New York Rock at The BBC (BBC4)

You're just an old punk at heart Diccus!
Steve

I wasn't around at the start of the Dolls but i loved what they stood for and that 'image'. It just blew away the stiffs and conservatives and started the whole Punk thing which for me and obviously many others revitalised music even if it didn't last long. Mind saying that I loved Zep and some of the heavy stuff too at the same time.

Great programme thanks for reminding me Steve. God how eloquent Morrisey is.

It was interesting - though I don't really agree with some of the statements made. To me it was just more music rather than changing very much. I did like lots of 'punk' stuff or was it 'new wave' - particularly The Desperate Bicycles and Television Personalities. From the American new wave I liked Television and Jonathan Richmann. Still it made a change from the usual documentaries about 1977 which seem to focus on Malcolm Maclaren and Bill Grundy.

I agree Morrisey was eloquent.

9-10 BBC4 Friday:

Well another one of those music from New York programmes, whilst the format was excellent - i.e. computer graphics rather than some tedious commentator with yet another documentary style and interviews with people you'd sooner not hear from (I think the programme starting at 10 was in the documentary format I've grown to detest, but I gave up after 5 minutes). - I did find the music rather dull.

Sure the Velvet Underground were fine in their day and made 4 (5 if you count Squeeze) decent albums - quite why every band on the show had to sound like them (Talking Heads and Blondie excepted), I'm not sure.

Now perhaps, my geography and memory are at fault, but didn't Suzanne Vega come from New York and yet she was not included; the programme totally ignored her. But more strangely and not to put too finer point on it, the programme ignored the group who I consider to be one of the most refreshing bands ever to emerge from that area: Well Yes, no, maybe; I don't know, can you repeat the question? I refer, of course, to They Might Be Giants.

So all in all - thanks BBC4 for the attempt and really liked the lack of commentary and totally absence of interview footage; but you left out some the best music.

It was interesting to see that CBGB's was exactly how I remembered it from 1980, a complete sleaze pit. Johnny Thunders was playing the night I went. Also saw New Order at the Peppermint Lounge on the same trip.

Regards

Nic

...Ok a bit late with this mebbe's but (most) "Noo Yawk" music during this era was excellent! personally I'm a complete sucker for The Dolls, Ramones, Heads, and the brilliant Televison .....as far as the more obscure bands go I've never seen any footage of The Dictators
Manifest Destiny is a stone classic!