With the absymal state of what is now called “Punk” (i’m thinking simple plan).(For the record i also think the latest greenday and blink 182 albums are over rated, over produced shit)
I was considering the true punk bands which of course leads me to “the clash”. what i am trying to find out is what bands would you say were a major musical influence on the clash.
Second point can you name a band that would call green day a major influence.
its my theory of 3rd generation music (basically that once it gets to the 3rd generation it will be shit, [yes its true i have nothing to back up this theory…yet])
In this case:
The Clash (1st Generation)
Green Day (2nd Generation)
??? (3rd Generation)
-Fake Plastic Trees
Read “Please Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History of Punk” by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain.
Also watch “End of the Century” a brilliant documentary on the Ramones.
The Clash - in their own minds - are at least 3rd generation themselves:
- The Stooges influenced the Ramones
- The Ramones influenced the Clash (listen to what Strummer says about the Ramones in the documentary - he says that, in his mind, they started everything)
- The Ramones influenced the Clash
And that doesn’t even speak to the ska/reggae aspect of their music, which is probably more like 4th or 5th generation. And you know what? It kinda doesn’t matter, because the Clash rock.
Good music is good music. Influences can be good and bad - your basic premise simply doesn’t hold water. If you want to discuss how commericialism takes an art form, freezes the “rules” for that art form and leads to lesser bands who copy the rules but don’t get the spirit or essence of the form - sure, that happens all the time. Music in particular is loaded with influence - it takes very little effort to go from African music, American folk and country and Swing/jump blues to rock, which of course leads to punk. The point is that depending on how you define “influence,” most modern forms can be portrayed as, oh, 10th generation without much effort…
You are welcome to not like the bands you mention. I happen to think Green Day is wonderful and American Idiot is great. YMMV - but not liking it has nothing to do with how many generations back they go.
See AllMusic for this kind of info. FWIW, Simple Plan and Blink 182 don’t represent all of modern punk–if you’re willing to dig a little, you can find some good stuff.
Well, you might be surprised at the Clash’s influences.
About 15 years ago, I saw a VH1 show on which Peter Noone (ex-Herman’s Hermits) was having a round table discussion witrh Roger Daltrey of the Who, Bill Bruford of Yes/King Crimson, and Mick Jones of the Clash. Surprisingly, all 4 were being very open, very honest, and very jocular.
Mick mentioned that he’d gone to art school, even though he had no real artistic talent and no real interest in art. When asked why he’d done that, he said (I’m paraphrasing),“Well, I really wanted to get into a rock and roll band. And it seemed like all my favorite musicians had started off in art school. So, I guess I had this idea that if I went to art school, on the first day, I’d just walk into the toilet, and I’d see a bunch of blokes with guitars, and we’d be on our way.”
At that, Noone asked Mick Jones who these favorite art-school artists were. And his “influences” were remarkably mainstream: Ray Davies, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend and John Lennon.
The MusicHound album guide lists influences for each band they discuss.
FWIW, according to the Guide (1999 edition), The Clash was influenced by the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran, Junior Marvin, David Bowie, and the Who; and they in turn influenced Rancid, Nada Surf, Green Day, and the Pogues.
Grren Day (according to the guide) was influenced by the Kinks, the Ramones, Dickies, the Buzzcocks, the Jam, the Clash, Vibrators, UK Subs, Cheap Trick, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Descendents, and Seven Seconds; and they influenced Blink 182, Alcohol Funnycar, and Playground.