Punk: The Definitive Guide to the Blank Generation and Beyond

by Rich Weidman

Infused with a raw and energetic sound that stripped rock 'n' roll to the bone, punk rock transformed rock's landscape in the 1970s, deconstructing bloated arena rock and leaving a lasting influence on the music and cultural scene in the United States and overseas. Punk was all about extending a middle finger to the status quo while pushing boundaries in uncharted directions. According to punk poet laureate Patti Smith, "To me, punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful, freedom to be not successful, freedom to be who you are. It's freedom." The Definitive Guide to the Blank Generation and Beyond focuses on the origins of punk, ranging from disparate influences such as Dadaism, the Beat Generation, the garage bands of the 1960s, the Paris-based Situationist International movement, Jamaican ska bands, Stanley Kubrick's dystopian masterpiece A Clockwork Orange, and the glam rock of the early 1970s. Rich Weidman highlights the best and worst punk bands, the greatest punk songs and albums, the most notorious concerts, and the rise of American hardcore punk. Legendary venues such as CBGB and classic punk films and documentaries like The Decline of Western Civilization propelled the rise of pop punk bands into the mainstream and every other aspect of punk subculture, including its lasting impact on rock 'n' roll and society as a whole.

Genres: Music

376 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2023

Reviews

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for someone new to the genre, or someone really into it. Because I'm kind of in-between - I know a lot about punk's history and a number of bands, but I've never been a huge fan - it didn't really work for me. The early chapters, where Weidman does a deep dive into pre-punk history, and then lists a lot of early punk bands, didn't do that much for me. I question some of his scraping of punk's predecessors, and I already knew a lot about the bands he listed. Some of the later lists - punk albums you've never heard of but should - I know I don't care enough about the music to seek out.

So a good book for many people, but not the kind of thing for me.

[Steve Wolcott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encyclopedic history of punk from its origins in the 70s in New York City and London through its decline in the 90s. It even has a "Where Are They Now" section. Unfortunately most are dead from various cancers, heroin overdoses or by suicide.

[Juha Palotie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author loves the expressions ’none other than…’ and ’believe it or not’ a wee bit too much, and there are weird factual inaccuracies here and there, but if you are a punk neophyte this is an ok primer on the subject/genre.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, jam packed, super informative. Could be verbose and repetitive at times with certain bands getting highlighted repeatedly. I learned about new bands, movements, and films about punk I’d like to look up.

[Fred Baerkircher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially just a book of lists (eg best punk videos, most groundbreaking album, etc). But in fairness they're pretty good lists.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice bird's eye view of things but very surface.