The influence of American Point on today's leading bands have never been stronger. CBGB's and the birth of American punk traces the roots of music from the '60s British invasion and GarageBand It led to the explosion of passion, energy and creativity of the 70s punk.
1.Velvet Underground & Nico - I'm Waiting For The Man
2.Sonics - Louie Louie
3.The Seeds - Sorry Sorry
4.13th Floor Elevators - Slip Inside this House
5.New York Dolls - Trash
6.Stooges - tight pants
7.Electric Eels - agitated
8.Suicide - Speed Queen
9.Pere Ubu - Heart Of Darkness
10.Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation
11.Television - Friction (recorded live at CBGBs)
12.Wayne County - I had too much to dream last night
13.Blondie - Rip Here in pieces
14.Dead Kennedys - California Über Alles
15.Dead Boys - Sonic Reduce
16.Ramones - Judy Is A Punk (original demo version)
17.Johnny Thunders And The Heartbreakers - Born To Lose
18.Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner
Sleevenotes:
In the early '70s in New York's infamous Bowery district was mildly seedy. Television's Tom Verlaine recalls, "was all Skid Row hotels, alcoholics on the street. It was cheap." Drunks littered the streets, their lives intertwined with day-to-day activities in the areas large Hispanic community. But despite its apparently irreversible state of decline it was here that Hilly Kristal has chosen to open for all things a Country Bluegrass Blues (CBGB) club in December '73, which is below the Palace Hotel and adjacent to author William Burrow's 'Bunker' .
Country, folk, bluegrass and blues had enjoyed something of a renaissance and significantly Kristal's closest circle of friends were eager proponents of these sounds. Friends who embraced his musical passions, he soon found, however, to fill the club stage, or even the venue was no easy task. Although the club and its per annum was so basic and run down the Bowery itself, but the following spring a passer-by Richard Meyers aka Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine managed to hustle a gig on an otherwise closed Sunday evening. Now call themselves television they had begun life in 1972 as a 3 piece with Billy Ficca but when the auditions for a second guitarist proved fruitless had opted to shelve the project. Both Chris Stein, when The Stilletto (whose ranks included Debbie Harry) and Douglas Colvin (aka Dee Dee Ramone) had both tried out for the position but the latter was too much of a beginner, while Stein did not like their direction. Yet in March 1974 they wish to re baptized as a four piece and were eager to secure a residence where they could set about developing their sound.
Its worth noting here that the term "housing" that involves a band regularly plays at the same place on the same night over a period was not uncommon for a time and CBGB's built its reputation on hiring such a policy.
This spring, television brought a number of headline shows in the place, which in turn attracted other struggling musicians and by year end, Patti Smith, Blondie and a four piece Ramones had all entered clubs' boards. Kristal's CBGB's vision had been turned upside down, the band was lined up to play and attendance was up. The changing fortunes of New York's other small live music venues had played a part too. Destruction of Mercer by fire and effective closure of Max's all but signed (and therefore record company sponsored) groups all meant that by Xmas '74 CBGB's was the only serious outlet for new unsigned artists. These bands offered the audience an alternative to "stadium" groups that were through playing bigger and bigger venues inadvertently become detached from the public. The energy of rock & roll was too important to be elevated so far from being achieved, and many of the new groups are represented another link in a chain that ran all the way back to The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Kinks mid -60 's invasions of those States which had inspired a large number of American teenagers to form garage bands. The Chocolate Watch Band,? Mark & The Mysterians, The Seeds and The Sonics to name just four. The later of the MC5, The Stooges, Jonathan Richman and The New York Dolls had continued and expanded the idea.
In May '75 the second new group made their first tentative steps at CBGB's roughly built arena. In many ways, Talking Heads would turn out to be the ultimate fusion of the first month the club which had been the focus of budding musicians, poets, filmmakers and artists. The CBGB's Festival of unrecorded Rock Talent between July and August hammered home the message. Its the same one Kristal continues to spread to this day.
Arriving in London at the tale end of January 2002, he casually remarked that a Monday night home of a new band had just finished .... after 43 weeks in a row. Kristal's commitment to provide artists to explore their creativity is simply manna from heaven. This album is meant as a tribute to him, his club and his commitment to express themselves. Its also an attempt to present, although a brief history of an artistic and musical approach that has everything to do with imagination and a little respect for the Convention.
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