CATCHING UP ON SOME BOOK AND ZINE REVIEWS
LONG GONE ILLEGAL PUNK VENUES IN BOSTON by Chris Strunk (Free The Future Press, half-size zine, 40 pg.)
Pretty self-explanatory--a history of "illegal" DIY spaces in Boston and environs for the first decade and a half of the 21st century. Author Chris Strunk--who played in such bands as Conversions, Vile Bodies and Crisis Actors, as well as booking the occasional show--offers a tour of various basements, warehouses, lofts and college/community/art spaces that hosted unlicensed punk shows. It was a constant game of whack-a-mole, as the police got more aggressive with shutdowns, necessitating a quest for the next space. Because, as we know, it's a major crime for people to get together and enjoy watching music.
The venues are presented more or less in chronological order and Strunk tells stories not only about the shows, but the atmosphere/people. I can think of a few spaces he missed (Guns of Brighton, Movie Loft and the Box Fort) but it's pretty comprehensive. I've been to probably 2/3 of the venues he writes about and there were a lot. It shows that people really cared about creating an alternative to the rock clubs. Even before the pandemic, DIY spaces had dwindled a bit--one of the best in recent years was Markus Basket, in the Space Studio in Somerville--and that only lasted about six months. But there were a few promising ones before the shutdown that will hopefully be around once things get back to more or less normal. (Incidentally, I contributed photos to this book and the cover drawing is based on one I took of the Boiler Room). (printedmatter.org)
MODERN MACHINES by David A. Ensminger (Left of the Dial Books, softcover, 154 pg.)
A collection of various interviews done over the years by David Ensminger--some from his old zine and website "Left Of The Dial," others from various print and web outlets. A few are brand new (yours truly, Dave MDC, Chip Kinman from the Dils). It's not the most aesthetically-appealing book--print is tiny, layout nothing fancy. But in terms of content, it's top-notch. David has a knack for bringing out the best in his interview subjects and they're in-depth and more conversational than the typical Q&A format, even when they were done through messaging. There are some lengthy deep-dives with musicians and artists who haven't saturated every other book about punk. People such as Scott Ryser from the Units, discussing his musical and literary influences and giving insight into the early SF scene. John Robb from the Membranes offers a historical analysis of the late 70s/early 80s UK era. Eugene Robinson, who originally cut his teeth in hardcore band Whipping Boy and, later Oxbow, has followed an eclectic musical path, as well as becoming an author and fighter. Better-known interview subjects are John Brannon, Bill Stevenson from Descendents and Steve Soto from Adolescents. Plenty to dig into here.
PETER AND THE WOLVES by Adele Bertei (Smog Veil, softcover, 93 pg.)
The Peter in the title is Peter Laughner, founding member of Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu, as well as many other Cleveland bands. I reviewed a box set of his music a few installments ago. Author Adele Bertei has had a lengthy musical career, including a stint with NYC no wave legends the Controtions. This short book is an expanded version of a book she self-published in 2013, originally meant to be part of a full memoir but never got an official release. It details her friendship and wild adventures with Laughner in Cleveland and NYC. He was a musical mentor but also a deeply troubled individual, who was dead before his 25th birthday. He was well-versed in all sorts of music and literature, but also led an unstable life controlled by drugs, alcohol and an unhealthy fixation with guns. Considering his prolific musical career, one wonders what the future would have held.
The writing is candid and Bertei doesn't flinch from discussing the less savory aspects of his life or people she encountered. Regarding Laughner's tenure in Pere Ubu, Bertei doesn't have a lot of positive things to say about their vocalist David Thomas (aka Crocus Behemoth), who has generally written him out of the band's history (even with significant contributions to songs like "Final Solution" and "Heart of Darkness"). But she also ruminates about the sensitive, inquisitive man who took essentially took her under his wing, encouraged her to pursue her musical passions and made an indelible impact that's lasted with her to this day. (www.smogveil.com)
PUNK POST PUNK NEW WAVE by Michael Grecco (Abrams, hardcover, 240 pg.)
This hardcover, coffee table book is a great visual time capsule of music photography from the late 1970s/early 1980s. Michael Grecco is a professional photographer and basically cut his teeth with these selections, taken mainly in Boston, although there are some from other east coast cities. The cover, with Wendy O. Williams from the Plasmatics taking a sledgehammer to a TV in a radio station office, is immediately enticing. The photography includes plenty of live photos, but also candid ones of not only the bands but audience members and local "personalities," as well. There are the requisite "big names"--PIL, Dead Kennedys, Devo, Cramps, Elvis Costello, Killing Joke, Lene Lovich, Iggy and the Ramones, but lesser-known locals Human Sexual Response are featured in a number of photos. Grecco hit up just about every venue, from the DIY space Thayer Street Lofts and grungy clubs like Cantone's and, of course, the Rat to larger venues like the Channel, Paradise and Orpheum Theater. And the photos aren't always pretty. Plenty of sweat, motion and audience interaction. It's all very intimate.
KILLING JOKE (The Channel, 1981)
Throughout it all, Grecco successfully captures the ambiance (for want of a better term) of what was going on in the music scene. My only critique is the photos don't have any captions or names on them and you have to consult the index in the back. I suppose the names shouldn't matter, just the visual. This brings back a lot of great memories and will provide a view into the past for those who weren't there--or can't remember it! (abramsbooks.com)
PUNKS AROUND #12-14 (half-sized zines)
The last three issues of Alex Herbert's zine. Each issue takes on a specific topic. #12 deals with non-cis punks, with essays, interviews, drawings and comics contributed by trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming punks (as it says on the cover). If you think you know everything about trans issues, guess again--I learned quite a bit here and, one conclusion is that, for all of its professions of open-mindedness, not even punk is always that welcoming for non-cis people. You can never put yourself in someone else's shoes, but it's still valuable to be exposed to these viewpoints and recognize their daily battles.
Issue #13 is about straight-edge, with interviews and essays, including Nancy Barile (Al from SSD is her husband) and Tony Rettman, who wrote "Straight Edge--A Clear-Headed History of Hardcore." He caught some flak from people who didn't think he should write the book because he was no longer straight-edge. Plus a guide to horror movies from Jasmine of TØRSÖ.
Finally, #14 concerns mental health. A collection of artwork, collages and poetry, plus some pretty intense stories from individuals dealing with different aspects of mental health--dealing with various afflictions, some intense, some milder and finding ways to cope. And it takes courage to write about these travails in a public forum. Anyway, much respect to Alex for publishing 14 issues in an era that's been moving away from self-published zines. (punksaround.com)
THE STORY OF DEATHREAT IN STILL LIFE by Justin Briggs (Vague Absolutes, zine, 40 full-sized pages)
Everything you'd ever want to know about Deathreat--for those who have never heard of them, they were one of many interrelated bands based in Memphis and Portland, OR, which include(d) His Hero Is Gone, Tragedy, Severed Head of State, Criminal Damage, Warcry and lots more. Deathreat offered up a more direct hardcore punk style, brief songs packed with pure rage. Anyway, this zine is a cornwith flyers, photos, miscellaneous ephemera and a few interviews, including one by yours truly that originally appeared in Suburban Voice. The project started in 2013 and was rescued after some technical difficulties where the folder of scans, layout etc. was corrupted. Luckily, the data had been backed up on what was described as an at-first "uncooperative back-up" drive. But persistence paid off and it's finally seen the light of day. I'm glad it did because Deathreat seem to be a somewhat underrated band and this will hopefully inspire people to go back and check them out. (vagueabsolutes.limitedrun.com)
... and one music review...
GANG OF FOUR
GANG OF FOUR-77-81 (Matador box)
If I was going to put together a box set for one of my all-time favorite bands, this is how I'd do it. Sure, it's expensive and, if you're on a bit of a budget, there's a CD version, but if you're more than a casual fan, you want this. Trust me. The package (and it's a heavy-duty one, with a cardboard outer shell) includes their first two albums "Entertainment" and "Solid Gold," a 12" with the various singles tracks and a double live album recorded lived at the American Indian Center in San Francisco in 1980. This was done for a live radio broadcast and it's the first official release. Plus there are two badges and a lavish hardcover book with lyrics, essays, photos and even copies of rejection letters from various record labels.
Gang of Four are often referred to as pioneers of post-punk. Considering they started in 1977, that might not be completely accurate. The book mentions about how vocalist Jon King and guitarist Andy Gill visited NYC and checked out the popular bands of the day--Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Ramones, Talking Heads, etc, and brought that inspiration back with them, leading to the formation of Gang of Four. And, yes, it started at an art school in Leeds.
Reviewing albums I've heard hundreds of times can be a daunting task--trying to put their groundbreaking music into non-pretentious terminology and not assuming that everyone has already heard them. But it's my job so I'll try... Gang Of Four's modus operandi featured leftist lyrics touching on various political and sociological issues, sometimes in a broader context, sometimes taken from an personal, observational viewpoint. In other words, it didn't seem like a lecture. They took those words and merged them with jarring and propulsive compositions, but there were also some killer, hook-filled melodies. Gill's guitar lines are jabbing but also melodic and that's accompanied with a superb rhythm section. Dave Allen's bass playing has equal emphasis and Hugo Burnham's drumming is totally in the pocket. King is the main vocalist, with a more "conventional" style, while Gill's vocal turns have more of a somber, resigned-sounding tone.
The final three songs on "Entertainment" is one of the best ending sequences on any album, starting with the "At Home He's A Tourist," the brooding "5.45" and "Anthrax," with a fusillade of guitar atmospherics introducing the proceedings and featuring one of the all-time great guitar "solos. "Solid Gold" had a more spacious and deliberate sound, although songs like "What We All Want," "Cheeseburger" (with humorous lyrics about the American experience taken directly from truckers they encountered at a pool room in LA) and "In The Ditch" provide a churning, hard-edged charge. It's not a major departure but there's more tension and minimalism. "To Hell With Poverty," from the singles album, was their last great song--almost cheerful, but with a dire message--"Some are insane and they're in charge." The live performance is spread over two discs and features a more-or-less greatest hits selection from the first two albums. The sound is a little echo-y, but doesn't sound like a low-fi bootleg. Hearing these recordings make me once again regret not seeing them on that tour.
In addition to all of the above, there's a 90 or so minute cassette with various demos, rehearsals and unreleased songs. The real early stuff should probably have stayed unreleased, since it's very rough-sounding and the better-known songs are played at a sluggish tempo. An exception is the poppy "Elevator," which sounds a bit like The Jam or Wire's "Mannequin." Two untitled tracks recorded at Cargo Studios have a solid rhythmic fire. The Polydor demos for the songs that ended up on "Solid Gold" are killer, offering a few different wrinkles from the released versions. Oddly, the vinyl version doesn't include a download for these songs but the CD version does (while eschewing the cassette).
Only a couple of quibbles--I wish they'd included the original "Damaged Goods" EP, but Hugo told me that they didn't have the rights to those, and "I Found That Essence Rare" on "Entertainment" lops off the introductory riff, which makes zero sense. Otherwise, this is everything you ever need from Gang of Four. "To Hell With Poverty" was the end of the band's first era, with Dave Allen's exit, and they never came close to this level again, moving into less-electrifying territory. But for those four years, they were one of the best bands on the planet. (matadorrecords.com)
That's it for now... I'll be getting my ass in gear any day now and get around to finishing long-overdue record reviews.
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