Viva el Amor – Popstar.
I think Chrissie Hynde was the singing voice of the punk era and it was The Pretenders that really got me interested in this new sound (although their music was much more professional than much of the punk sound).
This track is classic of the genre and is a mixture of rock, pop and punk with some brilliant lyrics and that strong, dynamic voice of Chrissie accompanied by some solid guitar work. This is a really good album.
Unknown Pleasures – Disorder.
When the punk sound was first developing I was still very much into the bigger bands like Pink Floyd and Roxy Music, but I then heard this album for the first time and I really took to the unusual sound, rhythm and slightly depressing lyrics. The album has an intriguing cover, which I understand is Radio Emission data from a Pulsar! This track is probably the best illustration about what I liked in this sound, with the slightly off beat drum beat and the sharpness of the sound I found that punk was not just about noise and anarchy!
London Calling (1) – London Calling.
During the punk years I heard the music being played by The Clash and quickly realised there was some real talent with this band.
This title track from this double album (vinyl) is the classic that everyone knows and as I suspected it would, it has stood the test of time. It has a strong rhythm and a great beat. You can hear the punk-generated anger in the singing, but this is good music. Buying this album led me to quickly buy Sandinista, when it came out!
Greatest Hits 1977-1990 – No More Heroes.
I guess I dabbled at the edge of punk rock, with albums by The Clash and Joy Division, but I really liked The Stranglers and thought they were not as simple as just punk rockers. So, after many years I decided I should own some of their music and I bought this CD.
For me, this track is a typical example of punk rock at its best – the upbeat sound (fast rhythm) – and the slightly gruff voice. but what really makes this track a favourite for me are the lyrics – simply brilliant.
Now of course we all want to know what happened to all the punks, lol!
Closer – Atrocity Exhibition.
The punk movement didn’t really influence my taste in music, but I also did not ignore it. What attracted me to Joy Division was their sound and, in particular, the voice of Ian Curtis who provided an unusual, sad sound to an often melancholic beat.
This track has all of the components that made the “sound” of Joy Division – I like the drum beat introduction over ridden by what sounds like a machine gun effect (maybe just my imagination lol!) and the strange vocals leading to that strangely melancholic voice. The lyrics are also typical Joy Division: almost depressing!
I am not sure why I got to like the music, maybe it was an early experience listening to Leonard Cohen (haha), but, alongside The Clash, this was quality punk rock for me.
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