Punk to New Wave

[zill]

I spent the last 48 hours on a whirlwind trip from the west coast to NY and back all for a nonsensical 4 hour business meeting that accomplished nothing. Fortunately, my mp3 player was loaded with a rip of a compilation CD “Teenage Kicks Vol 2 - Going Underground” that was a gift (track listing below). It helped pass the boredom of two days spent in planes and taxis.

However, as I listened, it sparked a question in my feeble mind. There is a lot of music here that I didn’t hear when it was originally released, due to the fact that the backwater town I was living in during the late 70’s had one crap AM station and the only other music on our radio dial was a country FM station. On the surface, it appears to me that the UK music scene shifted rather quickly from punk in the late 70’s to the new romantics and popular new wave bands of the early 80’s. How did this happen? What is the link? Or is there a link? How did UK music shift so radically from hard edged punk to synths and poofy shirts? (OK, yes I had a poofy shirt or two myself. OK, it was several poofy shirts, and baggy trousers too.)

Not having lived through it all in the UK, there does seem to be sort of a progression from punk to the Mods and the ska bands, and from there to the danceable new wave of the early 80’s. Alternatively, maybe the new romantics were a carryover from 70’s disco and there is no link or progression. Maybe punk just burned itself out?

Disc: 1
1. The Jam - Going Underground
2. The Police - Message In A Bottle
3. Madness - My Girl
4. Squeeze - Cool For Cats
5. Pigbag - Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag
6. Blondie - Denis (Denee)
7. Thin Lizzy - Boys Are Back In Town
8. David Bowie - Boys Keep Swinging
9. Echo & The Bunneymen - The Cutter
10. The Cure - Love Cats
11. Flying Lizards - Money
12. The Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap
13. Tenpole Tudor - Swords of a Thousand Men
14. The Undertones - Jimmy Jimmy
15. The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down
16. The Beat - Tears Of A Clown
17. The Selecter - Three Minute Hero
18. X Ray Spex - Identity
19. Sham 69 - Hurry Up Harry
20. Jonathan Richman - Egyptian Reggae
Disc: 2
1. The Specials - Ghost Town
2. The Stranglers - Golden Brown
3. Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
4. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?
5. Dexy’s Midnight Runners - Jackie Wilson Said
6. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt 3
7. Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
8. The Alarm - 68 Guns
9. The Ramones - Baby I Love You
10. XTC - Senses Working Overtime
11. Department S - Is Vic There
12. Buzzcocks - Promises
13. The Undertones - It's Gonna Happen
14. The Jags - Back Of My Hand
15. The Lambrettas - D-a-a-ance
16. The Damned - Love Song
17. Sham 69 Borstal - Breakout
18. Dr Feelgood - Milk & Alcohol
19. Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen (Demo)
20. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

[Randall Roq]

I think punk was perceived (rightfully so) as being predominately white and unfortunately there were some bands who seemed to support the National Front.

I think (the reemergence of) Ska was a reaction to that and just helped open the floodgates.

[Gyroscope2]

What is "the national front"? Pardon my ignorance [:I]

[Dave]

I hear what you're saying Zill. For example, I've always been much more into:

- Punk, post-punk
- Power pop
- Skinny tie(Elvis, Cars)
- Quirky (Devo, Split Enz)
- Ska & Mod
- Even proto-punk and 70's glam

The New Romantic and Synthpop 'soft' stuff never really did it for me. Give me DIY with a guitar and hard-driving rhythmn section any day. The prevalence of the 'soft', 'pretty boy', 'over-produced' stuff in the mid-80's was, for me, the death knell of new wave. It's funny that some people think that Synthpop & New Wave are one in the same.

And I don't think I'm the only one with these preferences. You can see some similar choices in the voting in the Ultimate New Wave Band thread.

BTW, I have heard NW referred to as the bastard child of punk & disco.

[Randall Roq]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Gyroscope2[/i]
<br>What is "the national front"? Pardon my ignorance [:I]
[/quote]

An ultra right wing political party

[Randall Roq]

Trust me there's a lot more to it than I want to get into here...

The British Isles have a talent for turning everything into a political or religious debate especially SOCCER and MUSIC. It's what makes them all so lovable.

Now, ask me some time about the religious animosity between Celtic and Rangers soccer fans.

[Moparmark]

Great observation Zill.Having been a day one punk fan(I think one to many Yes albums pushed me into punk rock)I believe punk just wasn,t radio friendly and scared some of the establishment,therefore lack of chart success,lack of airplay means please go away.

[Coen]

I think punk had to do with energy and setting new standards.
Reading about politics here: Punk was predominantly left-wing anarchistic in the Netherlands in the later 80's. That was because trends are always traded away by people putting claims on it.

They said punk was dead in 79. Since then punk was always made and had their fans. New Wave in Europe was re-inventing themselves. Some through fashionable ways (only) others more in pure musical styles. All trends are eaten by it/themselves and do renew at times. has to do with people with new energy making music...which HAS to be labelled again. Thing is, people like to renew themselves through music by things they already know. Only revolutionaries REALLY renew music by re-inventing new approaches. Thing is...one should know how much music/muzak is in the air all the time. As soon as one is born. ALL people are influenced. So...I'm still waiting for some ET's making music out of nothing. [^]

[WoodlandParkPunk]

Punk scared the record industry and new wave was a tamer, more p.c. brand of punk. To me new wave is "watered down" prettier punk.

[Coen]

That depends.
To me Clock DVA, Cabaret Voltaire, DAF, Einstürzende Neubauten were New Wave bands. They went on where punk bands repeated themselves more and more and had too much of a rock and roll structure to be revolutionary after that sparkling beginning. I think a lot of Popmusic is mixed up with New Wave such as Inxs and that kind of mellow middle of the road bands. But that's always the risk of labelling ofcourse. But bands that hit the charts were most of the time aiming for that chart-audience.