Pretty Vacant

Rich Kids

Malcolm McClaren returned from his disastrous period of managing the New York Dolls, in their last drug-induced collapse, in April 1975 determined to form a band that would be a living piece of confrontational performance art.  He famously agreed to manage the Sex Pistols, who were coalescing around Steve Jones and Paul Cook, two kids who were hanging around his clothing store.  The rest, of course, is history; the Sex Pistols came to personify the rage of an entire nation, not just against the stagnant English music scene of the time but against the entire stifling, conformist culture of England in the mid 70’s. 

I still consider the Sex Pistols to be the greatest band of all time, in part because of what they represented and in part because of their amazing music.  To me, “Pretty Vacant” is the (anti) rock anthem to end all anthems; just hearing Steve Jones’ ringing guitar lines at the beginning is enough for me to break out in chills. 

Numerous other bands of course followed:  the Damned (“New Rose” is another song high in my personal all-time top 500 list; I love the tribal drums and Captain Sensible’s roaring guitar), the Clash, the Stranglers, and so forth.  I don’t think I need to go on about these bands or others than people are likely familiar with.

However, many members of these bands had been playing in earlier bands throughout the 70’s in what has come to be called the “pub rock” movement, bands like Ducks Deluxe, Brinsley Schwarz, and the 101ers.  Pub rock bands often played a stripped-down rock/R&B that had echoed the simplicity of the garage rock, mod, and even powerpop movements.

One such pre-punk band was the Doctors of Madness, who formed in 1975 and were heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, the Band, David Bowie, and Roxy Music (who, next to Bowie and T. Rex, are probably the band that influenced the nascent English punk scene the most).  They released two albums in 1976, Late Night Movies, All Night Brainstorms and Figures of Emancipation.  Their sound integrated these influences as well as folk/traditional and even prog rock.  “The Noise of the Evening”  sounds almost like “Fly Like an Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band, but with a much more fuzzed-out guitar sound.  “Suicide City” sounds like Bowie crossed with the Band, and “Doctors of Madness” has a frantic edge the presages punk and post-punk art rock. 

Once punk broke, literally thousands of bands either formed or changed their sound to the new one.  One such band was the Boys.  Formed in 1976 by a factory worker “Honest” John Plain, drummer Jack Black (not THAT Jack Black) and bassist “Kid” Reid, they were later joined by former Hollywood Brat keyboardist Casino Steel and former London SS guitarist Matt Dangerfield.  The Boys played a bouncy, Ramones-influenced pop punk that should have been a huge hit had it not been for record label incompetence.  Their first album, The Boys, contains a number of highly infectious romps, such as “First Time”, their paean to losing one’s virginity.  Their song “I Don’t Care” is terrific, high energy punk powerpop, and they do a solid cover of “Sick On You” by the Hollywood Brats.  “Tonight” and Tenement Kids” are two other catchy, bouncy punk songs from this first album.  Their second album, Alternative Chartbusters has since been recognized as a powerpop/pop punk classic.  “Brickfield Nights” almost hints at glam like Wizzard and Mud.  “Taking on the World” is another two minute, two chord sing-along anthem.  “Do the Contact Hustle” almost sounds like mod revivalists such as Purple Hearts, while “Neighbourhood Brats” is clearly a shout-out to the Ramones, even containing a girl-group lyrical flourish (“And then he kissed me”). The Boys remain a lost chunk of English pop punk.

A band I can’t find any information on are the Donkeys.  I discovered them while searching out old Boys songs on YouTube;  several of their singles are posted, including “What I Want”, which sounds very similar to the Boys in that its infectious, sing-along 70’s pop punk.  They apparently came out of Wakefield, West Yorkshire. (based on a comment someone posted on a YouTube song of theirs).  “No Way” is even smoother, with catchy, slick vocals and a little less overtly punky guitar.  Good stuff; if anyone has any info, let me know.

The band Eater gained some fame when Kurt Cobain proclaimed them one of his favorites.  Formed in 1976 by four high school kids, they released several singles in ’77 and ’78, including the biggest hit “Thinking of the U.S.A.”, which is your basic Pistols-influenced punk but also held a little bit of an Oi sound. 

Similarly, Slaughter and the Dogs were one of Manchester’s first punk bands.  Their single “Cranked Up Really High” is a blast of North Country attitude and became a skinhead/Oi classic. 

But by far my favorite English punk band of all time (besides the Pistols) are the Rich Kids.  Formed by Glen Matlock following his departure from the Pistols in 1977, the Rich Kids also included Midge Ure (who had played with Glasgow pop band Slik and then formed an early punk band known as PVC2 and would go on to form synth pioneers Ultravox), Rusty Egan (who would go on to be a leader of the post-punk New Romantic movement as producer and DJ) and Steve New.  Again, any and all Pistols songs aside, my favorite English punk song of all time is “Ghosts of Princes In Towers”, the name of their first single and their one and only album, and it is a simply magnificent song, soaring, sneering, strutting glam punk pop at its absolute best.  You’d be hard pressed to find a more fun and catchy 70’s punk song than this; the best version is actually the one played live on the English program Revolver, which someone has kindly posted on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTubfc48iPU.  I love the rumble and pound of Egan’s drums and Matlock’s bass, plus the give-and take vocals between Midge Ure and Steve New.  This is one of my absolute favorite songs, but the album contains many other winners, including their other big single “Rich Kids”, which surges and lurches on some nice clean 70’s guitar; their cover of PVC2’s “Put You In the Picture”, which has a rumble and growl but is much speeded up compared to the original; “Burning Sounds”, which almost sounds like early Jam (only slightly less bass-heavy); “Cheap Emotions”, which reminds me of late era Dead Boys but with sweeter vocals; “Hung On You” which has a strutting guitar line similar to that of the Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress”; and “Young Girls” which has a Boys-like quality, with fast vocals and a syncopated rhythm similar to early 80’s new wave.  I consider Rich Kids, and this album, to be one of the best bands/albums to come out of the English punk movement; it was a pity they were never bigger.