I have been listening to, and enjoying thoroughly, some wicked Rockabilly compilations in the past few days/weeks such as the Rockabilly Dynamite [Disc’Az 1981] and the Rockabilly Shakedown [Ace records UK 1986] compilations. In doing so I began to realize that what I thought was Rockabilly may not have been so and perhaps I had confused Punk with Rockabilly (or was it the other way around?).
Some of what I thought was Rockabilly actually occurred well before Rockabilly was a thing. It is pre-Rockabilly goodness that could have easily been confused with (pre)Punk and at the same time, could easily have gone down the road of being R&B in the near future. There is a definite timeline issue here in my mind. But looking at some more modern Rockabilly bands, one can see that they are definitely also very, very closely related to and influced by Punk. If this is the case, why are so many House and Techno DJs into Punk and into Rockabilly?
I managed to track down a copy of The Cramps – Don’t Pummel & You Won’t Pogo. They Ooze & You’ll Throb from their live tour in 1976 (I think) and found myself even more confused as I tried to draw musical lines between the genres. But the answer (which question was I asking now?) is near at hand.
I use an example described to me on the fabulous Beats in Space podcast (big ups to Mr. Tim Sweeny for his show and Mr. Cowboy Mark for his excellent historical set) to help myself realize that sometimes, the strangest lines between genres are the best.
Punk > New Wave > No Wave > Disco
If you take a moment and look at some of the big New York bands and their influences (LCD Soundsystem, playing Special Disco Versions infused with their influences from Sexual Harassment one of my top 80s NYC bands I never knew about) you can see how Punk goes to Disco rather quickly.
So, do I like Disco because I like Punk? Or do I like Punk because deep down I’ve been a Rockabilly my whole life (and likely the few before this one)?
Hit me up with your own strange musical evolutions!
