Having recently posted my 500th post, I see that there is a glaring, appalling lack of posts regarding The Buzzcocks, whose name (oddly enough) is not a not-so-thinly-veiled vibrator reference. The Buzzcocks had a huge influence on the English punk scene, and subsequent independent rock and power pop. Personally, my purchase of Singles Going Steady on vinyl (sigh) in an independent (sigh) record shop (sigh) while in high school was a milestone in my music consumption habits. I had my first exposure to punk and new wave while still in grammar school, having discovered the storied WLIR on a transistor radio I'd received as a birthday present. While I had a good grounding in the music, it wasn't until I discovered an eccentric record store that I was able to purchase a record like Singles Going Steady. The record opens with the hilarious Orgasm Addict and doesn't let up for its entire length (heh). Lead singer Pete Shelley's high-pitched vocals were tailor-made for conveying tales of romantic yearning, nascent sexual identity, uncertainty in relationships, and the giddiness of a new love. One of my favorite Buzzcocks' tunes (apparently, it's also Henry Rollins' favorite) is Harmony In My Head, which features guitarist Steve Diggle's growl instead of Pete Shelly's warble:
Crank the speakers up to the proverbial "11", people- this is pretty much the soundtrack for my not-necessarily misspent yute. It's amazing how well the music holds up- it's not just the rosy glow of nostalgia.
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that's good. I like it. Makes me want some beer and whiskey. and to jump around.
"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" certainly perked up my ears back in tha day
I was wondering how long it would take you to correct this. Harumph.
now post either Everybody's Happy Nowadays or What Do I Get?, and we'll consider the matter closed.
Makes me want some beer and whiskey. and to jump around.
Sold! Don't mind if I do.
Ooops, sorry. now I follow all your links (being ever wary of a Rickroll) I see you pre-empted my complaint, at least half of it.
Well played indeed, you bastard.
that's good. I like it. Makes me want some beer and whiskey. and to jump around.
The music manages to be melodic and jagged-edged at the same time. Gotta love it!
"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" certainly perked up my ears back in tha day
We was so young then, we was.
now post either Everybody's Happy Nowadays or What Do I Get?, and we'll consider the matter closed.
Would Oh Shit! or You Say You Don't Love Me suffice?
How about Something's Gone Wrong Again? "Nothing really happens to people like us- we just miss the bus."
Preempting the zombie.
~
Preempting the zombie.
Hey, it happens.
But when it does, I ALWAYS take care of business in other fashioons.
Man I miss I.R.S. Records. They produced some of the best music ever.
I've always liked how the Buzzcocks were somehow able to take punk and make it melodic without losing the sound of what people would consider classic English punk. They're one of those bands that moved a genre forward.
Y'all don't have independent rekkid stores up there in New York? Lawrence, KS has an awesome one. And they have kitties!
Y'all don't have independent rekkid stores up there in New York?
This anecdote was from my high-school days, when my "range" was somewhat limited from a travel standpoint.
Tat being said, these days, independent record and book stores are getting as rare as hen's teeth- flea markets tend to be really good, though. I had a long talk with a beloved co-worker (a huge opera fan) about the paucity of record stores in the suburbs- even in Manhattan, the huge Virgin superstores have closed.
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