6 Punk Albums That You Must Have in Your Vinyl Collection

Over the years there have been so many people and bands who have claimed to carry the "punk" banner that its essence and spirit has been diluted into marketing babble. Trying to define punk rock is not only counterproductive, but very frustrating. Is it about anarchy? Smashing the system? Rebellion? Maybe it has become a way to sell T-shirts and stickers. Some people would say that Lou Reed is not punk, others would say Green Day is; I would disagree with both.

For me; Punk is an attitude and a spirit; a personal expression of uniqueness. I think that we humans like things that are tangible and concrete; that connect us; to a memory, to an experience, to each other--- Punk does that. You can still feel that ethos, embedded in the grooves of a vintage vinyl record, that idea that you could do it yourself, be yourself, be outrageous and be creative about it.

I love vinyl records, because we have a personal relationship with them that we don’t with digital music. We remember getting up to turn the Frisbee shaped discs over, or our parents obvious disgust with our taste in music, the liner notes, cover art, interior pictures, even the feel and look of a newly pressed, shiny record. Punk made us feel that we were part of something bigger than ourselves and that we belonged; it created a community, where none had existed before. So my ‘very short list’ of essential punk records, is informed by that idea; by that feeling.

6) New York Dolls, Self-Titled album: 1973

Although considered a hard rock band, The New York Dolls, were pioneers in the early punk scene. These five, cross-dressing, glam punks appeared on the scene, making the likes of Bowie, T-Rex or even Gary Glitter…well, tame, by comparison. I say ‘appeared’, because they did not BURST onto the scene. They appeared-- hammered out angst layered in a heavy dose of street sleaze and trash, sprinkled with gritty street sense, to a largely disinterested crowd. It took over a year, before a record company dared to sign them, thus, thrusting them onto a larger—disinterested—world. But the truth is this; punk would not have been the same without The Dolls. Would The Sex Pistols ever have happened? Would The Ramones have done it the same way? The Dolls didn’t just burn the candle at both ends; they used a blowtorch; drag, androgyny, gender bending, smeared eyeliner, Cuban heels, gravel and grit-filled voices and drug fueled debauchery, led to a breakthrough album that was a huge influence on the future punk movement, and a ‘must have’ for any punk fan.

5) The Ramones:

The Ramones warrant their own blog, and they do exist. Let it suffice to say, that NO record collection is complete without at least ONE Ramones album, but for me, the best was still the first. The Ramones debut album in 1976. Quite frankly, luck had nothing to do with this album, which is basically perfect. These men were the ethos, pathos and logos of punk; they were intent on making it, gigged relentlessly and then delivered. I could wax poetic for days on The Ramones, but, I could never articulate them so well, as was done in the book, Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History of Punk—which, if you haven’t read it already, drop everything, go to your local—(independent bookstore; ie: Green Apple in San Francisco)—and add it to your collection now; it’s the sort of book, that I carry in my purse, just in case I am hit by a MUNI bus; this is the book to be caught dead with. Back to The Ramones, here’s an earlier post, which says more than I can here: The Godfathers of Punk; The Ramones.

4) The Clash

Whether you have the US or the British version of this record, this album is one ‘fearsome’ listen and an essential piece of vinyl for any punk collection. Again, The Clash is a band that unabashedly deserves all the praise heaped on them; and although I have most—(if not all)—of their work, I would still direct you to their debut, as one of their strongest bits. It's raw and it’s all here - the snarling fury, the amphetamine-laced vitriol, DIY musicianship and most satisfying, searing music played at a breakneck pace. After all, the album's barely 40 minutes long and by today’s standards that's not a lot of music. Then again, when was the last time any current band burst out of the gate with an album like this? What’s My Name? The Clash.

3) Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols

Oh my! What is there to say about The Pistols, that hasn’t already been said in a gluttony of B-Rate movies, subpar documentaries and half-assed exposes. But, put all that aside, and know this one thing: "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen" defined the raging style of punk, period. This album remains a bile-filled emblem of the times. Through The Pistols, music; rock, punk, post punk, new wave, pop music and metal, were renewed by the big bang that was the Sex Pistols. If it wasn't for Bullocks breaking the mainstream music machine and corporate-rock malaise of the late '70s, we'd STILL be listening to hollow, pompous imitators of Floyd and Zeppelin.

2) Iggy Pop: Raw Power

I love Iggy Pop and am beyond excited to go see him at The Masonic, here in San Francisco next week. To see Iggy live is a bucket list item for me and Raw Power, whether it be Bowie's or Iggy's mix, must have a place on any shelf that contains punk, rock, punk-rock, proto-punk, classic rock or any other kind of rock, for that matter. Here’s the kicker: BUYER BEWARE. The newly remastered version is NOT the same as the original; it’s not in the same league, the same ballpark, hell, it’s not even the same sport. To quote Mr. T., “I pity the fool”. This is a TERRIBLE remaster, for reasons that I won’t go into here. However, IF you can get your ears on the original 1972 release, you are in for some brilliant madness; and you will not have to question why this album is one of the most influential records of all time, not only in the punk movement, but for music as a whole.

1) Lou Reed: Transformer

This post started out with 5 Great Punk Albums, but became 6; and the reason is, that for me, Lou Reed is one of the most important figures in rock history and remains its most unrecognized genius despite his enormous contributions to the musical genre. From defining the rock underground during the Peace and Love era of the Sixties, to redefining the parameters of rock guitar, Reed eventually lent his legendary aura to the fledgling Punk Revolution which made him one of its Founding Fathers of punk; pre-punk, but punk. Not everyone will agree, but, that’s OK; because punk or not—Transformer is a seminal album, that influenced the landscape of music as we know it today.

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