kid with limited skills like a million other kids. And that's essentially what most of those riffs sound like -- just something that some unskilled kid would play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1373546421' post='2138876']
I'm not joining in this debate . But that is great. Flying Saucer Attack would get my Rezillo's vote though.
[/quote]

William Mysterious was a great bass player. Unfortunately he died recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373553821' post='2138981']


I don't think the music after punk isn't real - it just isn't 'punk'. I think lots of people referred to it as 'post-punk', 'new wave' or even 'oi' and 'hardcore'.

And then there's the punk revivalists of the later '80's and early '90's - some of these are still going now!

I think anyone who was around during the height of punk 'proper' would acknowledge that anything beyond '79 has to be 'post' punk.

Exact timing of punk's demise will always be a source of great debate. Eg A lot of hardcore Clash fans will say that Give 'Em Enough Rope was the end of the Clash as a punk band because of Sandy Pearlman's overtly American rawk mainstream production. Meanwhile others will say London Calling was the last punk album proper and yet more will say the spirit managed to survive Sandinista and continued until Joe Strummer's untimely passing.

For me it was the release of Public Image in October '78. Mr Rotten resurfacing as Lydon, Jah Wobble's sinuous bass and Keith Levene's jangling crashing guitars signalled the death knell for me.

The flat I lived in had housed Billy Idol for a while and was visited by many a Pistol, future Ants, Pretenders, the odd New York Doll and even the Clash turned up one night on the way to see the Mighty Diamonds in Harlesden (I bummed a free ticket, yay!).

By early '79 most of the London crowd were moving in droves to what became the New Romantic nightclub scene.

A lot of them, including me, still wearing the same colour nail varnish and mascara and using Krazy Kolor on top of peroxide but with less leather and more lace :)
[/quote]

I can appreciate that the genre has become something quite detached from the original scene.

I mean the fact that a Warped tour will annually play dates across America with a whole bill of punk bands is probably quite far removed from the original diy ethic.

Plus the existence of punk only record labels is almost anti-punk in that they themselves have become a corporate entity.

I personally don't pay too much attention to musical genres as they confuse and can bias what a listener may want to listen to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...