CBGB’s, a celebratory box set twenty years after its closure
The CBGB’s it was a small club in the East Village of New York that in the 70s became one of the most influential places in the history of rock music, above all for the birth of the scene punk and new wave.
The restaurant was opened in 1973 by Hilly “Hilly” Kristalson of Russian Jewish immigrants, former Marine and music enthusiast. The name CBGB was an acronym for its original project: hosting Country, BlueGrass, Blues and other “roots” music. In reality, the club soon ended up becoming a space open to any band capable of attracting an audience, as long as they played original songs. At a time when there were very few venues in New York willing to host emerging bands with their own music, CBGB quickly became a point of reference for young artists.
In 1974 i Television they obtained a weekly residency and helped create the venue’s first music scene. Shortly thereafter they started playing at the venue too Patti Smith, Ramones, Blondie And Talking Headsgroups that would become fundamental to the history of rock. CBGB functioned almost like a creative laboratory: bands could perform often, develop their own style and build an audience. The scene that formed around the club soon became identified with the term “punk”even if, according to some protagonists, CBGB punk was more a spirit of creative freedom than a precise musical genre.
The venue soon also attracted important figures from the artistic and musical world, including Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Andy Warhol and Malcolm McLaren. The latter, upon returning to London, was inspired by the style of some CBGB musicians to create the image of Sex Pistolscontributing to the international spread of punk.
The club was famous for its atmosphere rough and decadent: graffiti-covered walls, full ashtrays and notoriously dirty bathrooms. However, that very informal and chaotic environment fostered creativity and a sense of community among musicians, artists and the public. Over the years CBGB hosted thousands of bands; in addition to the groups that became famous, many others remained underground. In the 80s the venue continued to be important, also for the scene hardcore punkorganizing afternoon concerts for minors.
As time passed, however, New York City changed profoundly. There gentrification of the Bowery led to rising rents and conflicts with the building owner. Despite a legal battle, Kristal was forced to leave the venue and the CBGB closed permanently on October 15, 2006after 33 years of activity. The final night saw performances by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, who remembered many musicians associated with the club who have now passed away.
Hilly Kristal died the following year, in 2007. Today CBGB survives as cultural symbol of the birth of punk and the creativity of New York in the 70s. Its legacy lives above all in the music produced by the bands that played there, also celebrated by collections and publications dedicated to that historical period. Roman Kozak’s book “This is not a disco” was recently released in Italy, edited by Luca Frazzi and published by Interno4 (review on Rockol coming soon, the cover at the end of this article). A four-CD box set with a selection of 101 songs by well-known and lesser-known bands who have visited CBGB has also been published by Cherry Red Records.
Disc: 1
1 The Dictators – (I Live For) Cars And Girls
2 The Harlots of 42nd Street – S&M (I Can’t Live Without You)
3 The Magic Tramps – S&M Leather Queen
4 Patti Smith – Free Money
5 The Brats – Be A Man
6 City Lights – Travelin‘ Man
7 The Hounds – Call Me (Previously unreleased on CD)
8 Erasers – It Was So Funny (That Song That They Sung)
9 Ramones – Beat On The Brat
10 Stuart‘s Hammer – Everybody’s Depraved (Live at CBGB)
11 The Planets – Come On Up (Previously unreleased)
12 Milk ‘No‘ Cookies – Not Enough Girls (In The World)
13 Just Water – They Live By Night
14 Television – See No Evil
15 Mumps – Crocodile Tears
16 The Heartbreakers – Born To Lose
17 Testors – You Don’t Break My Heart
18 The Dead Boys – Ain’t Nothing To Do
19 The Senders – You Really Piss Me Off
20 The Electric Chairs – Fuck Off
21 Marbles – Forgive And Forget
22 Cherry Vanilla – Hard As A Rock
23 Tuff Darts – Fun City
24 Talking Heads – A Clean Break (Let’s Work) (Live)
Disc: 2
1 Suicide – Ghost Rider
2 Pure Hell – I Feel Bad
3 Helen Wheels – Room To Rage
4 Blondie – Picture This
5 Mars – Helen Forsdale
6 Come On – Don’t Walk On The Kitchen Floor
7 Mink Deville – ‘A’ Train Lady
8 The Heat – Instant Love (Previously unreleased on CD)
9 Genya Ravan – Aye Co’lorado
10 Theoretical Girls – Lovin’ In The Red
11 Richard Hell & The Voidoids – The Kid With The Replaceable Head
12 The Stillettos – Pink Stillettos
13 The Paley Brothers – Baby, Let’s Stick Together
14 Neon Leon – Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Alive (Previously unreleased on CD)
15 Revelons – The Way (You Touch My Hand)
16 New York Ni**ers – Just Like Dresden ’45
17 LOK – Fun House (Previously unreleased on CD)
18 Material – OAO
19 The Laughing Dogs – I Need A Million
20 Shrapnel – Combat Love
21 Peroxide – Heart Disease
22 Student Teachers – Christmas Weather
23 Tom Verlaine – Breakin’ In My Heart
24 Richard Lloyd – Number Nine
25 James Chance & The Contortions – Jailhouse Rock (Live at CBGB 1978)
Disc: 3
1 The Cramps – Garbage Man
2 The Dots – I Don’t Wanna Dance (With You) (Previously unreleased on CD)
3 The Miamis – We Deliver
4 Model Citizens – Shift The Blame
5 The dB‘s – Black And White
6 The Rattlers – On The Beach
7 Love Of Life Orchestra – Revolution Is Personal
8 Urban Verbs – Next Question (Previously unreleased)
9 Sylvain Sylvain – Teenage News
10 Stimulators – Loud Fast Rules
11 Tot Rocket And The Twins – Reduced
12 The Bongos – Telephoto Lens
13 Outsets – I‘m Searchin’ For You
14 Sorrows – Teenage Heartbreak
15 The Lounge Lizards – Do The Wrong Thing
16 Nervus Rex – There She Goes
17 The Cosmopolitans – Wild Moose Party
18 Polyrock – Your Dragging Feet
19 Lenny Kaye with The Lone Wolves – Child Bride (Previously unreleased on CD)
20 RL Crutchfield’s Dark Day – Arp‘s Carpet
21 The Colors – Jealousy
22 TV Toy – (Don’t Blame It On The) Weekend
23 DNA – Blonde Red Head
24 The Rudies – Sherri Goodbye
25 The Raybeats – Tight Turn
26 Phosphenes – Asexual (Previously unreleased on CD)
27 Minor Threat – Straight Edge
Disc: 4
1 Bush Tetras – Things That Go BOOM In The Night
2 Human Switchboard – (Say No To) Saturday’s Girl
3 Disturbed Furniture – Information *
4 The Necessaries – Back To You *
5 Chemicals Made From Dirt – Oriental Television *
6 China Shop – If It’s New
7 James Blood Ulmer – Open House
8 Nihilistics – You‘re To Blame
9 Beastie Boys – Egg Raid On Mojo
10 The Individuals – My Three Sons (Revolve Around The Earth)
11 Rhys Chatham – Drastic Classicism (edit)
12 Unknown Gender – Boys-Girls (Radio) *
13 Khmer Rouge – Hinterland
14 Bad Brains – Banned In DC
15 Heart Attack – English Cunts
16 Outpatients – Fight
17 Vatican Commandos – Housewives On Valium
18 Sonic Youth – The World Looks Red
19 Jeff & Jane Hudson – Operating Instruction
20 Glorious Strangers – Deception *
21 Nona Hendryx – Transformation
22 Reagan Youth – No Class
23 Rat At Rat R – Assassin
24 Ritual Tension – Social Climber
25 The Ordinaires – Grace
