The First New Waver Ever

[hubcity]

[quote][i]Originally posted by XXX[/i]
<br>Sparks were around as far back as '72. They never changed format in their 30+ year history.
[/quote]

And they've got a new album out, too. "Hello Young Lovers" has at least two outstanding songs on it ("Metaphor" and "Perfume") and that's only counting the songs I've heard thus far.

Though it's probably not accurate to say they never changed format - because they've *always* changed. But in always changing, they've never changed, if you get what I mean...



-Sean
Altrok Radio
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[Bitter Almonds]

Yeah, I don't think of Kraftwerk being as bona fide New Wave. They're influential in other genres too, so it's kinda strange to lump them into the one that we like when they could go into Electronica, Techno, Avant-Garde, etc. It's almost the same issue with Roxy Music and David Bowie. To me, they really are the "art" and Classic Rock that many often place them in. It's the smaller outfits. The ones that didn't quite fit into a specific genre and came out with strange and cool music. My list of early New Wavers would look like this:

The Velvet Underground

Sparks (1971)
The Stranglers (1974)
Blondie (1976)
Ultravox! (1977)
Pere Ubu (1978)
Japan (1978)
The Buzzcocks (1978)
Devo (1978)

[Max Murdoc]

The "Ultimate" godfather of new wave has to be Raymond Scott. Not only was he composing some of the most bizarre music you ever heard (starting in the 40's) his contributions to electronic music and his work with Bob Moog led to new wave. How's that for messing with everybody's heads? Google him and you will find out how right I am.

The man was a genius...and if I remember correctly, Bowie even thought he was great.

And please don't go on about how his music is considered "cartoon" music. Yes, I know that Warner Bros used his compositions (Carl Stalling) in most of their classic toons, but Raymond had nothing to do with that. His music was so much different than his contemporaries and isn't that what punk and new wave strived to be...different than everything that was out there?

Raymond's music doesn't "sound" new wave now but it sure was then.

Now, the first new wave release (not punk mind you, altho' they tend to get mixed together a lot) would probably have to be Devo's "Mongoloid" single from Dec. 1976. So there's my vote. Hold the presses! I change my vote to "Halfnelson" (Sparks debut) 1971.

The music you listen to is the soundtrack of your life.

[Bitter Almonds]

I agree with you up to a point, but now you're talking full-on avant-garde stuff, which could influence a lot of genres the same way Moog did with his invention. Other genres can lay claim to those guys. Why not go as far back as the Italian Futurists from the early 1900s? (Gotta love those Eye-talians[:D] I <3 FUTURISM!). I'm piqued, to say the least, as to how this guy's music sounded. Are there albums out there in print?

[Max Murdoc]

You can buy his CD's at Amazon. I recommend the "Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights". This is the definitive comp of his works. You will recognize a lot of the stuff on there.

The music you listen to is the soundtrack of your life.