A Fresh Exploration of the Broader Possibilities of Punk

Punk was bigger once. Not financially, but in its reach--back when the Clash, Patti Smith, the Ramones and Talking Heads could mix comfortably beneath the same marquee, and before hard-core became punk’s defining aesthetic.

Rock guitar virtuoso Wayne Kramer remembers those days, which were partly inspired by his own work in the ‘60s with the revolutionary MC5. It has led him to produce this collection of new tracks by artists who still understand the broader possibilities of punk. Not all of the veterans here rise to the occasion, but the best tracks are ragged and loose when they need to be, explosive and dangerous elsewhere. Mudhoney (with Kramer on bass) taps into a searing MC5/Stooges vibe with melodic hard-rock riffing on the opening “Inside Job.” Later, on “Dead End Street,” former Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton himself unleashes frantic, epic riffs that are fresh and exciting.

The Neanderthal Chuck Berry riffing of Dee Dee Ramone’s “Bad Little Go-Go Girl” is harsh fun in small doses, despite the roughest vocals imaginable. And David Was adds a welcome dose of twisted hip-hop. But some of the most excited playing emerges from the hard-headed young bands Downset, Strung Out and Cooter, landing in the place where punk meets metal.

The album also includes a Web address to download free additional tracks. Which suggests this project continues far beyond the album’s closing minutes, and the ringing endorsement of Kramer’s own roaring guitar.

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