10 august 2001
it was about a week ago. i was in some typically-fucked-up AOL chat room discussion on punk rock, when i was asked my favorite band. i have a hard time picking one, usually, so i said i didnt have one. "well what bands do you listen to?" came the response. hmmmm... the ramones are way up there, as are the stooges, the cramps, rancid, anti-flag, the OLD misfits, social d, op ivy, international noise conspiracy, the pistols, the clash, etc. i say green day and all of a sudden im a piece of shit. whatever.

so i list on... buddy holly, jerry lee lewis, bo didley, stray cats, the stones, the doors, dave clark 5... "why the fuck are you in a punk chat?!" hahahaha fuck you, little man.

first of all, even though the name would not be smacked on punk's fucking forehead for a few more decades, rock n roll is punk.

 the ramones, the first band to actually be coined as punk rock, said some of their main influences were the beach boys and the beatles (the latter of which i could personally do with or without).

one of the new york dolls' biggest songs was a cover of bo diddley's, not to mention he was on triple X records during the 90's.

jerry lee lewis set his fucking piano on fire and kept playing it, married his 13-year-old cousin, pushed his piano off stage, and caused the first teenage riot in boston during alan freid's "big beat" tour.

i consider "jumpin' jack flash" by the rolling stones to be the first punk song ever recorded.

buddy holly put together the first 3-piece rock n roll band ever, and when the record promoters, a&r's, executives, and club owners told him you cant have a band with 3 members, he basically told em to eat shit.

back to jerry lee. when they told him that you cant sell records playing a piano, girls go crazy over guitar players, not piano players, he couldnt give a royal, flying FUCK.

these were the innovators of music, the god fathers of punk rock. rock n roll was the soundtrack for the disenfranchized youth. parents hated it. THE FBI TRIED TO FUCKING BAN IT. sound familiar? the merging of black and white music. loud, fast, and out of control. wild clothes. wild dances. wild hair. wild performers. the music that broke all of the rules, set the stage, and changed the face of music forever. you can take any '55 - '62 rock n roll song and easily cover it as a punk song.

the misfits "static age" LP: 50's/60's rythm and blues influenced. (listen to "some kind of hate" or "attitude")

the clash "london calling" LP: basically all rock and roll. "hateful" and "wrong 'em boyo" particularly come to mind.

basically any ramones album is proof enough.

if you still dont wanna hear it, well, fine then. but listen to some X, ramones, and the cramps, then listen to the doors, the beach boys, and bo diddley and youll realize its the exact same shit, only evolved. thank you.

sam "sock hop" sinister