There's been lots said about the first punk scene before. Most docos and exhibitions claim that punk ended around 1979 or 80. This doco at least acknowledges that punk survived underground for a decade and that Nirvana and Green Day didn't come from a vacuum at all. But then it doesn't say anything about the 80s bands. Smash, by Ian Winwood, does. It talks about the early punk scene too and how many bands started after seeing the Sex Pistols. But then it explains the 80s. X was a core influencer. Bands like Bad Religion, NOFX, Green Day, Rancid and Offspring were watching bands like X, the Germs and Black Flag before they started their own bands. The book is really good. It's a shame Punk Attitude got as far as acknowledging that punk went through the 80s but neglected to discuss the bands of the decade. It could have been longer and covered that. Someone should turn Smash into a movie. There's some footage of the early 80s in The Decline of Western Civilisation.
Review of Punk: Attitude
