Have to say that in Australia we're very disappointed in the lack of mention of bands such as The Saints, The Birthday Party and Radio Birdman as key influences in early/mid punk rock in the series. Take a look at NME's review of 'I'm Stranded' 1974...
15 Reviews
I just wanted to ask/yell
dan-2400428 May 2021
WHERE ARE THE FOOKIN MISFITS??? And if you talked about SoCal sound, where's the mention of Social Distortion and then a quick mention or recognition of psychobilly as a genre? Otherwise it was an entertaining and good watch.
Dont Listen to the other reviews. Pure Punk! Unbelievable!
jamfitz-9987020 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Episode 4 was bad?! What? Did you miss the point? You're not half as punk as you think you are if you think this.....I signed up just to post this review.
This series is absolutely brilliant!
Right: at time of writing I'm a 33 year old guy from the UK. I got in to the punk scene in the 2000s, mainly because of the game Tony Hawk Pro Skater. I went to the local punk/alternative club from the age of 14 and met the love of my life and other half on the dance floor at 16 dancing to The Offspring, NOFX, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols... you get the idea! To meet me on the street you probably wouldn't think I'm punk. I don't look punk. I sometimes think I don't act punk, but that feeling when you hear a JCM800 or Dual Rect turned up full volume, some power chords smashed out and vocals that you can hardly understand blasting full volume, drums faster than you can think, energy, madness, fun, well.... that's punk and that IS me!
I'm not overly in to my history... I'm just not that kind of guy, and so the roots of the music that I love, and still listen to daily with the same ears as that teenage me, was relatively unknown to me. Episode 1 starts off with the roots, a few names you might know, others you might not. It describes how the scene formed and how the music that we know now as punk, wasn't called punk. At the time that word didn't mean what it does now. Punk existed before it was called punk. It's a feeling, a way to live, a person to be!
In episodes 2 and 3 you come across some more commonly know names, the British punk scene and also a few names you might not associate with punk. It talks through some of the golden era of early punk, songs that are still the de facto punk anthems and touches on a few hard hitting stories, difficult times, genuine emotion and shows a side of punk, family, that isn't always obvious.
Episode 4 is the era where I found punk; as it moved in to the modern age. Fat Mike and Noodles up there talking about the success that if they never had, I probably wouldn't ever have found the genre. A few people who were instrumental to punk becoming known to the masses that I had no idea I owe so much to. Selling out in the 90's?? Call it that if you want, but it got this music out to a wider audience, it let people discover the wonder of grabbing a guitar, making a noise and pouring out your heart. As they say in this episode, if punk doesn't change it will die. Punks today might sound different, but it's the same feeling that those bands had all of those years ago. It's more than just music.
What struck me was how these legends of music, throughout all episodes, had thoughts just like I have. Sure they must have influenced me over the years, well the scene must have, but it couldn't be more on point if I wrote the series myself. I guess that's the point and one that hearing them say it made it seem obvious. They come across as loving and accepting people who have been fortunate to have made legendary songs, although clearly not an easy ride. Making people happy, helping when sad, giving light in times of dark and being the backgrounds to so many good memories. This. Is. Punk.
To whoever put this series together; you couldn't have done it better. The light, the dark, the fun, the chaos. You covered the whole story, right up to now. You showed how punk isn't just music and it's not got a formula, it's an attitude, it's a way of life, it's about feeling, expression, love, unity and most importantly a fast drum beat, 6+ strings getting smashed (good or bad) and a whole lot of passion, feelings and fun. Well done, you have done punk rockers proud!
This series is absolutely brilliant!
Right: at time of writing I'm a 33 year old guy from the UK. I got in to the punk scene in the 2000s, mainly because of the game Tony Hawk Pro Skater. I went to the local punk/alternative club from the age of 14 and met the love of my life and other half on the dance floor at 16 dancing to The Offspring, NOFX, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols... you get the idea! To meet me on the street you probably wouldn't think I'm punk. I don't look punk. I sometimes think I don't act punk, but that feeling when you hear a JCM800 or Dual Rect turned up full volume, some power chords smashed out and vocals that you can hardly understand blasting full volume, drums faster than you can think, energy, madness, fun, well.... that's punk and that IS me!
I'm not overly in to my history... I'm just not that kind of guy, and so the roots of the music that I love, and still listen to daily with the same ears as that teenage me, was relatively unknown to me. Episode 1 starts off with the roots, a few names you might know, others you might not. It describes how the scene formed and how the music that we know now as punk, wasn't called punk. At the time that word didn't mean what it does now. Punk existed before it was called punk. It's a feeling, a way to live, a person to be!
In episodes 2 and 3 you come across some more commonly know names, the British punk scene and also a few names you might not associate with punk. It talks through some of the golden era of early punk, songs that are still the de facto punk anthems and touches on a few hard hitting stories, difficult times, genuine emotion and shows a side of punk, family, that isn't always obvious.
Episode 4 is the era where I found punk; as it moved in to the modern age. Fat Mike and Noodles up there talking about the success that if they never had, I probably wouldn't ever have found the genre. A few people who were instrumental to punk becoming known to the masses that I had no idea I owe so much to. Selling out in the 90's?? Call it that if you want, but it got this music out to a wider audience, it let people discover the wonder of grabbing a guitar, making a noise and pouring out your heart. As they say in this episode, if punk doesn't change it will die. Punks today might sound different, but it's the same feeling that those bands had all of those years ago. It's more than just music.
What struck me was how these legends of music, throughout all episodes, had thoughts just like I have. Sure they must have influenced me over the years, well the scene must have, but it couldn't be more on point if I wrote the series myself. I guess that's the point and one that hearing them say it made it seem obvious. They come across as loving and accepting people who have been fortunate to have made legendary songs, although clearly not an easy ride. Making people happy, helping when sad, giving light in times of dark and being the backgrounds to so many good memories. This. Is. Punk.
To whoever put this series together; you couldn't have done it better. The light, the dark, the fun, the chaos. You covered the whole story, right up to now. You showed how punk isn't just music and it's not got a formula, it's an attitude, it's a way of life, it's about feeling, expression, love, unity and most importantly a fast drum beat, 6+ strings getting smashed (good or bad) and a whole lot of passion, feelings and fun. Well done, you have done punk rockers proud!
Enjoyable intro to Punk
gortx8 August 2020
UNK (Epix, 2019) - A four hour Documentary co-Produced by Iggy Pop does an okay job of outlining the history of the music sub-genre from it's earliest roots in the late-60s to the grunge boom in the 90s. Director Jesse James Miller and his writing team break down the Doc into four chapters: 1. 60s and early 70s Proto-Punks like the MC5, New York Dolls and Iggy's The Stooges. 2. Mid-70s NYC's CBGB's with the Ramones and London's scene including the Sex Pistols. 3. 80s California's Hardcore bands like The Circle Jerks and Black Flag. 4. 90s with Nirvana and Green Day. The interviewees range from Marky Ramone to Blondie to Johnny Rotten to Penelope Spheris to Henry Rollins to, of course, the patron saint of Rock Docs, Dave Grohl.
As will all these survey shows, one can always argue about which artist deserved inclusion or not, or which bands got too much or too little attention, but PUNK has a genuinely large chapter missing - the late 70s/early 80s 'Post-Punk' movement which included such major stars as Elvis Costello, The Jam, Sonic Youth and Rotten's own band Public Image Limited. It seems like Miller and the Producers wanted to focus on harder edged bands, which is fair enough. Still, if lighter groups like Blondie, Television and the Talking Heads are covered why not Joy Division, Wire, Devo and The Fall? It's a major missing chapter and feels somewhat arbitrary.
PUNK is an entertaining enough sampler with some obvious gaps. If nothing else, it's kind of interesting to see the interviews and hear disparate voices like Jello Biafra, Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, Legs MacNeil, Flea, Exene Cervenka and Joan Jett look back at that era in music.
Absolutely Fantastic
TheRealBambi4 April 2019
What a delightful surprise to find this outstanding series. So many music documentaries are narrated by word salad tossers who talk over the music ~ competing with the artists & their art. The narration in Punk comes from the participants in the punk movement themselves. The artists tell their stories while sitting on some very fascinating couches that became, for me, co-stars in the story.
The documentary traces punk from the late 60's through what's left of punk today. I enjoyed punk in the early days, but drifted on to other music as I aged and as the internet changed the music game. After watching Punk, I'll be exploring old & new bands.
This is a well crafted, perfectly paced film that left me wishing for chapter 5.
The documentary traces punk from the late 60's through what's left of punk today. I enjoyed punk in the early days, but drifted on to other music as I aged and as the internet changed the music game. After watching Punk, I'll be exploring old & new bands.
This is a well crafted, perfectly paced film that left me wishing for chapter 5.
Loved it even though I wish there were more episodes.
ron-249-1827066 April 2020
Accidentally came across this two nights ago and watched them all back to back. I lived this through the early 80s on the fringe she my music tastes were/are varied. Learned a lot of things I didn't know about but I also wish they would focused on some other bands and dived down a little bit deeper on the different clubs and even more on the fashion etc. But at the end of the day it was fantastic!
Had to talk about the 90s
deadmemoryrecords3 May 2020
Sure you may not like Green Day but they helped put punk back on the map. Bands like No Use for a Name, Lagwagon, Pennywise and Good Riddance all exploded off the back of Green Day getting so much attention. Nofx sold 500k records off the back of it too.
Enjoyable and informative
alexfalconer-1190011 March 2021
Pretty Damn Good, That...
celticflavor16 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So, just watched all four episodes of Season 1 (how will they do a Season 2?)...here's my thoughts about the 'whole enchilada':
I can already hear the shouts of those who would decry bands like Green Day and Pennywise as sell-outs and 'not real punks'...believe me, I gravitate toward that side of the pitch myself.
I think that a very real criticism toward this series is "Why spend twenty minutes showcasing The Offspring in Ep.4 that you should have spent on The Buzzcocks in Ep.2?", or some such similar argument...
Like all great series, there are highlights and not-so-highlights...if it's got to be broken down, here's my grades per episode:
Episode 1 (the origins of punk, focusing on the MC5, the New York Dolls, the Stooges, and into the Ramones): A
Episode 2 (the transition to the UK, focusing on the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and the "death of punk" in the late '70s): A
Episode 3 (the "rebirth" of punk in the US, focusing on Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, the LA hardcore scene, and the spread of underground/DIY punk): A-
Episode 4 (grunge, Nirvana, and the popularization of "festival/stadium punk"); C
I can already hear the shouts of those who would decry bands like Green Day and Pennywise as sell-outs and 'not real punks'...believe me, I gravitate toward that side of the pitch myself.
I think that a very real criticism toward this series is "Why spend twenty minutes showcasing The Offspring in Ep.4 that you should have spent on The Buzzcocks in Ep.2?", or some such similar argument...
Like all great series, there are highlights and not-so-highlights...if it's got to be broken down, here's my grades per episode:
Episode 1 (the origins of punk, focusing on the MC5, the New York Dolls, the Stooges, and into the Ramones): A
Episode 2 (the transition to the UK, focusing on the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and the "death of punk" in the late '70s): A
Episode 3 (the "rebirth" of punk in the US, focusing on Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, the LA hardcore scene, and the spread of underground/DIY punk): A-
Episode 4 (grunge, Nirvana, and the popularization of "festival/stadium punk"); C
Good until episode 4
monica-227-5793797 April 2019
The series was overall worthwhile, but it is hard to take episode 4 seriously when they focus on Seattle and fail to mention the Melvins or Mudhoney, same when they repeatedly pojint to L7 and Bikini Kill yet don't include Babes in Toyland and Kim Gordon.
A Mixed Bag, Should Have Ended After Part 3
chas4376 April 2019
There are some great moments in the earlier episodes for sure, but I believe the filmmakers went a little too far in trying to please everyone. As in any other genre of art or music, there was great punk rock and well... there were shameless posers.
Part four was a complete throwaway. If you understand the ethos of Iggy Pop, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, Sex Pistols and other pioneer punk bands, its pretty hard to reconcile it with Green Day and the like. Post-Nirvana punk took a hard tack towards pop/commercialism. The music suffered as well.
At one point in Part 4, one of the Green Day people actually bragged about how many records the band sold and pointed out that they out sold Nirvana. Oh the irony! These dudes are just not too bright. Its cringeworthy listening to them speak.
Let's put Green Day and their ilk solidly in the shameless poser camp. Its skateboard pop.
Say what you will about Kurt Cobain, but his demise was eerily similar to the death of punk rock in the early 90s. When your art form is based on fierce integrity and honesty, it can't survive in a bought and sold medium. One might as well just kill themselves.
Part four was a complete throwaway. If you understand the ethos of Iggy Pop, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, Sex Pistols and other pioneer punk bands, its pretty hard to reconcile it with Green Day and the like. Post-Nirvana punk took a hard tack towards pop/commercialism. The music suffered as well.
At one point in Part 4, one of the Green Day people actually bragged about how many records the band sold and pointed out that they out sold Nirvana. Oh the irony! These dudes are just not too bright. Its cringeworthy listening to them speak.
Let's put Green Day and their ilk solidly in the shameless poser camp. Its skateboard pop.
Say what you will about Kurt Cobain, but his demise was eerily similar to the death of punk rock in the early 90s. When your art form is based on fierce integrity and honesty, it can't survive in a bought and sold medium. One might as well just kill themselves.
Almost great
bjeffeplex27 July 2019
It was good until episode 4. When you grew up in the 90s in the punk and hardcore scene. People didnt listen to Green Day. They were the band for the kids we always got into fight with because we were punks, the posers who suddenly thought they listen to punk over night because they bought a cd they played on friday when they were partying. thrash metal heads. Hardcore dudes. Not one word of Suicidal Tendencies, MDC, RKL, Misfits, GBH, Discharge. DRI. CRASS, Rudimentary Peni. Nomeansno.The link between Motorhead and punkrock scene. Cro Mags are not mentioned. Just Harley Flanagan as a kid. They jump over so much important bands.. I know you cant get over all bands. but 15 minutes of Bikini Kills when you dont mention the bands above? The history of Bad Brains have been told 15 times the last 20 years in different documentaries. We know how good they were. . Not once have we heard the history of Discharge. How they really got the punk rock scene to blend into hardcore. How Thrash metal and hardcore found a common scene in the early/mid 80s helped many hardcore bands to the next level. Instead you get 30 minutes of green day talking about how many millions records they sold. But still. The first 3 episodes are golden. And the last 10 minutes of episode 4.
American First
davidhagan-4535929 April 2021
One episode on English punk scene solely focused on the Sex Pistols. Nothing about anything else but American bands.
Anyone heard I'm Stranded by the Saints February 1977? Nothing not American after the 80's.
So American centric almost laughable for it's omissions.
Anyone heard I'm Stranded by the Saints February 1977? Nothing not American after the 80's.
So American centric almost laughable for it's omissions.
first couple are okay...
coex2325 August 2020
Yep, by the 90s it was Nirvana, Green Day, and the Not So Hot Chili peppers. Or, a massive watering down in the name of limos, swimming pools and mansions. Basically the same thing punk rebelled against originally. At this point, why bother keeping "punk" relevant or alive?
I'll never know, of course, as I can't stand watching 98 year old Godzillionaires like Flea wax on about how it's all so "important", MAN... just before he heads off with his entourage to another photo shoot or whatever. I never got past the second episode. Honestly, how can anyone that lived through any part of 70s/80s punk not be endlessly vomiting right now? Oh, right, self-importance by way of some vague connection to having seen TSOL once.
Seriously, if you want to find out how Tom f'n Verlaine or Mark Stewart or the Slits or Jonathan Richman or Jeffrey Lee Pierce had a hand in actually shifting cultural norms, read a book. There's ten billion books about all of this out there... at any library. Punk has been completely oversold and over-examined and placed high on a pedestal for all to gawk at and claim that they too were a "punk". Me? The present and the future await...
I'll never know, of course, as I can't stand watching 98 year old Godzillionaires like Flea wax on about how it's all so "important", MAN... just before he heads off with his entourage to another photo shoot or whatever. I never got past the second episode. Honestly, how can anyone that lived through any part of 70s/80s punk not be endlessly vomiting right now? Oh, right, self-importance by way of some vague connection to having seen TSOL once.
Seriously, if you want to find out how Tom f'n Verlaine or Mark Stewart or the Slits or Jonathan Richman or Jeffrey Lee Pierce had a hand in actually shifting cultural norms, read a book. There's ten billion books about all of this out there... at any library. Punk has been completely oversold and over-examined and placed high on a pedestal for all to gawk at and claim that they too were a "punk". Me? The present and the future await...
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