Year: 1977
Country: US
City: New York
Label: Warner
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 14
Time: 36 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Punk Rock
RICHARD HELL & THE VOIVODS were one of the first punk rock bands, fronted by Richard Meyers, a former member of The Neon Boys, Television and The Heartbreakers. Formed in New York City, at various times the band included influential guitarist Robert Quine, Ivan Julian, Naux Maciel, former Contortions and The Raybeats guitarist Jody Harris, Golden Palominos leader Anton Fier, and future Ramones member Marc Bell (Marky Ramone). The group is best known for Hell’s worldview, who reflected in songs like “who says?” and next to another New York punk bands a personal profile and personality a little bit intellectual, artistic, individualist and a little self-centered.
Their song “blank generation” served as an anthem for the new wave movement in New York. Despite these early years, Richard Meyers is nowadays a person interested in politics, social issues and environment protection, as everybody can to read his articles or poetry in his personal blog. The Voidoids were started in 1976 when Richard Hell left
The Heartbreakers. The first lineup consisted of Hell, Quine, Julian and
Bell. The band released what has been considered their best album "Blank Generation" in 1977 with original influences of jazz, blues and prog rock, with an exceptional work on bass and drums (rhythmic section) very rare in the majority of punk bands late 70s. This lineup dissolved around 1979. A new lineup in 1982, this time with Hell, Quine and new
members Naux (Juan Maciel) on guitar and Fred Maher on drums, was
featured on The Voidoids second album Destiny Street.
According to Hell, Destiny Street suffered due to Hell’s being
distracted during the recording process, especially by the use of
narcotics. This second lineup dissolved late 1984.
