Punk 1977: Classic or Dud?

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On the surface, punk (as practised by the Johnny Rottens of this world) was the most over-rated, over-publicised load of bollocks in the history of popular music. Did anybody except half a dozen pontificating NME self-styled cred-police hacks really care about it? Was anybody with an IQ higher than that of the late, utterly unlamented Sid Vicious really surprised when the whole thing imploded and they all 'sold out', and then the dreaded Sex Pistols had a reunion tour a few years ago?

But then punk did give us Elvis Costello, and, who else? Er, um, er, I think I need a hand here...

I agree with Nigel Williamson. Punk was a middle-class art school sham. DUD.

Well, come on. Form an orderly queue please...

― BJ, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone on ILE is too young to know anything about 1977, BJ.

But look out! - sad old punks on the loose here!

(p.s. so if "On the surface" it's over-rated, then deep down punk was GRATE, is that what you're saying?)

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

1977 = Wire's 'Pink Flag' debut masterpiece = klassik.

― petra jane, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Did anybody except half a dozen pontificating NME self-styled cred-police hacks really care about it?

Klearly, '77 is before a lot ov our times, even if we're old fartz (kreak, kr34k) however, I do rekall read!ng in more than one place that NME aktually missed thee boat re 77 punk. Can anyone konphirm or deny this?

― Norman Phay, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Yep, the NME didn't even know the boat was leaving. Sounds was the place to be.

And as for everyone beiong two young, a certain Mr Mark Sinker round here may disagree. If you saw him in half the pink lettering running through his torso says PUNK. (Or Blackpool)

― Pete, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I do rekall read!ng in more than one place that NME aktually missed thee boat re 77 punk. Can anyone konphirm or deny this?

Well they had Julie Burchill, Tony Parsons and Paul Morley but they had a number of other writers who were probably slightly sniffy about Punk (not from a 'Prog or HM is better than this rubbish' point of view...more a case of 'quite good but Iggy, the Velvet Underground, Patty Smith are better').

― David, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

That was a joke, Ptee. Also mark s = secretly 21!

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, but wasn't the recruitment ov burchill/parsons NME's somewhat desperate catching-up strategy - "my god, we've dropped the ball here, we'd better better get some ov THE KIDS to write for us" Imean, "hip young gunslingers", really. Oh, and '77 punk as in arty musick movement = classic as far as I'm concerned.

― Norman Phay, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Not sure when the 'hip young gunslingers' call went out. Must have been 1976? I'm sure Parsons/Burchill were in place by early '77 if not before. I suppose one of the first indicators that things were blowing up was the 100 Club festival (mid '76) which Melody Maker (Caroline Coon) went to town on so perhaps that was when NME realised they needed to do something.

― David, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i haf "slut" written across my slender corporate midriff in red lipstick, and i am of course just 13 (= "you're hurtin")

― mark s, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

taking sides: nigel williamson or mark s

― mark s, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark - is that (utterly fabbo) punk piece reworked from the Roger Sabin/Routledge bk that came out a couple of years ago? I've never seen a copy, despite (apparently) getting a 'thanks' from one of the other contributors!

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

printed exactly as in the book i think, except some tiny adjustments in the footnotes

― mark s, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Trans-europe express is the only album I have from 1977.

― jel --, Wednesday, 5 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of us are comfortably old enough. I was exactly the right age, 17 when punk blew up, and I cared very deeply indeed. Bought all the records, went to all the gigs. I still love loads of those records - the Rezillos first was the last CD I played. As for my intelligence, well I don't know Sid's IQ, but mine's ever so high, honest. I don't see how it did implode - it's been a deep, lasting influence (pace Mark S) and you can still hear its effects on half of the acts Peel plays - and more of Lamacq's. I didn't care when the Pistols got back together - I'm not interested in accusations of selling out, any more than I was interested in seeing them play 20 years on.

A few punk highlights: Pistols, Clash, Wire, Subway Sect, Buzzcocks, Rezillos, Slits, Dead Kennedys, Richard Hell, Television, Talking Heads, Blondie, Adverts, Fall, XTC, Undertones, Only Ones, Ramones, Jam, Saints, X-Ray Spex, Penetration, John Cooper-Clarke, Wreckless Eric, Pop Group, Gang Of Four, Magazine. You might say that some of those aren't punk, but like Elvis Costello they came out of the punk scene, and felt very much part of it.

― Martin Skidmore, Thursday, 6 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

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