February 18, 2004

No Thanks: 70s Punk Rebellion

I discovered punk in 1978, during my senior year in high school. Before that, I didn't really like music very much, except for the Beatles and bands like Paul Revere and the Raiders. Punk woke me up to the power of music. This 4-CD set has 100 songs from the the '70s and '80s so listening to it caused powerful flashbacks.

A friend told me he thought the selection in No Thanks! was "too predictable" but I think it's a perfect introduction to the era. The things that stands out to me, after listening to all the songs, is how strong the first punk bands were -- Richard Hell, The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Blondie. They were all from the USA, and started out before The Clash and The Sex Pistols (which aren't represented in this collection, thanks to Johnny Rotten's refusal to participate. Rhino probably didn't offer him enough money). The 100-page book that comes with the collection has some nice color pictures and commentary, but if you want to read the best history of punk, get a copy of Please Kill Me, the Uncensored Oral History of Punk. You can read it while listening to No Thanks!

Buy on Amazon