Pure Punk Picks
True – Spandau Ballet
God, how we hated the English pop bands in the eighties in the Boston punk scene.
We were into bands like Black Flag, The Dead Kennedy’s, X and our own band Mission Of Burma.
Meanwhile, all the synth/pop bands like Flock Of Seagulls, Culture Club, Duran Duran (who I liked) were burning up the charts while the bands that we loved couldn’t get noticed.
There’s an infamous drunken Gang Green interview, one of Boston’s best hardcore bands from the eighties, that was in a popular local fanzine at the time- The Beat, I think it was called.
And throughout the interview the band constantly referred to the English pop bands at the time as, “the dick sucking homo bands.”
And though I abhor any intent of homophobia if it was in their comments, I do think it was more a hatred of the music and a jealousy, too- where punk and hardcore were making really valid, powerful music that was shunned for by ex-hairdressers imitating David Bowie doing soul/pop.
Myself and my black drummer friend who were in an original punk/new wave band at the time thought the interview was hilarious. We would joke about people asking what type of band we played in? Then we might say “A DSH band”. And when asked, supposedly, what that meant we would reply, “Dick Sucking Homo band.”
But I found the interview more drunkenly funny than hateful and one must remember, the times were wilder then.
“Why do I find it’s hard to write the next line? Oh, I want the truth to be said.”
Because every writer asks themselves, at one point, is this too honest, too revealing to write. And the answers always is- “Yes, it is too honest and revealing and that’s why use must write it.”
Whenever a writer is faced with the dilemma of writing a line they’re unsure of, I’ve found the answer is almost overwhelmingly, “Yes”.
“Oh, I want the truth to be known.” A line I can relate to and believe in when I told the truth about myself and my sexual submissiveness nature. (Oh, I was supposed to leave that line out!)
So I’m pretty sure that nothing I’ve stated so far should convince you that this should be included as a Pure Punk Pick.
But I know that this song is true and honest and that’s a prerequisite right there.
I feel punk is not so much a music genre but an attitude, or more concisely, a philosophy. It’s my philosophy.
As I’ve stated before, in every genre of music there are significant artists that go along with the status quo and others who rebel against it. Both I feel are equally wonderful.
In country- Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. were definitely punks, in blues Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker were punks but B.B. King was not. In fifties rock’n’roll, Elvis and Fats Domino weren’t punks but Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis certainly were.
The main ingredient in punk is truth. Raw, real and uncompromising.
John Lennon wrote “Gimme Some Truth” which Generation X, Billy Idol’s first band covered. I feel Paul McCartney is more talented, but John was the punk of that band. Much like Keith Richards is the punk in The Rolling Stones.
The words of this song makes it punk for me because I hear them as so real and true. As the words of so many classic punk bands do as well. The words of this song ring as true to me as any song by The Clash, The Sex Pistols or Bob Marley.
Yes, the music is slick, approaching easy listening, definitely pop orientated. But also shows the influence of the glam rock in England that came before it and I’d say and the great music of America’s Motown as well.
It may appear I’m making excuses but I’d say these evaluations are actually “true.”
I believe every musician and every artist, has that great experience of when they feel they are truly reflecting, expressing themselves. Which causes them great joy and satisfaction. I know I have as a musician first, and then later as a writer. And for me, there is nothing better that I’ve ever experienced in life.
So when someone writes the great line, “This is the sound of my soul.”
I take them at their word.
And you know, those words-
Are pretty much, the most beautiful words I ever… expect to hear.
(Slimedog)
