Someone I follow on Instagram asked for favorite punk guitar riffs. I had opinions. This isn't exhaustive, but it's what came to mind at the moment I saw it:
The Ramones - Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
The Damned - New Rose
Rancid - Avenues and Alleyways
Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love
Television - See No Evil
Misfits - Last Caress
Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
The Saints - Stranded
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
The Undertones - Gotta Getta
With some more thought I'd have included:
The Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia
The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go
The Blue Hearts - Owaranai Uta
and of course, the song this blog is named for:
The Dictators - Who Will Save Rock and Roll?
Showing posts with label The Dictators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dictators. Show all posts
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Saturday, July 14, 2018
The Saints - (I'm) Stranded
Long ago, my sibling had this collection of punk 45s. It had basically one song each by a few bands. It included The Dictators - I Live for Cars and Girls and Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation.
It also had this song by The Saints.
I didn't like it much at first. Felt a little repetitive.
But the more I heard it, the more it grew on me.
It also had this song by The Saints.
I didn't like it much at first. Felt a little repetitive.
But the more I heard it, the more it grew on me.
Friday, May 11, 2018
The Dictators - It's Allright
This track by The Dictators is so AC/DC that it could be an AC/DC song. Just imagine it's Brian Johnson or Bon Scott instead of Handsome Dick Manitoba, and enjoy.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Andy Shernoff - Who Will Save Rock and Roll? (Acoustic, Live)
No, seriously. Andy Shernoff singing Who Will Save Rock and Roll live, acoustic, solo:
Great lyrics. I named this fucking blog after that song, so you know I like it. I didn't know I'd like it acoustic and without the Manitoba snarl on it. It still works.
Great lyrics. I named this fucking blog after that song, so you know I like it. I didn't know I'd like it acoustic and without the Manitoba snarl on it. It still works.
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Joey Ramones & the Dictators - The Kids are Alright
Distorted, but really good - The Dictators with Joey Ramone on vocals covering The Who's "The Kids are Alright."
They're at Coney Island High, which if I recall correctly was managed by Lindsay Anderson of The Kowalskis.
They're at Coney Island High, which if I recall correctly was managed by Lindsay Anderson of The Kowalskis.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Manitoba's Wild Kingdom - New York New York
"If I wasn't blasting Sister Ray I would lose my mind."
I love songs that reference songs. I also love it when both songs rock.
This is New York New York by Manitoba's Wild Kingdom - as in Handsome Dick Manitoba of The Dictators, plus friends (some of whom are in The Dictators.) If you visited NYC in the scary 70s and grimy and dangerous 80s this song will stick to you. Me, I grew up in one of them there safe suburban slums. Still, this song makes me sing out loud, so be wary of playing it around me. It's the song that pops into my head on long subway rides when people start dancing or singing or panhandling. Fun stuff. The song, anyway, not the subway nonsense.
I love songs that reference songs. I also love it when both songs rock.
This is New York New York by Manitoba's Wild Kingdom - as in Handsome Dick Manitoba of The Dictators, plus friends (some of whom are in The Dictators.) If you visited NYC in the scary 70s and grimy and dangerous 80s this song will stick to you. Me, I grew up in one of them there safe suburban slums. Still, this song makes me sing out loud, so be wary of playing it around me. It's the song that pops into my head on long subway rides when people start dancing or singing or panhandling. Fun stuff. The song, anyway, not the subway nonsense.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Dictators - Faster and Louder
For a blog named after, themed after, and inspired by a song by The Dictators, it's had a nearly criminal lack of The Dictators recently.
Let's fix that, right now, faster and louder.
It's got Bruce Springsteen doing a 1-2-1-2-3-4 count on it, too.
For fuck's sake, it's about time I posted that.
Let's fix that, right now, faster and louder.
It's got Bruce Springsteen doing a 1-2-1-2-3-4 count on it, too.
For fuck's sake, it's about time I posted that.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
The Dictators: I Live For Cars and Girls
The first time I heard The Dictators it was this song.
My older sibling had a collection of 45s of punk songs. This was one, along with ones by The Saints, The Ramones, and other bands. This one I really liked, and eventually I'd borrow someone's copy of Go Girl Crazy and make a tape of it. I almost wore that tape out.
That's the song that kicked it all off. I need more of these guys - I named the blog for one of their songs, after all.
My older sibling had a collection of 45s of punk songs. This was one, along with ones by The Saints, The Ramones, and other bands. This one I really liked, and eventually I'd borrow someone's copy of Go Girl Crazy and make a tape of it. I almost wore that tape out.
That's the song that kicked it all off. I need more of these guys - I named the blog for one of their songs, after all.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Dictators: Stay With Me
One of these days, I'm going to do an "11 Songs" list for The Dictators.
They've got a show on 12/31 in NYC, actually. These days they seem to be going by Dictators NYC, possibly because it's not entirely the original lineup (no Andy Shernoff, for one.) I only did ever see these guys live once, but it was a hell of a show. The dive bar of dive bars in New Brunswick, NJ - The Court Tavern. If we were 15 feet from the furthest member of the band I'd be surprised. $10 for the show, too, which was a fortune by Court standards. I went based on hearing how good they were live and playing "The Dictators Go Girl Crazy" too many times.
My friend picked up all of the CDs I was missing from the merch booth and loaned them to me.
Out of all of the Dictators songs, this one really stands out to me:
From the "s" at the end of "shuffles" to that distinctive guitar hook and the final fade-out distortion ending with a sudden chord, it's a classic garage-rock pre-punk song. It could be a song by The Ramones except that it's twice too long and too lyrically deep for the early albums by that band. It's smart and like few other breakup songs it feels both angry and desperate.
I could play this song every day, and I regret that it took so long for me to discover it. I have a distinct memory of listening to this in Japan and having it stuck in my head earworm style while I was riding around my town. To this day I hear it and picture a certain street in Niigata. Weird but true. Give it a spin or ten.
They've got a show on 12/31 in NYC, actually. These days they seem to be going by Dictators NYC, possibly because it's not entirely the original lineup (no Andy Shernoff, for one.) I only did ever see these guys live once, but it was a hell of a show. The dive bar of dive bars in New Brunswick, NJ - The Court Tavern. If we were 15 feet from the furthest member of the band I'd be surprised. $10 for the show, too, which was a fortune by Court standards. I went based on hearing how good they were live and playing "The Dictators Go Girl Crazy" too many times.
My friend picked up all of the CDs I was missing from the merch booth and loaned them to me.
Out of all of the Dictators songs, this one really stands out to me:
From the "s" at the end of "shuffles" to that distinctive guitar hook and the final fade-out distortion ending with a sudden chord, it's a classic garage-rock pre-punk song. It could be a song by The Ramones except that it's twice too long and too lyrically deep for the early albums by that band. It's smart and like few other breakup songs it feels both angry and desperate.
I could play this song every day, and I regret that it took so long for me to discover it. I have a distinct memory of listening to this in Japan and having it stuck in my head earworm style while I was riding around my town. To this day I hear it and picture a certain street in Niigata. Weird but true. Give it a spin or ten.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Who Will Save Rock and Roll?
This is my blog for writing about music that I like. The name is derived from this song by The Dictators from the album D.F.F.D.
. It won't only be about Rock and Roll, though, as I like a variety of music. But it'll mostly be about rock. I'm not a kid anymore, so it'll be focused on somewhat older stuff much of the time. It'll be the music I like, the influences on my taste, gems lost to me until I find and post them, and so on. In the meantime, if you like what you see so far, stay tuned for more rock and roll.
. It won't only be about Rock and Roll, though, as I like a variety of music. But it'll mostly be about rock. I'm not a kid anymore, so it'll be focused on somewhat older stuff much of the time. It'll be the music I like, the influences on my taste, gems lost to me until I find and post them, and so on. In the meantime, if you like what you see so far, stay tuned for more rock and roll.
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