A couple o’ things here :
1) The movie American Hardcore is out and though I haven’t seen it, I will via Netflix at some point (it’s showing for one night only here. Heck, movies like the Decline of Western Civilization, Urgh! & Rude Boy all at least showed for a week in Atlanta. Repertory film theatres must not have as much leeway as the early 80s, but we digress.) Anyway, I’ve seen two reviews in local rags (Creative Loafing, Gwinnett Post) and had problems with both. The Loaf reviewer has a big problem with Husker Du not being in the film, but I really didn’t think they were hardcore at the time. Bob Mould even corrected me as such because, my not having heard the first two Huskers 45s, I was first aware of the band via Land Speed Record, which IS a hardcore record. I did a phone interview with Bob in 1985 where I asked him about their progression from Land Speed to the more melodious New Day Rising (their most recent release at that point) and he stated that they had begun pop and sped up so that records like Zen Arcade and New Day were actually moving back to their starting sound. The Loaf also has a picture of Corrosion Of Conformity to accompany the interview and I always figured them (along with D.R.I.) to be more of a crossover (aka speed metal) act. The band that spawned COC, No Lables were more of a punk band and opened the Dead Kennedys show at 688 in May of 1983.
The Gwinnett Post review notes, inaccurately, that the bulk of hardcore fans “didn’t drink or do drugs”. Sure, whatever. Their review also laments an over focus on Bad Brains and Black Flag, called “the only two relatively successful hardcore punk bands”, when the Dead Kennedys probably outsold both of them. (and the DKs, as the Loaf review notes, aren’t in this thing.) You could probably throw X in the mix as a successful hardcore band as well. I’m sure there’s other hardcore bands (Bad Religion anyone?) that easily outsold Bad Brains as well.
By the way, the title of the post refers the the censored version of History Lesson, Part II as sung by Minutemen on WREK broadcast of 11/30/85.
Second thing : Linda Perry last week called Courtney Love a great American songwriter who should be ranked with Bob Dylan in greatness. I guess when you’re a hack like Linda Perry and songwriters like Kenny G look good compared to you, maybe CLove does deserve the compliment…….