So we're NOT talking about the school of '77 (Pistols, Clash, Damned, etc). We are NOT talking post punk.

We are talking about the wave of bands that came after the 77 crowd and was generally dismissed by the press at the time and the legacy media down the line as the punk myths were formed.

But they existed and they mattered.

For my money there were 3 clear highpoints from 3 distinct stylistic approaches:

Discharge: Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
Crass: Stations of the Crass (though arguably any of the first 4 records could fit the bill)
Cock Sparrer: Shock Troops

While I know there are other great bands / records from these scenes, I feel these 3 particular examples cover all the bases while being excellent records in their own right - they were the cream of the crop.

But who will stand victorious?

Crass, bc the whole package counts. Musically I'd take Discharge.

I feel like Rudimentary Peni should count, but of the choices Crass I guess.

Crass are inspiring in the way they have done things but I've never found anything in their songs.

Cock Sparrer is okay drinking music.

Discharge is an easy choice here.

Voted for Crass, because Crass; WF for Discharge.

(dis)honorable mention for Anti-Nowhere League.

Crass for me, mainly for the scope of their creativity.

I suppose Rudimentary Peni or the Afflicted Man (which barely counts as punk, although the same could be said of some Crass stuff) would get my vote here, if they were in this poll. For me, those are the two real highpoints of this subgenre: Death Church and Get Stoned Ezy. They wipe the floor w/the rest.

But I'm going w/Discharge. It rocks and the band cast a long shadow. Bonus points for heavily influencing Finland's Terveet Kädet, as well, who took the sound further.

Crass can be annoyingly shrill, self-righteous, and rhythmically iffy in punk mode. And Cock Sparrer beats the hell out of junk like GBH or the Exploited, but that's not saying much.

I'm guessing that Skrewdriver isn't in this poll to avoid a political shitshow. Not sure why Vice Squad is missing, though.

I don't understand the love for second-gen UK dress-up punk lately, though. It's like young record collectors have totally reappraised this stuff in the last 10 or 20 years. Honestly, I still think most of it sounds a little meatgrinder or very late to the party. That said, I'd never dismiss RP or the Afflicted family of groups, and I can hang w/Discharge. Still, it amazes me that most of this stuff now appeals to a demographic well beyond kids w/silkscreened leather jackets feigning homelessness, not bathing, and using knotted rope in lieu of leashes for their dogs.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Sun Sep 11, 2022 1:48 pm I suppose Rudimentary Peni or the Afflicted Man (which barely counts as punk, although the same could be said of some Crass stuff) would get my vote here, if they were in this poll.

I appreciate R.P's appeal as a wild card band in a scene that didn't have many (IMO it's them and Amebix who stand apart from their contemporaries, in hindsight), but they were never a big deal over here - now they're an unimpeachable collector-core staple, but I don't think they ever did anything brilliant. Interesting, maybe.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Sun Sep 11, 2022 1:48 pmI'm guessing that Skrewdriver isn't in this poll to avoid a political shitshow.

We'll stay away from that particular can of worms, thank you very much.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Sun Sep 11, 2022 1:48 pm Not sure why Vice Squad is missing, though.

3rd rate, faceless band. Nobody would have cared if they didn't have a chick singing for them, esp as their marketing campaign involved selling her image to the music press for tacky fold-out posters.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Sun Sep 11, 2022 1:48 pm I don't understand the love for second-gen UK dress-up punk lately, though. It's like young record collectors have totally reappraised this stuff in the last 10 or 20 years. Honestly, I still think most of it sounds a little meatgrinder or very late to the party.

I think it hits and misses as much as any other scene. In the U.K. this stuff is generally ignored due to classism (we don't want to encourage actual working class culture - slumming and posturing ala Joe Strummer only, please - no real oiks allowed) and the Southall Riots of 1981. A few of the more cartoon-like bands managed to carve a separate career on the US circuit, but the London media treated every punk band as if they were Skrewdriver after that and any promotion vanished - but all that stuff is forgotten history and the music still remains, esp for foreign audiences.

Esp Cock Sparrer; I'm amazed nobody is swinging for Shock Troops, that record is perfect from front to back, one of the few melodic punk bands who don't fall prey to arty and/or nerdy tropes.

I voted Discharge but I think GBH deserves an honorable mention for City Baby's Revenge. The Blood's first record is also a good one.

I voted Discharge because:

A. They're awesome sounding
B. They invented D-Beat
C. What I love about Cock Sparrer is they're kind of a catchy classic rock band (less punk in some sense)
D. I don't know the Crass discography very well.

Can someone tell me their favorite Crass album?