Essential Punk Rock



Looking back at my past entries, I noticed that my blog, "Of Punk Rock and Politics," is a whole lot of politics and not a lot of punk rock. I decided then to compile a list of ten punk albums that had an immense influence on me. So here they are: my personal punk rock recommendations.

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10) Generation X—anthology

For me this collection was an introduction to Generation X, featuring some great standards as well as rarities and live tracks. Gen-X represents some of the best in early punk rock, complete with all the rawness and rebellion that one would come to hope for and expect. Who knew that vocalist Billy Idol would go so far in the business? Features the hit "Dancing With Myself," which of course is a mainstream standard as well as a punk rock classic.

9) Mighty Mighty Bosstones—let’s face it

I know, this was the Bosstones’ major commercial record, released during that brief period when MTV was embracing the short-lived ska phenomeon, but it nonetheless represents some of the band’s best work. “The Impression That I Get” remains one of the best ska tracks around, and songs like “The Rascal King,” “Royal Oil” and “1-2-8” are true classics. This album embodies some of the best ska has to offer, and best of all, it’s great for dancing.

8) AFI—shut your mouth and open your eyes

After AFI grew out of their sloppy teenage punk phase and before they became a totally commercialized goth group, there was “Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes,” the band’s darkest, most introspective and atmospheric record. This collection of fast-paced songs is brimming with raw anger and heartfelt agony, boasting such classics as “A Single Second” and “Three Reasons.” This album is a true piece of essential hardcore.

7) Minor Threat—complete discography

Complete Discography is Ian MacKaye’s personal effort in bringing together for the first time all of the songs from Minor Threat’s various EP’s and LP’s. This is truly a crucial punk rock collection because it contains the entire musical history of one of the most influential (yet sadly short-lived) punk bands around, a band known for its intensity, high speed and bold message. Vocalist MacKaye has said in interviews that it was never his intention to start a movement within the punk rock community, but such a movement is nonetheless alive and well thanks to the band’s classic anthem “Straight Edge.”

6) Bad Religion—no control

Much like the aforementioned AFI record, No Control represents the point in Bad Religion’s career where boys evolved into men. The angry lyrics for which they were known were suddenly articulated more intellectually, and absent was the lyrical and musical recklessness of their high school days. With No Control, it was clear that Bad Religion had become not only a great punk band, but an important element of the punk rock world.

5) Misfits—static age

As I began compiling records for this list, I knew I had to include a Misfits record, no question. They remain, in my opinion, one of the most important American punk bands of all time. Unfortunately, though, I couldn’t decide between Earth A.D. and Static Age. Both albums are superb and represent Danzig and the boys at their very best, but I ultimately decided that if I were stranded on an island and could only have one Misfits CD, it would have to be Static Age. Songs like “We Are 138,” “Last Caress,” “Teenagers From Mars” and (my personal favorite) “She,” make this one for the Hall of Fame. What I really admire is the fact that these are some of their earliest recordings, the three-chord collaborations of a small group of high school friends, recorded on mediocre analogue equipment. The young boys had very little to work with, and yet together they created punk rock magic and started a 50s-era-horror trend that artists today continue to emulate. And they did it entirely on their own.

4) Ramones—(self-titled)

Some will undoubtedly disagree with me, but I believe The Ramones invented pop punk. The British punk groups of their day like The Sex Pistols and The Clash may have been stamped with the same label, but The Ramones were clearly doing their own thing. In some ways, I believe they embodied the punk spirit even better than many of their punk rock contemporaries, as they did not feel the need to conform to the standard spiky-haired, body-pierced image. They were happy just being independent, and it was their catchy, doo-wop-influenced style that paved the way for modern pop punk groups like Green Day and Screeching Weasel.

The reason I chose their self-titled debut for my essential punk rock list is, in part, because of the many essential Ramones tracks it contains (“Judy Is A Punk,” “Blitzkrieg Bog” and “Havana Affair,” just to name a few), and also because it stands as a prime example of the quintessential Ramones sound, long before they started experimenting with darker punk styles. Most importantly, it’s just a fun album to listen to. It won’t make you hate the world; it won’t make you think deeply about the larger society (though there are some very astute political undertones). It is above all, a great album for singing along.

3) MxPx—life in general

At this point, MxPx has released more albums than most entire record labels, but none compares to 1996’s Life in General. I must first of all confess that this was the first punk album I ever purchased, so I am not without bias in my assessment, but even still I have never been able to find a better soundtrack for genuine teenage angst. I am not referring to the type of angst that one would find perhaps on an AFI record (I would describe that more as inner-turmoil), nor the type of "My ex-girlfriend sucks" angst that may be found on a New Found Glory record. No, Life in General looks at the world through the eyes of Joe Teenager, and personifies teenage life in universal ways..

This becomes apparent as soon as the first song begins, when vocalist Mike Herrera sings the opening line, "Emotion is my middle name..." Other standout lines from the album include, "Not always nice, not always mean; my room has never been seen clean; the way I feel is not always how I seem," and "I never did homework after school, did all the things I thought were cool; went out every Friday night, I still do and I'm all right." In short, Life in General is a collection of songs dealing with adolescent dreams, puppy love, youthful frustration and a carefree passion for simply having a good time. But the heartfelt lyrics aren't the only reason to cherish this record. The lightning-fast pop melodies are as catchy and addictive as they come. This album is the total package. .

2)Sublime--(self-titled)

In 2001 I moved to Long Beach to begin attending college at CSULB. I remember one day specifically I was walking along 2nd Street and the song "Santeria" began playing in the background as I passed a clothing boutique. I was already somewhat a fan of Sublime, and I had my favorite songs, but up until that point I had never given their music any deep consideration. However as I walked along that dilapidated sidwalk, passing small independent businesses beneath the warm California sun, something just clicked. Sublime was truly the musical manifestation of life in Long Beach, and not just on account of the obvious songs where Long Beach is mentioned by name. There seems to be a subliminal force living within the very melodies that somehow captures the Long Beach atmosphere in intangible ways. Perhaps I'm just being melodramatic.

It takes a truly gifted group of artists to create a musical representation of a given reality. Anyone can sing about their circumstances and say that it represents something, whether it be life in the inner-city or a struggle with various forms of oppression, but to create music that truly embodies such concepts in multiple dimensions is something quite rare. Perhaps that is why Blues music and Reggae are so powerful. The music of Sublime is the cultural iconic manifestation of Long Beach, CA, presented in the form of song, and the band's self-titled album represents some of their most important work. Songs like "Santeria," "Wrong Way" and "What I Got" are to Long Beach what the music of Marley is to Jamaica.

1) NOFX--so long and thanks for all the shoes

As some of you may know, I have issues with Fat Mike. I have not forgotten about his many slanderous distortions of our current president, nor his constant political vitriol (not to mention his passionate disdain for Republicans and people of faith), but I must concede nonetheless that he is an icon of the punk rock world, and frankly he is as good as it gets. For more than fifteen years he has been fronting one of the most influential punk bands around, a band that has consistently been true to the devil-may-care ruggedness of the genre. He has never sold out to the bigger market, has always done things his own way and continues to this day to write some of the catchiest punk anthems around. His disdain for the music establishment can be heard in his very voice, which would make Simon Cowell vomit, but makes the fans wish they could sing just like him. His high-pitched, congested tones serve as the musical equivalent of flipping the bird to the music industry. Why is this important? Because in its own little way, it demonstrates his sentiments for the status quo in general, whether it be government, social mores, popular culture, or even standards of beauty.

My original intent was to include in this list the album "White Trash, Two Heebs and A Bean," since it well represents their rebellious and not-to-mention humorous side, as illustrated in songs like Please Play This Song on the Radio, Johnny Appleseed, and their hilarious remake of Minor Threat's Straight Edge, as well as some of their catchiest classics like Stickin' In My Eye and Liza and Louise. Looking back, though, I realized that while NOFX has many fantastic albums, the one that impacted me the most, and best represents their versatility in my opinion, is the 1997 album "So Long and Thanks For all the Shoes." While the classic NOFX humor is there, in songs like Monosyllabic Girl, Champs Elysees and the ska-oriented All Outta Angst, the album also contains some incredible heartfelt tracks like Falling In Love, All His Suits Are Torn and Desperation's Gone (which features one of the greatest intros of any punk song). While songs like Murder the Government and It's My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite represent the classic punk spirit, other songs like Kids of the K-Hole and 180 Degrees are just really catchy. One of my favorite songs on the album, Kill Rock Stars, not only has an addictive melody, but offers a surprising criticism of the feminist movement. And over all, "So Long..." is just a great example of what punk rock is: vocals that aren't always on key, melodies that are simple but catchy, messages that aren't afraid to go against the grain, simple instrumental work, a whole lot of crudeness and a proud disregard for standard conventions of music (for isntance, some of the songs are less than a minute long).

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But these albums of course reflect my personal biases and interests (and also my age, if you haven't noticed). There are countless albums that may be deemed as "essential punk rock," and if you are a fan of the genre, you probably have your own. Here are a few that were suggested to me but some of the contributers at Conservative Punk. I have placed a star next to the really popular choices.

Social Distortion--mommy's little monster*
Operation Ivy--energy
The Clash--london calling
Dead Kennedys--fresh fruits for rotting vegetables*
The Exploited--let's start a war*
Circle Jerks--group sex
Addicts--sound of music
Green Day--dookie
Mindless Self Indulgence--frankenstein girl will seem strangely sexy
Rancid--(self-titled)
Distillers--sing sing death house
Sex Pistols--never mind the bollocks
X--los angeles
The Damned--damned, damned, damned*
The Saints--i'm stranded
The Cramps--songs the lord taught us*
The Stooges--raw power
UK Subs--brand new age
The Buzzcocks--singles going steady
Television--marquee moon
Reagan Youth--a collection of pop classics
Alien Sex Fiends--acid bath
The Vandals--peace through vandalism/when in rome do as the vandals*
Black Flag--damage
Germs-gi
Fishbone--untitled
SOD--speak english or die
Bad Brains--i against i
TSOL--dance with me

Thanks to everyone who contributed.