Post Punk: What's the current opinion?

[rustoffa]

So, it's a weird genre that lots of folks on here are probably ready do destroy. That being said, lots of it was going on during the popularity of the heavy music of the early to late eighties. I was forced to listen to alot of it recently via the playlist generation. You know, Siouxsie, The Fall, The Birthday Party, Echo and The Bunnymen....just all manner of that weird stuff. In all honesty, some of it sounded really good in retrospect when comparing the time, viability, etc.

[Kristy]

For one, true punk died in 1978. Everything else since has been commentary.

Two, bands (largely limey dog & pony acts) such as Echo & The Bunnymen, The Fall, Bauhaus were never punk. They were more or less not ready for MTV alternative or "college rock" (in 80's terminology) as it was better known in the USA. I myself am a hugh fan of Echo but there is absolutely nothing remotely punk about them.

[FORD]

"post punk" was just some label that corporate/media types wanted to put on the music that arrived after the whole Ramones/Pistols/Damned/Clash/GenerationX wave.

I've heard the label applied to everyone from Elvis Costello to Blondie to Siouxsie to Adam and the fucking Ants. The latter two who directly emerged from the Sex Pistols "Bromley Contingent" fan club. The "post punk" label even applied to new bands that were going out of their way to sound like OLD bands from the 60s, such as the Welsh band "17", who would later rename themselves "The Alarm"

Fuck labels... music is either good or its not. And even that may be totally subjective in some cases. But in the case of the song above, I can dig it.

[FORD]

Might as well post the other side of the single....

[FORD]

The Professionals.... literally "post punks", as they were what was left of the Sex Pistols after the 1978 US tour meltdown/departure of Johnny Rotten/death of Sid Vicious......

[FORD]

[FORD]

Then there's this little band from Dublin who was considered "post punk" before they really discovered their own "sound" and hit the big time........

[rustoffa]

I knew Ford would weigh in on this. I'm not trying to say any of the bands I mentioned were ever Punk. Well, I guess Siouxsie was for a bit. It's basically the Post Punk movement, or partial crawl, or whatever. Mostly British...

[rustoffa]

That Birthday Party shit was weird. It sounds like Pere Ubu with Nick cave beating on sewer pipes or something.

[FORD]

Siouxie Sioux launched her career from this infamous BBC interview......

"You dirty fucker.... what a fucking rotter....."

[rustoffa]

She's basically an Icon over there. I guess I'd throw TSOL and Husker Du in the mix as well. This is great argument material.

[FORD]

That Birthday Party shit was weird. It sounds like Pere Ubu with Nick cave beating on sewer pipes or something.

Yeah, they were really "dark" for the times.....

no doubt inspired a lot of the "goth" and "industrial" scenes. In fact, if I remember correctly, Blixa Bargeld who formed the "pioneer" industrial band Einsteurzende Neubauten also worked with Nick Cave on a few occasions, both in the Birthday Party and later with the Bad Seeds.

[FORD]

Speaking of Neubauten.....

...goddamn, the stories I could tell about this album and the poster of it's cover art.....

[rustoffa]

It was stupid.

[rustoffa]

Quit killing me man. Back to the subject....was Joy Division/New Order post punk? Gang Of Four?