Straight Edge: A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History

by Tony Rettman, Anthony Civorelli (Foreword)

Starting in 1981 via Minor Threat’s revolutionary call to arms, the clean and positive straight edge hardcore punk movement took hold and prospered during the 1980s, earning a position as one of the most durable yet chronically misunderstood music subcultures. Straight edge created its own sound and visual style, went on to embrace vegetarianism, and later saw the rise of a militant fringe. As the “don’t drink, don’t smoke” message spread from Washington, D.C., to Boston, California, New York City, and, eventually, the world, adherents struggled to define the fundamental ideals and limits of what may be the ultimate youth movement. Tony Rettman traces the story of straight edge from adolescent origins to enduring counterculture via fresh first-hand accounts from the clear and alert members of Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, Youth of Today, DYS, Slapshot, Uniform Choice, 7 Seconds, Stalag 13, Justice League, Chain of Strength, No for an Answer, Insted, Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, Bold, Project X, Lärm, Brotherhood, Shelter, H2O, Half Off, Resurrection, Raid, Strife, Earth Crisis, Vegan Reich, Mindset, Stop and Think, Mouthpiece, Floorpunch, Ten Yard Fight, Mental, Fucked Up, Trial, Have Heart, Praise, Clear, the Geeks, and many others. TONY RETTMAN is the author of New York Hardcore 1980–1990 and Why Be Something That You’re Detroit Hardcore 1979–1985. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, The Guardian, The Wire, Red Bull Music Academy Daily, and many other print and online outlets. He has provided liner notes for releases by the Circle Jerks, Warzone, the Crumbsuckers, and Beyond, and he hosted the Green Room Radio podcast. In the late 1980s, he coedited the fanzine Common Sense, in which he interviewed the likes of Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Chain of Strength, Insted, No for an Answer, and many other straight edge hardcore bands. Rettman resides on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife, two cats, and an inoperative hot tub.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Punk, History

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2017

About the author

Tony Rettman is a freelance music journalist whose work has appeared in The Village Voice, Vice, The Wire, Philadelphia Weekly, Cleveland Scene, Arthur, Swindle, Signal to Noise, Mean, and Thrasher. At age 14 in the 1980s, he was the editor of Common Sense zine. He has provided liner notes for such artists as Hackamore Brick, Bored Youth, Beyond and many more. He is a contributing editor to DoubleCrossXX.com.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It's always cool to read about bands that I actually listen to. My only super nitpicky gripe is that, on the list of Essential Straight Edge Albums, it lists the title of Trial's amazing, amazing Are These Our Lives? as Is This Our Lives?. If it wasn't one of my top 5 albums of all-time, I could probably ignore it... but it is, so I can't. Come on. Oh, and I still can't stand Earth Crisis.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unterhaltsam geschriebenes und interessantes Buch über eine faszinierende Bewegung innerhalb der Hardcorepunkszene, die viele gute Intentionen und ein paar Problem hatte. Viele Stimmen der Szene geben Einblicke in die Zeit und Geschehnisse. Für Hardcore-Fans und Musikliebende definitiv ein Tipp!
Leider nicht auf deutsch erhältlich, aber es ist kein Tolkien, also problemlos lesbar.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent, fun, refreshing experience. This brought back so many memories of bands I loved, and fills in so many gaps for me about bands and scenes I didn't know about.

(Obligatory cred check: Like many readers, I have a connection with the scene. In fact, the first concert I ever went to was Shelter, Jihad, and Baby Gopal at the Grounds in Detroit, in either '93 or '94. A few older friends took me, and I didn't really know who they were or what they had done... because I was like 15 years old! It was a super fun and intense show, and we got to speak with Ray and Porcell afterwards for a few minutes, which was pretty cool. Well, after your first show being Shelter, guess what.. you are now a straightedge punk!)

Like most people, I 'broke edge' at some point, and because this review is not an autobiography, let's move on. As Porcell writes at the end of the book, he meets people who are later in life and come back to it again, full circle, to their ideals. "All the things instilled in them are still there... so now I realize the importance of the values, rather than the rules. The ideals are the most important thing." Sorry, but this had be choking up. Along with so many other great quotes and viewpoints in this book, from people I've never met in real life but have made such a profound and positive impact on me and my life, I just have to express such gratitude and respect for these people who made straight edge and hardcore happen. Seriously, people like Ian, Kevin Seconds, Ray & Porcell, Walter & Civ, even militants like Karl from Earth Crisis and the guy from Vegan Reich were speaking wisdom. What a book.

[Tibo Polleunis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was something that I needed. I've never drank a sip of alcohol, never smoked, never done drugs in all my life, and honestly I feel like there aren't many people around me that are the same way. Reading this book showed me that there are in fact a lot of people in this world that feel the same way and reading this book opened my eyes.

This book is a collection of people in the scene talking about their experience with straight edge culture. It's nice to see everyone's different perspective on SxE and how it differs from person to person. From using words to using violence, from eating meat to being vegan, every possibility is talked about.

Of course the SxE movement is heavily linked to the punk/hardcore scene and a great deal of the book talks about bands, concerts and how the genre originated. Therefore I feel like this book wouldn't be a good read for people that are not into punk/hardcore as it goes deeply into the music side of things. If you are into that stuff, I really recommend this book as it is not only fun to read, but also very informative!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even though most of the stories in here I knew already due to my involvement in hardcore and Straight Edge. There where some parts like the hardline chapter or the salt lake city gang violence that brought me some new information. Mostly because these things are not really part of how I see SXE.

Other then that this is a nice overview of the most influential classic straight edge bands and scenes. The whole book consists of parts of interviews with the movers and shakers from that time and that place. This results in some unreliable narrator issues, but it also emphasizes that Straight edge means different things to different people.

I for my part agree with Porcel that it is about time that a new young torchbearer band for SXE arises. This scene of 3o somethings can do with some new blood.

[Josef · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certain chapters of the book were enjoyable and interesting and quite frankly could/should have been longer, especially the early ones concentrating on the DC scene and also some of the Boston stuff. Also quite interesting were the beginnings of the Orange County scene around Uniform Choice and the rather very brief European chapter. Too much of the book revolves around Youth Of Today and endless scenes spring up thereafter pretty much having nothing new to say except repeating themselves over and over. I was never SxE but enjoy reading anything punk and hardcore related. This was a let-down and had far more potential.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the journalistic format of the different interview excerpts spliced together by topic, often corroborating one another, sometimes contradicting each other. I'm going to try to read more of this 1st person account, oral-history narrative structure. It felt even-handed and comprehensive, including both criticism and praise while going through the total history of this niche subculture within a subculture.

I was in the punk scene when I was a teenager in the '00s, and straight edge was around but I wasn't straight edge and I didn't think much about it beyond that Minor Threat song. Reading this made me realize for the 1st time just how close I was to it, how many all-ages shows I went to must have been straight edge all along, and how many elements of it bled over into my own scene without me even paying attention. Those vegetarian hardcore bands were straight edge. My KEEP IT CLEAR shirt in that old photo is straight edge. The green cargo shorts I rocked were mimicking the straight edge style. That vegan guy on the bus who recommended Bane to me was probably straight edge. Or that Bane was straight edge, and Refused, and Lifetime. And Fucked Up, the first punk band I ever saw, had a straight edge singer. I drank, but straight edge was closer than I realized.

The beginning of the book about the ubiquitous drug culture of the '70s and associating the failure of the "revolution" of the '60s with drugs was the first time I understood the context for why straight edge ever resonated with people and took hold to begin with.

The structure of the book starts really strong and covers a lot of territory quickly. DC -> Boston -> Reno -> LA with each chapter being named after a song from that time and place that sums up that scene. It's also interesting seeing how distinct and independent each city's scene was in the early days. It's a history of hardcore as much as it's a history of straight edge.

It slows down and stretches the content a little thin later in the book, sometimes devoting a page or two to a single event/drama. I didn't realize how jocky and suburban it was compared to punk. Or that the outlandish stories and legends were inspired by professional wrestling/parody. Or that it was briefly affiliated with with Hare Krishna (?). Or that hardline was anti-abortion (?). After all the infighting and backlashes to backlashes and reactions to reactions peters out, it ends on kind of a wimper. This thing is still alive but it's kind of on life-support until someone picks up the mantle. It's a history book, after all.

Interesting passages:

> In the 1970s everyone was stoned, even people's parents.

> People can say punk came from England, but hardcore music is something that was made in America.

> The thing that separates hardcore from punk is that punk was like, "Fuck this place". Hardcore was saying, "Let's make a difference. Let's make our minds stronger and focus."

> Why does this form of expression have to be dictated by the alcohol industry? ... Music is the only art form I can think of that has this sort of structure. Do poetry readings have to be done in crack houses? Do art galleries have to be heroin dens? So why does rock 'n' roll have to be relegated to these places that serve alcohol?

> To spread your wings and mature musically in hardcore was really hard to do gracefully, without sucking or alienating your fans ... The invasion of the second guitar players started it all.

> I wasn't too charitable to those bands. I didn't see them as a tribute. I was more in the mind-set of: "Can't you get your own fucking idea?" I didn't realize back then that part of being influential is allowing people to be influenced by you and not being so shitty about it.

> It was a lot easier to sing about your friends and making good choices in life instead of political stuff.

> It's gonna take more than you fuckin' got.

> All you did was talk shit. You didn't slay any dragons.

> Being a vegetarian in 1988 was like being Lewis and Clark. You couldn't find a brick of tofu even in New York City.

> At that stage, the straight edge scene was more vibrant and energetic than anarcho-punk ... We used "vegan straight edge" when talking to straight edge kids as a way to introduce them to hardline.

> We always viewed having a pro-life view as being directly connected to our veganism ... I feel it's a woman's decision. I'm not a utopian. I recognize that the world involves suffering, and sometimes necessitates killing. But I think it's important to correctly label and understand our actions for what they are.

> I get how that kind of thing could be empowering to a disenfranchised kid in a backwater town, but bullying is bullying, so fuck 'em. Every single time I confronted some crossed-guns legend on tour, they shook my hand and said nada. I ain't that tough, either, so it was a pose.

> Having been through earlier punk and anarchist movements that were derailed by drug and alcohol use ... there was definitely a notion of creating an almost monastic movement whose sole purpose was self-negation for the sake of the struggle. We wanted to create an effective revolutionary force.

> Most of the straight edge bands out there today are the real deal, because they're not trend driven. There may be fewer of us, but we have a much more favorable lifer-to-poser ratio.

> The whole term came from the idea that it gave you an edge in order to achieve something. Straight edge is not the goal. Straight edge is a tool for some people to get to a goal. It's to use that sharpness from not being dulled to achieve something great.

> There's not a downside to being sober.

> Straight edge is a phenomenon that came out of hardcore and hardcore alone. If straight edge is allowed to die out ... hardcore will have let itself down and will lose a bit of legitimacy as a bona fide subculture.

> There is a power in the message delivered via hardcore music.

> We loved the power and energy of of hardcore, but we really, really weren't into the whole self-destructive punk ethos. We were into being healthy and in shape and living clean, mean, and smart.

The book mentioned a lot of bands. I made playlist: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?li...

[J.souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about one of the most interesting and weird subcultures : straight edge, punks that didn't drink, smoke, some going even far by not having "promiscuous sex" and following a vegan diet.

It was funny to see how it all started with Minor Threat, that were kids, too young to enter the bars that they would be asked to play. So the security at their local bar starting marking the kids with "x's" on their hands, so that the bartender would know they were kids and wouldn't sell alcohol to them. This and the song "Straight Edge" written by Ian MacKaye were the initial sparks, although the band itself was not composed of all straight edge members, and they never thought this would turn to a movement.

As with any movement, sometimes things get shady, and what started with the good intentions of showing a alternative path for kids, some of who came from broken homes, started to resemble more extremists groups with people being shamed or even beaten up for not following the rules.

Overall a great book, made of interviews with people from those days like Bad Religion, Minor Threat, Refused an even photos of a very young Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) playing guitars on a straight edge band.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a straight edge kid growing up in the Midwest in the 90s, I cannot help but feel that this book barely touches on the scene and bands that influenced me. That being said, it gave me a look into a lot of the straight edge history that I was unaware of.

I love how the book was done through interviews with the people it focused on. It made it feel real and personal. I think the overall trajectory of the book makes a lot of sense, and the last few chapters really hit home for me (a straight edger nearing my mid life).

There were a few times where chapters felt like they abruptly jumped topics, and a handful of typos on the pages. None of that should detract from the deep well of information that is present here. This is a must read for anyone who was part of the straight edge hardcore scene or is even remotely interested in what it was all about.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rettman's book is very uplifting, insightful, and speaks with most of the major players throughout straight edge's nearly four-decade lifespan; however, the first 250 pages or so become increasingly repetitive. I had no idea a hardcore scene could reignite itself so many times (to this day, it's always seemed very stable and linear in my experience, and that's the note the book ends on). I suppose one can't do much about the past repeating itself. It finds its second wind when addressing the inextricably sensationalized topics of Hare Krishna, hardline, animal liberation/eco-terrorism, and gang violence. A relatively good, thorough, and ultimately indispensable slice of punk oral history.

[Bosco Farr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oral Histories are a thing in Punk Rock books. They tend towards confusing and scattered. That's true of this book as well. If you didn't know anything about Straight Edge going in to it, you'd be in largely the same place when you put it down. As a collection of opinions and observations about straight edge, it functions a little better. Unless you are a fan of the genre, you're better off without this one. I liked Rettman's book on New York Hardcore but he seriously misses the mark with this one.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, though I was hoping for more about the metallic 90s bands besides just Earth Crisis and the Umeå bands. I guess Strife and Trial were briefly mentioned a few times but there's a lot more of that stuff from that time I thought it might go into. Was definitely worth reading anyway though, very informative and goes into detail on a lot of great bands.

[stockholder Sunstar_nn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good history and summary, in their own words, of the rise and scene in America, with a bent towards the 'pure hardcore' and positive ( small detour to Sweden and miniscule chapter on Asia, mostly to emphasize the extent of the spread.) The format of being entirely quotations initially threw me off, but then I got used to it and appreciated it.

[John Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Youth of Today stayed at my friend's house on an early tour. They lived up to their reputation by raiding the refrigerator. We told them the food had been dosed with acid, but they were such nice guys we let up quickly. Too bad about the Krishna stuff.

[Pete Judge · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book that covers the history of straight edge in depth. interesting look into a sub section of punk music i’ve never really explored. a lot will enjoy the more salacious side of things (salt lake city scene, hardline etc) but honestly the book was smart in covering it as primarily a music scene , without constantly dwelling on it as a concept . i enjoyed it even more than the writers NYHC book, which was a lot!

[Nicholas F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight Edge was such an important decision in my life so it was good to read more of the history behind the movement and how things have changed. This book does a great job detailing the different communities over time and clarifying stories that were just rumors prior.

[Emil Gilmanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book that I enjoyed. Also, "big nose hardcore".

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read most, if not all, of the straight edge books in existence so I was delighted when I found a book that had came out so recently that I hadn't read. I have been drug free my whole life (never smoked or drank alcohol) and have been claiming straight edge since I heard about it. Since I have never really lived in a place with a strong straight edge scene where I felt like I was part of it, reading books about straight edge is one of the big ways that I feel connected to the community and proud to be straight edge.

This book was interesting as there isn't any "narration", but the history of straight edge is told through quotes of people who experienced the events first hand. For example, there's quotes from Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins talking about Teen Idles and then Minor Threat to detail the origins of straight edge. It would seem like it would be difficult to tell the whole history of straight edge in this manner, but Rettman does this wonderfully. It's also interesting to hear the story from continuously changing perspectives and dialogues. It's pretty similar to a documentary with a bunch of people being interviewed on camera.

There is a lot in this book that I either didn't know, or didn't know the whole story. It may have been covered in other books that I read previously, but given the length of time that it's been since I read one, perhaps I had just forgotten some details. I found the book to be extremely enjoyable, enlightening, inspiring, and a fast read that I definitely enjoyed!

I feel this book is great for people who already are straight edge, are interesting in learning more about straight edge, or even just people who are into hardcore and want to know more about its history. It has been a long time since I have read a book on straight edge, so again, perhaps I'm forgetting one of the books I read previously, but I think this is probably the best straight edge book that I have read!

[Evan Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dope a lot of really cool stories across the history of hardcore. A very fun read