Image via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
When the punk wave broke in the UK and the States in the mid-1970s, it threatÂened to leave behind the estabÂlished rock bands that once seemed so rebelÂlious. Pete TownÂshend, the guiÂtar-smashÂing songÂwriter of The Who, said: “I kind of welÂcomed [the arrival of punk], chalÂlenged it, and wantÂed it to hapÂpen, and then I realÂized that the perÂson they wantÂed to shoot was me.” And indeed Sid Vicious, of the Sex PisÂtols, would say, “I don’t have any heroes. They’re all useÂless to me.”
And yet despite the posÂturÂing, punk remained rootÂed in the rock traÂdiÂtion, payÂing tribÂute, whether they knew it or not, to their musiÂcal fathers (The BeaÂtÂles, The Who, The Stones) and even the grandÂfaÂthers (Chuck Berry and BudÂdy HolÂly). In Please Kill Me: The UncenÂsored Oral HisÂtoÂry of Punk (a book I comÂpleteÂly recÂomÂmend) ediÂtor Legs McNeil writes:
Then the Ramones came back, and countÂed off again, and played their best eighÂteen minÂutes of rock n roll that I had ever heard. You could hear the Chuck Berry in it, which was all I lisÂtened to, that and the BeaÂtÂles secÂond album with all the Chuck Berry covÂers on it.
It all goes back to Chuck Berry, and Berry knew it. In a 1980 interÂview with the zin Jet Lag, Berry shared his thoughts on the punk anthems of the day and spotÂted his influÂence in many of them.
The Sex PisÂtols’ “God Save the Queen”:
“What’s this guy so angry about anyÂway? GuiÂtar work and proÂgresÂsion is like mine. Good backÂbeat. Can’t underÂstand most of the vocals. If you’re going to be mad at least let the peoÂple know what you’re mad about.”
The Clash’s “ComÂplete ConÂtrol”:
“Sounds like the first one. The rhythm and chordÂing work well togethÂer. Did this guy have a sore throat when he sang the vocals?”
The Ramones’ “Sheena is a Punk RockÂer”:
“A good litÂtle jump numÂber. These guys remind me of myself when I first startÂed, I only knew three chords too.”
The RomanÂtics’ “What I Like About You”:
“FinalÂly someÂthing you can dance to. Sounds a lot like the sixÂties with some of my riffs thrown in for good meaÂsure. You say this is new? I’ve heard this stuff plenÂty of times. I can’t underÂstand the big fuss.”
TalkÂing Heads’ “PsyÂcho Killer”:
“A funky litÂtle numÂber, that’s for sure. I like the bass a lot. Good mixÂture and a real good flow. The singer sounds like he has a bad case of stage fright.”
Wire’s “I Am the Fly” and Joy DiviÂsion’s Unknown PleaÂsures:
“So this is the so-called new stuff. It’s nothÂing I ain’t heard before. It sounds like an old blues jam that BB and MudÂdy would carÂry on backÂstage at the old amphitheÂatre in ChicaÂgo. The instruÂments may be difÂferÂent but the experÂiÂmenÂt’s the same.”
Chuck Berry passed away today, still unsurÂpassed, at age 90. Long live Chuck.
via DanÂgerÂous Minds and h/t @alyssamilano and @austinkleon
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Chuck Berry Takes KeiÂth Richards to School, Shows Him How to Rock (1987)
Four Female Punk Bands That Changed Women’s Role in Rock
Well… With all the respect that is due to this great, great musiÂcian, and knowÂing it’s not very polite to disÂagree with the recentÂly deceased, I have to say:
he missed the point, by miles and miles.
Sure, the musiÂcal conÂstrucÂtion is simÂiÂlar to old rockÂ’n’roll. Sure, buildÂing songs like that and using those harÂmonies and those instruÂments canÂnot in itself be revÂoÂluÂtionÂary or subÂverÂsive as it was in his time.
But that is exactÂly the (musiÂcal) startÂing point of punk, *not* its goal. The fact that the lyrics are sung almost shoutÂing, that they’re hard to underÂstand, that you don’t *need* more than three chords to supÂport your whole musiÂcal disÂcourse because you’re not basÂing the mesÂsage on its harÂmonÂic strucÂture… all that is essenÂtial to punk, both in terms of sound and in terms of social posiÂtion.
Despite his huge sucÂcess and popÂuÂlarÂiÂty, Chuck Berry nevÂer estabÂlished a relaÂtion to his audiÂence simÂiÂlar to what basiÂcalÂly all the (earÂly) punk bands did, for instance — and that’s perÂfectÂly ok because that wasÂn’t *his* point. So of course, if we lisÂten to the notes and the rhythms, there’s not much new. But thank goodÂness there’s a lot more than that to music.
Richie Stotts from the PlasÂmatÂics was menÂtioned as a simÂiÂlar type sound as Chuck Berry.
I thought his guiÂtar playÂing in 1984 when I was forÂtuÂnate enough to see Wendy and the gang in VanÂcouÂver CanaÂda at the GarÂdens. It was aweÂsome I was 21 at the time.
The stuÂpid thing about that conÂcert was that the crowd was actuÂalÂly spitÂting on her, she got mad,power got cut I thought it was going to turn deadÂly.
InciÂdenÂtalÂly, Jet Lag was foundÂed by St. Louisans teve Pick and John “The MailÂman” Korst.