1975: WAS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

For a number of years now I have been obsessed with one question. Was punk inevitable? Did it have to happen, given the oft-reported state of the music biz in the mid 70s? Consider the facts. In 1975 there existed some unquestionably excellent artists: Pink Floyd, 10cc, Eagles, Queen, ELO, Be Bop Deluxe, Supertramp, Peter Frampton, Genesis, Dr Feelgood, Nazareth, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Sparks, Man, Can, Kraftwerk, Hawkwind, John Cale, Roy Harper, Richard Thompson, Camel, Groundhogs, Golden Earing, Deep Purple, Budgie, SAHB, AC/DC, etc. Bruce Springsteen had just released Born To Run, Macca and Lennon still released pretty good albums.

The one underlying fact about these groups was that they paid their dues! They worked damn hard to create musically and to earn a record contract. And this took time. Therefore no one under about 27 seemed to be part of this musical scene. But things were musically extremely healthy. I was not aware of the other oft-repeated problem of teenage unrest/boredom, waiting for something to happen at street level, blah blah blah.

And then around the early summer of 1976 I began to read Caroline Coon in MM writing about this new back to basics music termed punk. Six months previously she was rattling on about the wonders of Slik (I have a very long memory Caroline) so I took this new music with a large pinch of salt. However, a long forgotten paper called National Rockstar also began raving about this music, and I was forced to take notice. Then of course during December 1976 came the single event that propelled Punk onto the front pages: The Grundy interview, for which we can forever be grateful to Queen for pulling out of their original spot on the show. Remember, before this cataclysmic TV broadcast The Pistols et al could barely pull a cracker to their gigs, let alone a whole slew of suddenly disaffected youth! But after it, I, along with many thousands of others of my generation, decided to get rid of all my previous records and start again from scratch. Year Zero.

To bring the story up the present I recently witnessed the Sex Pistols live at Hammersmith Odeon and I can report that it was one of the best and most exciting concerts I have seen for many years. Lydon was in tremendous form, a cross between Kenneth Williams and Old Man Steptoe.

So in answer to my own question: Yes, Punk had to happen so young kids could get their songs down on plastic, to give old Gits like myself great nights out, 30 odd years later!

by Glenn D Evans
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