Without a doubt, the single most influential thing ive done was my haircut, richard hell writes in massive pissed love, his new collection of nonfiction. There are characters in punk that do deliberately go as far as they can in certain kind of taboo areas. Richard hell on collaboration the creative independent. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Not his enabler patti smith, who he compliments unstintingly given that he also calls her a hypocritical, pandering diva. Singer and bass guitarist in the neon boys and television with schoolfriend tom verlaine, nyc midto late 1970s. I put this music video together using two clips of richard hell and the voidoids playing at cbgbs. Richard hell was the first person to ever shoot up heroin in front of me. The result is called oh and was available for a year exclusively as an mp3 for free download at, but was withdrawn as a free download upon release of the musicblitz cd compiled by wayne kramer entitled. Marks church, and, in 1996, issued his first fulllength novel, go now which was also released as a spoken word cd under the same name, with robert quine laying down some splendid noisy licks under the text. Richard hell was an innovator of punk music and fashion.
Go now, his novel about a burntout punk junkies crosscountry drive in search of redemption, was published by scribner last year and hes at work on two more books. Here he discusses the importance of collaboration in his creative life. His voidoids album blank generation sire, 1977 is generally acknowledged as seminal to punk. See all 12 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. A punk performer named billy mud, kept from recording by a record company dispute, is hired to travel.
See all books authored by richard hell, including i dreamed i was a very clean tramp, and go now, and more on. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Born in 1949, richard meyers was shipped off to a private school for troublesome kids in delaware, which is where he met tom verlain. He is the leader of a band that never seems to rehearse and is. Actually, id call this more of a road trip book than a work of rock fiction. Its a characteristically selfdeprecating statement from a writer who started as one of the main sparks. The kid with the replaceable head, produced by nick lowe, the 7inch richard hellneon boys. Go now tim kerr, 1995 is a spokenword album excerpts from hells novel with musical accompaniment by robert quine time matador, 2002 is a double disc of rarities including the entire 1984 cassette rip robert quine died in june 2004 of a heroin overdose. I saw what i had so i got i got mad so i guess i went bad so now i search for new endeavors push my buttons wear my levers who says its good to good to be alive same. Hell is the first punk musician in the fales archives, and his collection will not include things like guitars or the famous tshirt that hell designed for richard lloyd, a guitarist in television.
The big problem with go now, the debut novel by legendary punk rocker richard hell blank generation, is that it wants so badly to be jim carrolls basketball diaries that its sense of self burns away completely, leaving a trace about as memorable as the brown gunk in. In 1996 hell wrote a novel, go now, that was drawn largely from his own experience, and released a collection of short pieces poems, essays and drawings called hot and cold in 2001. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Hell also cowrote and sang lead vocals on the song never mind by the heads, a 1996 collaborative effort between three former members of talking heads. Most of the 21minuteand34second, onetrack recording consists of hell, in firstperson stream of consciousness mode, relating the daily routine of a severely. Richard hell was one of the original punk rockers to emerge from new york city in the early to mid70s, and is often pointed to as a major influence by other subsequent punk bands whether it be with his music, poetry, or even fashion sense he was one of the first punks to wear ripped clothing. Credited by many with inventing the look of punk rock ripped clothes, spiky hair etc, he claims influenced by a portrait of french poet arthur rimbaud. Richard hell is the author of the novels go now and godlike. Hes currently conducing an interviewperformance series at symphony space in new york, night out with richard hell, as well as giving readings and talks internationally, while focusing primarily on a novel in progress.
Richard hell was the first person to shoot up heroin in. He was one of the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawnon shirts, often held together with safety pins malcolm mclaren, manager of the sex pistols, credited hell as a source of inspiration for the sex pistols look and attitude, as well as the safetypin and graphics accessorized clothing that mclaren sold in his london. Richard hell was born in lexington, kentucky in october 1949. Not talking heads, who in the interest of comity hell barely mentions in his new book.
His book of collaborations with the artist christopher wool, psychopts, was published in 2008, and his cd, destiny street repaired, by richard hell and the voidoids, was released in 2009. This reading is from chapters 1 and 2 of the novel go now by richard hell guitar by robert quine. Richard hell and the voidoids blank generation music. But hell, the founder of such protopunk bands as the heartbreakers and television, writes with occasional zest and. Richard hell remains a crucial voice of our culture. He is the leader of a band that never seems to rehearse and is having an affair with a high school student. I dreamed i was a very clean tramp is a glimpse into one of new yorks most mythic erasthe late 70s and early 80sand hells role at the front. A junkies journal, this clumsily written narrative relies on the thinnest of premises. Heres an excerpt from richards recent book go now scribner.
Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Music profile for richard hell, born 2 october 1949. He played in the neon boys as well, which was basically television before they were called television. I believe in people treating each other with respect. Go now book by richard hell official publisher page. Guide to the richard hell papers, 19442010 bulk 1969. At the beginning of this year richard published a long article about andy warhol in gagosian quarterly. We were filming the photo comic the legend of nick detroit in early 1976, which would become the worstselling issue. This spokenword disc features new york city punk legend richard hell reading from his novel go now over a bed of typically jarring electric guitar work from exvoidoidslou reedmatthew sweet downtown noise guitarist robert quine. A punkrocker of modest renown and a selfstyled poet, hell debuts with a pointless and plotless fiction that lacks either the drug authenticity of a burroughs or the transgressive aesthetic of an acker.
Richard hell is a novelist, essayist, poet and musician who lives in new york. The best proof of how brazenly punk yoked new yorks posthippie avantgarde to rock and roll is two albums by richard hell. Spurts rhino, 2005 is a retrospective of richard hell, mostly drawn from blank generation and destiny street. Guide to the richard hell papers, 19442010 bulk 19692003 mss. Hell also served as editor for new york literary magazine cuz for the poetry project at st. Richard hell was the first bass player, singer and songwriter for television. Richard hell books list of books by author richard hell. No wonder they came together sort of in the rock fiction book, go now. Today, 36 years after putting out blank generation, new yorks seminal punk rock record, richard hell releases an incredibly honest book reflecting on his youth and his time with bands the heartbreakers and richard hell and the voidoids. Legend has it that a decade before the formation of the neon boys in new york, richard meyers and thomas miller, two wayward delaware prep school escapees, were apprehended by authorities after setting fire to a field in alabama. Hell bio timeline with samples of music, writing, song lyrics, art, photos from across the years, along with merchandise. Richard was invited to tulsa in april by the administrators of the new bob dylan archive to participate in a book. Richard hell author of i dreamed i was a very clean tramp.
Richard hell has been around music for a long time, most notably as a founding member of the voidoids. Go now ep by richard hell cd, may1995, tim kerr for. The richard hell story, and another world blank generation you gotta lose. Then he is paired with a very young female photographer with who he has had a previous sexual relationship to go on a road trip in an old. Go now by richard hell unlikeable narrator, billy, with too much dope and too much testosterone. Richard hells top 10 the current the criterion collection.
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