10 Forgotten 1970s Punk Albums You Need To Hear

Washington DC’s Bad Brains have always held the title of first, and indeed in many minds, the only ‘all-black punk band’. But in fact, they were neither, and this Philadelphia-based quartet was making a proto-punk racket as far back as 1974.

By the time they recorded their debut album in 1978, they were hammering out an abrasive and wildly energetic style of contemporary punk mixed with the thumping swagger of earlier bands such as New York Dolls and The Stooges, all with a speed and complexity which makes even Bad Brains’ earliest work seem restrained in comparison. The songs here are a selection that, putting it lightly, could be said to ‘absolutely shred’, with the lead guitar work, in particular, being astoundingly fast and complex, as demonstrated on the searing title track.

Sadly, while they did manage to get one 7” single released while active, the band seemed beset with bad luck – their planned 1975 debut 7” was cancelled; the one known acetate copy is now owned by Black Flag’s Henry Rollins. The original release of this album also came to nothing after they fell out with their manager, who departed taking the master tape with him, leaving them almost completely forgotten about until it surfaced again nearly twenty years later. The recent interest in the Afropunk movement has seen them finally gain a little of the recognition they deserve.