Recognition of Rusted-On Aesthetics

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In my youth - about twenty five or so years ago - I found a strong association with that genre of music known as 'punk rock'. I blame, at least in part, people like reddragdiva and his journal "Party Fears" for assisting in this along with venues like The Red Parrot.

My particular tastes in this genre weren't terribly obscure. I was incredibly impressed by the musical diversity and socialist politics of bands like The Clash, especially the Sandinsta! triple-album. But from the other side of the big pond, I really liked The Dead Kennedys; although they weren't as musically diverse (usually sticking to a hard and fast delivery), they were musically very competent and, of course, I found much in common with their left-anarchist politics.

The final song on their second album, Moon Over Marin (youtube) I found particularly striking. A more melodic combination of surf music and punk rock the mental image of the lyrics portrayed environmental dystopia on the scale of science fiction (shades of John Bruner's "Stand on Zanzibar"). 'Marin' of course, is the rather beautiful coastline and peninsula of California that includes the Bay Area.

French punk band Les Thugs do an absolutely superb cover of 'Moon over Marin'. I've been playing it like a heartbroken or angry teenager today. I may as well just admit it; I'm an aging punk who never gave up on its values. No wonder a young shop assistant expressed pleasure at my Clash hoodie a couple of weeks back. I was a little surprised and slightly embarrassed; I guess young people today, like young people then, respect those whose stick to sound principles in politics and taste and don't sell out. I hope that will always be the case.

Comments

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

Heh, I'm 39. I'm about the same. I had to make do with records and didn't see hardly any punk shows, mostly because nobody would go with me and my mother would not let me out of the house for something like that alone. (Meanwhile my sister was allowed to go see giant metal concerts full of violence and drunken mayhem while I couldn't see a straight-edge show, whatever.)

I think I wasn't as politically motivated at first. My first big punk love was X, and that was mainly because of Exene Cervanka. I hadn't seen anything like her before, she was amazing to me. I was a very shy, sheltered kid, so the idea that a woman could go onstage without combing her hair and wearing ratty dresses was a big deal. Eventually, I became politcally motivated.

Here in Alabama, even the punks are often right-wing, and I had to deal with a lot of people into bands I thought were kind of disgusting (semi-white power, or advocating violence for no reason).

I'm sure that cashier was feeling you out to see if you were an actual Clash fan, and not someone wearing the shirt for cool points. I see that all the time now-the Ramones sell ten times as many shirts as records. You're not supposed to listen to them, just vaugely agree with their existence.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Sounds like Exene was politically motivating in a feminist "personal is political" sort of way :)

I'd be terribly uncool wearing a Clash tshirt in my forties and not being a Clash fan!

I do remember when the Happy Mondays sold more t-shirts than records in the early 90s.. _fustian, crankynick and myself decided to form a band called "Dresden" that would have no music at all - just t-shirts, posters...and (my contribution) a blank CD which was a cover of Crass' "The Sound of Free Speech".

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

I guess she was! I had been brought up with a fairly restricted view of womanhood, to say the least. Just seeing a woman whose life was about art, creativity and fun was a big step forward.

It's terrible of me to sometimes be resentful of new fans of older punk bands, isn't it? Especially if they're my age and suddenly decide so-and-so band that broke up ages ago is cool. And I'm thinking "Where were you? We coulda used you back in '86."

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Heheh... Better late than never I suppose!