Great column (as usual) Tim, but I have a few corrections that I hope you can appreciate:
1. Giorgio Gomelsky
He was NOT Russian! He was from Czechoslovakia (along with Tommy Ramone), from what he told me (and we shared a lot of time together), and from the area called Bohemia (how fitting, right?)
2. "Punk rock" and Lester Bangs
Lester might have coined the term, but he didn't define the genre. Greg Shaw (Who Put The Bomp) picked up on the term to describe what he hoped would be the "next big thing" (now known as garage rock), and when Lester visited New York City in early 1976 he was disappointed that the bands weren't all imitating the Stooges' "Funhouse." He hated most of the NYC bands (until we brought him to Max's to see the Ramones).
3. Garage rock and punk rock
IMHO, the whole "punk rock" thing and who "invented" it is simple: No one did. It was an evolution, not a creation by a single individual. Everyone from Richard Hell, The Saints, the CBGB scene (although there was very little punk rock there in 1976 beyond the Ramones), The Sonics, and even Elvis made it happen. It was a worldwide movement, mostly inspired by The Stooges but also Alice Cooper, MC5, New York Dolls etc.
Your column was great, well-researched and interested. Just don't give Lester all the credit. OK?
1. Now, THAT I did not know! Thank you VERY much for this!
2. I felt Lester's writings defined the punk aesthetic. And he definitely coined the term. Greg certainly helped refine what is/isn't garage, post-Nuggets. And yeah, he certainly helped spread the '70s punk gospel (alongside a certain NYC mag some guy named Holmstrom kicked up! AHEM! Take your bow, John! You've earned it!) Mostly, with this, I just wanted to return proper credit to Lester, after Dave Marsh has spent centuries trying to hog the honors for himself!
3. Interesting! I don't recall going into Who Invented Punk Rock -- more Who Invented The Term "Punk Rock." But I agree '70s punk was a spontaneous worldwide eruption, with all the people you named contributing. That is kinda the point of my book. I am happy to hear you underline that point! Usually, people want to argue that it all began in NYC, or in London, ro wherever. That makes me happy that we see eye-to-eye about that, because that's a part of punk history that can definitely bear correcting.
Thank you for weighing in, John. If ANYONE can speak authoritatively about this topic, it is you. But I will repeat: I give Lester his due credit for coining the term, because Dave Marsh and a certain writer you used to work with need to stop claiming that "punk rock" was THEIR invention! But I also feel Lester defined that aesthetic better than any other writer. And yes, I am prejudiced! LOL!
Please drop in any time, John. You are always welcome here, and anything you have to say is fully respected.
P.S. -- I love your tale about taking Lester to see the Ramones! We should do an interview for my 'Stack sometime!
1966, I’m 13, and I hear the Yardbirds, “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” (Hey! Backwards, Forwards, Square, and Round!). I’m chain smoking Tareytons and getting a nicotine buzzzzzz … from the song!
Great column (as usual) Tim, but I have a few corrections that I hope you can appreciate:
1. Giorgio Gomelsky
He was NOT Russian! He was from Czechoslovakia (along with Tommy Ramone), from what he told me (and we shared a lot of time together), and from the area called Bohemia (how fitting, right?)
2. "Punk rock" and Lester Bangs
Lester might have coined the term, but he didn't define the genre. Greg Shaw (Who Put The Bomp) picked up on the term to describe what he hoped would be the "next big thing" (now known as garage rock), and when Lester visited New York City in early 1976 he was disappointed that the bands weren't all imitating the Stooges' "Funhouse." He hated most of the NYC bands (until we brought him to Max's to see the Ramones).
3. Garage rock and punk rock
IMHO, the whole "punk rock" thing and who "invented" it is simple: No one did. It was an evolution, not a creation by a single individual. Everyone from Richard Hell, The Saints, the CBGB scene (although there was very little punk rock there in 1976 beyond the Ramones), The Sonics, and even Elvis made it happen. It was a worldwide movement, mostly inspired by The Stooges but also Alice Cooper, MC5, New York Dolls etc.
Your column was great, well-researched and interested. Just don't give Lester all the credit. OK?
John, thank you! Point-by-point:
1. Now, THAT I did not know! Thank you VERY much for this!
2. I felt Lester's writings defined the punk aesthetic. And he definitely coined the term. Greg certainly helped refine what is/isn't garage, post-Nuggets. And yeah, he certainly helped spread the '70s punk gospel (alongside a certain NYC mag some guy named Holmstrom kicked up! AHEM! Take your bow, John! You've earned it!) Mostly, with this, I just wanted to return proper credit to Lester, after Dave Marsh has spent centuries trying to hog the honors for himself!
3. Interesting! I don't recall going into Who Invented Punk Rock -- more Who Invented The Term "Punk Rock." But I agree '70s punk was a spontaneous worldwide eruption, with all the people you named contributing. That is kinda the point of my book. I am happy to hear you underline that point! Usually, people want to argue that it all began in NYC, or in London, ro wherever. That makes me happy that we see eye-to-eye about that, because that's a part of punk history that can definitely bear correcting.
Thank you for weighing in, John. If ANYONE can speak authoritatively about this topic, it is you. But I will repeat: I give Lester his due credit for coining the term, because Dave Marsh and a certain writer you used to work with need to stop claiming that "punk rock" was THEIR invention! But I also feel Lester defined that aesthetic better than any other writer. And yes, I am prejudiced! LOL!
Please drop in any time, John. You are always welcome here, and anything you have to say is fully respected.
P.S. -- I love your tale about taking Lester to see the Ramones! We should do an interview for my 'Stack sometime!
Spot on.
Thank you, kind sir! :-)
1966, I’m 13, and I hear the Yardbirds, “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” (Hey! Backwards, Forwards, Square, and Round!). I’m chain smoking Tareytons and getting a nicotine buzzzzzz … from the song!
That's my fave Yardbirds track, too!
Yeah, the Lovin Spoonful? Nah...
Yeah, Patrick Baird? Nah...
Brilliant stuff - will be playing it later!