Arts

Rancid, Iron Prostate, Vibrators, Chumbawamba, 4-Skins, Flesh Eaters, Devil Dogs are just some of the entries that can be found in Brian Cogan's Encyclopedia, brought to us by award winning publishers Greenwood Press. Cogan, a New York professor and self-avowed punk scene member for over 20 years, has presented us with a fascinating overview of the punk world from its origins in the early 1970s until the present day. Written from the perspective of an “insider”, writing about “outsiders”, this is a considerable and comprehensive resource that well captures the spirit and influence of punk and its manifold cultures and subcultures. It is a timely contribution, most commentators agreeing that punk is now 30 years old.

Cogan is an enthusiastic advocate of punk culture, writing not just as though it were in the past, but rather something that continues to evolve, remaining vibrant and alive, musically and socially important. Cogan portrays punk in all its contradictions – a positive social force promoting noble causes such as the environment, animal welfare and equality, but also in its more publicly known guises of violence, racism, anger and sexism. Cogan argues throughout that such nihilistic tendencies are more a product of the mainstream mass media but he is sufficiently balanced and critical to acknowledge the aggressively anti-establishment, confrontational, provocative, anarchistic nature of punk. He does not shy away from controversial topics such as neo-Nazism, homophobia and the heroin culture endemic in much of punk. The author goes beyond many of the populist clichés and mainstream perceptions about punk like Mohican haircuts and drugs, giving us a social history of sorts, reminding us of the quasi-political nature of punk and its constant regeneration and mutation.

The volume is fairly international in scope, with the bulk of entries coming from the American and British punk scenes (in themselves regional) with honourable mentions for Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Cogan would appear to have more of a feel for American punk culture, but this does not result in any great bias. He addresses the differences between American and British punk and the fundamental origins of punk, a subject of much discussion amongst punk scholars. Identifying British punk as a response to massive social discontent, more class-based and political in nature, American punk is seen in terms of an anti-corporate culture, finding an outlet in artistic and musical experimentation. The huge effect punk had culturally and musically is seen in many recent significant bands such as The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Nirvana and The Strokes.

Although the volume is relatively modest, totalling just 281 pages, Cogan has produced a really compact and well-structured encyclopedia primarily covering punk music and its associated subcultures and politics. The book is crammed with entries on personalities like Malcolm McLaren and Richard Hell, genres such as Protopunk, DIY and Straight Edge, film and TV references, cultural and fashion icons such as the famous CBGB Club in New York, Doc Martens and Stiff Records. The preface and introduction give interesting insights into what punk really is and acknowledge the futility of attempting precise definitions. The subject headings and related topics sections at the beginning are helpful and although the bibliography is relatively short and generic, it is, like the volume, accessible. The index is thorough with useful boldfaced page locators. Two minor grumbles: the photographs are rather uninspiring and the website list extremely short, likely more a reflection of the prevalence of zines and flyers amongst the punk community. The discography feature listed under each band entry is outstanding, appealing to those looking to build music collections and to anyone with an interest in music.

The criterion for inclusion gives much scope for argument. There are copious entries, varying in length from short paragraphs on Glue or Crust Punk to much more detailed accounts on The Clash or pre-punk gods The New York Dolls, although some entries might be regarded as dubious by punks. Entries on The Jam (notwithstanding early punk influences) and Green Day may not find favour, despite Cogan arguing that Green Day have paid their “punk dues”. Resistance to such bands may have more to do with the fact that they diverged musically and achieved huge chart and commercial success, a path that many punks would regard as selling out, anathema to the core spirit of punk. The lack of a coherent philosophy of punk means there are many musical contradictions. Do Blondie and The Exploited share the same musical heritage? Would punk rockers admit that The Ramones, the godfathers of punk, had an undoubted affinity to pop melodies, or The New York Dolls were (are) more glam rock than punk rock? There are omissions – Jane's Addiction, Chrissie Hynde, The Boomtown Rats and Nick Lowe, for example – but the encyclopedia is exceptionally wide-ranging. The inclusion of many obscure and less well-known bands and references makes the book all the richer. David Byrne, Talking Heads frontman, put it best when he said that punk was defined by an attitude rather than a musical style.

The book is topical and current with an entry on the incomparable John Peel, who passed away in 2004. It should prove a really good starting point for undergraduates across a range of disciplines from musicology to cultural studies, social history to subcultures. The volume will broadly appeal as a reference resource for libraries but also the general reader and even the popular market. The author does not attempt to hide his fervour; it is undeniably a labour of love. Cogan's deep understanding of his subject is reflected in the excellent cross-referencing. The book also presents an interesting counterpoint to the modern music culture of downloads, MTV and MySpace. One wonders whether any of today's bands could match the impact of those like The Sex Pistols in achieving “hit records” (and some little notoriety) despite being banned from all radio stations and high street record shops refusing to carry their songs. It is a highly enjoyable, accessible overview and introduction of what is a fascinating and individualistic way of life.