Proto Punk: Dawning of a New Era

No, proto-punk isn’t a real thing, it’s been concocted in order to more easily explain where stuff comes from. None of the groups below really had any inkling as to the effect that they’d have in subsequent years and more over, it’s safe to assume that none cared – except the MC5, who thought that it functioned as a mouth piece for the revolution. That obviously didn’t pan out, but the music that each of these groups below unloosed during the ‘60s and early ‘70s was able to change the way in which music – and art to a certain extent – was perceived. Each launched the career of at least one player that would go on to record for a few decades. Whether those individuals matter any longer is open to debate, but the quality of this music is not. The more you know…

The Velvet Underground
Beginning before any of the other folks on this list, the Velvet Underground might have also been the least popular outta this crop of bands initially. There aren’t really too many hints at what would sonically become punk – the instrumental of “I Think I’m Fallin’ In Love” comes closest – but the sheer disregard for other popular, cultural trends of the time would inform latter day punkers.

Lou Reed would obviously go on to a lengthily solo career, but it’s pretty easy to figure anything that the Velvet’s worked out as much stronger than those ‘70s albums.

The MC5
One of the innumerable Detroit bands that ratcheted up psych into hitherto unknown territories, the MC5 didn’t have any peers when it came to musicality. It was surely just a quartet like any other, but with the group’s belief that it had a higher calling (and all the drugs), the MC5 played as aggressively as any other ensemble outta the ‘60s. But beyond that the interplay of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith (who would eventually wed Patty) and Wayne Kramer (who would eventually become an embarrassing solo act who even occasionally rapped) on guitars ranks up there with any other tandem and really makes the Yardbirds sound like a buncha hacks. Tell your dad that one.

The Stooges
As much inspired by smack as Detroit and life being a drag, Iggy Pop led this ensemble of ill intentioned ne’er-do-wells through a few albums before completely loosing it. The band broke up countless times, was reformed just as many, but was able to work with John Cale, from the aforementioned Velvet Underground, as well as David Bowie a bit later. And while the alliance with Bowie was really the death knell of the group, it served to begin Iggy’s solo career, which oddly enough, had some pretty strong moments.

The New York Dolls
As responsible for glam as punk, Johnny Thunders and David Johansen enjoyed wearing their girlfriends clothes and playing revved up Chuck Berry styled rockers. It wasn’t the most imaginative outta this crop of bands, but it was inspired (by drugs). It all only lasted for just a few years, but the groups that band members went on to play with were just as important as the Dolls were.