Influential Music

[Thorngrub]

Man, the Cure with Mogwai - (!) I really wanna go, but probably won't be able to afford it, as I'm scraping up enuff dough for a new place july 1st or Aug 1st.

But I did manage to secure a ticket for HUMAN DRAMA's final tour -- and quite possibly final live performance, here in Salt Lake on July 27.

That will be golden.

[ueb]

thorny said:

Man, the Cure with Mogwai - (!) I really wanna go, but probably won't be able to afford it, as I'm scraping up enuff dough for a new place july 1st or Aug 1st.

Actually, the prices for the festival weren't that bad. Tickets ranged from $35 - 60. I was really quite surprised all things considered.

[rockysigman]

Anyone else catch Wilco on Letterman tonight?

[Thorngrub]

Nope.

[ScottsyII]

Can't say I did either! Then again, not being a huge Wilco or Letterman fan, there's your reason why...

[Mary]

Woah, how come no one around here has mentioned that there's a new Sonic Youth album out? I didn't even know this. Sonic Nurse, it's called - just stumbled on the pitchfork review (a dubious title, but the review is quite good, whatever that means coming from pitchfork...) Anyone heard it?

Well, I'm 5 songs into the new PJ Harvey, and while it's way too early for any fair impressions, one thing is clear - NME is fucking nuts if they think this is just a redux of Stories - not at all! So far the songs have been a pretty crazy mixture of styles and tempos and PJ's array of different singing voices. Very promising, I'd say. I hope this means that Miss Harvey will be touring again in the near future - aside from opening for U2, I've never see her, and that is a major regret of mine!

NP: PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her (song: The Letter)

Cheers,
M

[Mary]

Now here, ladies and gentlemen of RS Castaways, is a reason to get excited. Remember the ol' days of rs.com, when Ken and I would post lengthy dissertations on the precise meaning and identification of punk rock, and insist dogmatically that punk was of its time and place, and died somewhere in the early or mid 80s, and that all the punk-revivalists bands are better classified as neo-punk? Remember back when I was all about the punk rock, all the time, and never even breathed a word of goth, when I hadn't yet discovered Mr. Cave and his glorious Bad Seeds, when Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon were my idols of rock and roll? Remember the old Blank Generation board on rs.com, where strawman would hold forth on all the unjustly forgotten greats of punk rock - the Members and the Ruts and the Vibrators and all those distant memories? Remember when Ken Holzman proclaimed that punk rock saved his life, and Ben Peach made sure the Australian punks got their due too?

Well, this box set is for us. Now, there's loads of compilations and box sets devoted to punk rock, of course, but what's special about No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion is that it was lovingly compiled by Rhino, who just can't do wrong. Check out this track listing:

1. Blitzkrieg Bop performed by Ramones - 2:12
2. White Riot performed by Clash - 1:59
3. Heart of the City performed by Nick Lowe - 2:03
4. Boredom performed by Buzzcocks / Howard DeVoto - 2:53
5. (I'm) Stranded performed by Saints - 3:33
6. Neat, Neat, Neat performed by Damned - 2:42
7. In the City performed by Jam - 2:19
8. Final Solution performed by Pere Ubu - 5:00
9. Roadrunner performed by Modern Lovers - 4:06
10. Little Johnny Jewel performed by Television - 7:06
11. One Chord Wonders performed by Adverts - 2:36
12. Born to Lose performed by Heartbreakers - 3:02
13. Search and Destroy performed by Iggy & The Stooges - 3:29
14. Let Me Dream If I Want To (Amphetamine... [live] performed by Mink DeVille - 2:54
15. Oh Bondage Up Yours! performed by X-Ray Spex - 2:50
16. I 2 X U performed by Wire - 1:57
17. Blank Generation performed by Richard Hell / Voidoids - 2:44
18. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) performed by Stranglers - 4:03
19. Cherry Bomb performed by Runaways - 2:19
20. Personality Crisis performed by New York Dolls - 3:42
21. Teenage Depression performed by Eddie & The Hot Rods - 2:58
22. Two Tub Man performed by Dictators - 3:33
23. Hey Joe [Version] performed by Patti Smith - 5:08
24. Your Generation performed by Generation X - 3:17
25. Lust for Life performed by Iggy Pop - 5:13
26. Gary Gilmore's Eyes performed by Adverts - 2:14
27. Satday Night in the City of the Dead performed by Ultravox! - 2:34
28. What Do I Get? performed by Buzzcocks - 2:55
29. X Offender performed by Blondie - 3:12
30. Lookin' After No. 1 performed by Boomtown Rats - 3:10
31. Don't Dictate performed by Penetration - 2:55
32. Bingo Masters Breakout performed by Fall - 2:24
33. Free Money performed by Patti Smith - 3:51
34. The Modern World performed by Jam - 2:32
35. Chinese Rocks performed by Heartbreakers - 2:55
36. New Rose performed by Damned - 2:43
37. Ambition performed by Subway Sect - 3:04
38. See No Evil performed by Television - 4:04
39. Suspect Device performed by Stiff Little Fingers - 2:43
40. Mannequin performed by Wire - 2:37
41. Baby Baby performed by Vibrators - 3:42
42. Love Comes in Spurts performed by Richard Hell / Voidoids - 2:01
43. First Time performed by Boys - 2:22
44. Sonic Reducer performed by Dead Boys - 3:06
45. Shot by Both Sides performed by Magazine - 4:01
46. Mystery Dance performed by Elvis Costello - 1:37
47. Trash performed by New York Dolls - 3:09
48. The Day the World Turned Day-Glo performed by X-Ray Spex - 2:51
49. Do Anything You Wanna Do performed by Eddie & The Hot Rods - 4:04
50. Ready Steady Go performed by Generation X - 2:58
51. Teenage Kicks performed by Undertones - 2:26
52. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll performed by Ian Dury - 3:04
53. Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You... performed by Buzzcocks - 2:42
54. Rocket U.S.A. performed by Suicide - 4:17
55. Mongoloid performed by Devo - 3:34
56. Homicide performed by 999 - 3:42
57. Mr. Big performed by Dils - 1:43
58. Warsaw performed by Joy Division - 2:26
59. Where Were You? performed by Mekons - 2:43
60. Lexicon Devil performed by Germs - 2:05
61. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures performed by Rezillos - 2:53
62. The Wait performed by Pretenders - 3:11
63. We Got the Neutron Bomb performed by Weirdos - 3:00
64. Pablo Picasso performed by Modern Lovers - 4:22
65. Action Time Vision performed by Alternative TV - 2:31
66. 2-4-6-8 Motorway performed by Robinson, Tom Band - 3:18
67. We Are the One performed by Avengers - 2:41
68. Borstal Breakout performed by Sham 69 - 2:06
69. Wasted performed by Black Flag - 0:51
70. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker performed by Ramones - 2:48
71. I Love Livin in the City performed by Fear - 2:11
72. She's So Modern performed by Boomtown Rats - 2:58
73. Ghosts of Princes in Towers performed by Rich Kids - 3:34
74. We're Desperate performed by X - 2:01
75. You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla) performed by Dickies - 1:53
76. Dancing the Night Away performed by Motors - 3:14
77. Hong Kong Garden performed by Siouxsie & The Banshees - 2:56
78. Hanging on the Telephone performed by Blondie - 2:21
79. Top of the Pops performed by Rezillos - 3:22
80. Adult Books performed by X - 3:15
81. The Sound of the Suburbs performed by Members - 3:55
82. California Über Alles performed by Dead Kennedys - 3:28
83. Another Girl, Another Planet performed by Only Ones - 3:03
84. (I Want to Be An) Anglepoise Lamp performed by Soft Boys - 3:00
85. Radio, Radio performed by Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 3:07
86. Typical Girls performed by Slits - 3:55
87. Human Fly performed by Cramps - 2:15
88. Psycho Killer performed by Talking Heads - 4:20
89. Babylon's Burning performed by Ruts - 2:32
90. If the Kids Are United performed by Sham 69 - 3:48
91. Alternative Ulster performed by Stiff Little Fingers - 2:44
92. Boys Don't Cry performed by Cure - 2:41
93. She Is Beyond Good and Evil performed by Pop Group - 3:23
94. Is She Really Going Out With Him? performed by Joe Jackson - 3:36
95. Get Over You performed by Undertones - 2:43
96. Love Like Anthrax performed by Gang Of Four - 3:19
97. Peaches performed by Stranglers - 4:07
98. Into the Valley performed by Skids - 3:17
99. You Can't Put Your Arms Round a Memory performed by Johnny Thunders - 3:04
100. Love Will Tear Us Apart performed by Joy Division - 3:25

Now, we might have some minor quibbles about whether particular bands or songs belong on her, but what a splendid track listing! And since it's Rhino, no doubt it also includes wonderful liner notes. I know what I'm asking for for my 27th birthday, that's for sure.

NP: PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her (song: It's You)

Cheers,
M

[PC]

Must. Get. That. Box. Set.

~PunkChick

[Mary]

And, speaking of punk, here is a very sad article I dug up on pitchfork. (is it transparently apparent that all I ever do at my parents' house is surf the internet?)

Johnny Ramone Battling Prostate Cancer
Cory D. Byrom reports:

Former Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone is currently in a Los Angeles hospital battling prostate cancer. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Ramones drummer Marky Ramone stated, "Johnny's been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim." He continued, "John never smoked cigarettes, he wasn't a heavy drinker and he was always into his health." Unbeknownst to the world at large, Johnny Ramone, whose birth name is John Cummings, was diagnosed with the disease four years ago, and has since undergone extensive chemotherapy.

Marky explained his motivations for revealing Johnny's fight with cancer now: "I've been getting so much email from people and from papers and magazines wanting to know what was up I had to take it upon myself to say something, because eventually John won't be in any condition to say or do anything." He went on to say that the cancer has already begun to spread to other parts of the body. According to Marky, however, Johnny, who is 55 years old, is remaining positive. "He was talking about the positive things the Ramones accomplished: getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, how our music is being accepted at this point. It put a smile on his face. Knowing John, he'll fight this horrible disease to the end. Everybody is wishing the best and hoping the best. We'll stand by him."

The Ramones are widely credited as among the forefathers of American punk rock, and frankly, they've influenced more musicians than we've got time to talk about. This comes as an especially difficult blow to fans as Joey Ramone (born Jeffrey Hyman) died from lymphatic cancer in 2001, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone (born Douglas Colvin) died in 2002 from an overdose of heroin-- an addiction he'd battled for more than 20 years.

When the Ramones broke up in 1996, Johnny Ramone virtually retired from music, reportedly even going as far as to sell all of his guitars and amps. Although the Ramones' other members, including Dee Dee, Joey, late-era bassist C.J., and Marky (who is currently the drummer for the Misfits) went on to release solo albums and become involved with other musical projects, Johnny was content to stay home and watch baseball. In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, Johnny expressed his desire to never have to deal with the rigors of touring: "I didn't want to go back on tour under any circumstances. If they could have come up with an offer that I couldn't refuse for one week of jobs, somewhere in the world, I would have thought about it." We at Pitchfork would like to take this opportunity to send our best wishes to Johnny and his family.


***

I can't believe we're about to lose another Ramone. It's so weird, all the punk idols who survived those tumultuous years to begin with seem to be passing away together now. Marky will be the only original Ramone left??? I suggest now is a good time to dig out Rock and Roll High School - the movie, that is - and remember how much all that silly suburban teenage rebellion shit actually meant...

...man, I'm having such a punk nostalgia night here. Just looking at the track listing for that box set nearly made my eyes mist up!!

oh oh oh, that reminds me. I forgot to ask if anyone (Rocky Sigman?) knows anything about this: when Robert Quine passed away, I'd read that it was a heroin overdose, but I noticed in Time Magazine's obituary that they described it as a "likely suicide" - does anyone know anything about that??

NP: Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See (song: Fade Into You)

Cheers,
M

[strawman]

thats a pretty solid track listing Mary....Its the sort of thing I should grab because although I have most of those , they are alas on vinyl...it'd be great to have them together on a CD....

and did I ever convince any one to go out and source a copy of The Wipers...Is This Real (Park Avenue)...don't think so..but check it out...its raw, hard and intense as hell...oh and all the way from Oregan....yeah I loved Blank Generation board...even if no one could find the albums I was on about!!!

And I miss Ben Peach...and al n

[rockysigman]

Even though that Johnny Ramone story is still circulating strongly, his doctor actually came out the same day that that story broke (about 3 days ago) and stated that it wasn't true. Not sure if he's just trying to protect his privacy, but there's at least a chance that those stories are pretty exaggerated and that he's doing a better job fighting cancer than that story indicates.

[Mary]

Huh, I didn't know that Rocky, this was the first I even heard concerning the fact that he had cancer. But that's very odd, I mean, why would Marky Ramone circulate a false story about Johny succumbing to cancer? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense...

[achn2b]

anyone who thinks that "punk" is all about a style of music, or a certain sound, should take a look at that tracklist and re-think their definition. songs like "another Girl, Another Planet, Is She really Going Out With Him, You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory, What Do I Get, et al, alongside Blitzkrieg Bop, I Love Living in the City, We're Desperate, etc. all of these are punk songs, while sounding nothing alike, while going far beyond the "1-2-3-4" three chord riffing that most people consider punk.

[Weeping_Guitar]

Rocky, I made sure to stay up and catch Wilco the other night on Letterman. The song ("hummingbird" i am guessing?) kind of took me by surprise, looks like Tweedy is making sure we never get too comfortable with one thing. Tuesday's new album release can't come soon enough.

[bowiglou]

hi everyone..back from the sunbaked and very humid land of Cancun..was a great honeymoon!!....and Mary, I did access a 4 CD punk collection this past summer that is very similar to the Rhino collection...some great artist, some so-so...but I remember reading about the Rhino collection you cited, and it looks awesome!!