Proto-punk
 

Right guys, I see alot of punk threads without much notice on the bands that laid the foundations. So, what about the monks? what about the sonics? what about pere ubu? what about the stooges? MC5? link wray? The modern lovers? You have to acknowledge the bands that started up the genre you love.

I have a thread on the Monks. It's labelled this forum doesn't get much activity or something like that. The Sonics are the ****. Rocket From the Tombs are more proto-punk than Pere Ubu since I'd consider most of Pere Ubu's recorded output to be post-punk. The Sonics are great, the Stooges are amazing, MC5 are pretty good, the Modern Lovers are good, I don't know Link Wray.

Velvet Underground are considered by many to be proto-punk, Richard Hell and Television also are sometimes, Big Star, John Cale, New York Dolls, and if you want to be very loose about it Captain Beefheart. Lots of great stuff.

yes mate! good call, i love richard hell and all his work with the voidoids, the heartbreakers and television. i didnt list him because i consider him to be part of the first wave of punk. pere ubu had so much agression in their work i consider them the early incarnation of what punk came to symbolise. And the VU, well, lyrically they didnt touch so much on the early punk concepts, but you cant doubt the raw, edginess of their work. i defietly believe they influenced punk bands as much as they influenced anybody else. But we're taling about a majorly influential band here. Beefheart no, hes much more in the realms of hard psychedelia.

incidently, ive mentioned rocket from the tombs in a thread on noise rock, so i agree with you to an extent on that too.

I dunno, VU songs like "I Heard Her Call My Name" sound borderline punk to me. I would agree with Terminal Tower/The Modern Dance era Pere Ubu (for the most part) to be kinda proto-punk but as soon as you get into Dub Housing I think they're too far detached from punk to really retain that genre.

true, post 1982 ubu were more into undergound electro pop but you cant deny their early stuff was hugely influential on what was to become punk. I think whatever VU did was influential - they were one of those bands. i think bands from the freak scene like pink fairies and steeleye span were an influence.

All great bands.

Been looking for some Destroy All Monsters for ages , but seem to come up blank everytime :(

Albert Ayler
Electric Eels
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I didn't know pere Ubu were proto punk.

Anyway The Stooges are easily my favorite. MC5 seemed average to me, I like the Velvet Underground, like the New York Dolls, and love Television and Richard Hell.

What about bands like Suicide? I'd say they were quite a big influence on punk.

I don`t know if you could really call Suicide an influence , I`d say they were more like contemporaries as far as punk goes.

I`d say they were more an influence for 80s music, bands like Throbbing Gristle , Cabaret Voltaire & Clock DVA rather than punk.

suicide i'd say in their early career were more influential to the electroclash movement and in their latter career owed more to post-punk and indie-rock. Their techno/drum machine combo was admittedly way ahead of its time and the vocals were i suppose quite punk..but they dont really cut it for me in terms of proto-punk.

big old school fan here

i love Iggy Pop and The Stooges, MC5 and The Who

A lot of these bands had a big influence on what came to be grunge and garage rock, as well as punk. Punk has so many sub genres its hard to tell.

I believe The Who was the first band to destroy their instruments on stage. if you watch the Monterey Pop festival.

"All of it was made for you and me, so lets take a ride and see what's mine."

i know the first band actually labelled "punk" was ? & the Mysterians. the seeds, the standelles and the kingsmen are all regarded as influences aswell. the kinks were also early visionaries with davies treatment of an amp and subsequent, distorted, edgy sound you hear on the likes of "you really got me" and "all day and all of the night".

Hasil Adkins
**** Dale

hmm
 

gang of four were special. still sound special today. wire too.

Both are post-punk, but whatever.

Better get my wallet out I think

Im surprised nobodys mentioned the 13th Floor Elevators or the Fugs.

Electric Eels are a band ive been listening to a lot recently. I would of loved to have seen them live (though if im honest i would probably have stood right at the back)

Wasn't Nick Knox in the Electric Eels?

I'm a big Richard Hell fan, but like Whirlwind I still consider him to be fully-fledged punk. Love the Velvet Underground, the Stooges and Link Wray...

Garage bands like the Sparkles and the Wailers and the Swamp Rats also seem sort of proto-punk to me.

Good call with Kinks and Elevators, also the Pretty Things and all that... never heard Hasil Adkins (disgraceful for a Cramps fan) but I'm pretty sure you may be onto something there.

? and the Mysterians were a damn good band. "96 Tears" (notable but not-so-great cover: The Stranglers) was always a very influential hit, but the B-Side to their follow-up "I Need Somebody" single "Eighteen" (The Alice cooper song of the same name was not a cover) was even better to my ears. The first album is good, although I have not heard their 2'nd (Action, 1967), although "Can't Get Enough of You, Baby" is a single I'm familiar with (I'm sure that it was this version that sparked The Colourfield's alright version, which in turn sparked Smashmouth's irritating mega-hit version).

The Seeds - Live At Merlin's Music Box is a very underlooked album for it has the classic non-hit "Satisfy You" (check it out!) while the first two albums were very good. I'd be careful approaching Future, their attempt to blend in with the Flower Power thing, although "Two Fingers Pointing At You" (Featured in the film Psych-Out) and "Where Is the Entrance Way to Play" are common fan favorites.

Standells - "Try It' - An Ultimate G-Punk anthem! OK, "Dirty Water," too. Oddly enough, the band was led by a one-time member of the Mickey Mouse Club (Their Drummer/singer) and Produced by a member of The Four Preps (Ed Cobb) for their best recordings (They had some very tame recordings before "Dirty Water"). The Try It album is a mixed mix of killer tunes and Ed Cobb trying to get the singer into some kind of Supper Club Soul ("Can't Help But Love You" being a Late '67 single), but the appearance of "All Fall Down" and "Poor Shell of a Man," both pretty interesting original by Organist Larry Tamblyn (Who's Actor brother Russ would appear in Satan's Sadists and Free Grass by '69) really puts the album into must-have status. I'm also a sucker for the cheesy and cool Cult Soundtrack ready "Animal Girl" single, which was their final single unleashed in Early '68.

The Kinks - Their early recordings are a classic formation of Punk Influence, and even the more melodic '66 songs like "A Well Respected Man" and "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" are textbooks in social commentary in their own right. Their Post '67 work up to and including Village Green Preservation Society ('68) and Arthur ('69) are complete 180 Degree turns from the angry sound, but they also have quite an influence that one can hear in The Jam (sharp and witty social commentary in an era of hippie Over-Indulgence.).

The Kingsmen were a little too Frat Party Band for me, but they do have their place in Punk Influences for at least their cover of "Louie Louie."

Also...

The Music Machine ("Talk Talk," "The People in Me," all in black for most of their time, tough and angry music that's also brooding and intelligent. From '66-'68 they were great)

The Rationals (Detroit legend! "Respect," "Leaving Here," "Guitar Army")

Chocolate Watchband (Ed Cobb's other famed G-Punk production assignment when he was also recording The Standells: "Sweet Young Thing," their killer cover of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," "No Way Out," "Are You Gonna Be There At the Love-In," "Don't Need Your Loving"...I could go on and on!). their third album was too laid-back, but their first two albums are always worth mentioning.

The Sonics - Their first two albums (be aware, their '67 album released on Jerdan is tamed) are excellent. "Psycho," "The Witch," and "Strychnine" should be heard.

I can understand both the surprise and the lack of mention.

The Elevators' first album is a G-Punk classic, although their Demos that album and the early live shows are stronger and more Punk. After that, they were Psychedelic in the very best way (Easter Everywhere remains a Psych-Out classic).

The Fugs did have some influence, but I have a feeling that they are possibly more seen as a major part of the true Hippie scene, especially for what they contributed.

Two great bands who really could prove that with the right attitude, the twain can meet.