was punk a british institution misunderstood and badly mimicked by the rest of the world?

Question

oh boy.lots of information.but whos right?gonna put this one to the vote and go take that holiday in cambodia........

Answer 1

The New York Dolls were at it when the Sex Pistols were still at school. By the way, L.S. - drum and bass...not even that was British, but Jamaican.

Answer 2

I dont think there is any question that it has been badly mimicked. Look at all the modern "punk" bands & "punks" who are perfect examples of record companies pre-packaging and selling off tame rebellion to the masses, with bonus long fringes & black eyeliner.

Of course, it could be argued that punk bands like the Sex Pistols were being used for the same thing, but I think the bands that sold punk as a gimmick back then were definately a lot less then what there are now. (ie. Greenday, Fall Out Boy etc.)

I dont, however, think that it has been mimicked by the rest of the world. Take for example the Australian punk scene of the 70's & 80's. Bands like Radio Birdman, The Saints & The Chosen Few formed, and began playing loud aggressive music along the lines of what was going on in London and New York at the same time, HOWEVER, they didnt have those bands as a point of reference due to the fact the distance to Australia, and the difficulty of getting punk records from overseas shipped to Australia. I think it's a very good example of a scene forming without having anything to copy from, and therefore, I dont think it could be said they mimickd England scene.

Answer 3

Check out Black Flag, Minor Threat and The Descendants, just some examples of a great American punk movement happening slightly earlier than the pistols.

Black flag in particular were a response to the state of social distortion in America. Poverty, drugs and riots and police brutality at shows epitomised what they were making music about.

Minor Threat promoted positive values rather than apathy or anger (although their music was arguably harder and faster than their contemporaries and inadvertently created a minor religion/following in 'Straight Edge' (the name of their 47 second song).

Of course the New York Dolls and The Ramones would have largely had an influence on the Pistols as they were playing years before. Punk is such a fuzzy term as you could say any music which is anti the established way of doing things could be termed this.

I think (unfortunately) America had the perfect environment in the late seventies/early eighties to produce genre defining bands.

Answer 4

Punk never was, and isn't, a british institution. Punk in the UK was a rebellion against the institution in the form of anarchy. Not anarchy as in the smash things up for the hell of it or I'll do what I want just because but as an expression of free individuals. Punk in the UK came about due to high levels of unemployment and disillusionment with the establishment. Punk bands joined the Situationist movement promoting politically anarchic ideas such as those used prior to the Communist Revolution in Russia. Badly mimicked by the rest of the world? Yes, in so far as the anarchy they represent is purely selfish-destructive-attention seeking backed by major record labels but that's no worse than the punk being passed off in the UK these days. I cannot stress how much I dislike bands like Green Day for their watered down appeal to the mass teen market. The Manic Street Preachers album Generation Terrorist was a good example of true punk ethics but due to capitalist pressures everything fell apart with the death of Richey James Edwards. Sell outs *cough*.

Historically the term punk was first used to describe those 'punk' kids in garage rock bands such as the Kingsmen (feel free to sing Louie, Louie). So its roots came from the US though chart success for actually labeled punk music came about around 74/75 both sides of the pond.

Answer 5

It was definatley an institution, Unfortunatley the arguemnet of the New York Dolls, Stooges Etc shall say that it was a spin off.

Unfortunatly we know have the likes of Green Day tearing the **** out of Punk Music, There original album was quite good, since then it has become far too comercial.

So in Closing, yes a bad Mimic that sadly has seen the demise of a great era.

RIP PUNK in all your many forms.

Answer 6

Punk is badly misunderstood now.

British punk didn't want to be understood then and certainly didn't want to be an institution. Some parts of the rest of the world also had their own punk (notably US and Germany) but the forms were different. British punk was probably more political than others.

Answer 7

Just because the majority of blues-based rock bands from the early 70's on were hugely influenced by the Stones, Clapton, and the Yardbirds, would you consider the Blues "A British institution"? No, because you're smart enough to know the blues started in the U.S., by way of African slaves.
So why would you be dumb enough to call Punk a "British institution", when that style of music got its start over here as well? See: MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges if you doubt me.

Knowledge is power!

Answer 8

To be fair, no.

It curiously mimics the 'British Invasion' of the 1960s, in fact.

The Sex Pistols and The Clash copped their whole look, attitude, feel and musical style (to some extent - I think The Clash eventually flowered well beyond this) from The Ramones and New York Dolls, among others.

It's true that neither the Pistols or Clash (or any other Brit punk act) really made it big in the US, but you can bet that all the wannabe, cleaned-up, cookie-cutter American clones like Green Day tip their hats heavily to their influence.

Answer 9

In 1966 in Detroit, Michigan, MC5 becomes the first punk rock prototype. Their first album, “Kick Out the Jam” was recorded live in 1968.

Malcolm McLaren took a trip to New York with designer wife Vivienne Westwood in 1974, went back to England and managing The Strand the band who would later become the Sex Pistols.

Answer 10

Punk is from the US. The UK just commercialized it. You're right, a lot of people did try to mimic the British style of it. Whether they were good or bad at it, who am I to say? Eye of the beholder and all that. Personally I always thought punk rockers look gay and sound like sh*t, but that's just me.

I get how you feel on the matter though. It's how I feel every time I hear someone from the rest of the world try to rap. British and Russian rap.......*cold shiver*. My farts have more rhythm.

Answer 11

It's the yelp of disenchanted youth. It stemmed from a hankering for the sound of no nonsense rockers like Gene Vincent. It's targets were the establishment (as ever) and overblown and overpaid prog-rock acts. The mighty Floyd, however, are still around, whilst Rotten presents bug programmes. Did it achieve any more than any other form of pop music, then?