Punk Rock

I recently completed my term paper on punk rock and its origins,specifically the "attitude" of punk which goes back to William Burroughs,Andy Warhol,The Dada movement and Rimbaud. This paper led me to my extreme interest in the early punk scene, specifically the "sex pistols" as well as "Sid Vicious,while not the voice,like "John Rotten" he was definitely the embodiment of the punk attitude or punk scene at that time.A scene which everyone caught onto once it was more or less over , punk seemed to be the last battle cry of youth culture,until it became derivative and watered down. Punk now seems to only be a fashion statement or wardrobe( which it was then but more as well ) , a cartoon of itself,when it was all about originality in the beginning.Any opinions..?

The spirit of punk and originality still lives. The fashion show keeps it hidden.

It was the opposite of the hippy movement back then.
It was a fashion statement now it's just a retro fashion (hot topic) and the new music scene claiming to be punk is Green Day.

I think what is considered punk has been greatly cartooned,starting with Sid vicious.The look gets confused with what it actually means.

Punk was allowed to be co-opted by a fleet of retards who equate bad manners & non-existent social skills with some kind of backwards-ass freedom of expression or individuality.

Just about everyone 22 an under gets a free pass. At that age...you're young, fairly inexperienced and relatively naive as far as the adult world. You're expected to act like an idiot...because...well...you pretty much are.

Punk is dead... it's offshoots live on. People always seem to equate Punk with the British scene, but most forget that bands like Talking Heads and Blondie were considered Punk Rock as well.

Unnecessary "quotes" are not punk. Sid Vicious was a junkie moron. Johnny Rotten is still a prick.

I agree on the NewYork scene,but I think the London scene differed in that they were commenting on the monarchy and the social classes."Filth and the Fury " is a good documentary on what was happening then.

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And just for the record, I like the Sex Pistols. I enjoy their music. I just think half the band are thorough idiots.

Beyond that,Vicious and Rotten exemplified that era,he would ( Vicious ) have been a great front man if he had not gone the route of heroin, a life style he picked up from his New York idols like Johnny Thunders.Rotten just tells it like it is without apology...I guess that is being a prick,or just honesty. It was all about attack.

He couldn't sing or play an instrument.

He doesn't "tell it like it is". He tells it like he thinks it is. He's a spiteful, angry prick. If that is "punk" I'm glad I'm not.

If punk wasn't already dead, this thread has killed it.

this is one of those rare times i fully agree with you.

I think his spite lay with Malcolm McLaren , who thought he created punk rock.I think punk was all about being angry,at least before it got homogenized and put into shopping malls.

+ Sum 41

Agreed!

Beautiful.

I just got back from the Punk Rock Show.

I just watched "the Punk Rock Movie" by Don Letts.....awesome footage...

I don't agree.... nor that rotten was a moron,sure he is a prick ,but he is intelligent.

No really, watch it. You'll be glad you did.

I dunno, I thought his delivery was fucking amazing (and if you're into it, check out the Harry Smith anthology he talks about).

Punk was an outgrowth of angry folk music before it was a fashion or a fad, and I identify with that facet of "punk" more than I identify with shock-value swastikas and the Sex Pistols posing in Viviane Westwood-esque attire.

The Sex Pistols were a precursor to the Backstreet Boys. Ask Malcom Mclaren sometime. He'll tell you.