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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 9, 2021 7:46:57 GMT
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-563400-1205275909.jpeg.jpg) Some suggest Chron Gen were less of a “cookie cutter” act, not really fitting into either the Oi! or Anarcho sub genres I know next to nothing though but many seem to rate em Chron Gen?What's yer verdict? Chron Gen initially comprised former members of The Condemned and Optional Xtras. Band members included Glynn (Baxter) Barber (vocals/guitarist), Jon 'JJ' Johnson (drummer), Adam Warwicker (bass guitar), and Jon Thurlow (rhythm guitar), with Pete Dimmock replacing Warwicker after the band recorded their first demo.
The band released their debut EP Puppets of War in 1981 on their own Gargoyle label; It spent almost ten months in the UK Independent Chart, peaking at number 4.
With the success of the EP, Chron Gen were invited to join The Exploited, Discharge, Anti-Pasti, and The Anti-Nowhere League on the now infamous Apocalypse tour in the UK in the summer of 1981.
They released a single on the Step Forward label before moving to Secret Records, who issued the band's debut album, Chronic Generation, in March 1982. It reached number 53 on the UK Albums Chart, and was the last release to feature Thurlow, who was replaced by Mark 'Floyd' Allison.
The band toured with Anti-Nowhere League on their 'So What' tour and toured the United States in support of the album.
After a further single, Dimmock left to join Chelsea (and later Bandits at 4 O'Clock), and was replaced by Roy Horner.
The band's final release was the 1984 mini-album Nowhere to Run, which was recorded before Horner joined and featured session musician Nigel Ross-Scott on bass. It did not match their earlier success and the band split up in October 1984.
The band have played occasional reunion shows since.
Floyd later formed The Occasional Tables. He died on 31 October 1999. Pete Dimmock died on 12 August 2011.
Glynn Barber obtained his nickname 'Baxter' following his own surname being misspelt. He tours local pubs and clubs regularly as a solo artist using that name. He is also part of a glam rock tribute band, Rebel Rebel.
The surviving members of Chron Gen reformed for the Rebellion Festival 2013. As of 2019, Chron Gen continue to tour, playing the Rebellion Punk Festival again in 2016 and playing the 2019 London Punk Festival.
They released an album entitled This is the Age (2016).
Chron Gen - Outlaw
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Post by personunknown on Jun 9, 2021 8:12:41 GMT
One of the later bands who I could truly get on with. Instead of following a formulaic pattern like a lot of the eighties mob, they blended rock and punk and threw in decent melodies to boot. Not afraid of doing a relationship break up song either. Ggggggreat......
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 9, 2021 8:50:34 GMT
Their full length albums have been something of a disappointment, but that mini-album was great, as were their singles - this gem is from a 3 track compilation 12" with Infa Riot and The Exploited...
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 9, 2021 8:56:34 GMT
LOVE this too...
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Post by Billy Idle on Jun 9, 2021 13:03:52 GMT
Early days they got compared with Buzzcocks
Not quite that good
But still one of the best of those next generation 80s bands
Good tunes above
Lets have some more
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Chron Gen
Jun 9, 2021 18:32:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 18:32:19 GMT
One of the later bands who I could truly get on with. Instead of following a formulaic pattern like a lot of the eighties mob, they blended rock and punk and threw in decent melodies to boot. Not afraid of doing a relationship break up song either. Ggggggreat...... Not to be deliberately incongruous but most of the 'eighties mob' were all 76/77 punks who were all inspired to form bands by the likes of the Pistols etc. It's a bit of a myth which now seems to have become an accepted internet narrative that the early 80's bands 'all sounded the same'. It's simply not true. I first saw Chron Gen in the Apocalypse Now tour and they were nothing like Anti Pasti and vice versa. Likewise with Discharge. I mean, the Adicts, the Wall, Demob, Screaming Dead, Dead Man's Shadow, GBH and Drongos for Europe don't sound like each other at all. It's a bit of an invention stemming from the fact that some people really haven't heard much of the music, if any.🙂 |
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Chron Gen
Jun 9, 2021 18:48:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 18:48:57 GMT
Their full length albums have been something of a disappointment, but that mini-album was great, as were their singles - this gem is from a 3 track compilation 12" with Infa Riot and The Exploited... That dreadful 12" was really just a Secret sampler with the only bright spot being that brilliant song. I actually listened to 'This is the Age'album last week and I gave it a bit of slating on the old board but it isn't really that bad apart from the singing. Glynn Barber was one of 80's punk most talented songwriters. Just a pity that he never got the recognition he deserved.🤨 |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 18:54:35 GMT
Early days they got compared with Buzzcocks Not quite that good But still one of the best of those next generation 80s bands Good tunes above Lets have some more I think the Buzzcocks comparisons are a bit simplistic. Sometimes they did but most of the time they didn't. However, not that this is a bad thing as the below song illustrates🙂 |
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Post by zeopold on Jun 9, 2021 19:07:59 GMT
I saw them 2 or 3 times on the 'Apocalypse Now' tour, near or at the bottom of the bill IIRC.
They were mediocre but marginally better than the Pasti, Exploited and Anti Nowhere League.
The main attraction for me at those gigs was Discharge.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 19:12:29 GMT
The ANWL only did some of those gigs and Chron Gen were on first but I was pretty impressed by them.
They sounded like none of the others at all.
Discharge were at the top of their game.
The real duff 'UK82' bands were the likes of Exploited, Special Duties and most of the 'Oi' bands.
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Post by zeopold on Jun 9, 2021 19:26:05 GMT
Discharge were at the top of their game. They had their look together, too. I started work on developing a pair of strides like Cal's around '81. You have to rip them, wear them out and patch them repeatedly. I was still wearing this pair 3 years later* and they looked cool as **** * not continuously, obvs. The early 80's was an Alladins cave of trouser styles, and I tried most of them |
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Chron Gen
Jun 9, 2021 19:35:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 19:35:47 GMT
Discharge looked astonishing on the cover of Decontrol. So much so that I played that single all day until I learnt all the words which back then was no mean feat as no one had sung that ferociously fast before.
They were one of a kind in 80/81.. I mean you see them then that fuckwit Elvis Costello comes on TOTP....
I remember everyone started wearing two pairs of trousers too because the original ones were falling to bits so rather than chuck them out you just wore another pair underneath.
My mother was demented when it came to washing them....
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 19:38:35 GMT
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 9, 2021 20:20:24 GMT
I don't know if the whole album is like this... i didn't 'go there' but, like Beki Bondage these days, Glynn seems to sing in a Mid-Atlantic accent...
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Chron Gen
Jun 9, 2021 20:32:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2021 20:32:24 GMT
I think I compared it to mid 80's Billy Idol but I don't know if it's wholly accurate.
I can accept that Glynn wants to try new things but I've dug that album out again and I'm going to have another listen.
It's certainly not as good as that slew of classic singles and the 'Nowhere to Run'mini album.
'Chronic Generation' has it's good points but there wasn't enough balls to it.
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