This past winter, I purchased the book Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 by British music journalist Simon Reynolds. A chronicle both thematic and chronological of the various branches that sprouted from the roots of the punk explosion in Britain, it begins with John Lydon's guest spot on BBC radio, in which he revealed himself as more than just a foul-mouthed nihilist but a sensitive aesthete with a wide-ranging taste in music. The end of the story is the waning of both the musical ideas and the hijacking of the movement by corporate interests for profit by the mid-1980's. At its height, it was one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. As a college student at the tail end of its most creative moment, I enjoyed many of the fruits of the labor of these bands and individuals.
First up is the band Joy Division. Short lived, due to the suicide of its lead singer, the band produced some of the most interesting, intense music of the early post-punk years. What I find most interesting is the fact that the lead singers whole demeanor was not one of joy, but almost caricatured depression. Just listen to "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and try and find any joy there. This is "Transmission/She's Lost Control":
One of my favorite bands of the period was The Beat (called The English Beat here in the US because there was an American band of the same name). They had a minor hit here with "Save It For Later", which Pete Townshend loved so much he performed as a solo acoustic bit during his taped solo concert in Brixton in 1986. Here's the video of the original:
Finally, there was Southern Death Cult. Beginning as a Goth band led by singer Ian Astbury, the band shed first the "Southern", then the "Death", becoming The Cult. Their first major-label release, coming after the postpunk movement had lost creative and cultural steam, while not well-loved by Reynolds, was still far and away one of the better recordings to emerge in the mid-1980's. That the band turned in to a corporate band is sad, but Love is still an awesome listen. The following is a clip that includes the title track and the first single, "Rain" (I couldn't find anything with "Phoenix"; "She Sells Sanctuary" is great but not the best cut on the album):
Do any of you have favorites from this genre and era? Let me know, and another post will surely follow with requests.
