Richard Hell & The Voidoids (Punk)

Richard Hell and The Voidoids is an American punk band of the ’70s and ’80s. Led by the brilliant Richard Hell (also a member of Television (we’ll come back to that), the Neon Boys and the Heartbreakers), Richard Hell and The Voidoids released two records of exceptional quality, Blank Generation (released in 1977) and Destiny Street (1982) respectively. This post sets out to discuss the former, more punk, more atypical, more striking.

Blank Generation is made up of ten songs, ten impeccable pieces of punk. The opening track, “Love Comes In Spurts” (here), has a relentless groove. Right after comes “Liars Beware” (here), a track whose power surge would give nightmares to any electricity company technician. We find an overpowered guitar on “Betrayal Takes Two” (here). It has lost its marbles, it has gone mad, it is absolutely magical. “Blank Generation” is not far behind. We call that a hit, we call that a smash, we call that a masterstroke. With a bluesier guitar sound, “The Plan” (here) is a more accessible song, where Richard Hell’s beat is no less brilliant. “Another World” is the closing track, a song of more than 8 minutes, rather unusual in the punk world. And how can you fight against so much love and so many guitars?! Richard Hell and The Voidoids is a band for which the Sex Pistols regularly go and light a candle. It must be said that these two records left their mark on Punk. Ah Richard…

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