american hardcore - the book

[mayorbloomberg]

Has anybody read this book, American Hardcore by Steven Blush?
Is it worth buying? I mean it is only $14. I guess my question is:
Is it boring?
Is it important?
Is it interesting?

Thanks

[Dave]

If you aren't already VERY familar with the Hardcore scene in general I would say stay away. It is a rather biased, ill informed read.

Dave

[Miss Tasty Princess]

I've not read it but I remember Steve Blush from his days as a "promoter" in the DC area and I'd say take anything he says with a great, big grain of salt.

[mixtapegrrl]

if you really want to read it, get it on amazon for cheaper..it's not that good.

what about that book hardcore zen, has anyone ever read that? it seems strangely interesting.

[mayorbloomberg]

what about that book hardcore zen, has anyone ever read that? it seems strangely interesting.

i just bought this one off amazon. i had a gift certificate. i'll let you know.

[Patrick]

Steve Blush is and was an idiot... that said, there is stuff in this book "in their own words" style, especially about East Coast hardcore, that was never documented except in long out of print fanzines.

The Minor Threat and SSD material is worth the cost of the book.

Patrick

[Moon Pix]

I wouldnt particuarly recommend it. Not vey interesting and the guy comes across as a jackoff so I wouldnt bother. Get Azzerad's book instead.:)

[mayorbloomberg]

Thanks. I already read Azzerad's book. It's not really about the early hardcore scene which is what I am interested in at the moment.

I think I will read this book based on Patrick's recommendation. As that is what I am after and, like i said, it is only $14 on Amazon.

[Moon Pix]

I think he wimns brownie points for one thing though - featuring the greatest punk rock band to ever walk the Earth in the Misfits. Im not sure if they really count as hardcore though - surely they were too tuneful to be hardcore?

[Miss Tasty Princess]

Hardcore and tunefulness were not mutually exclusive by any means.

I always find it amusing when younger folks try to redefine what hardcore was/is (I have no idea what your age is MoonPix, I'm just guessing). I've seen people try to claim that Minor Threat and Black Flag were not hardcore 'cause they didn't sound like (relative latecomers) Suicidal Tendencies!

[Moon Pix]

Im 20 so obviously I wasnt around at the time to be into hardcore punk. I like some of it but I think a lot of its too samey. In my opinion the best ones were the ones who rose above three chord loud fast rules thrash, like Dead Kennedys and the Misfits.

Im not into 40 second songs.

[mayorbloomberg]

Im 20 so obviously I wasnt around at the time to be into hardcore punk. I like some of it but I think a lot of its too samey. In my opinion the best ones were the ones who rose above three chord loud fast rules thrash, like Dead Kennedys and the Misfits.

Im not into 40 second songs.

well i think that there is an arguement that could be made that more than :40 could be excessive. that said...have you heard the misfit's "earth a.d". it is not only their best record, but it is their most hardcore. and then there is a band called the minutemen that made :40 songs that sound tuneful and like no one else. i know what you're saying though...i mean i can understand if you can't get into negative approach.

[Moon Pix]

I didnt really like Earth A.D., I much prefered their other more melodic mid-tempo stuff. I think that when they were being melodic they were being special, when they were being fast they were just being like everybody else.:)

[Dave]

well i think that there is an arguement that could be made that more than :40 could be excessive. that said...have you heard the misfit's "earth a.d". it is not only their best record, but it is their most hardcore. and then there is a band called the minutemen that made :40 songs that sound tuneful and like no one else. i know what you're saying though...i mean i can understand if you can't get into negative approach.

OH GEEZ!
Not to get too heavy but I have no idea what either of you are talking about!! There's nothing wrong with a :40 second song as long as it is good, "Earth A.D." is NOT their best record, but is their most hardcore and I CAN'T understand if you can't get into Negative Approach.

Dave

[mayorbloomberg]

OH GEEZ!
Not to get too heavy but I have no idea what either of you are talking about!! There's nothing wrong with a :40 second song as long as it is good, "Earth A.D." is NOT their best record, but is their most hardcore and I CAN'T understand if you can't get into Negative Approach.

Dave

GEEZ! I think it is their best record. I think the lyrics are great, by far the most horriffic. And I like the way it is recorded. And let me just say this:
I too can't understand someone that can't get way into Negative Approach. But i can also understand someone that is 20 years old and not really a big HC fan thinking that Brannon's wailing is not pleasant. i was just trying to point out that there are :40 songs out there that she probably could be into.

But yes, Neg Approach is essential. I am sorry if I lowered the flag for a moment. I have them on my myspace page.

Do you agree with what Patrick said about the book earlier. Worth it for the Minor Threat and SSD stuff alone?
I just want some good stories to read when I go on tour in a few days.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

I bought the first Negative Approach EP when it came out and hated it so much that I never gave them a chance after that. I think I saw them once and was unimpressed, as well, but I'm not totally sure 'bout that. Oh well.

[Dave]

Sure I only have a problem w/the book in that someone not familar w/the Hardcore scene could be quite mislead by it but if your already up to speed to a certain extent then you might eek some enjoyment out of it.

Maybe this will be greeted by a huge "DUH!" but have you read Rollin's Get In The Van? Nothing beats being on tour in a van while reading it.

Dave

PS You have seen this haven't you:
http:www.youtube.comwNegativeapproachv=d_7ksWovMi0&search=negative%20approach

Not sure why this url doesn't work, but it is worth searching for.

[TheSadDebaser]

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=negative+approach&search_type=search_videos

that should work?

[mayorbloomberg]

this is the correct link. it truly shows you the power of hardcore and Neg Approach to still have a positive effect on a young man.

http://www.youtube.com/?v=d_7ksWovMi0

[TheSadDebaser]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-IuprMAEp0&search=minor%20threat

That's cool. I need that Minor Threat DVD.

I don't really know anything about NYHC except the Mad and didn't learn until just now that Negative Approach was from NYC. neato.

[mayorbloomberg]

Negative Approach were from Detroit. The singer John Brannon went on to play with Laughing Hyenas and is now in a band called Easy Action.

[Patrick]

Mr HCI

I would recommend giving Negative Approach a second chance. I rate both their EP and the green T&G album among the top hardcore records of all time.

Patrick

[TheSadDebaser]

Negative Approach were from Detroit. The singer John Brannon went on to play with Laughing Hyenas and is now in a band called Easy Action.

Oh I thought they were from NY because someone tagged one of those videos as NYHC. oh well.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-IuprMAEp0&search=minor%20threat

That's cool. I need that Minor Threat DVD.

I don't really know anything about NYHC except the Mad and didn't learn until just now that Negative Approach was from NYC. neato.If you get the Minor Threat DVD, you can see me make a fool of myself.

NYHC seemingly gets all the attention these days but DC, LA, Boston, etc. all had thriving hardcore scenes before NYC and, IMO, most NYHC sucked, unless you like thuggish, imitative, generic, "tough guy" hardcore. What really chaps my ass, though, is seeing folks try to claim that NYHC was the start of it all. Even more annoying are assertions that hardcore was the result of punks discovering thrash metal and incorporating it with punk rock when it was totally the other way 'round.

[9000]

reminds me of the days when i'd come home sore and bruised after shows. (ny)hc held my attention until about 1987-88, when i first realized that rap acts like BDP, eric b. & rakim, and public enemy were a whole lot more badass than most of that scene. anyway, i don't think i ever got into negative approach, but they certainly seem like something i would have liked then. i need to go dig through my records.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

reminds me of the days when i'd come home sore and bruised after shows.I used to count my bruises the next morning. Ah, to be 19 again.

I watched all three NA things on YouTube and, uh, sorry but they just don't move me. The kid hitting the fan with his guitar was funny, though.

[9000]

NYHC seemingly gets all the attention these days but DC, LA, Boston, etc. all had thriving hardcore scenes before NYC and, IMO, most NYHC sucked, unless you like thuggish, imitative, generic, "tough guy" hardcore. What really chaps my ass, though, is seeing folks try to claim that NYHC was the start of it all. Even more annoying are assertions that hardcore was the result of punks discovering thrash metal and incorporating it with punk rock when it was totally the other way 'round.

i (begrudgingly) agree about the nyhc claim. i always thought black flag, minor threat, bad brains, etc. were waaaay better than anything that came out of nyc thereafter, maybe with the exception of the early cro-mags' shit, which was like the hardest of the hard of the ny scene. agnostic front was pretty alright too.

[9000]

The kid hitting the fan with his guitar was funny, though.

that was very funny. and another pathetic reminder of my earlier years.

[Patrick]

New York hardcore sucked. Period. ok, there was Heart Attack and the Misguided, and above all the Bad Brains (but they were really D.C.).

NYHC was Young and Useless, early Beastie Boys, Agnostic Front, Kraut, Cro-Mags... ugh. The worst.

Hardcore was about D.C., Lansing, Boston, LA in that order, and then smaller scenes.

Patrick

[9000]

New York hardcore sucked. Period. ok, there was Heart Attack and the Misguided, and above all the Bad Brains (but they were really D.C.).

NYHC was Young and Useless, early Beastie Boys, Agnostic Front, Kraut, Cro-Mags... ugh. The worst.

Hardcore was about D.C., Lansing, Boston, LA in that order, and then smaller scenes.

Patrick

next time you see a bunch of nyhc skins, watch out for the wall of death coming at you..!

[Miss Tasty Princess]

New York hardcore sucked. Period. ok, there was Heart Attack and the Misguided, and above all the Bad Brains (but they were really D.C.).I bought the Heart Attack 7" but all I can remember is it stunk and I sold it. The Misguided, however, gave Happy Flowers our name; I've never heard them but was told they "sucked" (by former member of the ban, and [former?] Matador employee, Lyle Hysen).

I remember seeing Bad Brains on PM Magazine when I was in high school (before they moved to NYC). I was intrigued but frightened by stories of fans kicking holes in walls where they played.

I can't remember if that was before or after I got into Dead Kennedys and The Damned, though, the first two punk bands I heard after a near lifetime (I was 17) of metal, Kate Bush, Horslips and Bill Nelson. I bought the DKs "Kill the Poor" 45, even though I knew punk sucked, 'cause I thought it looked cool and I have a dark sense of humor. The Damned quickly followed 'cause our local record store had The Black Album and it, too, looked cool. It didn't take me long to discover Dischord (we lived in the DC area) and Black Flag after that . . .

[9000]

everything went black was my first black flag record (double record?). i must have played that thing daily, several times a day. the dead kennedy's and the whole uk punk scene became a lot less revelevant to me after that.

[Moon Pix]

Well to be honest Ive never really dug Minor Threat and Bad Brains either so I supposses Im beyond help at this point.

I used to like the first MDC record untill I realised that its f***ing tuneless.

Love The First Four Years though.:)
(sleater-kinney is punky enough for me)

[Keith]

You maybe right, those records were of their time so a little contex maybe needed.

[Moon Pix]

Not that Im an expert on it obviously but I think a lot of that music was just a violent knee jerk reaction to what was going on in America at the time. Im not so sure that it stands up very well musically as music and its stuff of its time. The stuff that rose above that does (Kennedys, Black Flag, Misfits etc) but I don't think most of it does.

Just my opinion though.

[TheSadDebaser]

I definately don't like Agnostic Front. So I guess that's why I don't hear much about NYHC. I like hardcore shows, though, they're fun. I want to visit ABC No Rio some this summer, never been to. If not for the punk/hc matinees, then at least for their avant-jazz Sunday shows.

I haven't really listened to any punk rock at all in the past like, year, though. Which was weird when I realized that because it used to be all I listened to.