Everything about Protopunk totally explained
Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of the
punk rock movement of the mid-1970s and later, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential.
Typically, protopunk bands were not considered punk themselves, and protopunk, per se, is generally not regarded as a distinct
musical genre, as the precursors of punk rock came from a wide array of backgrounds, styles and influences.
History
The invention of the term "punk rock" is generally credited to critic
Dave Marsh who used it in 1970 to describe the group
Question Mark and the Mysterians, who scored a major hit with their song "
96 Tears." Over the next few years, the term was used occasionally to describe a number of American bands, mostly active in the mid-to-late '60s, playing music that today would be classified as
garage rock: a ragged, highly energetic and often amateurish form of
rock and roll.
In 1976 and '77, punk rock became a worldwide phenomenon, with centers of activity first in
New York City, then
London and the
Los Angeles area; though pockets of similarly-minded musicians could be found worldwide.
In later years, fans and musicians began exploring the roots of the early punk movement, and the term "proto punk" was coined to describe these early, pre-punk influences.
Problems of definition
The term "protopunk" is of uncertain origins, and has proven difficult to define, and many widely different groups have been so dubbed. Most had a certain attitude or appearance seen as important, as opposed to any specific musical tendencies. According to the
Allmusic guide:
» [Protopunk] was never a cohesive movement, nor was there a readily identifiable proto-punk sound that made its artists seem related at the time. What ties proto-punk together is a certain provocative sensibility that didn't fit the prevailing counterculture of the time ... It was consciously
subversive and fully aware of its outsider status ... In terms of its lasting influence, much proto-punk was primitive and stripped-down, even when it wasn't aggressive, and its production was usually just as unpolished. It also frequently dealt with
taboo subject matter, depicting society's grimy underbelly in great detail, and venting alienation that was more intense and personal than ever before.
However, most protopunkers are
rock and roll performers of the
1960s and early-
1970s, with the
garage rock often cited as a foundational influence. Many such garage rock artists can be found on the
Nuggets compilations. Some protopunk bands, particularly in the United Kingdom, also fall into the categories of
glam rock,
UK pub rock or even
Prog rock (such as
Roxy Music, for instance, who were considered both glam and prog rock).
German artists who influenced punk were sometimes part of a subgenre of prog rock called
Krautrock, though this was more an influence on
post-punk.
Though of lesser importance, influence has come from outside rock and roll. Genres such as
classical music, the
avant garde,
outsider music,
reggae (especially influential on
English Punk ),
traditional Irish music (especially
Rebel songs) and
free jazz influenced punk rock and later
post punk bands like Wire,
Crass and
Public Image Limited. In an interview with
Trackmarx, a punk and indie webzine,
Penny Rimbaud of the the
anarcho-punk band
Crass said that they were more influenced by the classical composers
Benjamin Britten,
John Cage and the avant garde than rock'n'roll. This, however, doesn't make John Cage, for example, a proto-punk artist.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, punk rock would fracture into dozens of subgenres.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a number of bands would hearken back to the early
garage rock sound, creating the
garage rock revival and
garage punk movement.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Protopunk'.
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