Terry Richardson shoots N YC punk roundtable star Debbie Harry.

Their Aim Is True

“THERE ARE NO FACTS, ONLY INTERPRETATIONS.” I found this quote (from Nietzsche) thanks to this little machine I can’t take my eyes off of, which also lets me check out the hottest new band—any band, really—at the click of a mouse. Back in 1977, I would have had to read magazines, listen to the rare radio broadcast, or watch (very) late-night TV to have even heard about many of the artists featured in this special issue, which celebrates the year many of the rock canon’s most significant and influential albums were released (my three favorites: Never Mind the Bollocks, Pure Mania, and The Clash). If there’s a theme that runs constant throughout the assembled interviews, it’s that memories are selective and often contradictory. These artists are very protective of their legacies, and rivalries still apparently exist (blame some glaring omissions on scheduling problems, others on egos and intraband politics). The truth, it seems, is what they’ve convinced themselves it is.

As this magazine was in production, we lost two major forces crucial to the birth of punk: CBGB founder Hilly Kristal, who died at 75 of complications from lung cancer, and British impresario Tony Wilson, who suffered a heart attack (while stricken with cancer) at 57. To anyone who frequented CB’s, Kristal was a gruff, avuncular presence; and he did more to promote punk in its early days than perhaps anyone in New York. Immortalized by Steve Coogan in 2002’s 24 Hour Party People, Wilson was one of the founders of Factory Records (home to Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays, among many others) and Manchester’s influential Hacienda club. Last year I had the pleasure of lunching with Wilson, who showed up at the restaurant wearing a chicly unconstructed designer suit, with purple-painted toenails peeking out from his mandals. Throughout our meal, he generously displayed his legendary wit and unabashed enthusiasm, making for two of the most delightful hours I’ve spent with any music-industry figure.

This issue is for them.
Doug Brod
Editor