Review retrospective: Punk rocks!

I had realized at one point that -- while reviewing new bands -- I should also revisit my punk roots. It was only proper that there be a Ramones review, and one for The Clash. I did that in January 2017.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2017/01/band-review-ramones.html 

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2017/01/band-review-clash.html

There is a big part of my punk rock journey that happened before I reviewed bands or even blogged. Another large part of it lies in the future, so this post is going to be a little different.

Part of that means that I am going to integrate the songs for the week into the body of the text, rather than a section at the end. 

Separately, I have also realized that something that has been missing during the retrospective is links for the songs, in case people who read the blog and are interested are not seeing the daily song posts. This will be the first post to include links, but I will go back and retroactively add them to previous posts.

First of all, those first two bands (who still hold a dear place in my heart), their significance to punk history kind of matches their significance to me. I can tell you which songs turned the switch from thinking "Yeah, this is a punk band but they have some crossover songs that I like" to "Wait! I think I love this band!" 

Therefore, those must be the first two songs.

“I Wanna Be Sedated” by Ramones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm51ihfi1p4

“Train In Vain” by The Clash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUzBgeI5dpc

I knew their songs that got MTV play or pop radio play, but those two songs had moments where I knew I needed to listen more. 

There was so much more, and I found that I adored them.

I didn't really think of myself as a punk rocker though. I mean, I didn't see any safety pins or orange mohawks; maybe they weren't that punk (I know). It didn't mean that I had to like Sex Pistols.

However, when I saw a video for "Fall Back Down" by Rancid and liked it, they were definitely punk. I borrowed their CD from my sister, and I liked it a lot. Okay, fine, Gina is a punk rocker. But "Fall Back Down" was just the introduction; I surrendered on "Ruby Soho".

“Ruby Soho” by Rancid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P9QMkm9Eew

Ultimately, accepting my punk nature was freeing, and led me to consider other bands more seriously. That may have been a key step to becoming someone who reviewed bands, though many of the more punk adjacent ones will be showing up when I get to Emo.

This next song isn't actually anyone punk, but he is sometimes called proto-punk, and punk owes him a debt. And also, I totally got to see him live.

“Cry For Love” by Iggy Pop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9vzh7CZIw

This is not his most punk song, but it was one that I had no idea existed until I specifically reviewed him, so that was a nice find. 

He does not roll around barely dressed in broken glass, which he also did not do at the concert I saw. However, look at the way he dances about in urban waste and desolation... Iggy Pop is still himself.

When I had the post on Native American artists, I mentioned concerns that I have not found as many Asian American and Pacific Islander and LatinX artists yet. However, things happen. For one thing, I think I do have enough AAPI artists for their own post and week. 

For LatinX artists, a good starting point was The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. Many musicians come up in the text and in an after section. They are not all punk, but there are some good suggestions. 

I have only reviewed The Zeros so far, but I will get to Alice Bag, and I know enough to give her a song this time anyway.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2019/09/band-review-zeros.html

“Beat Your Heart Out” by The Zeros
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojXhH0AP5x4

“Gate Crasher” by Alice Bag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtYJOuw-0w

I have also recently learned of the existence of Bam Bam, featuring Tina Bell. I thought about including a song of theirs, but that is a little more grungy. I will get there.

It is nonetheless a reminder that there is more, and that as you start looking you will find it. That is why I look forward to where the following two articles are going to take me:

https://www.okayafrica.com/black-punk-bands-need-listen-to/

https://medium.com/@AestheticDistance/meet-the-asian-americans-of-a-new-inclusive-punk-scene-at-break-free-fest-8cd5cc65e1c0

But I should still include a song from a punk band that I reviewed. It came down to a choice between Direct Hit! or Pears:

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2016/07/band-review-direct-hit.html

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2016/10/band-review-pears.html 

The most interesting thing about that to me is that they both came from recommendations by other musicians. (Mike Kennerty for Direct Hit! and Dave Hause for Pears.) Most of my punk reviews do not come from new bands following me, but in other ways.

Why don't punk bands follow me? Is it me?

Possibly. Even after choosing Direct Hit!, the song I should have really chosen was "Paid In Brains", but I hate that video. Maybe I am not punk enough. Maybe that is why I still don't like Sex Pistols.

Alas; I can only be me.

“Was It The Acid?” by Direct Hit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO5SsmIBUo0