The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise

The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise
by Craig O?Hara

The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise
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Book Summary Information

Author: Craig O?Hara
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-07-01
ISBN: 1873176163
Number of pages: 172
Publisher: AK Press

Book Reviews of The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise

Book Review: Punk is more than simple protest !
Summary: 5 Stars

This book is extremely important to understand the punk movement that started in the US in the mid 70s and exploded in the world from Great Britain in the late 70s with The Sex Pistols and The Clash. The book tends to show that this « musical » movement, this new stage in rock development is unique and lasting. This is true and false at the same time. Music in the United States, and elsewhere in the world, has always been a medium to convey ideas and protest. Folksongs, Gospels, Protest songs, Jazz, Negro Spirituals, Working Class songs, Blues and even Rock and Roll per se have been such media. Nothing new under the sun as for that. We could also quote the use of songs and music by all kinds of tyrannical regimes, or plainly national anthems. We could even quote centuries of church music and sacred music as expressing political ideas in their days. So, what makes the difference with the punk movement ? The author is very clear about it, even if the ideas he expresses here and there are not always perfectly clear. First it is the result of the consciousness among a wide mass of young people, initiallly coming from the working class or alienated classes in cities, suburbs or the countryside, of the fact that they were the victims of an alienation. It became particularly visible in the 70s when a certain affluence among the population at large  in our countries  made it all the more visible : those who did not have anything, those who had no shelter, home, commodities, even decent food, became very conscious of their depravation. The Blacks first of all (and it led to famous inner city aznd ghetto riots), but here, with the punk movement, the whites. This led to strong Black movements like the Black Panthers or the Black Muslims among the Blacks. This led to the punk movement  and also the skinhead movement  among the whites. They used their music to differentiate themselves from dominant society. And they conveyed a style and ideas that were and still are mostly against all kinds of alienation, hence they got in touch with and at times integrated the anarchist movement or at least philosophy. Their music was derived from rock and roll and tried to use sounds, harmony and rhythm to create something sounding in complete negation with all that had been done before, and thus they tried to disrupt the musical scene. They took clear stands on essential issues in our societies. First of all against the government, the police, the state and they became political anarchists advocating the uselessness of such institutions to enable people to live in peace and quiet, provided these people accepted to share responsibilities, means and objectives : self-government became their motto. They opposed any war and even the army as useless, ruthless and dangerous. They became total pacifists. In the same line they advocated, most of them, non violence. They fought against any kind of discrimination : racism, sexism, homophobia, agism, and many others. Female groups became very popular and visible on the punk stage. They also got involved in the ecological movement. But they seem to forget, or neglect, the fact that they have been very fast recuperated by the major labels, by the media even, because young people are a market and CDs or clothing or beauty products are highly profitable. They tried to build some kind of an alternative economy, but it remained marginal and it did not change the world. The Berlin Wall fell because masses of people wanted it to fall because their development was warped and slowed down by state communism that was in fact nothing more than state capitalism with a feudalistic market economy. The book is yet extremely rich and interesting in references, quotations, and all kinds of historical and chronological elements, without forgetting the ideological presentation of punk anarchy. A must if we want to understand the role youth is playing in our societies, and the power of music as a medium of young peoples ideology, even if it is only in the music itself, the rebellion against the musical norms of any time. In a word Mozart would have been a Punk in our days, and he was a Punk in his days.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Summary of The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise

Contents

Introduction by Marc Bayard
Preface by the author
Why Punk: Background comparisons with previous art movements; some defining characteristics of punk.
Media Misrepresentations: How television, glossy magazines, and mindless mass media have done their best to defang the beast.
Skinheads: Who they are, where they're from and do they have to do with punk anyway.
Intra-Movement Communication: Fanzines-communcation from the Xerox machine to the underground.
Anarchism: An alternative to existing systems. What it is and why it is embraced by punks all over the world. The failure of "bought and paid for" politicians has ensured a counterculture receptive to the idea that we would be better off without these vampires.
Gender Issues: Sexism, feminism and open homosexuality.
Environmentalism and Ecological Concerns: The ideas and techniques of Earth First, ALF, and others have found a comfortable home in the punk scene.
Straight Edge: A movement that went from being a minor threat to a convervative, conformist no threat.
DIY
Bibliography

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