Well.. not really. There were lots of garage bands in the 60's like The Sonics and It's All Meat that some would considerr punk or the beginnings of punk. . Death sounds like they were influenced by MC5 and The Stooges along with Hendrix and some funk thrown in there. I don't really consider them punk.
Don't forget PURE HELL from Philly !! Death never knew they were punk rock . They were just playing. Same way THE SAINTS from Australia played.... then they also had people calling their music punk . News too them . Such a shame that Death never hooked up with the MAJOR new rock scene that was right next door in Detroit at the time . The Stooges and the 5 would have loved this !!!!
These guys were virtually unknown until a few years ago when a documentary came out about them. Glad they got rediscovered... it's just a shame they didn't get to be well known in 70s. If they came up in LA, New York or DC it might have been different.. since those were HUGE punk scenes. I think a there were only a few hundred of these albums made, and it was local to Detroit area. Btw, the flip side of this band is an all African American metal band from the early 80s called "BLACK DEATH", from Cincinnati... almost as obscure.. but worth checking out.
Yeah, if you mean the 7” single, it’s the only thing that was released in the time they were really active in 1976. Nothing else of theirs was made available for another 30 years or so. There were 500 of the originals pressed and if you find a copy, buy it…but expect to pay several hundred dollars for it. Truly an unsung American gem. I really dig Death.
Black Death was from Cleveland. I'm from there, and back in the early '80's, they were played on the college stations, which is how I got exposed to them.
It makes me wonder what other invisible bands were lurking in Detroit back is 76’ or so. The stooges The MC5 Ted Nugent. black punk bands were not unheard of later on. But still pretty rare. Bad Brains Fish Bone.
They were "proto-punk" because they were inventing the genre and it hadn't been named yet. As the Hackney brothers say now, in 1974 the word "punk" had a bad connotation. I heard this album as a bootleg cassette in 1978 and loved it. But I couldn't buy it because there were only 500 copies made. When RU-vid offered this up as a suggestion, I thought "could it really be them?" I was so happy I was almost in tears. I am ecstatic that they've finally gotten the recognition they always should have had.
Theres a Documentary about them. Nobody, esp Motown, wanted to deal with them so they stuck the tapes in the attic... till one of their sons found them.
Found them on the early internet (90s). I was a teenager. I was into Metal, Punk, and Motown; so those were the shit I looked for. I knew they were underground, but did realize how held back they were by the industry until I got older.
The second half of this song is just one hell of a major jam session. What an incredible band they were. As was mentioned before in the comments.... "one of the best bands you've never heard of." These guys were amazing. And they played a big part in the birth of punk rock.
Proto-punk pretty much means “Punk before Punk.” Early punk Rock has a lot of similarities with Hip-hop. Both started in the working class areas of New York in the 70’s, both were inspired by the Blues with Elements of Reggae and funk, and both serve as a voice for those the system threw overboard. Later on, both Punk and Hip-hop shifted from discussing issues with the system, to more internal battles with the self and the marketing strategies appealed to a wider audience.
I struggle to like Blues because it gets cliche and it's a rather narrow form. But of course it can be adapted and blended with stuff. Punk is really up my alley along with outlaw country and grind. I love Napalm Death and Steve Earle haha peace
I like country blues like Lightnin Hopkins and Mississippi hill country blues like RL Burnside. But I don't get too into those big time blues dudes like SRV or Clapton
I recommend Bad Brains another all black punk band from Washington DC. Bad Brains originated the "hardcore" style of fast tempo punk popular in the early 80's. I saw them in SF in the early 80's and it was like seeing the Beatles but in a small theater with 200 kids. Bad Brains were a huge influence on 80's Hardcore style punk, I think you'll like them. Check out their live performance of "The Big Takeover" 1982 at the historic CBGB's in NYC.
I've been involved in punk since the mid 80s. These guys were insane. For a lot of reasons. First off they never played a gig until the movie. Not one. Their sound especially on some of the other material, was pure punk. But 'punk rock's as a phrase didnt EXIST until Punk magazine in 1975, in reference the local stuff happening at CBGB's & Max's Kansas City in NYC. Those guys were influenced by the Stooges, MC5, stuff like that. Which were all proto punk. The crazy part is even though Death had that sound before they did, it's very unlikely any of the NY bands in the mid 70s had ever even heard of them most likely.
One of the greatest rock n roll albums of all time! 5:00-5:20 is just a magical sequence that few bands can top. God bless the Hackney brothers forever!
FISHBONE. Check those guys out. They were mostly active in the 80s-90s and were known for playing a wide variety of different genres. Funk was probably their most prominent, but they had some metal songs, some punk songs, some ska songs, some soul songs, some reggae songs, even a podunk country song. They believed in representing the counterculture in as many ways as possible. They never got big, mainly because their diverse style was extremely hard to market to a large group, but it didn’t help that they were all black and there was still pretty blatant racism in the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, they have some very devoted fans. Some suggestions I have: Bonin’ in the Boneyard; Everyday Sunshine; Ma and Pa; Sunless Saturday; When Problems Arise; Cholly; and Mister Zero.
Death. The greatest band you never heard of before. The doc that introduced me to these guys is one of the rawest, most honest, and best rock n' roll movies ever made. No BS there. It is a goddamn crime that this band called Death isn't more well known. Shit, this song alone is mind-blowing! I must find this album. Motown, MC5, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, and Death... ho-lee shit was there ever a scene going on in the Motor City at the time. WOW!
Another funky Punk band were the Talking Heads. They were Punk in the sense that they belonged to the original scene at the CBGB's, when the definition of Punk still was "a band that's mentioned in Punk Magazine and plays regularly at CBGB's". They were really funky, too, but their style was a kind of wacky white protestant Funk.
Another really great black punk band is "Bad Brains" if you have not heard them yet. Death is fucking awesome band. Keep on knockin was the first tune Iheard with them and I was sold instantly.
They actually had major record deal but the deal folded because they refused to change their name. I think this band would of turn the music world upside down in the 70s.
All correct. And the name “Death” was actually meant to be positive…it was a tribute to their late father and that is why they refused to change it. Classic example of artists who refused to sell out their principles and I’ve always respected them.
Eaten by ghouls yum yum yum lol 😂 always has good requests. This was no exception, so punk, so funk and longer than usual. Love a longer punk song, still relevant. Bad brains is another band to check out as another of your subscribers mentioned.
Hi there! IF you want to listen to more punk so is the song New age with the Blitz awsome. The massacre with the Exploited is Also great. Many regards from Sweden
If you like this you should check f eg The Sonic Reducer by The Dead Boys, Electrophonic Tonic by Sonic's Rendezvous Band, Born to Lose by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and Sister Ann by MC5.
This song is a first cousin to Time Has Come Today by the Chambers Brothers. Watch the 15-minute live video of that song on RU-vid if you're not familiar with it. This sounds like punk plus funk plus in the longer passages Rare Earth, the first successful white(!) band for Motown (Detroit-based, like Death). This is an awesome effort -- finally some props.
great video, If you want to know more about these guys there is a documentary called "a band called death" you can buy or rent it but there is probably a free version on youtube. the whole album "for the world to see" is great and the other albums by them have lots of gems.
They released one single in the 70's. Only 500 were made, and they didn't sell all of them. That Death single was the holy grail for record collecters! Some sold for 500 dollars. I never heard them til the full album was released 10 or so years ago. I couldn't beleave how good they were! The music was so well developed and fun, and when it had something to say, they said it heavy! And that photo on the LP, I wanted to hang out with the band! You know they'd be fun, and you'd end up sitting around and listening to records with them!
Found this band 10 years ago freshman year of highschool; I asked to play a song at a party and recommended “Death”. They played the newer band and I said “That’s not Death” Played this song and they didn’t know WTF they were listening to.
I discovered them in 2012 blows my mind that they flew under the radar for so many years, and yeah as said before the documentary on DEATH is awesome! check it out
Hi I'm in new Zealand its 9pm on a cold Monday nite and I'm watching a band called death documentary on TV ... While I'm watching Ur I searched them on Apple music and you tube and came across Ur reaction video .... That beat and the bass awesome as . I love Ur reaction bro .... Kia orana from aotearoa new zealand
Damn bro you're the first person I've heard say that word RAD! and years damn we used to say that a lot back in the eighties when I was living in Reseda and going to Reseda high School and playing hacky sack LOL I'm an ex Stoner but I still rock out I love rock and roll!👍🤘🥁
@@ronaldwilliams4954 wait, hacky sack!? I just caught that, lol! I totally remember hacky sack! My brother would throw it at me all the time! Freakin thing was super dusty, lol
Death were epic! They suffered from being too black for the rock establishment, but too rock for the RnB establishment. Such a Shame that we have to ethnicitise music instead of just loving great music.
Not too many people will admit this for obvious reasons but they were the first Punk Band. They had the hardest time getting signed because they wouldn't change their names.
It's a conspiracy. There were lots of garage bands in the 60's doing what some would consider "Punk" before Death. Death was influenced by MC5, and The Stooges as well as Hendrix and funk. I don't consider them punk. Too funky.
The Detroit area was, at least to me, was very much the seed of the proto-punk/metal movement. Check out the MC5's Kick Out the Jams (MC5: Motor City 5).
'Very interesting' - you sure bud? 1st time I heard this my head exploded & took 10 years to recover - this band were pathfinders, challengers, threateners and everything else that rebellious music should be - bounce man, just bounce. 👍🐬
Never saw this band back in the day but I was at a lot of shows. Dead Kennedy's, Circle Jerks, The Adolescents, The Vandals, Black Flagg and Fear. Great shows with an amazing variety of fans; bikers, punkers, long haired rockers, country fans, it was always a great time. I would highly recommend the Dead Kennedy's song Police Truck.
Dude, i love your reactions.... The reaction(s) on rob zombie's music got me to subscribe, but i have seen other reacts of yours.... You (and your wife, obvi) are awesome.... Keep up the metal!!
Awesome band! Another band I would consider very similar to this is "the minute Men "if this is your style. Another kind of funky influential underrated punk band
Imagine all the good music we’ve missed out on because record labels don’t like the bands name. The band sticks by their guns and we never hear their voice
Man, you should watch and probably react to also to the documentary about this group "The band called Death", you can not react to it if you want, just watch it, I urge you, you won't be disappointed
I know I am late to watching you, starting at the beginning, but it is odd watching someone go through all this punk music with nary a beer in hand. Cheers!!!
Proto-punk, I think that's one of many sounds they employed. Punk is typically more basic/simplistic than this. See Ramones, Minor Threat, Misfits. Death had different rhythms, soulful vocals (reminded me of Bad Brains and Living Color). It's so strange Death was not known, because I hear what sounds like their influence in those later groups. So yeah these guys were ahead of their time. Not satisfied with popular 70's music and culture. Fascinating decade, I think 70's top my list because of early punk and other stuff
