Favorite albums from the first Punk era, '76-'80

[Andy Butler]

I love the first Clash album...so much damn energy...and it sounds today more like an English garage band than so called punk.

[Lenny Helsing]

au contraire friend, yes you are entitled to your opinion but it ain't mine dat for sure...you simply cannot deny the genius present in the first Damned LP, also first two Saints LPs, Johnny Moped, Wire, The Adverts, Eater and at least the first 4 Ramones LPs...The Gun Who? Ivy Wha? PAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oooo that'll get some ears flappin eh, ha ha...

Eastwood said:

Theres only really... the first Ramones record... The Adolescents First record... The Gun Club's First album....
yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh... The Ivy Green LP too

[Lenny Helsing]

Yeah cool Matt, that very Neil Young LP fits the bill, and though not regarded as punk stuff like Tonight's The Night can fit the bill...well if the Fun Club can be punk then so can Neil Young and The Electric Prunes and The Crawdaddys and The Chesterfield Kings...yeah I love the Dolls and Heartbreakers too...I guess even stuff like the early Wipers counts too right? But when you start getting into Gun Club territory then well the 'Mary Chain and early Shop Assistants and the like gotta be included too, and then it's just a hop skip and spit to the newer garage 60s fiends like The Tell-Tale Hearts and while I'd never cite them as punk, unless we mean 60s garage punk R&B-fixated stuff, they are way more true soul of what punk was is and ever should be...than a million others that some folks bring into the picture...but Hey ain't it true that's all just opinions...and we all have them...C'est la vie poonk luvvers

MATT GALLUCCI said:

The Ramones got me started down the path, so those first 4-5 records that fit the '76-'80 time frame are my favs. Really off the wall, but if you crank the electric tunes you might agree (or not), but Live Rust by Neil Young I think fits. I know, I know, the extended guitar parts don't fit the mold, but punk music isn't about fitting a mold, it's about energy!!! And Neil had it during that period. Live, none better!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Add to my list The New York Dolls and anything solo from its band members. Real Sex and Drugs and R & R!!!!!!!!

[MATT GALLUCCI]

That's my record collection!!!! :O)

Gringo Starr said:

My list without The Clash, The Sex Pistols or The Specials would be uninformed at best and stupid at the very least. Whatever your personal tastes may be, English bands of this era played a huge part in the vast scheme of things + dismissing the 2 Tone thing is just not right. Once again:

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1972
New York Dolls 1973
The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! 1975
Patti Smith Horses 1975
Ramones 1976
Dead Boys Young Loud And Snotty 1977
Television Marquee Moon 1977
Suicide 1977
Damned, Damned, Damned 1977
The Saints I'm Stranded 1977
Never Mind the Bullocks Here's the Sex Pistols 1977
The Clash 1977
The Jam This Is the Modern World 1977
Can't Stand The Rezillos 1978
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo 1978
X Ray Specs Germ Free Adolescents 1978
Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts 1978
The Undertones 1979
The Specials 1979
The Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady 1979
Dawn Of The Dickies 1979
The Crawdaddys Crawdaddy Express 1979
The Cramps Songs The Lord Taught Us 1980
X Los Angeles 1980
Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables 1980
Talking 'bout Thee Milkshakes 1981
The Gun Club Fire of Love 1981

Zoe von Doll said:

I like your list without the Clash, Sex Pistols, Specials...saw you mention the Bags somewhere too...izza goed.

Gringo Starr said:

This thread just won't die -- So for all of you that missed it, here is my list previously posted on page 3 (I think):

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1972
New York Dolls 1973
The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! 1975
Patti Smith Horses 1975
Ramones 1976
Dead Boys Young Loud And Snotty 1977
Television Marquee Moon 1977
Suicide 1977
Damned, Damned, Damned 1977
The Saints I'm Stranded 1977
Never Mind the Bullocks Here's the Sex Pistols 1977
The Clash 1977
The Jam This Is the Modern World 1977
Can't Stand The Rezillos 1978
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo 1978
X Ray Specs Germ Free Adolescents 1978
The Undertones 1979
The Specials 1979
The Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady 1979
Dawn Of The Dickies 1979
The Crawdaddys Crawdaddy Express 1979
The Cramps Songs The Lord Taught Us 1980
X Los Angeles 1980
Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables 1980
Talking 'bout Thee Milkshakes 1981
The Gun Club Fire of Love 1981

[MATT GALLUCCI]

The good news I see from reading lots of the posts is that five year period had TONS of great music. Lots of opinions and lots of great records!!!!!!!!!

Lenny Helsing said:

Yeah cool Matt, that very Neil Young LP fits the bill, and though not regarded as punk stuff like Tonight's The Night can fit the bill...well if the Fun Club can be punk then so can Neil Young and The Electric Prunes and The Crawdaddys and The Chesterfield Kings...yeah I love the Dolls and Heartbreakers too...I guess even stuff like the early Wipers counts too right? But when you start getting into Gun Club territory then well the 'Mary Chain and early Shop Assistants and the like gotta be included too, and then it's just a hop skip and spit to the newer garage 60s fiends like The Tell-Tale Hearts and while I'd never cite them as punk, unless we mean 60s garage punk R&B-fixated stuff, they are way more true soul of what punk was is and ever should be...than a million others that some folks bring into the picture...but Hey ain't it true that's all just opinions...and we all have them...C'est la vie poonk luvvers

MATT GALLUCCI said:

The Ramones got me started down the path, so those first 4-5 records that fit the '76-'80 time frame are my favs. Really off the wall, but if you crank the electric tunes you might agree (or not), but Live Rust by Neil Young I think fits. I know, I know, the extended guitar parts don't fit the mold, but punk music isn't about fitting a mold, it's about energy!!! And Neil had it during that period. Live, none better!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Add to my list The New York Dolls and anything solo from its band members. Real Sex and Drugs and R & R!!!!!!!!

[Lenny Helsing]

Yeah that era was certainly one of those ultra-special ones like the orig. r'n'r period, and the beat-into-garage-psych movement...

MATT GALLUCCI said:

The good news I see from reading lots of the posts is that five year period had TONS of great music. Lots of opinions and lots of great records!!!!!!!!!

Lenny Helsing said:

Yeah cool Matt, that very Neil Young LP fits the bill, and though not regarded as punk stuff like Tonight's The Night can fit the bill...well if the Fun Club can be punk then so can Neil Young and The Electric Prunes and The Crawdaddys and The Chesterfield Kings...yeah I love the Dolls and Heartbreakers too...I guess even stuff like the early Wipers counts too right? But when you start getting into Gun Club territory then well the 'Mary Chain and early Shop Assistants and the like gotta be included too, and then it's just a hop skip and spit to the newer garage 60s fiends like The Tell-Tale Hearts and while I'd never cite them as punk, unless we mean 60s garage punk R&B-fixated stuff, they are way more true soul of what punk was is and ever should be...than a million others that some folks bring into the picture...but Hey ain't it true that's all just opinions...and we all have them...C'est la vie poonk luvvers

MATT GALLUCCI said:

The Ramones got me started down the path, so those first 4-5 records that fit the '76-'80 time frame are my favs. Really off the wall, but if you crank the electric tunes you might agree (or not), but Live Rust by Neil Young I think fits. I know, I know, the extended guitar parts don't fit the mold, but punk music isn't about fitting a mold, it's about energy!!! And Neil had it during that period. Live, none better!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Add to my list The New York Dolls and anything solo from its band members. Real Sex and Drugs and R & R!!!!!!!!

[Eastwood]

oh OK Ill add the adverts at least, and the x ray sepx

Lenny Helsing said:

au contraire friend, yes you are entitled to your opinion but it ain't mine dat for sure...you simply cannot deny the genius present in the first Damned LP, also first two Saints LPs, Johnny Moped, Wire, The Adverts, Eater and at least the first 4 Ramones LPs...The Gun Who? Ivy Wha? PAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oooo that'll get some ears flappin eh, ha ha...

Eastwood said:

Theres only really... the first Ramones record... The Adolescents First record... The Gun Club's First album....
yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh... The Ivy Green LP too

[Nocount]

The Saints - Stranded. One of a few records that I could listen to from beginning to end, over and over.
X-ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents. The lyrics are pure poetry, but the sound, it still gets me.
The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us - Talk about a sonic revelation.
Dead Boys - Young Loud and Snotty - 'Nuff said
An honorable mention to The Pagans - Everybody Hates You, a disk put out by Crypt Records some years later of the material from that era.
The Adverts - Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts - Catchy melodies, that burrow under your skin for endless supply of exquisite torture.
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady - I know, i know, Not really an album. So what. It sure felt like one when I got my gready mitts on it some 30 years ago.

[MATT GALLUCCI]

Yeah, the Pagans!! Forgot about them. I have that cd somewhere!

Nocount said:

The Saints - Stranded. One of a few records that I could listen to from beginning to end, over and over.
X-ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents. The lyrics are pure poetry, but the sound, it still gets me. The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us - Talk about a sonic revelation. Dead Boys - Young Loud and Snotty - 'Nuff said
An honorable mention to The Pagans - Everybody Hates You, a disk put out by Crypt Records some years later of the material from that era.
The Adverts - Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts - Catchy melodies, that burrow under your skin for endless supply of exquisite torture.
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady - I know, i know, Not really an album. So what. It sure felt like one when I got my gready mitts on it some 30 years ago.

[Gwangi]

What do you think about :

Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures" 1979 (post-punk - cold wave)
The Exploited "Punk's Not Dead" 1981 (heavy trash punk)

[Jon Bard]

So , so hard to choose. I'll toss the first names that come offa the top of my head:

Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope (Or The Clash, or London Calling)
The Blasters awe-inspiring first LP
Squeeze - Argybargy
Never Mind the Bollocks, of course
Heartbreakers LAMF
Television - Marquee Moon
any of the first 3 Ramones LPs
Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
Bad Brains s/t
....hell, I could do this all day. What an era!

[Jon Bard]

Singles Going Steady is one of those rare comps that really deserves to be considered like an actual planned LP. It's not just a mish-mash of greatest hits or odds and ends, it's a brilliantly curated collection that adds to any fan's understanding and enjoyment of a great band. The Kinks Kronikles is another one like that.

Nocount said:

Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady - I know, i know, Not really an album. So what. It sure felt like one when I got my gready mitts on it some 30 years ago.

[John Carlucci]

Ramones first
Dictators go Girl Crazy
1st Generation X lp
1st Clash Lp
1st Modern Lovers Lp
Horses Patti Smith
Vibrators Pure Mania
Television Marquee Moon
Buzzcocks Singles goin Steady
Jam all Mod Cons
undertones 1st lp
StrAnglers 1st lp
incredibly Shrinking Dickees