Hobbies are important...
285. Dictators "The Next Big Thing"
Once upon a time there was a bunch of overbright screw-ups from the outer boroughs who formed a loud, hard band that sang gleeful odes to bad behavior and junk culture, who featured a weirdly charismatic lead singer and had a rep for riotous live shows.
Betcha think I'm talking about the Ramones, right? No, I'm talking about the Dictators, da Bronx's gift to punk rock. They predated the Ramones by good couple of years, but they definitely point the way toward things to come. The good natured sloppiness, the embrace of pop culture, the goony humor, the we're-just-a-bunch-of-goofball-losers-but-it's-OK-cause-you-are-too attitude all are the birth wails of New York punk rock. But they were different, too. Guitarist Ross The Boss was a shredder of the heavy metal school and lead vocalist/punkrawkonteur Handsome Dick Manitoba was a bellower not a mumbler or growler. In many ways they were the missing link between 70's hard rock and the punk to come*, not to mention between the Detroit sound of the MC5 and Stooges and the CBGB's hordes to come.
This was track one on their debut album and it's a fine introduction. Ross and Scott 'Top Ten" Kempner provide a monster riff and Andy Shernoff's lyrics ('We knocked 'em dead in Dallas..') are some of the finest smartassery in rock history. At this point Manitoba was credited as 'Secret Weapon' and shares vocal chores with Shernoff, soon he would take over completely. The hilarious pro-wrestling inspired intro is all Handsome Dick though.
*punk was a progression as much as a reaction, but that's a whole other discussion
Once upon a time there was a bunch of overbright screw-ups from the outer boroughs who formed a loud, hard band that sang gleeful odes to bad behavior and junk culture, who featured a weirdly charismatic lead singer and had a rep for riotous live shows.
Betcha think I'm talking about the Ramones, right? No, I'm talking about the Dictators, da Bronx's gift to punk rock. They predated the Ramones by good couple of years, but they definitely point the way toward things to come. The good natured sloppiness, the embrace of pop culture, the goony humor, the we're-just-a-bunch-of-goofball-losers-but-it's-OK-cause-you-are-too attitude all are the birth wails of New York punk rock. But they were different, too. Guitarist Ross The Boss was a shredder of the heavy metal school and lead vocalist/punkrawkonteur Handsome Dick Manitoba was a bellower not a mumbler or growler. In many ways they were the missing link between 70's hard rock and the punk to come*, not to mention between the Detroit sound of the MC5 and Stooges and the CBGB's hordes to come.
This was track one on their debut album and it's a fine introduction. Ross and Scott 'Top Ten" Kempner provide a monster riff and Andy Shernoff's lyrics ('We knocked 'em dead in Dallas..') are some of the finest smartassery in rock history. At this point Manitoba was credited as 'Secret Weapon' and shares vocal chores with Shernoff, soon he would take over completely. The hilarious pro-wrestling inspired intro is all Handsome Dick though.
*punk was a progression as much as a reaction, but that's a whole other discussion
Comments