‘The Stooges’ at 50: The Influence of Iggy Pop and The Stooges & Their Debut LP on Punk

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island's music outlet, takes a brief look at the legacy of The Stooges' and their influential debut album

Iggy Pop, October 25, 1977 at the State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN.
Taken by Michael Markos. Found on Wikimedia.

The Stooges’ self-titled debut album turned 50 on Monday (August 5). Noted as one of the very first “punk” albums, the band’s sound, as well as their on stage performances from the era, would prove influential in creating the sound and style that would become an integral part of the subculture.

When most people think of “punk,” they think of the mid-1970s, New York CBGBs scene or its counterpart happening in the UK a couple of years later, not a band out of Ann Arbor, MI. But with songs like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “No Fun,” The Stooges had grasped that iconic, attitude-filled sound years before the Ramones or the Sex Pistols came on the scene. Iggy Pop’s speak-sung delivery on “I Wanna Be Your Dog” backed with Ron Asheton’s loud, distorted guitar was something completely new. “No Fun” mixed this grainy textured sound with the popular psychedelic and garage-rock elements of the time.

It wasn’t just the music that intrigued people. The band’s irreverent live shows featuring a perpetually shirtless and erratically body contorting Iggy Pop as its main spectacle captured the attention of audiences looking for something different. Their shows were unpredictable, as Pop would often cut his chest and bleed on his fans, an occurrence that seems to have started after the release of their debut album and continued on.

Of course Iggy and The Stooges had their own influences, taking inspiration from fellow Michigan rockers the MC5 and pre-punk legends The Velvet Underground (whose John Cale helped produce, not to mention played on, their debut). But they did just as much influencing themselves. The Sex Pistols infamously covered “No Fun” as their final song during their on stage break-up in California in 1978. Many a punk and hardcore band took on the kind of atonal, speak-sung vocal delivery that Pop started on that first album. Fast and loud became defining sounds of the genre. There were even a number of musicians, like Sid Vicious, Henry Rollins, GG Allin and Courtney Love, that incorporated Iggy Pop’s kind of destructive on-stage behavior.

The Stooges helped set the stage for the punk rock revolution to come with their 1969 self-titled debut album. With sound that ended up predicting what was to come several years later, it can be said with confidence that the album was influential on even the main players of the punk scene. There have been many bands since the heyday of first wave punk that have kept the aesthetic alive decades later.  

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Find music from The Stooges and more influential bands at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island's top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres to suit most music fans. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Music Exhibits to Check Out in New York This Holiday Weekend

With Passover and Easter both coming up this weekend, there will be a lot of family time to be had. One of the best ways to spend quality time doing something together as a family is to check out a museum. And with a handful of music-related exhibits recently popping up in the city, this holiday weekend is a great time to take the family out for some fun.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the music-related exhibits that have hit New York in the last month. From learning about a legend to taking a closer look at punk art and rock’s most famous instruments, here are three big exhibits you’ll want to check out.

1.       ‘Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything’: Spend Passover learning about one of the most important Jewish artists of the last 50 years, Leonard Cohen. ‘Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything’ opened at the Jewish Museum last week, giving attendees a unique look into the singer/songwriter’s “imagination and legacy.” The exhibit, which was commissioned before Cohen’s passing in 2016 and first premiered at the Musee d’art Contemporain de Montreal, features commissioned works inspired by his style and recurring themes, projections of his own artworks and multimedia galleries with audio recordings of Cohen covers by the likes of Feist, Moby and The National with Sufjan Stevens. Special in observance of Passover, the Jewish Museum will have free admission on April 20 & 21 and April 26 & 27, so practicing Jews wishing not to carry or participate in commerce during the holiday’s high days can still see the exhibits. (Now through September 8)

2.       ‘Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphics, 1976-1986’: The punk and new wave movement of the 1970s and 1980s had some of the most distinct art of any musical culture. ‘Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die,’ which opened at the Museum of Arts and Design on April 9, takes a look at pieces from the decade in an effort to “explore the visual language of punk through hundreds of its most memorable graphics, from the shocking remixes of expropriated images and texts to the DIY zines and flyers that challenged the commercial slickness of the mainstream media.” Along with the exhibit, the museum is holding special events, including a punk film series and discussions with people who created within and documented the era. (Now through August 18)

3.       ‘Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll’: Co-organized with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s ‘Play It Loud’ exhibit features famous instruments from throughout rock music history, many of which were donated by the artists themselves. Some of the featured items include a guitar from Chuck Berry, a Petite Grand Piano played by Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters’ “The Hoss,” one of Ringo Starr’s Beatles drum kits, one of Paul McCartney’s custom-made basses and the first Fender guitar ever built. Alongside the “approximately 130 instruments,” which include guitars, pianos, saxophones and more, the exhibit also features concert posters and costumes worn by the artists. This exhibit is in addition to the museum’s recently reopened permanent exhibit, ‘The Art of Music.’(Now through October 1)

From punk and rock to the influence of Leonard Cohen, music is hitting New York’s museums big this season. These exhibits are sure to be a great way to get some music and culture in your life and spend some quality time with family this holiday weekend (outside of Passover and Easter rituals).

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Find a wide selection of titles from music’s vast history and culture at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles in an array of genres to suit most music lovers’ tastes. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

The Ramones and their Indelible Influence on Punk

Vinyl Bay 777, Your Music Outlet, takes a brief look at the legacy of the influential punk band

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Tommy Ramone’s (nee Thomas Erdelyi) passing. The former Ramones drummer was 65 when he passed away from bile duct cancer in 2014. As the last remaining original member of the band, his passing marked the end of an era.

The Ramones, (made up of Tommy, frontman Joey (Jeffrey Hyman), guitarist Johnny (John Cummings) and bassist Dee Dee (Douglas Colvin) Ramone) were the most influential band to come out of the New York punk scene. Best known for songs like “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Blitzkrieg Bob,” “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” and “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” among others, the band popularizing the short, fast and loud sound and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) aesthetic that came to characterize New York punk.

When most people think of the Ramones, it’s their short, loud and fast sound that comes to mind. Playing at a quicker pace than most of the artists at the time, their songs often didn’t go past two minutes in length. The sound quickly came to define the scene surrounding New York clubs like CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City.

What also made the Ramones so special was how relatable the music was. Coming out of a period where rock was very polished and, as the band’s manager Danny Fields puts it in an article from The Guardian, “pretentious,” everything about the Ramones was DIY. As none of the band members had that much experience with their instruments, many of the songs were very simple, sticking to the same three chords throughout. The same thing went for their look. Their leather jacket, t-shirt, denim jeans and sneakers “street gang” style was very attainable and reproducible.

Many a band has tried to emulate the Ramones’ intensity. When the band’s self-titled debut came out, fellow CBGB regulars conceded that they had to “step up their game” to compete with the new sound. Hardcore punk bands, as well as the subsequent punk scene in California found inspiration in the Ramones’ pacing as well. This intensity even had a hand in influencing UK punk. Though the sound coming out of the UK was much rougher and angrier than its US counterpart, it was the Ramones’ fast pace that carried over across the pond and left its mark. According to The Stranglers’ Jean-Jacques Burnel in the same Guardian article, when ‘Ramones’ came out “A lot of British bands wanted to sound like that. Everyone sped up afterwards.” In the same article, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook recalls that “Sid Vicious was a massive fan. He tried to imitate them with his playing, but they were a lot faster.”

And it wasn’t only punk bands that found inspiration in the Ramones’ work either. Indie rock, metal, grunge and alternative bands all counted them as an influence on their respective sounds.

Despite the band’s influence, the Ramones were never really popular in the mainstream. Even though their music can still be heard on rock radio today, most of their “hits” never charted or failed to chart high.

With a sound and style all their own, the Ramones became legends in the New York punk scene. Over the last four decades, their range of influence has come to span multiple countries and genres without the help of mainstream support. Even though the original band is no more, their legacy will continue to live on in rock history, being discovered by countless generations of kids looking to get something more from their music.

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Find music from the Ramones and more at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop. From punk, metal, rock and pop to dance, R&B, rap and more, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Rocky Horror at 42: 7 Musical Facts about the Cult Classic

UA Cinema Merced. The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
 opening night, January of 1978. Found on Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Robin Adams.

On September 26, 1975, the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ hit movie screens for the first time. Originally a flop, the film became a cult classic, spawning countless midnight showings and shadow troupes around the world. It has launched the careers of a handful of its actors and continues to have the longest theatrical release of any film.

‘Rocky Horror’ holds a special place in cinema, as well as rock culture. The gaudiness of its costumes and music helped to influence (and were influenced by) the burgeoning counterculture of 1970s punk and glam. More than four decades later, the film is still seen as a symbol of rebelliousness, reflected in its continued popularity and musical influence.

In honor of its 42^nd year in theaters, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at how the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ influenced music. Here are seven facts about the film, its music and its place in rock culture.

1.       It was originally a stage show: ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ was originally a musical that started in London in 1973. The original production was successful, something that could not be said for the Broadway production two years later.

2.       Richard O’Brien wrote all the music: To the casual fan of ‘Rocky Horror,’ Richard O’Brien is just Riff Raff, the alien butler. But he is also the creative mind behind the show. He and his writing partner Jim Sharman wrote all the dialogue and music for the production, and consequently the film.

3.       It launched Meat Loaf’s music career: ‘Rocky Horror’ transformed a lot of actors’ careers, including those of Susan Surrandon, Barry Bostwick and Tim Curry, as well as Meat Loaf. Before ‘Rocky Horror,’ Meat Loaf was a Broadway actor with a slowly budding music career. He released an album in 1971, ‘Stoney & Meat Loaf,’ that had moderate success. But after the cult success of the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ (Meat Loaf’s first film appearance), his popularity grew. In 1977, he released ‘Bat Out of Hell,’ his most successful album to date.

4.       The original soundtrack didn’t have all the songs on it: The original soundtrack to ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was missing two iconic songs from its track list. One was “Sword of Damocles,” sung by Rocky after he comes to life. The other is “Planet Schmanet, Janet,” performed by Dr. Frank N. Furter in an effort to scare Janet. Both songs were included in later releases, although they were not studio recordings.

5.       The costumes helped influence punk fashion: Perhaps it’s a bit of a “which came first” kind of deal, but ‘Rocky Horror’ came out around the same time that punk and glam were starting to take hold of counter culture. It was O’Brien’s idea to have a show inspired by rock and roll and glam. With the Sex Pistols being dressed by a shop in London called Sex (a place known for leather bondage wear), New York glam rock bands embracing androgynous stage personas and the prevalence of torn fishnet stockings and bright hair dye, ‘Rocky Horror’s’ place within punk is hard to deny.

6.       There was even a punk cover album of the entire soundtrack: Speaking of ‘Rocky Horror’ being a punk show, an album of punk bands covering the entire soundtrack (Including “Sword of Damocles” and “Planet Schmanet, Janet”) came out in 2003. None of the bands included were early bands that would have been around at the time of the show, but it does show the continued influence the show had on punk. Bands on the album include Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Alkaline Trio, Big D and the Kids Table, Swingin’ Utters and The Ataris.

7.       Meat Loaf wasn’t the only musician to have a hit because of the show: ‘Rocky Horror’ did more than just make Meat Loaf a music star. Other cast members dabbled in music in the film’s wake as well. This included Little Nell, who released ‘The Musical World of Little Nell’ in 1978, and Tim Curry, who released ‘Fearless’ in 1979. The later reached 53 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and produced the minor hit “I Do the Rock.”

The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ has had a great influence on music and counterculture. Not only did it create big stars like Meat Loaf, it had an indelible impact on punk and rebellion in the 1970s. More than four decades later, people still identify with what it has come to stand for.

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Find ‘Rocky Horror’ and other groundbreaking soundtracks at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to choose from ranging in genre from soundtracks to rock to rap to classical and beyond. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.