So, just watched all four episodes of Season 1 (how will they do a Season 2?)...here's my thoughts about the 'whole enchilada':
I can already hear the shouts of those who would decry bands like Green Day and Pennywise as sell-outs and 'not real punks'...believe me, I gravitate toward that side of the pitch myself.
I think that a very real criticism toward this series is "Why spend twenty minutes showcasing The Offspring in Ep.4 that you should have spent on The Buzzcocks in Ep.2?", or some such similar argument...
Like all great series, there are highlights and not-so-highlights...if it's got to be broken down, here's my grades per episode:
Episode 1 (the origins of punk, focusing on the MC5, the New York Dolls, the Stooges, and into the Ramones): A
Episode 2 (the transition to the UK, focusing on the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and the "death of punk" in the late '70s): A
Episode 3 (the "rebirth" of punk in the US, focusing on Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, the LA hardcore scene, and the spread of underground/DIY punk): A-
Episode 4 (grunge, Nirvana, and the popularization of "festival/stadium punk"); C
I can already hear the shouts of those who would decry bands like Green Day and Pennywise as sell-outs and 'not real punks'...believe me, I gravitate toward that side of the pitch myself.
I think that a very real criticism toward this series is "Why spend twenty minutes showcasing The Offspring in Ep.4 that you should have spent on The Buzzcocks in Ep.2?", or some such similar argument...
Like all great series, there are highlights and not-so-highlights...if it's got to be broken down, here's my grades per episode:
Episode 1 (the origins of punk, focusing on the MC5, the New York Dolls, the Stooges, and into the Ramones): A
Episode 2 (the transition to the UK, focusing on the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and the "death of punk" in the late '70s): A
Episode 3 (the "rebirth" of punk in the US, focusing on Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, the LA hardcore scene, and the spread of underground/DIY punk): A-
Episode 4 (grunge, Nirvana, and the popularization of "festival/stadium punk"); C