Search - Punk Generation on DVD

Some of what was happening around '79-'80

Vorthog | Ontario, Canada | 05/23/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is a Region 0 NTSC import from Disky Communications of Holland.Tracks:1. Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
2. 999 - Homicide
3. Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love? (live)
4. Chris Spedding - Motor Bikin'
5. P.I.L. - This Is Not A Love Song
6. The Stranglers - No More Heroes
7. The Members - Sound of the Suburbs
8. Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90, Go
9. Rich Kids - Rich Kids (live)
10. XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
11. Generation X - Wild Youth
12. 999 - Emergency
13. The Stranglers - Something Better Change
14. Buzzcocks - Promises
15. Dr. Feelgood - Milk and Alcohol
16. Sid Vicious - My Way
17. The Vapors - Turning Japanese
18. Bow Wow Wow - WorkAlthough much of it more accurately qualifies as New Wave rather than Punk, this DVD gives viewers a good sampling of what music was like in around 1979-80 (only PIL's song is from 1983).Since music video was just in its infancy at the time, (there was no such thing as MTV yet. -- Yay!) many of these videos are quite primitive in quality (especially the Bow Wow Wow tracks).We start off with Iggy's now classic song. However, the video for it here is one that was made in the 1990s to go with the Trainspotting soundtrack.Next up is 999. This song "Homicide" was a real anthem at the time. Unfortunately the video for it here is in rather rough condition. Next we have the Buzzcocks with one of the best things about this DVD for me, a LIVE version of "Ever Fallen in Love?" which I have never seen anywhere before. Amazing!The Chris Spedding (now a member of Roxy Music) song looks like it was taken from a TV appearance, and shows him at a tender young age.Next we have the PIL video, which features scenes of Johnny moshing with Japanese fans and in concert in Tokyo in 1983.The Stranglers "No More Heroes" video is a very low-budget effort which only features shots of the band in printed promo posters. Disappointing.This is followed by another treasure for me, the one and only hit single by the great group the Members. Their cockney accent always reminded me of Ian Dury, and this is a really great song.Bow Wow Wow's song "C30 C60 C90 Go!" was a song about boycotting record companies and recording music onto cassettes instead of buying it. -- An early forerunner to our present-day era of Napster downloading, and one wonders what Annabella has to say about it all! Still, it's an ultra low-budget crap quality video though...The Rich Kids song gives us a rare glimpse at the band Glen Matlock formed after he left the Sex Pistols.XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel" is a true New Wave classic, and I am very glad to own this video.Generation X's "Wild Youth" looks like anther TV appearance, and it is fabulous to have some footage of Billy back when he truly was a punk and before the American star-making machinery got hold of him.999's "Emergency" is a totally forgettable song I've never heard before.One of THE finest moments on the entire disc comes next with the Stranglers' "Something Better Change", which finds the group suitably playing in some London back alley. One of their very best songs ever and a great video too. The video for the Buzzcocks' "Promises" has sound problems and seems very muffled.Next we have a band called Dr. Feelgood who I have never, ever heard of and who seem more Rockabilly or even Blues than Punk. NO idea what they are doing on here...The Sid Vicious song is footage taken directly from the Pistols movie "The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle".The Vapors' "Turning Japanese" is hardly Punk by anybody except maybe MTV's questionable standards. But it was a huge song back in those days, and it's one of those ones you just can't get out of your head. (Arghh, damn you!!)The final track by Bow Wow Wow looks like another TV appearance and is another song I've never heard before that would be just as well left forgotten.All in all a very uneven collection with some rather dubious choices. One gets the impression that the compilers of this disc just threw together whatever videos they could lay their hands on in efforts to make a quick buck. Still, I am glad to own those videos on here that really do matter to me, and until such time as somebody out there puts together something better this will just have to do."