Rarely does a pop recording capture lightning in a bottle but when the Undertones, the main players in the Northern irish Punk scene, went into the studio to record their debut 4 track EP they made something wonderful when they recorded Teenage Kicks. Released on Good Vibrations records in 1978 it was initially championed by John Peel, who played it twice in a row, and it went on to be one of the great pop records. Its a terrific example of independent music making and a forthcoming movie charts the exploits of the founder of Good Vibrations, Terri Hooley*, whose trials and tribulations are worth it for this song alone.Its brilliance is that it sounds as fresh as when it was released every time you play it.
Anthemic punk songs taking
the Springsteen approach to building a song to try and capture an essence. Here
are some of those songs that tried to expand the 3 minute pop song template,
with varying levels of success, and varying levels of credibility within a scene that was very fragmented. These, by and large, came a couple of years after the 'glory years' of '76 and '77 and showed the pop leanings that led into the 80's domination of the so called New Wave.
During the UK musical explosion of 1976 known as Punk ,a number of bands were formed as a direct consequence of the emergence of the Sex Pistols and a number of other bands, who may not be directly 'Punk' bands, embraced the 'can do' attitude of the movement. The critical moment of decision on whether there was validity in Punk was the release of albums from these bands and during 1977 and 1978 the debuts from the movements best were/are surprisingly good and when reflected on 30 odd years later they capture the vibrancy of the times. Here's my best of the bunch
1.Never mind the bollocks here’s
the Sex Pistols-Sex Pistols 1977
Holidays in the sun
Liar
No feelings
God save the Queen
Problems
Seventeen
Anarchy in the UK
Bodies
Pretty Vacant
New York
EMI
2.The Clash-The Clash 1977
Janie Jones
Remote control
I’m so bored with the USA
White Riot
Hate & War
What’s my name
Deny
London’s Burning
Career Opportunities
Cheat
Protex Blue
Police & Thieves
48 Hours
Garageland
3.The Scream-Siouxsie & the Banshees-1978
Pure
Jigsaw feeling
Overground
Carcass
Helter Skelter
Mirage
Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)
Nicotine Stain
Suburban relapse
Switch
4.In the city-The Jam 1977
Art School
I've Changed My Address
Slow down
I Got By in Time
Away from the Numbers
Batman theme
In the City
Sounds from the Street
Non-Stop Dancing
Time for Truth
Takin' My Love
Bricks and Mortar
5.Crossing the red sea with the
Adverts-The Adverts 1978
One Chord Wonders
Bored Teenagers
New Church
On The Roof
New Boys
Bombsite Boy
No Time To Be 21
Safety In Numbers
Drowning Men
On Wheels
Great British Mistake
6.Another music in a different kitchen-The Buzzcocks
1978
Fast Cars
No Reply
You Tear Me Up
Get on Our Own
Love Battery
Sixteen
I don’t mind
Fiction Romance
Autonomy
I Need
Moving Away from the Pulsebeat
7. Pink Flag-Wire 1977
Reuters
Field day for the Sundays
Three girl Rhumba
Ex Lion Tamer
Lowdown
Start to move
Brazil
It’s so obvious
Surgeon’s Girl
Pink flag
The Commercial
Straight Line
106 beats that
Mr Suit
Strange
Fragile
Mannequin
Different to me
Champs
Feeling called love
12 X U
8.Damned, Damned, Damned-The
Damned 1977
Neat, neat, neat
Fan Club
I fall
Born to kill
Stab yor back
Feel the pain
New Rose
Fish
See her tonite
1 of the 2
So messed up
I feel alright
9.Real life-Magazine 1978
Definitive gaze
My Tupla
Shot by both sides
Recoil
Burst
Motorcade
The great Beautician in the
sky
The light pours out of me
Parade
=10. Germ free Adolescents -X-Ray Spex 1978
Art-I-Ficial
Obsessed with You
Warrior in Woolworths
Let's Submerge
I Can't Do Anything
Identity
Genetic Engineering
I Live Off You
I Am a Poseur
Germfree Adolescents
Plastic Bag
The Day the World Turned Day-Glo
=10. The image has cracked-Alternative TV
Alternatives
Action Time Vision
Why Don't You Do Me Right?
Good Times
Still-Life
Viva La Rock N' Roll
Nasty Little Lonely
Red
Splitting In
Okay Pretention is currently king in advertising. Currently these three (among strong competition) are leading the way in the 'Brick through the screen' stakes in their complete and utter beastliness
"I'm not going to be the person I'm expected to be anymore"
Scorsese presents us with staggeringly awful pretentious twaddle in the Chanel Bleu advert
Gun Crazy (AKA Deadly is the female), directed by Joseph H Lewis in 1950 is one of the most influential movies made in the fifties, influential to the next generation of movie makers from Goddard and Truffaut to Dahl and Tarantino and beyond. Doomed lovers, casual violence and creativity from the director all add up to make one of the key Noir films who's influence can be seen in films like A Bout de Souffle, Bonnie & Clyde Badlands and True Romance.
British actress Peggy Cummins as Laurie Starr is a blueprint of post war pop iconography, she's sexy, smart and very dangerous. She pressurises good guy husband John Dall into taking the dark path for money and cheap thrills. Lovers on a crime spree but with a freshness of touch and a sexuality rare for the time. Obsession with guns is the catalyst for this couple and the journey they take is charted with a vigorous style and panache that belittles the minuscule budget.
Gun Crazy is a must-see for anyone who wants an insight into modern cinema and its roots. Its also a bloody good movie that is full of energy and charisma that belies its B Movie status.
With the release of a new Quentin Tarantino box set covering his twenty years in the Directing business, making films bristling with cinematic influence.Let's have a look at some of those influences
I eagerly await his latest offering Django Unchained. The influence of which is plain to see. Here's to the next twenty years Quentin
Stills from: The Game of Death Kiss me Deadly The Dirty Dozen Ocean's Eleven Faster Pussycat Kill Kill Foxy Brown The Anniversary City on Fire Pandora's Box Diamonds are forever They live by night
