Punk: Attitude

In the opening clip from Don Letts' excellent documentary Punk: Attitude, former Black Flag frontman cum standup comedian/raconteur Henry Rollins says, “All you need is one guy or girl to stand up and say ‘Fuck this,' and everyone goes: ‘Voice of a generation. Thank you. I've been thinking that, but never had the guts to say it'.” Those who did say it include Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the New York Dolls, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Buzzcocks, and the Dead Kennedys. To its considerable credit, Punk: Attitude not only covers nearly all of the leading lights of punk (with the notable omission of the Jam) but also features credits-to-credits examples of the music, from the early influences (MC5, Velvet Underground) to the contemporary heirs (Blink 182, Sonic Youth) and all points in between. Punk originated in the U.S. with the Ramones and later became a cultural movement in the U.K. with its own peculiar look (spiked hair, safety-pin-through-the-cheek, etc.), which was largely spearheaded by boutique owners Malcolm McLaren (also manager of the Sex Pistols) and fashion designer Vivenne Westwood. Saying “no” to the music industry, “no” to the 20-minute guitar solos common to prog rock (heck, the Ramones could perform an entire set at New York's CBGB in less than 20 minutes), and—particularly in Britain—“no” to Margaret Thatcher's sociopolitical policies, punk came and went in a few years (1976-1979 roughly, but its legacy lives on: check last year's Grammy-winning American Idiot by Green Day), and its story is told here by a topnotch roster of interviewees, including Rollins, Jim Jarmusch (filmmaker), Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), Mick Jones (The Clash), Jello Biafra (The Dead Kennedys), Legs McNeil (co-editor of the fanzine Punk), and others. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, DVD extras on this double-disc set include over two hours worth of bonus featurettes on topics ranging from the L.A. punk scene to women in punk. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)